5 Day Biellugis Trail Horse Riding Tour in Sweden
Sweden Horse Riding Tour
Choosing a tour with an Icelandic horse in the mountains is a perfect way to see the mountains. You get to know the Icelandic horse, have an adventure, be out in nature, sit round a campfire, learn about the Sami culture, and sleep in a Sami tent (lávvu).
Key Information
- Rider Weight Limit: 85 kilograms
- Horse Height Range: 12.8 - 14.8 hands
- Tack Type: Icelandic / English tack
- Horse Breed: Icelandic Horses
Meet the instructors
Highlights
- 3 days of horse riding
- Ride through forests, swamps, and mountains
- Swedish and English-speaking guide
- Horse with helmet and equipment
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Transfers to and from Kiruna and the starting point
Skill level
- Advanced
Types
3 days with instruction in English
Accommodation
On your first night, you will sleep on Ofelas Islandshästar's farm and on both nights during the rides, you will be camping and stay in a Sami tepee (lávvu) where you will sleep in sleeping bags around a fireplace. In the tepee, you can make a fire if you want to.
Program
The main things will be the horse, riding, nature, weather, and food, a long way away from stress. This tour is for you who want to ride up in the mountains with great views, near nature in an area where very few people are. Mostly, you ride in pathless terrain or on small paths so you get to know the sure-footed Icelandic horses. This is also for you who do not mind helping out with camping chores and do not mind being without the luxury of experiencing the natural way of being out in nature. For this tour, you need to have riding experience.
You can ride in different tempos depending on the terrain. You ride on the bare mountain, in swamp areas, and in the forest. Both nights, you sleep in a Sami tepee (lávvu) where you sleep in sleeping bags around the fireplace. In the tepee, you can make a fire if you want to. During the tour, you have an extra horse carrying the food and other things, but everyone carries her or his things in saddle bags on their own horse. For washing yourself, you use the clean water in the mountain creeks. It is good if you have some experience of camping.
On the tour, you help each other with the horses and with camp chores. Sometimes, you need to lead the horses when the terrain demands it. Because you are riding in a mountain area, you have some time to change the route because of the weather. On the first day, you ride through the forest, over swamps, and up to the bare mountain. You get a horse which suits you. You ride on the south side of the Kalix River and arrive at your overnight place in the afternoon. After breakfast on the next day, you ride a day tour over the bare mountain with a fantastic view.
You finish the ride on day three in the afternoon at the same place where you started the tour and from there, back to the farm by car. On some of the tours on day two, you go west to Ratekjokk where you sleep in a cabin, and day three is a dayride or ride to Ratekjokk. Then you leave the horses there and cross the Kalix River by boat and then by car back to the farm (can also be ridden in the other direction). You ride about 15 to 25 kilometers every day. The Icelandic horse is strong but not very big so the rider's maximum weight is 90 kilograms.
They lend you a riding helmet. A list of equipment will be sent to you when you book the tour. If you need extra accommodation and transfers, you can book it with them at an extra charge. The first day you meet in the morning on the farm for shared transportation to your starting point. To the farm, you can come by bus or car. The food is exclusive specialties from this area, for example, reindeer meat and fish. On the tour, you help each other with the horses and with camp chores. Sometimes, you need to lead the horses when the terrain demands it.
Instructors
Mats Blind-Berg
Also called Matti, owner of Ofelas Islandshästar. He is from this area with roots in Girjas Sami community, and active in Sami politics and the work of the community. He likes photography when there is an opportunity for that.
Kerstin Nilsson
Kerstin is an owner of Ofelas Islandshästar and comes from this area. She is a qualified handicraft teacher from the beginning and educated in the Sami language, has also the “riding teacher 1” education. She has the roots in Leaváš Sami community and also has reindeer there.
Jenny Jansson
Jenny is from Arboga and has been working here for quite many years, she also lives in Puoltsa. Has a tourism education and has been riding Icelandic horse for a long time. She has her own horse at the farm, Skriða, and a Finnish sami dog called Ira.
Location
Ofelas Islandshästar is located 25 kilometers west of Kiruna in the direction of Nikkaluokta with a fantastic view of the mountains and Kalix River. In wintertime, they have the northern lights and during summer, the midnight sun.
Puoltsa
The farm is located in a small village called Puoltsa (Buolža in Sami). It is between Kiruna and Nikkaluokta, next to the riverbank of the Kalix River. Ofelas Islandshästar has had the business since 1997.
Food
All meals from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day are included in the price. The food you cook together over a fire when you are outdoors (or in the tepee in bad weather). The food is exclusive specialties from this area, for example, reindeer meat and fish. Reindeer and moose meat is an important ingredient in Sami cuisine, usually smoked to last longer when you are out in the mountains for many weeks. Other local specialties in this area are fish from the river or mountain lakes.
Berries and herbs are also important ingredients, like cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries, Angelica, meadowsweet, etc. They provide any special diet if you require that, like no lactose, gluten, or vegetarian (remember to tell them in advance). Traditional food in Sámi is meat and fish supplemented with herbs and berries. Salt and flour were bought so you could bake bread. Fish and meat were eaten either fresh, salted, smoked, dried, or conserved in a different way. The Sami cuisine still looks the same but with new dishes and outside influences.
Reindeer and moose meat, Arctic char, Whitefish, cloudberries, blueberries, lingonberries, Angelica, and Mountain Sorrel are common in Sami cuisine. Coffee cheese was made from reindeer milk and, later, also from goat and cow milk. Lots of new exciting things are happening with the development of Sami cooking today. Sweden has strict rules for buying and serving alcohol so Ofelas Islandshästar cannot serve alcohol. You can bring alcohol with you there. If you ask, Ofelas Islandshästar can help you buy alcohol in Kiruna but they will not offer to do it.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
- Tea
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Gluten Free
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Lactose Free
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
The following services are available at an additional cost:
- 150 SEK - Breakfast
- 300 SEK - Lunch
- 500 SEK - Dinner
- 550 SEK - Accommodation (Double)
What's included
- 3 whole days of horse riding
- 4 nights accommodation
- Full-board meals
- Horse with equipment
- Swedish and English-speaking guide
- Use of helmet
- Transport to and from the starting point
- Transfers from and to Kiruna
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Personal expenses
- Extra meals and drinks
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Transfer not provided
Kiruna Airport
19 km away from your destination
Arrival by train
You can book train tickets to Kiruna. Between Stockholm and Kiruna, there is a night train without change. From the train station, there are free shuttles to the city center.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 7 days before arrival.
Reviews
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