This message is from: jadeb...@aol.com
I agree that any horse seriously benefits from good training and consistant handling and (IMO) the smarter the individual, the more they profit. I think Fjords, as a group, are less inclined toward hysteria than some other breeds but NOBODY is born golden. Witness the Shetland pony that gets a bad rap as a kid's mount all the time. Again IMO, size and brains qualify them as the perfect child's mount if they are raised and trained like full-sized horses. However many are treated like stuffed animals...very little, if anything, is taught to them or required of them. And then folks are surprised when they have no manners and a very iffy work ethic. It often seems to be assumed that because they're little and adorable they are also automatically compliant, reliable mounts and companions. Children need to be guided toward a useful and responsible adulthood and so do horses...even the innately loveable ones like ours. Good training and time spent can put "strong-minded" (a concept with which I have no problem) on your side and, when that happens, you can ride or drive your pony through fire. I've been lucky. I've got great ponies and have had wonderful teachers for both them and me. As a result, I'm having fun and I'm not afraid. It's been suggested to me that lack of imagination may explain a certain amount of my lack of fear but - what the heck. So far, so good. Kay Van Natta and Braveheart, who says, "Charge!" and Bogie, who says, "Fire?! What fire?!" Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH-L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
