This message is from: Julia Will <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear Linda, Misha & others ~ Good points! I agree that the NFHR needs more evaluations, and certainly more Fjord shows would be welcome. The shows are not NFHR functions...Fjord fans need to pull together to organize more shows, or to have Fjord classes added at their State Fairs, local shows, etc. We have been pretty successful getting the NYS Breeders Show to add more classes for Fjords, even tho only about a dozen horses come each year. We hope to keep enticing more folks to bring their horses, and as numbers increase we can add a greater variety of classes.
I personally dislike the lumping together of Fjord owners/breeders in catagories with names like "backyard breeder". One of the reasons I love being "in Fjords" is that most of my fellow Fjord lovers are NICE PEOPLE, trying to do the best they possibly can for their horses. I also don't think it is the end of the civilized world if some "less than perfect" family horses have a few foals in their lifetimes. I do think there are a lot of stallions who should be geldings. What are the "conformation faults" that make breeding out of the question? Short back, long back, toeing in, toeing out, sickle hocks, cow hocks, poor shoulder angle, mutton withers, narrow chest, too wide chest, homely face, ewe neck, cresty neck, short stride, white markings....which ones??? All of the above? In a "using" horse, (speaking only of mares, because most folks don't keep a stallion just for a "using" horse) the horse must be servicable sound and functional, which tells me while the conformation may not be perfect, at least it all "works" and the horse can do the things a horse is supposed to do. I think we would do a service to the breed if we discussed which faults are so serious that breeding is out of the question. We are kidding ourselves if we think the Norwegians and the Dutch don't breed some "less than perfect" horses. I have been to Holland and to Norway, and I have owned upwards of 100 Fjord horses in the last 7 years, and I can vouch for the fact that perfection IS NOT the rule. I have owned quite a few 3rd Pr. and even 2nd Pr. mares that HAVE conformation faults, including sickle hocks, pidgeon toes, short stride, upright shoulder, slightly mal-occulded teeth, white markings, cow hocks...etc. These were all imported mares, who had been given their premies by the Norwegians. They are offspring of well-known stallions. Folks, these faults didn't just crop up when the horses hit American soil. They are in the genes of the parent stock, and have not been bred out dispite MANY years of culling and selective breeding in Norway and Holland. The less-than-perfect horses are used for breeding ... I have been to the stables in Norway and Holland, seen the mares, seen faults. Come on now...fess up. Others of you have been there too and you aren't blind. Let's be HONEST. Look in your own barns, breeders. See some faults? Of course you do. What we all hope to do is choose carefully and produce foals that are better than the parents. Doesn't always work, does it? Now to REALLY stir up a storm, how does the cost of the stud fee influence whether an owner keeps his/her own mediocre stallion or breeds to a top quality stallion with an evaluation or show record? If serious breeders really want to encourage breeding to the best, won't they LOWER the stud fees to attract more mares? Do you think this will mean that more "inferior" mares will be bred, or will it mean a greater portion of these mares will be sent to a top stallion instead of an mediocre stallion that is self or locally owned? In our part of the country, a weanling stud colt sells for $1500 to $3500, depending on quality, and a filly for $2500 to $4000. If it costs $1000 and up for the stud fee, plus transport, vet costs and mare care, the mare owner may think twice about sending the mare off, versus buying his own $1500 colt to raise and breed to his mares. I suspect that in Norway and Holland, the cost of the stud fee is not proportionally as high, and the number of stallions is much less. Do stallion owners seriously think that by having a high fee they will prevent "inferior" horses from being bred? I contend this just promotes the proliferation poor quality stallions being bred to poor quality mares. I am a stallion owner, so I am not pointing fingers from the outside looking in. Furthermore, breeding outside mares is NOT fun and is a lot of work. I'm not saying the person who shows their stallion, has him evaluated, or has imported a fine animal does not DESERVE a high stud fee. I'm just suggesting that if we are complaining about the number of stallions in this country who are NOT top quality, perhaps one way to reduce this number is by making it possible to breed to a top quality Fjord for an affordable price. Other opinions? How about hearing from mare owners? What do you think about stud fees? What influences your choice? Sorry for the long-winded email! I'm going to (gulp) push the "send" button. Ready, aim, fire! Julie
