Riding in Iceland, disinfecting gear?

[Orchardbeck]

My sister and I are planning a riding holiday in Iceland in September (including ride to and swim in the Blue Lagoon!). I'm aware there are rules regarding riding kit being taken in to the country to prevent diseases being brought in, but what does this mean on a practical level - does everything have to be brand new? Or how do you disinfect and then prove it is disinfected?

Does anyone have any advice - I've done a few endurance rides so have a bit of long distance gear, but need to know if we should bother taking it!

We'd prefer to use our own hats if we can, we have (new) short boots to wear with chaps (I have a few pairs already so would hope to use them). I have lightweight riding tights, gloves, layers and a waterproof jacket.

Should we take seatsavers or are they a waste of luggage allowance?

All advice welcome!

 

[Echo24]

I'm going to watch this thread with interest as I wanted to go to Iceland on a riding holiday. From the research I did I think you do need to buy everything new to prevent contamination. Perhaps someone who's been on a riding holiday in Iceland could enlighten us!

 

[Jnhuk]

We went on a ride last year but they provided hats. Think we took our boots and jods but we were riding for a few hours as was on a cruise. The hats had dials which you adjusted to a custom fit. We rode near Akureyri up north and would love to go back and explore further.

The area round the Blue Lagoon is all lava field so I would recommend that you consider other places to ride other than the reykjanes peninsula. The rest of Iceland is so dramatic and beautiful but once you have seen one lava field.... you have seen them all.

 

[Highlands]

New Zealand the same as long as its clean your ok.

 

[Walrus]

Iceland is amazing, I went about 7 years ago on a 10 day riding holiday, we were based in the north near lake myvan (?), we went to a blue lagoon in the north, it was amazing! From what I can remember they provided the hat but I took my own boots and chaps, I got them disinfected by my local vets, don't think it cost too much and I think they provided me with a statement on headed paper saying they had been disinfected and the type of disinfectant used. It's really important as Iceland is quite a closed community in terms of the horses, they don't allow imports and once a horse leaves it can't come back so the gene pool is very pure but if they were exposed to a disease they're not used. They probably wouldn't cope very well, which is why they have quite strict rules.

Re the seat savers, you could take them but I was fine, tolt is literally the most comfortable thing ever, it's like riding a super comfortable armchair at speed through the most amazing scenery! I didn't ride regularly when I went, I had been cycling in perpetration but I rode for 7hours a day and was fine, the hot tub in the evenings helped!

 

[Gloi]

I went for a week riding in Iceland 25 years ago, got addicted and bought a horse not long after I returned.
Have you ever ridden the horses? If not, seeing as you are in Cumbria it would be worth a visit to Gaisgill to see the horses there http://www.icelandichorses.co.uk/
When you go to Iceland take some sunscreen for your face. I didn't think about it and being in the mountains ended up with the most horrendous burnt lips and nose from the one sunny day we had amid the other crazy weather.

 

[Orchardbeck]

Thanks for the input people! Think we'll be ok as most stuff can be washed - I'm just a bit nervous re hats and really would prefer to take my own: 1, I don't fancy wearing someone else's sweat, and 2, I had a fall wearing a lightweight 'dial' type and really cracked my head - as a mum of two I'm a nervous ninny now and invested in an Hs1. Only thing is I would hate for it to be taken off me at the airport for not meeting criteria! What to do?!

Great tips re sunblock, perhaps won't bother with seatsaver.

Gloi, thanks for that link, I didn't even know we had icelandics her in Cumbria!

 

[Gloi]

I took my own hat with me and didn't have a problem.

 

[HollyWoozle]

You might find this article helpful.

http://www.mast.is/Uploads/document/augl_mast_protectHorse.pdf

 

[Kati*89]

I only did the one ride in Iceland...it was amazing, so I am very jealous
I took my grasmeres with me, didn't even know about disinfecting etc, and no one pointed it out in my luggage.
We got given overalls etc as it was cold, so it didn't relly matter what you wore underneath, I suppose if you are riding for hours each day it might be more comfortable in proper gear...the hats were a bit gross, i tried not to think about it...could you email the riding centre and ask their advice?
Enjoy, sounds super!

 

[Oliver12]

I loved my riding holiday in Iceland. I took new boots, hat and jodphurs but only because I needed new ones anyway. The boots were similar to Muck Boots and were very useful because of riding through rivers. I also treated myself to a seatsaver and so glad I did. Not only did it stabilise me when galloping down steep cliffs (and those Icelandic's can shift) but I was the only one out of a group of 10 that didn't suffer from a sore bum after eight plus hours in the saddle.

Someone on the trip had had their tack disinfected in a lab somewhere with a note to verify it. I remember some scruffy Finnish people who brought their dirty boots with them and I was quite surprised that no-one at the airport had inspected them as I thought they had to.

A German family also had those multi-purpose silk balaclava things which were very useful for keeping the dust and flies off their faces.

I went about the same time of the year as you and temperatures went from extremely hot to absolutely freezing and very wet within a day. So plenty of sunscreen, warm waterproof gloves, layers and a waterproof jacket.

Have fun - I'm envious.