escape artists
This message is from: "Alison Barr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ah, the joys of fjords. on sunday I came back from Edmonton from visiting my grandparents, and I discovered Fj was not where I left him. I asked, the family we board with didn't move him. as he has tried unsucsessfully to jump the barbed wire fence before ( mentioned this earlier) I don't think he would try this, but there is a manure pile in that feild. it is built up on two sides, and slopes down to the ground on the other sides. Either he jumped the barbed wire fence, or he climbed the pile and simply popped down over the fence. Sometimes I wish they weren't so smart. how do you keep these escape artists in? I also know of a Fjord who steps on the lower wires, pulling them off the posts, ducks his head under the top wire, and walks on through.
Re: Evaluation
This message is from: Sam & Sue Banks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I am a relative newbie Fjord owner (2 years), and long time horse owner (30 years). I don't plan on becoming a Fjord horse breeder, but I might want to breed one of my mares someday for a replacement, and I certainly see the value of having Stallions evaluated for breeding. I know what I like in a horse, but I do not know what is the best Fjord horse character. I live in an area where there are few Fjord horses, and certainly no Fjord horse shows (Virginia, USA) where I might learn more about the breed. I inhale my Herald magazine when it arrives, and visited Purton Fjords near me. I went to Equitana last year to learn more and support the breed. It would be easier for me if all stallions were evaluated, and if their evaluations, any ranking system and the judges remarks were published. With my American mindset, allowing registration only for offspring from Registry stallions "Approved" for breeding would not be popular, no matter how well the program was done. My husband and I are involved with performance dogs, Whippets mainly, and there had been a lot of politics and friction between the "show" whippet owners/breeders, who are in the majority and control The American Whippet Club, and us "race" whippet owners. Although it did not pass, I did not like one Board member's idea of being forced to have an AKC conformation Champion in a 3 generation pedigree in order for a dog to be allowed in the AWC's race program, and there was no reciprocal requirement for show dogs to have proven racing stock in their pedigree! So while I value the idea of "Approved" stallions, and I personally would choose one if I ever breed, I have been on the "wrong" side of a one-sided argument. If there were an Evaluation near me, I would try to go for the learning experience to see all those Fjords (is this heaven?), and try to take my horses to support it. Unfortunately, it sounds like the European systems require the mares to have a lot of foals and I like to play with my mares, not breed them! Sue Banks [EMAIL PROTECTED] Virginia, USA
Equitana Raffle
This message is from: Sam & Sue Banks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I will be taking my two mares to Equitana USA again this year to support the breed and to learn more. I have 30 raffle tickets for the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Foal Raffle. First prize is either a 1998 foal or $2,000 cash. Proceeds to offset the expense of sending Fjords and their people to Equitana USA (people like me who who cannot deduct this trip as a business expense!). There will be only 1,000 tickets sold, at $10.00 per ticket, drawing held at Equitana on June 21. If you have not been accosted yet by another Equitana attendee and would like some tickets, please contact me privately at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks. Sue Banks [EMAIL PROTECTED] Virginia, USA
[no subject]
This message is from: saskia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> welcome back Ilona! >i am back on the list. I unsubscribed some weeks ago, because i did get >so many mails that my computer couldn't handle it any more. I didn't know that!!! > so now i >join you again with another e-mail address that can't cause those >problems. hurray!!! >for the ones that joined the list when i was gone, here a brief >introduction of myself: > >- who? : ilona langelaan, female, 25 years old more about Ilona (and about 30 other listers) in the Who is Who on this lists siste! >- fjord : ido, gelding, 10 years old And right now Ido's pictures are on the site's first page! I didn't know you were gone, Ilona!!! So, anybody who wants to see that amazing guy Ido that I once had the good luck seeing-touching and smelling live - he's at http://www.virtualbears.com/fjord/index.htm (which is the site's page!). >- more?: yes, i've got a little brown shetland pony, too, named Bopper, >gelding, 6 years old. The most cute little guy! >today the sun is shining! nice weather for a ride! here it has been raining until 7 p.m. and then there was a splendid sunshine too! too late for a ride, but even better weather was promised for tomorrow, so...! from Belgium, Saskia
Re: Evaluations
