Re: Evaluation - Cyber style?
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Philip Petty) If I remember right she said the Fjord was cow hocked or some such. I happen to know the horse and it did not have that fault. It may have others, but not that one. That is one reason that as good as pictures might be I'm not sure they would be good for evaluation. Philip Lochsa Fjords Mica, Washington -- In EQUUS issue #212, Page 72, (June l995) she analyses a Fjord Stallion and the rest of the article looks at a Percheron Gelding and a Welsh stallion This series was called What's My Line? analysing horses for their best use. I happen to recognise the stallion, but the name was not given in the article. If anybody wants to read this article and can't find it I can probably scan this page and send it as an attachment/picture.
more practical thoughts on evaluations
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) To recap: 1. Voluntary evaluations are a great thing in the US, but mandating them will not be well accepted. 2. Breeders and serious competitors of Fjords will distinguish themselves by participating in evaluations, thus attracting current and prospective owners more serious about acquiring quality horses. Breeders who don't participate will still sell Fjords, though in general more to people only wanting pets or not as serious about breeding. 3. Evaluations will help keep our Fjords more true to their heritage than the traditional American system of judging, which we currently use at Registry shows. Also, since conformational judging is part of both a show and an Evaluation, there is some duplication. So why have both? Now I will freely admit I am not an authority on showing. My grandfather, who starting raising the Fjords, never felt the need, and Barb and I are short on time and long on distance (from any shows). We do consider ourselves serious breeders and are going to start participating in Evaluations though. So perhaps I am overlooking a simple reason for judging conformation (i.e. halter classes) at a show, and judging it again at an Evaluation. If so, please tell me. If not, why do both? Save time and money and just do the one which tells the most about the horse. This would seem to be the Evaluation. Finally, there is no problem to making Evaluations more available. But it takes two things: money and workers. If we as NFHR members are serious enough about this idea, we can make it happen. Sincerely, Brian Jacobsen _ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Dave Nancy Newport introduction
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dave Newport) About Dave Nancy Newport: Finally we have a minute to introduce ourselves. My husband and I have been trying to read all the digests and catch up on everything so far. I think we have only about 25% left to read, but felt we'd better get cracking on letting you'all (it's the South, here) know who we are. We live in Gainesville, Florida (University of Florida country), very near Ocala where the Live Oak CDE is held. I have been into horses for years, since I was a kid, but my husband has never been interested in riding, or horses for that matter. However, all has changed since we got Paulinemeyendel 2 years ago (she's three now). We bought Paulie from Vivian Creigh who imported her from Holland with a group of Fjords several years ago. Two years before that we had traveled up North to New England to see some Fjords as my daughter and I were sure we wanted one from our research. Dave McWethy took us for a rip roaring jaunt through his woods when we visited his farm on that trip-and my husband was sold, not only on Fjords, but on driving as well. We looked around that time, but really couldn't afford the prices, yet, so we vowed to create the money and strive to get a Fjord and get driving! Meanwhile, we learned to drive with my daughter's Arab, and were very successful due to the help of many great friends we met in the Florida Whips Driving Club. And here we are now almost 4 years later, with a Fjord mare, a marathon vehicle, several 2-wheeled carts as well as four other horses in our herd (they were already here). We also have 2 pigs, a goat, 3 dogs, 6 cats, 5 children and a grandma, but who's counting. Our trainer, Avo Kiviranna (from New York originally/ Morgans) who has been helping us occassionally along the way commented that Paulie was so very handy, for a young horse, and I must say she is a pleasure for us. The more we learn the more we realize what a gem we have in our Fjord! We are looking forward to reading the digests and interacting with folks - what a great idea!!!
