This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
The "temperament questions" started with Tamara saying three people warned
her against buying a Fjord because "they have a pony attitude with
draft horse strength". --- "By 'pony attitude' I believe they mean
difficult to handle."
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Doesn't this old saw make everyone realize that - We need MUCH MORE
publicity on the true talents and temperament of the Fjord breed? The fact
that after all these years so many people do not know what this breed is all
about indicates to me that - "Something needs to be done NOW" -- And the
way to do it is through advertising in equine publications. -"A picture IS
worth a thousand words".
Think about this, please . . . . A 2 page spread in a popular horse
publication showing a dozen gorgeous Fjords doing a dozen different things
from Dressage to Draft - Each photo would be clear, uncluttered, and
showing a high quality Fjord in performance. -- These photos would leave
nothing to the imagination. Each photo would show a gorgeous Fjord
performing in his discipline to the highest level. -- Each photo would show
a highly conditioned Fjord. --- Each photo would show a perfectly groomed
Fjord -- There would be Fjords performing nicely for little children,
grandparents, and everybody inbetween. -- There would be no excuses in
these photos. A Fjord jumping should have his back rounded, and knees
tightly tucked. And so on and so on with each of the other photos.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF SUCH A PRESENTATION
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.
BRIAN JENSON'S COMMENTS . . . . .
> In regards to Carol Rivores comments on advertising which
> I believe is helpful------------I find that Fjord owners and breeders
> getting out there and competing in Open Shows against all the other breeds
> speaks more loudly than just advertising. It is one thing to talk about
> doing it-----------but it is real proof in the pudding to read and see
Fjord
> owners and breeders out there really making it happen. Just picture other
> breed owners standing around watching the Fjords outdrive their stock. The
> last Fjord Herald is a case in point for the wonderful work some of our
> members are doing in the Driving sector. After many years of hard work and
> talking Fjord owners and breeders are really starting to come on the
Driving
> scene in a big way. My most sincere congratulations and kudos to those of
> you who have worked so hard in the Open Shows to demonstrate what the
breed
> can do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree with Brian's comments about Fjord owners getting out there and doing
it. -- How else will be get those good photos of Fjords performing unless
they are actually doing it? -- But, I don't agree that just the 'doing it'
part at shows "speaks more loudly than just advertising." -- That doesn't
make sense when you consider the numbers of people who see a good
performance at a show vs. the numbers who can read about it and see the show
photos in a magazine.
For instance, the WONDERFUL photo of Ursula Jenson driving her stallion,
Raynor, is terrific! That's a photo I'd pick for my photo layout any day of
the week -- It shows a good looking, very fit Fjordhorse who is moving
forward freely in a beautifully rounded frame. You can't ask for much more
than that. It's exactly the kind of photo I'd show to people looking to buy
a competitive driving horse. And if I had someone who'd been told Fjords
aren't competitive, or some other stupid conclusion; such as lazy or
stubborn . . . This is the photo I'd show them. -- This photo speaks
volumes of the quality and capability of this breed! -- And I'm delighted
the photo was printed in the Fjord Herald because I wasn't at that show to
see Ursula and Raynor "doing it".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All the talk on the List about the virtues of the Fjord breed is, of course,
positive, but nowhere near as effective as high powered ads placed in
popular publications -- ads showing Fjords performing in all the various
activities.
There are not many breeds that are this versatile! --
It's in the Fjord breed's best interest that we get the word out NOW! --
Otherwise, I do predict that prices and demand will go down to such
ridiculous levels that more people will begin dumping their horses at
auctions or worse. The other consequence, of course, is that the good
breeders, the ones who are putting serious effort and money into their
operations, will be so discouraged, they'll get out of it --- Change breeds
maybe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If this kind of publicity were to be undertaken by the NFHR, I believe many
breeders would be encouraged to place ads as well.
Or, it might be done another way -- The same big splashy, at least
full-page ad would be run, and down at the bottom of it would be the farm
names, websites, etc. of people who contributed to the cost of the ads. --
This is a common and effective practice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This would accomplish several things -- #1 Educate the public about just
how talented and good-looking, and competetive Fjords really are, and
stimulate in the public a desire to own one of these beautiful horses. -
#2 - The public now thusly educated by the photos of quality Fjords would
be far less likely to purchase untrained, inferior-type Fjords. -- If the
horse buying public knows what a good Fjordhorse looks like, they'll be
wiser buyers, and end up as enthusiastic boosters of the breed, not the
opposite.
#3 - Those Fjord breeders who in the past got away with selling inferior,
untrained Fjords to the uneducated Fjord buying public, would now be forced
to either upgrade their act, or get out of the business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The NFHR should have no objection to these suggestions, and should act on
them in the very near future. -- All it would take is to gather the
appropriately high class photos, and to choose apropraite publications.
And, of course, to loosen the purse strings, and use that money where it
will do the most good!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS! -- I believe those ads would have such impact
that readers will tear out the pages and hang them on their walls --- will
tear out the pages and show their friends --- Will immediately make every
effort to look up Fjord websites --- Visit Fjord farms, and buy themselves
the best darn horse in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just imagine a full page of pictures of different Fjords doing all the
different things they do so well, AND . . . each and every Fjordhorse
pictured will look as good and be performing as well as Ursula and Raynor on
page 28 of the last Fjord Herald.
This will go a long way towards dispelling the old question of
. . . . .
" . . . But, can they do anything?
Kind Regards, Carol Rivoire