This message is from: Sf Uzanne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have been reading everyone's opinion on evaluations that past few days and thought I might share my opinion on the matter. I am new to the list and have only been training Fjords for about 4 years now. I feel that it is important to have stallions evaluated most of all. Attitude and personality definately gets passed on through generation to generation. I have been training a couple of horses that are son and 3 generation to a particular stallion. By what I have been told about this stallion these two offspring have the same personality and attitude as the Stallion. They are both beautiful and one was origanally purchased as a stud prospect. Thank God it was gelded. The problem is that both are not as easy to train as other Fjords, take advantage at very chance, and pig headed ( excuse me but it's true) If this stallion had been evaluated and attitude/personallity taken into acount it would have been gelded I feel. I wonder if there would ever be a way that there could be "traveling evaluations". What I mean is someone that could go to farms accross the country to atleast evaluate Stallions at breeding farms and also persons living closs to that farm could also come to have their horse(s) evaluated. If these evaluations are not about winning or losing or placing in a class then why couldn't they be done at certain home bases. I know at Old Hickory Farm that there are many Fjords that live within a day or less driving distance that they could haul a horse to. I personally would love to have my mare evaluated but I can't afford to travel out of state. If they were done at farms cost could be cut because there would not be hotel, stabling and ground costs for the horses, owners and evaluators. What do you think? One last question, how does one become certified to judge at an evaluation? Maybe we could get others to get the training that it would require thus, allowing more evaluations accross the United States. I am sure that if there are only a few qualified judges that this plays a part in so few evaluations in so few locations? Any answers to this question would be grealy appriciated. P.S. I think this list is the best thing that could happen for a breed. Great discussion where everyone has a say instead of just the headds of committies speaking for all of us!Signed- Tammy Savery in New York, US
Re: Grazing muzzle
This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > we just completed our multi-zillion dollar, absolutely safe, strong, > sturdy lockable two acre field, only now I can't put Gunthar in it! > [...] The part I forgot is that Gunthar will not bother walking two > steps if he can be eating instead. So far our idyllic pasture is > getting 15 minutes a day of use. Ah, yes---Fjord lawn mowers! I have 3 of them that'll mow a path from here to there---moving only when there's nothing edible in reach any more. My solution is electric fencing for strip-grazing. The first few days, I give them an area big enough that they won't chase each other around, but I limit their time. As they get that area stripped down, I gradually lengthen the time. When the area is down to stubble, I move the fence over 4'; iterate. Once the grass goes to seed (i.e. browns off, and drops its seed), I can give them larger areas, since they're mostly eating standing straw at that point. This effectively reseeds the main parts of the pasture for me; all I have to reseed are the areas that they strip---which are the areas that I'd otherwise have to mow, for a firebreak. Very useful, those Fjords > am considering shopping for a grazing muzzle so he can be safe in > the field (with some supervision). > > I presume I will run into the usual problems of owning a horse with a > draft-horse-forehead and a draft-pony-muzzle. Not to mention the strength of the critter, and its determination to get grass into the muzzle somehow, and enough intelligence to be really creative about it. Keep the camcorder handy I have a similar problem when trail riding. Sleepy spent some summers in pack- and dude-strings, being expected to forage while under way. I finally gave up fighting with him about it, and built him a trail muzzle. Essentially, it's a bag made out of fiberglas window screen material, which ties to the noseband of his bridle. He can breathe thru it, and even drink, just not get grass into it. (However, last ride, he bit so firmly on some grass that he ripped the screen mesh; guess I need to build a stronger one, out of the fly masks he and Rom have destroyed over the years.) Marsha Jo HannahMurphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 30 mi SSE of San Francisco, Calif. ---
Re: Grazing muzzle
This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Well, we just completed our multi-zillion dollar, absolutely safe, strong, sturdy lockable two acre field, only now I can't put Gunthar in it! I built this field primarily so Gunthar would get some free movement time, and incidentally, some grazing and feed cost reduction. Ha! The part I forgot is that Gunthar will not bother walking two steps if he can be eating instead. So far our idyllic pasture is getting 15 minutes a day of use. I already have Gunthar's hay cut to the bone, with only Strongid C for grain (and the occasional bucket of purloined beet pulp he manages to get from his QH stablemate when we forget to separate them properly) and there is still a lot of padding over those ribs. I'm trying to get him on a work program - but that will take a while (variety of reasons). So am considering shopping for a grazing muzzle so he can be safe in the field (with some supervision). I presume I will run into the usual problems of owning a horse with a draft-horse-forehead and a draft-pony-muzzle. Anyone have any experience shopping for and/or using a grazing muzzle? Gail Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
hello everyone!
