This message is from: al...@4km.net
Hello forum members. I enjoy your posts even though I'm usually quiet. Some of you have followed or guided the most recent parts of my path from deciding to get a Fjord, looking casually for years, looking seriously for months, finding the perfect Fjord (Bocina from Bluebird Lane) sooner than was ideal, moving to the country, and working on the property set-up. You may also remember Im an adult beginner: rode a bit in my teens (trail rides, lessons, village parades and the like) and have taken a few lessons recently in which I basically learned how many layers of knowledge are needed and how little I know. You may not know that owning a horse is a lifelong dream of mine, and its been an owning-a-Fjord dream for about 20 years. Also, you may not know that I rarely take on things I dont yet do well, and I am clearly a novice here. Lori suggested I post an update (which I would have anyway). There are so many ways in which I could write this. Last week I flew into Toronto and finally met Bocina: an experience I see through different lenses. Can You Believe the Ads? As for many Fjords, the ad copy for Bocina was pretty spectacular. Absolutely nothing was the least bit deceiving or exaggerated. She is absolutely amazing. Fjords for Beginners: Im surprised breeders & brokers on the forum dont have ongoing conversations about dealing with Fjords and novice purchasers. Even though we may know and say well be high maintenance, there are some significant realities to high maintenance. Trained Horses & Untrained Purchasers: When I was searching for a Fjord, I sometimes said to sellers that the high levels of training for some Fjords (such as Bocina) seems like a waste for a novice. Im still wrestling with this one. Tomaytoes or Tomahtoes? Different parts of the continent are very different. To generalize through our situation as an example, Ontario farms seem big, specialized and aesthetically pleasing. Lots of big barn-shaped barns painted red with white trim and the like. The nearest well-known Fjord breeding farm to me on the west coast was three acres in size. Most farms on the Gulf Islands are hobby farms, and it is common to see a collection along the lines of a horse, a donkey, small herd of sheep and some chickens on an acre or two. Ten-acre farms are sometimes called estates. Unpainted run-in sheds are common and people point out that there really arent dry paddocks because of the rainy winters. I think Lori is nervous. Considering Buying your First? It can be a roller coaster. Most of the time I feel like the luckiest person on earth. Today I feel absolutely undeserving. Lori says: focus on what youve done well. The Seller as a Fjord Concierge: My final lens for this experience is what wonderful people Lori and Stefan are in person as well as from a distance. And how they constantly model learning, improvement, efficiency and love for the horses. This is a kind and caring place, with people and animals, who seem to get along with each other all the time (if you exclude the cat chasing the dog out of her bed). Everything is clean and safe and organized so that every spare moment can be spent working with the horses, reading, taking lessons, working out, growing and cooking healthy meals, or taking well-deserved breaks. Embedded in the price of a well-trained Fjord are many years of hard work; likely trips to Europe; likely flights of stallions and mares across the Atlantic; investment in land, facilities, tack, feed and supplies; and a commitment to a breed with special history and talents. I know there are other wonderful Fjord farms around the continent and the world, and I wonder if part of that comes from what Fjords teach us, and the nature of the people drawn towards this breed. Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
