Horse back riding at Tuskast Icelandic Horse Farm

Yeehaw! It’s officially summertime. And for many of us, this means road trips, BBQs, beach parties and summer adventures. While living in the city is bustling and fun with many music and food festivals happening every weekend, sometimes you just need to be with nature. Enjoy the fresh mountain air by exploring the stunning landscape of BC. What a better way to explore the back country by horseback.

Recently, Christopher and Nathaly invited us to their farm. Located in South Abbotsford, Tuskast Icelandic Horse Farm breed, raise and train purebred Icelandic Horses. Compare to a Western horse, the Icelandic horse has been pure bred in Iceland for 1000 years and are the direct descendent of the Germanic Horse of the Middle Ages. Due to Iceland extreme climate, the horses had to adapt to be smaller and pony-sized have double layered coat to protect themselves from the harsh weather. It typically weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches) high.

I quickly got acquainted with Nokvvi, a 5 year old male, by brushing his mane and setting up the saddle and reins. Afterwards, Nathaly taught us the proper way to ride the horse. How to mount and control the horse: stop, reverse, turn left or right and move forward. Icelandic horses are famous around the world for their tolt, a gait unique to this breed. It’s a comfortable gait and very smooth.

After 25 minutes of setting up and lesson, I was excited to hop on and explore the trail. We trek through the same Trans Canada trail the settlers used during the Gold Rush connecting Hope to Calgary. The Trans Canada Trail is the world’s longest network of recreational trails. The trail stretches 23,000 kilometres (14,000 mi) from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans. While we only explore 5 km of the trail, I really enjoy the scenic backdrop of Vedder Mountain.

Christopher and Nathaly other passionate is wine making. For the past 9 years, they been developing their own wine and crafting their own beer at Copper Kettle Wine & Beer. It’s only fitting we ended our adventure sampling some house wines. We tried the Trebianno de Soave, Argentinia Trio, Torrentes (Argentina), Merlot (Chile), Cabernet Sauvignon (Australia), Syrah (Chile) and Orange Chocolate Port. I really like all 7 wines but my favorite was Argentinia Trio and Orange Chocolate Port. The Trio is delightful blend of apricot and floral notes with a hint of vanilla. The Port taste like dessert with rich aromas of dark chocolate with a hint of citrus and vanilla.

Looking for a fun adventure with friends and family? I highly recommended Tuskast Icelandic Horse Farm. They offer all year round horseback adventures in the majestic setting of the Vedder Mountain, Campbell Valley Park and Campbell Valley Park.

Tuskast Icelandic Horse Farm
39170 Old Yale Road
Abbotsford, British Columbia V3G 1X6
Phone: (604) 309-1151
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.tuskast.com

Copper Kettle Wine & Beer
#2 – 26004 Fraser Highway
Aldergrove, British Columbia V4W 3V7
Phone: (604) 856-1280
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.copper-kettle.com