Bjørn Roar Larsen, our Icelandic horse trainer, has had a bit of a riding accident on a training weekend south last weekend.  He returned to Shetland with broken ribs and a trodden on ankle (ouch, the bruises are worse than mine, not that we are having a competition).

Yesterday, he asked Daisy and Anna whether they would be interested in riding his two Icelandic horses – Kappi (a more experienced gelding version of Taktur) and Hekki (a newly backed and trained Icelandic gelding).  They happily agreed.

Both horses and riders went like the wind round and round the school with Bjørn perched on a stool instructing them.  I was so proud of them both. I know Anna is not mine but I just felt that here were two incredibly talented  and capable riders in my midst that were having fun riding Icelandic horses.

So, I took a billion photos trying to catch their hard-working faces and their horses’ unique actions.  Kappi knows it all and Daisy had to get used to learning how to ask the right question, to find the right answer and then remember how she achieved it.

This is Daisy’s concentration face!

The girls took it in turns as they seemed to be going at different speeds.  One would stand in the middle of the ring while the other one hurtled round.

And then it was Anna’s turn.  Her horse, Hekki, was a totally different type of Icelandic.  He is just beginning his journey and Anna had to work very hard.   Hekki had to find his tölt as an even four beat gait which he is only just discovering.

This is the face of someone who is loving these amazing little horses – The Icelandic Horse Cheesey Grin!

And this is Anna’s face of pure determination and focus.

Anyway, they both achieved hugely and I am very proud of the pair of them.  I think Bjørn was impressed too.  Hopefully this will be a regular thing, while Bjørn is out of action, so his horses will learn and so will Anna and Daisy.