About Us
We’ve been offering riding instruction, tours and treks at Staðarhus for nearly 10 years now. We love helping create memorable experiences for people and look forward to doing that for years to come.
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
MEET THE STAFF AT HESTALAND
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 extensively across the US to teach riding instruction clinics.
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 Gudmar 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.
Louisa takes care of everything that happens behind the scenes at Hestaland. Having worked with and around Icelandic horses in Canada, Germany, and Iceland, she will help you plan your trip and ensure that you have an unforgettable experience. Louisa handles the marketing, is in charge of riding tours, and can pretty much tell you everything you want to know about Icelandic horses on a farm visit. She also works as a photographer, specializing in horses, naturally!
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.
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!
An unlikely suspect hailing from Chicago, Christina (Gudmar’s wife) has settled into Icelandic farm life quite well. While she enjoys riding, you likely won’t find her riding next to you on your trek or tour. In addition to focusing her efforts on sales, marketing, and business development for Hestaland, she’s a freelance editor.