This message is from: "Lynn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Thank you for all your responses. It has put my mind at rest a little. I have no plans to rush into this - We are in fact planning a trip to Europe in 2002 to take in some Fjord studs etc, so I really am on this list to learn. In truth the quote I posted is the only negative comment I have come across (I ignore anything that is a personal opinion such as colour, shape etc).
As there are I think (heresay) only about 60 horses in Oz (Fjords) and I am not even sure if that is purebreds or if it also includes crosses, my opportunity to find out about them first hand are somewhat limited. Hence my question about problems in certain lines, as if the representatives here are mostly from closely related animals then such problems could be accentuated. When I read some of the posts, I think you are talking about my Friesian, the temperament seems so similar! I particularly relate to the lunging problems. Inca too is far more likely to come up to see what all the fuss is about so she will be a good grounding for working with another such breed. I was I admit a little alarmed after following the links to the historical information about the near loss of the breed and the tracing back to one only stallion. This is the problem we have in the Friesian population in that they too were nearly bred to extinction (because of their ability to produce such excellent crosses, many modern Warmbloods owing much to their Friesian ancestors, particularly Dutch Warmbloods and Oldenburgers!) and now all modern Friesians can be traced back through three sire lines to one founding sire. It is precisely this small gene pool that seems to contribute to a lower fertility and other breeding problems that I was hoping to move away from in a more robust "natural" breed, but find that the Fjord too nearly met the same fate. Is the gene pool now considered a problem? With the Friesians a close check is kept on the in breeding coefficient or possible combinations. Lynn