Re: fjordhorse-digest V98 #38
This message is from: Glen MacGillivray [EMAIL PROTECTED] Just some comments about evaluator vs horses traveling: This message is from: Ursula Jensen [EMAIL PROTECTED] snip goes a bunch of good stuff Someone on the list was also asking about judges visiting farms to evaluate horses. It was decided in North America that this would not happen. Hopefully, open minds can prevail and decisions need not necessarily be final. The discussion of where and how evaluations can/should be done is an important and interesting one. We should not avoid the issue simply because of an existing paradigm. All Evaluations would be held at a neutral facility. This would discourage favoritism and/or encourage impartiality. It simply discourages those with larger distances or lesser financial means from participating. It seems logical to me but like many of you I really feel that N.A. is at a very huge disadvantage due to the size of our continent. I do feel that the NFHR needs to be much more dilligent in promoting these assessments in the future. We have made tremendous headway but there is much much more to be done.Maybe down the road the Registry will be able to afford to hold many more Evaluations so people would not have to travel so far. That's not however stopping breeders from learning all there is to know about evaluation and breed standards etc. That information is available. Educate yourself and recognize the fact that there is a certain amount of barn blindness in all of us. I believe that it is far more sensible for the evaluator to travel to the horse(s) than for the horses to travel to an evaluation. It's actually rather silly in some ways to think of does of horses traveling hundreds or thousands of miles collectively when a single person, by air, could see all of the horses in a shorter period, in surroundings comfortable for the horse, at lower cost. snip of lots more good stuff Just my $ 0.02 Glen MacGillivray [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.nray.com/glen.htm
Re: fjordhorse-digest V98 #38
This message is from: Ursula Jensen [EMAIL PROTECTED] I am thrilled with the valuable amount of good information and discussion that is being generated on this list. Hopefully it continues. I just wish I had more time to respond myself but like many of you out there this is a super busy time. Carol you have made some really valuable contributions to date but I do disagree with you about stallion behavior. In my books, bad behavior (testosterone driven or otherwise) is unacceptable in both the equine as well as the human animal. You are probably right, tho, in saying that a stallion handled well from the beginning, as a weanling, has a better chance of behaving mannerly as an adult.It is also important to handle one's breeding routine with care. Our stallions have always been part of our performance stock so we expect them to behave at all times and hence, never take our stallion off the farm to breed. He has a special place in his pen here at home where he conducts 'business' and the routine is always the same. If he encounters mares in any other situation he may only acknowledge their presence with a whinny or snicker but any more than that is discouraged with a stern warning voice. Our present stallion Samstein drives at the wheel with his nose right on a mares tail. He behaves remarkably well even in the spring. I once heard a Norwegian judge call it 'manners and modesty' and Wayne Hipsley (one of the N.A. Evaluation Judges) wants it to be very evident Who's in charge when he's evaluating horses.I agree. Someone on the list was also asking about judges visiting farms to evaluate horses. It was decided in North America that this would not happen. All Evaluations would be held at a neutral facility. This would discourage favoritism and/or encourage impartiality. It seems logical to me but like many of you I really feel that N.A. is at a very huge disadvantage due to the size of our continent. I do feel that the NFHR needs to be much more dilligent in promoting these assessments in the future. We have made tremendous headway but there is much much more to be done.Maybe down the road the Registry will be able to afford to hold many more Evaluations so people would not have to travel so far. That's not however stopping breeders from learning all there is to know about evaluation and breed standards etc. That information is available. Educate yourself and recognize the fact that there is a certain amount of barn blindness in all of us. Dave made some excellent points about horses that are not necessarily breeding stock but can still be wonderful performance animals and pets.Even if you can't affford to take an animal to an Evaluation, it would be helpful for anyone to attend one