This message is from: "fjord ido" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> hello everyone! i am back on the list. I unsubscribed some weeks ago, because i did get so many mails that my computer couldn't handle it any more. so now i join you again with another e-mail address that can't cause those problems. for the ones that joined the list when i was gone, here a brief introduction of myself: - who? : ilona langelaan, female, 25 years old - fjord : ido, gelding, 10 years old - more?: yes, i've got a little brown shetland pony, too, named Bopper, gelding, 6 years old. today the sun is shining! nice weather for a ride! greetings from ilona __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Re: fjordhorse-digest V98 #37
This message is from: Arthur Rivoire <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> This is a message from Carol Rivoire to Julie and anyone else who might have misunderstood my comments about 'misbehaving stallions.' First of all - I didn't mean that anyone should breed vicious, overly aggressive, dangerous Fjord stallions. What I did mean was that we should not reject stallions who show a lot of spirit and testosterone. After eighteen years breeding Fjords, having three different stallions, I know that at certain times of year, even the nicest ones can give a lot of trouble, a good reason for amateurs to stay away from stallion ownership. Our extraordinary stallion, Gjest, is a case in point. Anytime after July, Gjest is delightful. He can be ridden by children. We use him for our Beginner Driving Program. He hauls logs and pulls harrows. He's a sweetie. --- However, he is not a sweetie in April. From the first of April until the first of July, he is horrid. Some years he'll be beside himself with an overproduction of hormones. He runs his fence line until he digs a foot deep trench. He screams and pounds his hooves all night. I admit that handling him is scary at these times . . . but I've done it daily, both for breeding and daily care, for 12 years now, and he's never hurt any human, or any mare. -- However, one year in the Spring, he did badly damage a cat. Actually, he doesn't like cats at any time of year. Anyone seeing Gjest for the first time in May, and not being familiar with stallion behavior, and having swallowed the Fjord Publicity about Fjord stallions being "as gentle as the mares" would think he's an unworthy stallion. They'd be making a big mistake, and in fact, people have done that in the past regarding Gjest, which is one of the things that prompted me to comment on stallion behavior. The other incident concerned a stallion owned by another breeder. This stallion was hauled a long way to a show with a van load of his mares and foals. Once on the grounds, he was segregated with the other stallions, and his mares were stalled far away. The poor stallion was beside himself worrying about his mares --- (And isn't that what a good herd stallion does naturally?) This stallion made a spectacle of himself by climbing out of his stall to get to his mares. In the ring, he was not well behaved. He sure attracted a lot of attention, all the wrong kind for his reputation and that of his owners. --- I find this very unfair and unfortunate. That stallion is a well bred, quality horse. He shouldn't have been judged on that day's behavior at a breed show. I even heard one foolish, big-mouthed spectator loudly proclaim - "If that hoss was mine, I'd geld him tomorrow." --- That would have been a monumentally dumb decision. In breed classes (halter), the judge should have a good knowledge of Fjord quality (conformation, movement, type, character). He should be able to pick the best horses despite how they might act up because of the situation. I might add that the very same misbehaving can often be seen with mares who have been separated from their foals for a halter class. They can be as bad as the stallions, but is it in the best interest of the breed to mark them down because they're rearing, twisting, pawing, screaming as a result of not having their foal at their side? Afterall, they're doing all these things because they have a strong maternal instinct, as well they should have.--- Same with the stallions. They're behaving like stallions, and stallions should be very masculine. In fact, an important part of Fjord judging is that Mares Should Be Feminine & Stallions Very Masculine! The Norwegians are particularly concerned about these strong masculine and feminine traits. To illustrate my point about fairly judging a Fjord stallion, I'll tell you a story involving "Vivian from Vermont." --- When we lived in New England, we competed Gjest in combined driving. There weren't many Fjords competing then, a good thing for Gjest and me, because he didn't care a fig about brown or grey or black horses. I could stand him four feet away from a Morgan mare, and he'd pay no attention. He was wonderful at these competitions if there were no Fjords, and I used to pray that Vivian wouldn't show up with one of her Fjords, because when Gjest spotted Vivian's mare, the problems began. Dressage was trashed as Gjest screamed for Vivian's mare. We might as well have gone home. -- Now, I suppose some will say that I should have been able to train that out of him, and maybe I could have if I'd had him from babyhood. However, I got him as a ten year old breeding stallion from Europe where he'd been breeding 85 mares per season for years. His only experience with horse trailers had been going from farm to farm to breed mares, so you can imagine how he came out of that trailer at the shows. We made some impression! --- Of course, with Gjest behaving like
BOUNCE [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Admin request of type /\buns\w*b/i at line 2
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Apr 28 08:46:16 1998 Received: from hotmail.com (f89.hotmail.com [207.82.250.195]) by mailing-list.net (8.8.5) id IAA03487; Tue, 28 Apr 1998 08:46:15 -0600 (MDT) X-Authentication-Warning: mailing-list.net: Host f89.hotmail.com [207.82.250.195] claimed to be hotmail.com Received: (qmail 2818 invoked by uid 0); 28 Apr 1998 14:45:47 - Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Received: from 145.12.10.12 by www.hotmail.com with HTTP; Tue, 28 Apr 1998 07:45:39 PDT X-Originating-IP: [145.12.10.12] From: "fjord ido" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: hello everyone! Content-Type: text/plain Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 07:45:39 PDT hello everyone! i am back on the list. I unsubscribed some weeks ago, because i did get so many mails that my computer couldn't handle it any more. so now i join you again with another e-mail adress that can't cause those problems. for the ones that joined the list when i was gone, here a brief introduction of myself: - who? : ilona langelaan, female, 25 years old - fjord : ido, gelding, 10 years old - more?: yes, i've got a little brown shetland pony, too, named Bopper, gelding, 6 years old. today the sun is shining! nice weather for a ride! greetings from ilona __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
