Our Story
A WAY OF LIFE IN WEST ICELAND
WHO WE ARE
We’ve been offering riding instruction, tours, treks, and retreats at Hestaland for over 12 years now. We love helping create memorable experiences for people and look forward to doing that for years to come.
We have witnessed the same people come back year after year and have spent a lot of time thinking about how to build on and enhance their experiences. Ride with us in Iceland, feel the natural high for yourself, and see what keeps horse lovers returning to the Icelandic countryside summer after summer.
Our Values
Icelandic horses aren’t our hobby — they’re our way of life. We believe one of the best ways to experience them is riding through Iceland’s idyllic countryside, their natural environment for over 1,000 years.
The feeling of riding through the highlands with a herd of 50 loose horses is difficult to describe. All we know is that it’s where we feel free, and by the end of a long winter, we’re longing to be out there again. Our goal is to share that feeling and experience with you.
Our Mission
Our passion is being out in nature, and our mission is to allow people to experience the freedom and uniqueness of Icelandic nature and the Icelandic breed.
MEET THE TEAM
The People of Hestaland
Guðmar Þór Pétursson
MANAGER / OWNER / RIDING INSTRUCTOR
Guðmar started riding at 6 years old and quickly became an accomplished competition rider. With the goal of promoting the Icelandic breed in America, he moved to Louisville, KY, where he operated a training station for about 10 years. The exception, of course, was during the summers, when he would return to Iceland with his American clients to ride in the highlands. He now resides primarily in Iceland but travels worldwide to teach riding instruction clinics. Guðmar, your guide and fearless trek leader, has been on or around a horse almost every day for the past 30 years.
Christina Elena Guzik
OWNER / SALES & MARKETING
An unlikely suspect hailing from Chicago, Christina (Guðmar’s wife) has taken quite a liking to Icelandic farm life. While she enjoys riding, you won’t find her riding next to you on your summer trek or tour, as she’ll be back at the guesthouse cooking your delicious dinner. The rest of the year she focuses her efforts on sales, marketing, and business development for Hestaland.
Vibeke Thoresen
HORSE TRAINER / RIDING INSTRUCTOR
Vibeke has been riding horses all her life, but before she moved to Iceland in 2015, she mainly rode trotters and did a lot of show jumping. She graduated as a horse trainer and riding instructor from Hólar University in 2020. In addition to working as a horse trainer at Hestaland, she’s completing a master’s degree in equine science at the Agricultural University of Iceland and doing research on horse behavior.
Kirsti Hiller
BARN MANAGER
After spending several summers at Hestaland, Kirsti Hiller decided to make Iceland her home. She now works as the barn manager at Hestaland. As such, she is responsible for the well-being of the horses, and she also helps Guðmar and Vibeke with the training. She’s been riding Icelandic horses since she was 7 years old. She always says, “Once you ride an Icelandic horse, you’ll always ride an Icelandic horse!” You can usually find her somewhere around the barn with her smiling dog Tófa.
Nökkvi Þór Guðmarsson
FARMHAND
Nökkvi has been helping his father in the barn ever since he could walk. Now he works at Hestaland, helping with horse care, tractor work, maintenance, fencing, and hoof care, among many other tasks. On a big farm, there’s never a dull moment, and no two days are the same for Nökkvi!