This message is from: "ruth bushnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Monica,
Welcome to the Fjord List. Friska sounds like a challenge all right. It's hard for me to even imagine an underweight Fjord as so many are too rotund and overly focused on eating. I suppose you had her vet checked for any irregularities so it's difficult to imagine what might be causing her to be finicky over food.. puzzling. One thing that caught my attention is the use of Canola oil.. there has been some negative data on the use of Rape Seed in the past and while I don't really know how substantiated the claims are, you might look into that aspect and use Corn Oil instead if you think the oil is really necessary. Round penning exercises would help ease her anxiety somewhat for now, and aid her digestion too probably, (until you are able to use her later on.) As you mentioned about fast movement... move very slowly around her and TALK A LOT. That cannot be emphasized enough. Begin to slowly stroke her around the head and move backward as far as she is comfortable with, then stop. Doing this consistently every day you will gain increments of success until you will have eventually worked your way to the rump... by then you will be friends. =)))) I wish you the best of luck in your becoming acquainted with Friska. It will take a lot of time and patience but great is the reward. Ruthie, nw mt >....... In many ways Friska is not what I would consider a "typical" Fjord. She's not > the prettiest thing in the world (although she is of course very cute!), which > isn't helped by the fact that she's underweight and her crest has fallen > slightly. ....... She's wary, quietly anxious, overreactive, jumpy and herdbound. She doesn't > like her hindquarters being touched. If I lift my arm suddenly, she bolts > away. When I work with her, groom her, pick up her feet etc (which she really > needed practice with as she would root like a tree), she will stand for it but > with a hard look in her eye.