and get the info that way. Allison had asked if a judge would do an evaluation from a picture. Brian talked to both Wayne Hipsley and Jim Havelhurst(both NFHR qualified judges who will do the Oregon Evaluation in July)last weekend . We are gathering info for the preparatory clinic in Oregon in May so wanted to get an idea of what kinds of things we should pass on to the candidates who will be attending this clinic.They had mentioned getting pictures from owners and being asked for their opinions. We were told that 'they don't go there' simply because you cannot get a true 'picture' of an animal from a picture. One of the reasons there are so many stallions out there is because of distance. For some mare owners it is too expensive to send their mares off to another province/state to breed so they buy a colt and hope it will be grow into a half decent stallion. Does this mean the owness is again on the breeder who sells his offspring uncut even if he knows that the animal is not up to snuff? So many questions and so many points of view. This was going to be very short.HAH!!! gotta run Ursula P.Slast week when I talked about using 'imported' as a hook in marketing I just meant that in the future our N.A. stock would have the same credibility when they achieve a 'Gold' Advanced Medallion of Quality. |---| | Ursula Brian Jensen from Trinity Fjords | | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: BDF Jason the fox hunting Fjord
This message is from: FJORDING [EMAIL PROTECTED] Maybe the key is that a Fjord IS classified as a warmblood, according to MY horse books. Merek
NFHR HomePage
This message is from: Mike May [EMAIL PROTECTED] I have made some changes to the Links section of the Home Page. I added a lot of Fjord Farms and other Registries, Carriage Driving Assoc's and more. Go check it out now! === Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry http://www.nfhr.com Mike May, Registrar mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Webster, NY, USA (Suburb of Rochester) Voice 716-872-4114 FAX 716-787-0497 ===
Re: Spring Sales List
This message is from: the Sessoms' [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'd love to get your e-mail sales list. Oops ... sorry, I meant to send that to Brian, not the list! That's how you get in trouble on e-mail lists, by hitting reply instead of getting addresses from your address book. I was on a dog breed list once and a woman thought she was replying to a friend. She just ripped individual dogs, individual judges, French breeders, Finnish breeders - she railed on and on and it went to the e-mail list. I didn't even know the woman but I was so humiliated for her. I'd bet money she is not breeding and showing dogs today. - M -aka Meredith Sessoms Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Dorina - NFR Aagot - - - Fjords - Caper - Carly - Crickett - - - Labradors
Re: Evaluation - Cyber style?
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] Equus Magazine has had a series of articles on conformation principles and applied conformation by Dr. Deb Bennett. She analyses the photographs of various breeds of horses as to structural capacities and limitations of individual horses and what it means to their movement, performance, intended usage, etc. Good conformation is basic for any breed. And each variation has its tradeoffs. Her books are excellent for an understanding of basic conformation principles. PRINCIPLES OF CONFORMATION ANALYSIS, VOl. I, II, III (Equus stable Reference Series) These books are a compilation of her articles and are loaded with pictures. In EQUUS issue #212, Page 72, (June l995) she analyses a Fjord Stallion and the rest of the article looks at a Percheron Gelding and a Welsh stallion This series was called What's My Line? analysing horses for their best use. I happen to recognise the stallion, but the name was not given in the article. If anybody wants to read this article and can't find it I can probably scan this page and send it as an attachment/picture. It sure would be fun if we could get somebody like Deb Bennett to analyse pictures of our fjords, and maybe also have certified Fjord judges analyse them also. we wouldn't have to name the horses or owners, just submit pictures and Dr. Deb would analyse them. (Wonder if she would do that in cyberspace, does anyone know if she has a web page?) Dr. Deb Bennett also has a video out The secrets of conformation analyis which is good but only shows one horse. Jean in sunny but cool Fairbanks, Alaska 16 hours, 49 minutes daylight! ** Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Spring Sales List
This message is from: the Sessoms' [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'd love to get your e-mail sales list. - M -
Re: Evaluation - Cyber style?
