Go to content Go to navigation
Horse-back riding in Bodø, Norway - Photo: Hemsedal.com/Morten Gulbrandsen
  |  
Horse-back riding in Bodø, Norway Photo: Hemsedal.com/Morten Gulbrandsen

Horseback riding

Join a group and go horseback riding. There are three different Norwegian horse breeds.

Because of its varied natural landscape you can ride along paths and roads as well as into untouched wilderness. Sitting on the back of a horse you can reach far into the wilds and come close to nature. 

On organised trips you will be accompanied by expert guides who help inexperienced riders learn everything from the names of the equipment to how to show the horse affection.

You will find indoor riding, riding trips for the experienced and for beginners, plus opportunities to hire a horse by the hour.

Norwegian horses

Today there are three different Norwegian horse breeds: The Norwegian fjord horse, the North Norwegian mountain horse and the Forestry horse. In addition to these three, the national horse breed of Iceland, the Iceland pony, descends from the Norwegian Viking horse.  

The Norwegian fjord horse:
The most famous Norwegian landscape, as known by tourists, is the long west coast to the Atlantic Ocean, where fjords and mountains are the keywords.

In this steep landscape, the Norwegian fjord horse was developed. It is one the world’s oldest horse breeds, and it is probably quite closely linked to the ancient North Asian wild horse.  

The North Norwegian mountain horse:
In Northern Norway the main component of the landscape is mountains. This is the region of the North Norwegian mountain horse, which has the same general features of body shape as the Norwegian fjord horse, but it is remarkably smaller.


The Norwegian forestry horse:
In the south-eastern regions of Norway lies the area where the Norwegian forestry horse has been developed. Through generations these horses have been used for farm and forestry work, carrying loads up and down between the mountains and valleys, as riding horses, for driving with sledges in the wintertime.

The Norwegian forestry horses are famous for their mental skills as well. They are intelligent, gentle, very patient and get deeply involved with their owners and riders. In Norway we use the expression “cold heads”, meaning that these horses are not easily scared.

Last updated:  2011-04-29
Tryggvi Islandshestgård - Photo: Tryggvi Islandshestgård
Tryggvi Islandshestgård
Riding an Icelandic horse on the border between Rondane and Dovre, Norway - Photo: Tonje Kvernvik/Kvistli Islandshester
Riding an Icelandic horse on the border between Rondane and Dovre, Norway

Interest:  Riding & Sledding

Close
Embed this article

Copy and paste this code into your blog/website

Preview

Horse-back riding in Bodø, Norway - Photo: Hemsedal.com/Morten Gulbrandsen

Horseback riding

Join a group and go horseback riding. There are three different Norwegian horse breeds.

Horseback riding

Source: Visitnorway

Related

Travel Providers

Book your Norway trip through one of the following US & Canadian travel providers offering a wide range of tours to Norway.

Riding & Sledging

Dog sledging is a popular winter activity. You can even go dog sledging on wheels in the summer. Riding is possible many places across Norway.

Dog sledding in Norway

Get close to nature on a dog sledding trip this winter, and travel at high speed across the Norwegian wilderness, pulled by a pack of eager huskies.

ADS

Related videos

Related

Riding & Sledding

ADS

TEXT ADS