This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Allison Barr wrote: "... Instructors seem to look at them and think they must be short strided, dragging, and slow. I have found about the exact opposite...."
I have a fifty-something friend who's owned, trained, and showed Paints and Quarter Horses for years. She was watching our 3 Fjords thunder across the pasture and was amazed at how graceful and balanced these stocky little horses are. They love to race each other at top speed for awhile each day, unless it's really hot and humid -- they're a joy to watch. Even Finn, the yearling, is light and nimble, and his momma Sissel has a rocking chair trot that even my novice husband can ride bareback. Regarding the "stubbornness" issue, I agree that the Fjords tend to "slow down" rather than spook when they are unsure of what to do. Tuopen, our gelding, has this way of looking at me when I ask him to do something new as if to say, "You wanna do WHAT????" If I'm gentle but persistent, he will eventually do whatever I'm asking him to do, especially if there's a little treat for reward. (Amazing how the IQ goes up when there's food involved!) If I'm too strong in my request, though, he'll become nervous and "stubborn", and eventually will show a strong flight response. I think the John Lyons method of breaking a task down into very small steps works really well with Fjords. I also think there's a dominance aspect to Fjord "stubbornness" as well. For instance, Sissel is friendly and mellow, but she really doesn't deep-down respect me -- she would rather shoulder me or anyone else, human or equine, out of the way in her endless search for edibles. I would like the chance to work with her in a round pen or other confined space away from the other horses (and food!) so there's nothing to focus on besides me. For some reason, I can get that focus from our other horses even when they're in the pasture or barn, but not from her. I don't, however, equate this "stubbornness" as a lack of intelligence -- quite the opposite, actually. DeeAnna
