This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
I'm concerned that too many REALLY GOOD colts are gelded, while other mediocre colts are kept for breeding. -- I suggested that this is a serious problem for the breed in N/A, and definitely a problem for colt owners who really don't know if they should geld or not. --- Unlike European owners of stud colts, NA owners have no one to advise them to geld or not to geld. -- In principle, in a perfect world, Evaluations should provide this service . However, it's not going to happen for these reasons - * Evaluations are now held around the country, but there will never be enough of them in enough places to allow everybody to get their weanlings evaluated. * For various reasons (like trailering) owners will not take all their weanlings to Evaluations. They will likely spend their money and efforts on having older, trained horses evaluated. -- Therefore, there's a big hole in the Education of Fjord owners. Therefore, people producing foals are left on their own to make the decision to geld or not to geld. -- Keeping a stallion is serious and expensive business. It's a really big decision for the owners. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's a definite need for a program to fill this void. A program that would advise owners, and save the horses that should be saved to breed in the future. I wrote about my plan in my last post and got this message --- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***** "Hello Carol, I feel this would be a good idea, no perhaps a great idea . . . Personally I have just the scenario you described. I have sent my stud colt (who is feeling his hormones) off to stay with ....................... I was sadly at a loss as to whether or not he should stay intact. . . . . I felt that if he were a candidate I needed to know soon! . . . . But how to find out? . . . . Who do I go to? . . . I think he is gorgeous, but what do I know?" ******* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YOU ALL CAN SEE THE PROBLEM STUD COLT OWNERS HAVE ----- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Program I see as being extremely helpful to owners and the breed is --- Our approved NFHR Evaluators could evaluate video tapes of stud colts giving the owners their opinion as to the qualities of the colts, and the evaluators opinion as to whether the owner should geld or maybe wait and see. \ In order for this to work the videos would have to be done according to a prescribed method that would show the evaluator as much as possible -- For instance, the colt free lunging to show his trot, walk, balance, ovement. --- The colt trotting straight at the camera and then away rom. --- Closeups of all legs -- Conformation shots from both sides, front and back --- Closeups of the head, eyes, teeth -- _________________________________________________ This proposed program might not be perfect, but it would be undeniably helpful to colt owners. -- Of course, the evaluators opinion would be private, and the owner free to do whatever he wished with the information. I urge the BOD to consider such a program, and I suggest that they first deterimine if there is a real need and benefit, and then decide how to implement such a program. What do you think? -- How many have been in the position of having a colt, and not knowing if he's good enough to keep intact? Carol Rivoire
