Your Boots Are Not Clean Enough for Iceland. Yet.
Why Iceland cares about your boots
You cleaned your boots. You think you cleaned your boots. Iceland would like a word.
The Icelandic horse has lived on that island, alone, for over a thousand years. No horse that leaves is ever allowed back. Because of that isolation, the herd is free of the diseases your horse at home shrugs off every spring. They are not vaccinated against them, either. So one bit of barn dust riding in on your heel could do real damage.
That's why MAST, Iceland's Food and Veterinary Authority, asks every visiting rider to disinfect before arrival. It's not a suggestion from a fussy aunt. It's the price of admission to ride the most protected horses on earth. Good news: it's easy, cheap, and done in an afternoon.
What stays home, no matter how clean
Some things can't be scrubbed into Iceland. Importing these used items is flat-out prohibited:
- Saddles, bridles, bits and nosebands
- Saddle pads, rugs and whips
- Used riding gloves
Yes, even your lucky gloves. Buy a new pair and break them in on the plane. Your tour operator supplies the tack, and it already fits the horses. That's one less thing in your suitcase.
Riding clothes: let the washer do the work
If you've worn it around horses outside Iceland, it counts. Breeches, chaps, half chaps, jackets, base layers, even the socks you mucked stalls in.
Anything that can go in a washing machine goes in the washing machine. Use hot water if the label allows. Can't wash it? Dry clean it. Then bag it and keep it away from your barn, your dog's bed, and your other horse stuff until you pack.
Your boots, step by step
Boots don't fit in the washer. Well, they do once. Here's the MAST method for anything you can't machine wash or dry clean.
- Knock off the dirt. Bang the soles together outside. Pull out the insoles.
- Scrub with detergent. Warm water, dish soap or a mild detergent, and a stiff brush. Get into every tread groove, the welt, the zipper and the tongue. Rinse thoroughly. If it still looks like your arena, scrub again.
- Let them dry completely. Disinfectant can't do its job on mud or puddles. Stuff them with newspaper and give them a day.
- Spray with Virkon S at 2%. That's 20 grams of powder per liter of water. Mist the boots inside and out, soles included, until they're evenly wet. Do the insoles separately. Wear gloves and follow the label.
- Wait at least five days. This is the step everyone skips. Seal the boots in a clean bag and don't let them near a horse until they meet one in Iceland.
Can't find Virkon S? It's sold at farm supply stores, vet clinics and online, often in single-use packets. Ask your vet if you're unsure about a substitute; MAST's own guidance calls for a broad-spectrum disinfectant that kills bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Timing, shortcuts and a few hard-won tips
Start 7 to 10 days out. Five days of waiting plus a drying day plus life happening. Don't spray the night before your flight and hope.
New boots skip the line. Never worn around a horse? No disinfecting needed. If your old boots are cracked anyway, this is your sign. Just break them in on walks, not at the barn.
Don't forget the helmet. Many operators lend helmets. If you bring your own, it's riding gear. Wipe it down, spray it, and give it the same five days.
Pack them alone. Clean boots in a sealed bag, on top, separate from everything else. Some guides ask if you disinfected. Now you can say yes with a straight face.
Rules can change. Check MAST's page on riding equipment before you go, and ask your tour company what they expect.
The payoff
It's a bucket of soapy water and a spray bottle. In return, you get to swing up onto a horse whose great-great-grandparents carried Vikings. A horse that has never met the diseases you could have carried in.
You're not just a tourist doing paperwork. You're one of the people keeping that herd safe. Scrub like you mean it.
Still packing? Read So You Want to Ride Iceland for what to wear and how to prep, then pick your outfitter from Who to Ride With in Iceland.