This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subj: another lurker introduced Date: 99-09-27 00:23:20 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ann Hatfield) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lisa, could you see if you can send this for me, I guess I don not know what the correct address is for the group-at any rate I cannot send it. Thanks in advance. Ann H Lisa pederson kindly told me about this digest and I have been lurking for months. Fnally decided to introduce myself again. I tried once before but must have fouled up the sending of it and then decided discretion was the better part of valor, and all that, and went back to lurking. The reason I have been nervous about doing more than lurking is that I not only have a purebred Fjord mare but have a cross. Had three, actually until I had to sell the yearling and two year old this summer. (Sigh). I understand that crosses are not looked upon with much favour in the Fjord world. I am in general agreement with keeping breeds pure, but I also like cross-breds. I've owned and ridden purebred and cross-bred Arabs, and still do, and would not like to see Arabs in general diluted out of existance, either, but really like the crosses. Ambivilent, huh? So easy on the flames, please. I own Elka, one of Trinity Fjords good mares; they sell horses in the States frequently and are probably better known down there than in Canada. I also own aFjord/Belgian cross who was one of the many PMU foals destined to go to a slaughterhouse death. The elderly gentleman from whom I bought the team makes runs to Alberta every few years and brings back these little fellows and raises nice driving teams from them. Freya is one of his finds. The mares were first on extended maternity leave and then I was too busy to do much with them, showing and a bit of endurance racing with the Arabs, teaching the babies all there baby-manners, as well as working a 50-55 hour week and trying to be a good mom and wife and keep the garden under control and the summer guests full of hamburgers and corn on the cob-you know how it can be.... ....but, with the babies gone and a plan in mind the mares are going to work-literally. But first back to school for them. The team has done some serious agricultural work for Walter (former owner) and occasionally moved logs, brush and building supplies for me but now I'm starting them under saddle as well. Fjords are so, so easy to work with! I've ridden for over thirty years and these fellows are like being a kid on a pony again, just plain lighthearted fun. I wouldn't dream of taking the same liberties starting a 'regular' riding horse that I do with the girls. Today for instance. Now Freya has been ridden about 3 times ever, all last year, and lead-lined a child or two. Elka has been ridden twice on the road last yearm with my husband walking with us, once or twice in our field before that and had a kid or two tossed up on her for a lead-line ride. Oh, yes, and once this spring when I suddenly decided to go for a trot round our foresty roads with her bare back and she was full of beans and bucked on the downhill and launched me off onto my shoulder for a partial dislocation. ( Yes, yes, I knew better-green, green horse in the spring-I was just being as silly as she was.) But here, under the influence of warm autumn sunshine, were my experienced rider-friend, Sandra, and I taking liberties with 'early training' again. Found one of the wide-bar Western saddles that actually fit Elka and just saddled her up and led her around for about 3 minutes. I got a leg up onto Freya, bareback because she is too fat for any saddle at the moment! We tried Sandra's weight in the saddle on Elka, fine, and on Sandra went. Not an eye batted. Freya even remembered leg aids from her few rides last year, for goodness sake! Elka thought about bucking when she wanted to head back across the pasture to the whinnying Arabs but never did any more than look pained and shake her head. We then practised circles and half-halts and halts and crossing mud and marshy bits and then rode down to the river (we have a half mile of big, wild-country river running through the place.) We waded up and down the channels among the islands in the river and the mares splashed and blew bubbles in the low, golden sunshine. Then up to the outlook point high above the river through shady roads with views of the valley and the bald-headed eagles that are here for the salmon run. After the view, through the bush trails and over logs, for practice, and back down the steep hills and round by the lower pasture and across the creek and home. Took about three hours. The only time they were at all difficult was a spook, in concert, when a huge salmon splashed right beside us as we rode on the lower pasture (well, its really the camping area, volleyball field and croquet pitch, not a pasture.) No, I won't make the mistake of really treating them like just-add-water-trained horses, I will put a proper set of basics on them and we won't be off to any autumn parades in the next weekends, but no wonder it happens with Fjords. These two acted like seasoned trail horses. Sandra, who hasn't driven much, was just charmed to find that the mares respond to voice commands and that one could literally ask them to do things as one rides. "Easy girl, and gee." and around the tree on the correct side Sandra and Freya would go, Sandra grinning from ear to ear. Sorry for going on for so long but what a heady pleasure; the day as truly warm and gold as all one's memories of childhood riding, and the two blond mares splashing and snorting in the river and the sound of hooves on fallen leaves. Ann Hatfield
