This message is from: "Jon A. Ofjord" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi to All you Fjord horse people out there:
I have a question that maybe someone out there could answer, especially with all the evaluation talk going on. We have a mare who has excellent breeding and is very "typey" as far as her conformation goes, but she has an avulsion of the heel on one of her back hooves. We bought her with this blemish, apparently this happened at her former owners. We bought her from a breeder who had taken her on consignment. She does not lame up from this, nor does it affect her way of going, but her hoof does not grow out properly because of this. There is some disfiguration at the coronet band and the side of the hoof does not grow as it should. When our farrier shoes her and uses equilox, the blemish is hardly noticable. Her other feet are well formed and grow properly. So my question is: Can we show her at halter or have her evaluated? This is not a congential defect, but apparently was caused by neglect. It's wonderful to read all the comments about evalutaions and breeding, etc. and now I'm wondering if we should bring our filly to the evaluations. I know she's not an "outstanding" or "Excellent" horse, she's just average, I think. I also get a chuckle out of the ads in the Herald. It seems like most of the advertisers overuse the words "outstanding", "quality", etc. etc. I guess no one wants to advertise "average horse with an O.K. personality", but I know they are out there, if fact probably most of them are. I do agree that we should have all the stallions evaluated. And I do think temperament is part of what is passed to the offspring. I can tell that in the horses we have. Our "average" filly has an attitude at times, so does her sire, but she's willing to try new things and is fearless in some situations. One of our mares is out of a stallion who is very calm, but has a great presence - she is the same way. And just as an added note...We are expecting one of our mares to foal any day now. I'm hoping it will be in the next couple of days because I took time off of work!!! We will let you know when the blessed event arrives. Maybe it will be and "Outstanding" foal. Keep up the good conversations folks. Hope to see some of you at the evaluations this summer. As another added note, a friend of ours knew of someone who said of the evaluations "You mean I have to pay money to have someone tell me my horse isn't any good?" Duh! Mary Ofjord North Coast Fjords