This message is from: the Sessoms' [EMAIL PROTECTED] I think that a Cyber-Evaluation would be fun. Of course, the participants would have to realize that it was for fun and that their horses grade - good or bad - would not replicate a real evaluation in any way. I've never really understood about shoulder angles and how the neck should come out of the shoulder, so I can't get enough input in that area. That and balance of front and hind angles at rest and in the trot, character of the facial features, croup and back length, cannon to forearm bone ratios, slope and length of pastern and other stuff like that could be discussed from photos. I'll have to wait a while 'til Aagot's current plush-puppy coat sheds off to get a good photo though! Being an artist, I love critiques if it teaches me something even if it hurts my feelings initially. I've discovered that criticism hurts worse if it was about something you, in ignorance, thought was fabulous and you weren't expecting any criticism at all. If you are open to criticism realizing you stand to learn something it can be very rewarding. Meredith Sessoms Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Dorina - NFR Aagot - - - Fjords - Caper - Carly - Crickett - - - Labradors
One month on the list
This message is from: Steve McIlree [EMAIL PROTECTED] Today marks the beginning of the second month of the FjordHorse mailing list. I think that we're doing pretty well for a new list. As of this morning, we have 97 subscribers. There are 43 people receiving the digest version and 54 who get every message. There are people on the list from all parts of the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K. If anyone sees their country missing, it's because I can't recognize it from their e-mail address, and they haven't yet introduced themselves. At the end of the first month, we already have a very nice Web site devoted to the list. Thanks go to Saskia Schoofs for developing and maintaining this site. In that first month we have posted 440 messages on a wide range of subjects. People have shared personal experiences with their horses, asked questions and received hopefully good answers, and discussed issues important to the future of the breed. Folks have seemed to very quickly grasp the purpose of the list, that is to have fun and exchange information with a community of individuals who share an interest in Fjord Horses. This month we have had several people try the list and then drop out. I know there will be more in the future. If the list is to survive it must have a certain Critical Mass to keep message traffic high enough to sustain everyone's interest. I think we are now at about half that size. I'm sure that everyone knows at least one other person who would enjoy the list but is not now on it. Please tell them about it, and get them to sign up. If the subscription procedure is too difficult, send them to: http://www.netspace.org/cgi-bin/lwgate/fjordhorse/ where they can sign up by filling in a form. Message volume *will* fall off as the weather improves and people start spending more time with their horses. So let's get enough subscribers so the list is still here in the fall. -- Steve McIlree Cynthia Madden -- Pferd, Keyah, Skipper, Tank -- Omaha, Nebraska, USA Noblest of the train that wait on man, the flight-performing horse. --William Cowper(1731-1800)
Re: fjordhorse-digest V98 #38
This message is from: Arthur Rivoire [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm, Years ago when I first tried to get a European type Evaluation going in the States, I pushed for on farm Evaluation. This idea was not popular because it was thought that if the Evaluation wasn't held in a public place, then breeders could somehow cheat. I think on farm Evaluations' are a great idea for the reasons mentioned in the last Digest. In fact, I remember back in about 1988, when I was promoting this idea, Bob van Bon of the Dutch Studbook said, It's much easier to move judges around than it is to move horses. As far as any subterfuge, I don't think that's a serious concern. Afterall, if we have enough faith in the ability and integrity of the judges to allow them to evaluate our horses against the breed standard, how could we suspect them of being open to influence, bribery, or whatever the fear is. I say that the NFHR should have a strict judges certification program, and then let them to their job in as wide a field as possible. For our farm, it certainly would be cheaper to pay the airfare of a judge to come to Nova Scotia than it would be to ship a trailerload of horses to Vermont, and pay for stabling, hotels, food, gas, etc. And expense is by no means the primary concern. Trailering long distances is stressful, particularly for breeding horses. Regards, Carol Rivoire
Re: Evaluation - Cyber style?
