This message is from: "jaimie benoit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Everyone,
I've posted to the Digest a few times in the past, but I don't believe I've ever introduced myself. -- I'm Jaimie Benoit, and I'm a native of Pomquet, Nova Scotia. Pomquet is the little village of 600 people where Beaver Dam Farm is located. Pomquet is a French Acadian community, and I went to the local French school for grades K - 6, after which I went into Antigonish town for middle and high school. I'm now 27 years old, and in a couple of months we'll be celebrating my 16 years at Beaver Dam Farm. -- My family home was right across the street from the farm, and Beaver Dam Farm is where I grew up. Carol and Arthur have always been like my second parents. I graduated from high school in 1998 and shortly after Carol and Arthur offered me the position of Manager and of course without a doubt I said yes. Last year, I built a house right here on the farm. My entire equine experience has been with Fjordhorses. I feel I thoroughly know and understand the breed. In the sixteen years I've been at Beaver Dam Farm, we've had hundreds of Fjordhorses coming and going. Since I've been involved at BDF, we've foaled out over 50 foals. Carol and Arthur have imported 30+ yearling fillies from Holland, and we've had 150 or so Fjords sent to us on consignment sale. -- I do everything with the horses at BDF. I handle Gjest during teasing and breeding. --- I manage the feeding program. I train all the horses from birth through riding and driving training. Most of the time, Fjordhorses come and go pretty fast at our farm, but once in a while I have the opportunity to take a horse from birth up to about 4 years old. I love when that happens as without fail those horses turn out fabulously, and there hasn't been one of them that wouldn't be suitable for a beginner. There hasn't been one of them that wouldn't be a star in a therapeutic riding program. I feel that after 16 years specializing in the Fjord breed, I really do know this breed but with due respect to the fjord I am still learning about them. That's what keeps it interesting. My opinion on the breed as a whole being suitable for beginners, is a resounding "YES". But, as others have said, it doesn't happen automatically. It involves an incredible amount of patience and understanding. We need to *understand* why horses do the things they do. Fjords just like all other breeds need training -- good, proper training. The sad thing is that so many of them don't get this good training that starts when they're born and continues every day of their lives. -- Carol always says that "Fjords are too good for their own good." By that she means that Fjordhorses have good characters and naturally friendly, calm temperaments. Too many people take advantage of these qualities and don't give Fjordhorses the training that every horse needs. Just because the Fjord doesn't pitch a fit when he's first mounted, doesn't mean that you can take off on a trailride and expect him to be obedient and listening to your aids no matter what he encounters on the trail. It's not going to happen. To ask that much of a horse at that stage of training just isn't fair, to the horse. He has to be trained and conditioned mentally to take his direction from the rider. That is so important. The horse must trust the handler. Without trust you have nothing to base a solid working relationship on. If a horse does not trust you than how can you expect him to do as you ask without question. Why should he? The answer is simple, because you took the time to understand him. I didn't say that the answer was easy I said it was simple. It takes a lot of years and patience to understand equine behaviour. You must show him that you can be trusted. The horse must look first to the rider, and to have the confidence that the rider will take care of him. -- Otherwise, his instincts will take over, and he'll be gone down the trail. He must trust that you would not lead him to danger. There may be a very good reason for him to run BUT he will trust you that it is alright if you indeed know that it is alright. I hope I'm making sense. I am truly passionate about what I do for the well being of the horses that are in my care. Carol taught me and has always insisted( she can be tough at times as some of you readers may already know) that each time anyone on the farm handles a horse for any reason, that handling constitutes a learning experience (a lesson) which will teach the horse proper behavior or improper, dangerous behavior. ............. Before I go any further I'd like to thank Carol and Arthur for the wonderful opportunity that they have given me. I will be forever grateful. They are truly wonderful people who are VERY passionate about what they do. I've learned to do a lot of training in the stable, on the ground. -- Manners and listening and reacting to me as I work around the horses. -- Proper training takes years of imprinting, and particularly in the early years, you can undo a lot of good imprinting (training) by a little carelessness. -- So, yes, I certainly do believe that Fjords are a good choice for beginners, but as others on the List have said, the beginner shouldn't be alone in his use of the horse. He should have a mentor working with him, or at the very least, available to him, to assure that everything is going along in the right direction. -- However, there are certain cases where Carol and I believe that a beginner can be successful with a Fjord all by himself. -- The components to this potential Success Story are - #1 - the right Fjordhorse, and #2 - the right owner. -- If the person knows animals and has worked and trained them in the past -- dogs, for instance -- he could successfully train a Fjordhorse from weanling age to age 3 or 4. -- After that time, he'll probably want to turn the horse over to a professional to be trained to ride and drive. -- The Fjord weanling can't be just any weanling because some of them are little hellions, and need knowledgeable handling and training. However, others are born with a soft, easy-going nature, and are ideal candidates for amateur training. -- Our recommendation is that the new owner study books and training videos, and follow the advice which pertains to training all horses. -- Carol's book, THE FJORDHORSE HANDBOOK, details how to work with youngsters to instill manners, confidence, and obedience. And all of this advice can be done on the ground, in a small pen, or in the stable. You'd be amazed how much real equine education you can give your youngster long before he's ready to be ridden and driven. So, to sum up . . . . I believe that 'As a Breed', Fjords are more suited to amateur training (a first horse) than other breeds, but that does not mean they're "born broke" -- They're born sweet, gentle, trusting, friendly, and intelligent. -- All of that means they're easier than most other breeds to train. But, just like all other breeds, Fjords need solid respectful training. "A horse will never learn our language no matter how hard they try BUT we can learn a horse's language if we try REALLY hard". Kind regards, Jaimie Benoit- BDF Manager and Head trainer PS I learned a lot from Carol over the years. I can be long winded too. Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II, Ltd. Phone: 902-386-2304 Fax: 902-386-2149 URL: www.beaverdamfarm.com E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Raised by the Sea in Health and Tranquility" Visit our NEW Riding Vacation page on our website today! http://www.beaverdamfarm.com/pages/riding-vacation/index.html The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
