This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) The things that have been said about the need for Evaluations have been excellent, though some of it will not work in the United States.
I hope to offer a very practical take on Evaluations in this country. First, they are an excellent tool and should be taken advantage of by anyone serious about their fjords - using or breeding. Few other breeds in this country have anything of the sort, and it has the potential to improve/keep the quality of the Fjord Horse in this country very high. The problem is, this is America, the land of freedom, where people have the attitude "no one is going to tell me what to do with my horse!" That is why mandatory evaluations of stallions or mares will never fly in the Fjord breed in this country. If we, as a Registry, would have had the foresight to start out that way, then yes, it could have worked. Since my family was involved in starting the Registry, I'm willing to take any responsibility/blame there is to take. But since it wasn't started that way, if the Registry now tried to implement mandatory evaluations and control over breeding animals, many or even most members would not be in favor of it at this point. However, I'm not sure that the way things are is all bad. Think, for a minute, about the breeds in this country who are controlled by strict licensing standards for breeding (Freisans, Trakheners, etc); Are they widely popular and widely available here in the US? No, they are not, mainly for three reasons: 1) most of them are not multi-purpose, including not necessarily being great as children's horses or "pets", 2) cost, and 3) breeding controls. The first two are self-explanatory. (To anyone who owns such a horse, I am not saying a single thing bad about them; They are just not used for the same purpose as Fjords. Or, to say it another way, They haven't been bred to fill all the needs/purposes a Fjord is supposed to fill). So I'd like to expand on number three - breeding controls. We in the US are trying to make Fjords as widely available as possible, while at the same time maintaining the perception of value such that they are worth a fair amount more than just an average horse. Breeding controls, however, limit availability and raise the cost even higher. Thus we would be working against ourselves to try and implement mandatory evaluations where only approved animals could breed. The thing that breeders have to remember, is that they probably come out better with evauations being voluntary. The fact that there are a number of "average" Fjords out there (note: most "average" Fjords would be better than average compared to other breeds) means that the truly special Fjords stand out even more. There are plenty of people out there who want quality animals. So any breeder (or "user") who is willing to distinguish her/himself at an Evaluation will benefit. I think it is fair to say, then, that evaluations are a very good thing. And although there are good aspects to a mandatory system, in the US probably the best thing is to keep them voluntary and continue working to make them as available as possible. Here's a thought though; How about replacing the traditional American system of judging, as we do at the Fjord shows, with evaluation instead. Now I know that often an Evaluation will be held in conjunction with a show, and I know many of the judges have been trained in Europe, but that is not what I mean. At the show, horses and people are judged according to two broad criteria: innate qualities of conformation and ability, and performance qualities in competitions with each other. In the areas of innate qualities (the halter classes for example) Instead of placing horses by comparing against each other, and ending up with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, etc., lets judge and place them only against the standard, and judge them in several areas, not just halter for instance. Now my reason for suggesting this is not that anyone should be afraid of competetion, but that judging the traditional American way leads to change of the breed. Which horse wins becomes, eventually, based more on politics and judges preferences than true quality of the horse. (If you don't believe me, ask a Quarter Horse or Paint owner who shows competitively). I would like to think that this would be less the case when judging against the standard, and not the other horses at the show. And I know the Fjord judges are fully qualified to judge that way - they do it at the Evaluations already. I have to go to work right now. I'd like to develop this a little more. Before anyone flies off the handle, please make sure you really understand what I'm saying. If you're not sure, please wait until tonight when I will try to get back on the computer and continue. Brian Jacobsen Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch Salisbury, North Carolina _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