This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Sue, all, Is a voluntary cyber evaluation practical. When I bought Gunthar I got a picture of him taken from the side, fairly close up, with just a halter on, feet planted squarely, no setting up. It was taken when he was a stallion. It looks to me like it is good enough for a cyber evaluation - if I posted it. This is tricky as pictures need to be taken close up, in summer coat, etc. But maybe it would work. I would volunteer Gunthar for criticism. I think he has a slight parrot shape to his mouth, and a too long back. Not sure about his other good/bad points. I could post his pedigree too. Then knowledgeable folks might be able to say, Oh, yes, he gets that long back from . The pedigree stuff would be very helpful to me, a novice. For example, Brian Jacobsen's sale list describes stock from certain stallions. I know nothing of these stallions and the particular conformation (am I spelling this correctly?) strength or weakness that are (1) possessed by these stallions themselves and/or (2) passed on to their progeny. I know there is lots of potential for hurt feelings here. I'm pretty immune (I hope) because Gunthar was gelded before I got him - so I'm not in the business of selling him to mare owners. One way to do this might be to post a picture on the web page, then post comments/criticism to the owner privately. Then the owner could compile/summarize the comments and repost to a public place. That way the owner can edit out criticism they think is really unfair. Another thought might be to do this with horses who *are not* going to be bred. That takes the pressure off, but allows everyone a learning opportunity. I have considered taking Gunthar to an evaluation just to get an idea of what can go right/wrong in the breed - even if he is no longer breeding mares. What do you all think? 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 Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: BDF Jason the fox hunting Fjord
This message is from: Jmggray [EMAIL PROTECTED] Just read note from Fiona Nicholson and the dressage comments on the Fjord. Even though my husband and Jason on their first year at the Hunt (Mel at 63 and Jason at 4) made all 44 which no other rider or horses accomplished no one really believed he was as good as the warmbloods and thoroughbreds - one meet it was obvious to Mel they were planning on leaving the duo behind and off they went for a good 20-30 minute gallop over hill and dale and through muck and mire. When finally stopped one turned around and said oh you're still here. Their horses were all puffing and panting and Jason took one large breathe, let it out and went to see what he could forage from the field. Guess it has a lot to do with ego. We are enjoying learning a lot more about others and their Fjords. Joanne, Mel and BDF Jason
Barbed Wire
This message is from: Ingrid Ivic [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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. Hi Allison...yes, aren't they something as far as being escape artists? I would like to add however, I personally wouldn't keep a horse in an area fenced with barbed wire...just too unsafe a fencing material. I've seen a few horrible accidents where horses have been ripped to shreds by the wire. I boarded at a place that had barbed wire for fencing (not for long!) and my horse (the QH) was chased into the fence, subsequently ripping a piece of flesh off his back in a strip nearly 12 inches long. Not only did this render him useless for riding that summer, but he developed an infection, nearly costing him his life. Another horse there almost had a leg severed, when he became entangled, also an awful thing to see. Thankfully, he allowed us to work him free with wire cutters, he remained calm enough on the ground...shear luck! He did survive, but had very bad scarring. This is just my opinion, not a judgement of you. No offense meant. Ingrid
Spring Sales List
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch, Barb and Brian Jacobsen, will soon be sending out a Spring Sales List via regular mail to the general membership (NFHR). If you would be interested in receiving it via e-mail, sooner than the regular mailing, please e-mail us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] As an enticer, we have two very special foals on the ground already this year. One, a filly, combines the best of the bloodlines of Grabb, Solar, and Konggard. The other, a colt, owes his good qualities to Dragtind, Solar, and Konggard. Since Dragtind may not be familiar to some of you, he is the sire of our stallion Leif, who is the sire of Old Hickory Farm's Bragda, and is the grandsire of OHF's Kevlar and Alexander. These names may be more familiar to you as they are Woodstock Champion horses. We are expecting six foals total, and also have for sale a yearling filly (Leif and Solar are sire and grandsire, respectively), a matched pair of 4-y-o geldings well started in pulling/driving (they're good-sized - 14.2 and 14.3 hands), a 2-y-o gelding, and a yearling gelding. Please let us know if you would like the e-mail sales list. Thanks, Brian _ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
practical thoughts on evaluations
