This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hello everyone!
A few questions and thoughts, as always. From my perception, it appears the jist of the list's opinions is a stallion used in a setting of a "backyard breeder" is flawed due to lack of showing, evaluations, and bloodlines. Are these actual flaws? I know of only four actual annual Fjord shows in the United States, someone please correct me if I am wrong. The lack of quantity of shows would certainly prohibit many people from attending, I would think. Timing, location, travel, all of these things must be taken into consideration in regards to taking horses to a show. How feasible is it for a small farm and or small breeding operation to stop everything to attend a show 1500-2000 miles away? I was worried about when/how to have my new Fjords evaluated as soon as possible. I actually recieved an email in answer stating something to the effect of not to worry, the MidWest Group has evaluations every THREE YEARS! Now seriously. How workable is this for those of us wishing to have our horses evaluated so we can indeed ascertain the level of quality we currently own, in order to "correctly" show and breed for conformation, temperament, movement, etc.? I know there is another evaluation scheduled NEXT year in CA. About 2500 miles away from me. I suppose I will have to load up every animal, regardless if I wish them evaluated or not, to make such a lengthy trip. No offense to anyone on the board, but I do get the impression the criteria of some of the list's PEERS is hard on small farms and newcomers due to the very fact of how inaccessible the current program is for small farms and newcomers to the Fjord world. OK, now about bloodlines. Everyone seems to know a great deal about bloodlines. I have heard endless discussion about stallions from Norway, Holland, Canada, etc., etc., etc. I have looked at countless pedigrees in my personal hunt for Fjords. But, they are simply names to me. I have no idea as to what the ancestry of my chosen Fjord has accomplished. Oftentimes, neither does the breeder. So tell me please, how does one discover this information? This is obviously a very important issue, for it seems many on the list know a great deal, so much in fact it seems I often hear more of what the sire's sire's sire accomplished than I hear of what the present Fjord has accomplished. Personally, I would like to hear more about AMERICAN stallions and mares. I am in America, my Fjords were born in America, and they will live in America. As far as I am concerned, they may be of Norwegian equine descent, but they are American horses. Thanks in advance for any answers! Lynda, temporarily from Texas
