This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
I just have to put my two cents in on this subject of Fjords being "herd-bound", and other miscelaneous training problems. We've been training and selling Fjords for about 24 years. We really have very few problems, and almost no complaints from buyers. Note I said "very few problems" and "almost no complaints". --- No horse is perfect, and they are not born broke, and don't train automatically. It all takes work, and there are differences in each horse. One thing we do not have at BDF is "herd bound" horses. Not in our own home-bred Fjords, or in the imports, or in the consignment horses. It just doesn't happen, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure why it doesn't. One thing I can tell you for certain is that Fjordhorses that are not trained well as youngsters and whose training is not consitently kept up all their lives can most definitely be problems. Too bad, because there's no need for these things to happen. We just sold a 3 yr. old home-bred gelding (Gjest x Maryke). BDF Quentin Durward was solidly trained to ride and drive. He also was superb on the trail all by himself. How did this happen in such a young horse? It was easy! You can do it too. There's no secret. We just handled him from birth, and when he was weaned, we handled him several times a day demanding submission, obedience, and manners. -- In case anybody gets bent out of shape, all of these "demands" were done in a quiet, kind way. -- When Quentin was a yearling, he started ground-driving. As a 2 yr. old, he was long-lined and driven. As a 3 yr. old he started riding, contined his driving, and in the summer of his third year, started trailriding lone. --- His new owner in Rhode Island can't believe how great he s. --- The "secret" is consitency! -- By the way, the woman who bought BDF Quentin Durward wrote to us asking about "an older horse" to meet her needs. The lady described exactly what she wanted, and what she intended to do with the horse. --- Her detailed description didn't fit any of our older horse, but exactly fit the three-year-old, BDF Quentin Durward. Many of the problems described occur in older horses with neglected training. You cannot leave a mature horse in the field doing whatever he damn well pleases for years and years at a time and expect him to be as manageable as one who's been civilized since birth. Fjords are famous for being "once trained, always trained". That may well be. They may well remember their training, but that little saying doesn't address attitude". --- It's really too much to ask of any animal to expect it to have a good working attitude after many years on their own. We train all our horses every day of their lives that they're on our farm. It pays! For sure!!! Best of luck, Carol Rivoire http://www.beaverdamfarm.com Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet, Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 Tel:(902) 386-2304 Fax:(902) 386-2149 Carole Rivoire, author of THE FJORDHORSE HANDBOOK, only book in English on the Fjord breed, available from Beaver Dam Farm, $36.95 US includes P&H
