This message is from: "Steve Sessoms" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Was Re: The Evaluation Book on NFHR website
Carol, I don't disagree with you very often, but of what use is the Warmblood's high-end dressage gaits to the Fjordhorse breed? When I see those huge horses I think, "How lovely but how unnatural" and I think of it as a human made thing as exaggerated as the Hackney action but in a different direction. So I think we could get in terrible trouble trying to fit our fuzzy ponies into the Warmblood mold! I think the Fjord's trot at it's finest is powerful, smooth and natural (a gait that would contribute to the survival of a horse in the wild). I take the part about the trot having speed to mean the Fjord should not have a lazy, slow trot, and historically, real trotting speed would be a bonus quite in keeping with the traditional Fjordhorse use as a racing trotting horse and a horse people rode or drove to get from point A to point B in incredible cold!!!! I do understand the reference to comfort, I do not enjoy riding a rough or bouncy horse at a trot no matter how sweet, fun and stable his personality is. And the Fjordies main claim to fame is a fun, hard working, reasonably sized, cute horse who is an absolute joy to own and ride. I think the attention given to gaits at this point in the history of American-bred Fjordies is not a bad thing. I myself haven't seen any that crossed the line into 'exaggerated' and I have bred my middle mare to a horse who is a fabulous dressage Fjord. Nice movement is good and puts our ponies into a desirable niche of beautiful large ponies in dressage and driven dressage. But I don't think we should necessarily seek the exaggerated action of the large Warmblood who competes in upper-level dressage, that would be as strange to the breed as Hackney action or Quarter Horse sprinting speed! I have never heard these ideas expressed before, they are just my own observations and I am no expert . but I do think one can go too far trying to copy elite dressage movement. Now just your regular horse competing and winning ribbons in dressage is simply a nice moving horse and we should certainly seek that in our Fjordhorses! I hope I made myself clear and would love to hear more input on this subject since I think the Fjordies gaits are as important as their cute little ears but more elusive! /em ducks! Meredith Sessoms Moulton, Alabama