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) The things that have been said about the need for Evaluations have been excellent, though some of it will not work in the United States. I hope to offer a very practical take on Evaluations in this country. First, they are an excellent tool and should be taken advantage of by anyone serious about their fjords - using or breeding. Few other breeds in this country have anything of the sort, and it has the potential to improve/keep the quality of the Fjord Horse in this country very high. The problem is, this is America, the land of freedom, where people have the attitude no one is going to tell me what to do with my horse! That is why mandatory evaluations of stallions or mares will never fly in the Fjord breed in this country. If we, as a Registry, would have had the foresight to start out that way, then yes, it could have worked. Since my family was involved in starting the Registry, I'm willing to take any responsibility/blame there is to take. But since it wasn't started that way, if the Registry now tried to implement mandatory evaluations and control over breeding animals, many or even most members would not be in favor of it at this point. However, I'm not sure that the way things are is all bad. Think, for a minute, about the breeds in this country who are controlled by strict licensing standards for breeding (Freisans, Trakheners, etc); Are they widely popular and widely available here in the US? No, they are not, mainly for three reasons: 1) most of them are not multi-purpose, including not necessarily being great as children's horses or pets, 2) cost, and 3) breeding controls. The first two are self-explanatory. (To anyone who owns such a horse, I am not saying a single thing bad about them; They are just not used for the same purpose as Fjords. Or, to say it another way, They haven't been bred to fill all the needs/purposes a Fjord is supposed to fill). So I'd like to expand on number three - breeding controls. We in the US are trying to make Fjords as widely available as possible, while at the same time maintaining the perception of value such that they are worth a fair amount more than just an average horse. Breeding controls, however, limit availability and raise the cost even higher. Thus we would be working against ourselves to try and implement mandatory evaluations where only approved animals could breed. The thing that breeders have to remember, is that they probably come out better with evauations being voluntary. The fact that there are a number of average Fjords out there (note: most average Fjords would be better than average compared to other breeds) means that the truly special Fjords stand out even more. There are plenty of people out there who want quality animals. So any breeder (or user) who is willing to distinguish her/himself at an Evaluation will benefit. I think it is fair to say, then, that evaluations are a very good thing. And although there are good aspects to a mandatory system, in the US probably the best thing is to keep them voluntary and continue working to make them as available as possible. Here's a thought though; How about replacing the traditional American system of judging, as we do at the Fjord shows, with evaluation instead. Now I know that often an Evaluation will be held in conjunction with a show, and I know many of the judges have been trained in Europe, but that is not what I mean. At the show, horses and people are judged according to two broad criteria: innate qualities of conformation and ability, and performance qualities in competitions with each other. In the areas of innate qualities (the halter classes for example) Instead of placing horses by comparing against each other, and ending up with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, etc., lets judge and place them only against the standard, and judge them in several areas, not just halter for instance. Now my reason for suggesting this is not that anyone should be afraid of competetion, but that judging the traditional American way leads to change of the breed. Which horse wins becomes, eventually, based more on politics and judges preferences than true quality of the horse. (If you don't believe me, ask a Quarter Horse or Paint owner who shows competitively). I would like to think that this would be less the case when judging against the standard, and not the other horses at the show. And I know the Fjord judges are fully qualified to judge that way - they do it at the Evaluations already. I have to go to work right now. I'd like to develop this a little more. Before anyone flies off the handle, please make sure you really understand what I'm saying. If you're not sure, please wait until tonight when I will try to get back on the computer and continue. Brian Jacobsen Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch Salisbury, North Carolina _ You don't need to buy
[no subject]
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message is from Fiona Nicholson in Yorkshire,England ( [EMAIL PROTECTED]) Hello everyone, Ive been catching up with my mail after a holiday in Scotland,i had over 100 messages. I am really enjoying reading all the mail its full of intresting information and stories, if a Fjord gets a mention in a horse magazine its a major event for us,so its great to get to read this list. Id like to thank Dave for the pictures i had seen the jumping one before its a fantastic photo,just the sort to have when someone tells me but fjords can't jump! i hadn't seen the Dressage picture before its lovely, it must be at a very high level? Do you know who the horse and rider are? well i think it will be a while before i need to buy a long tailed coat to ride in i ,dont actually do dressage on him, my friend Emma does a much better jod than i could last year she competed him at affliated events but he wasnt affliated ,we wanted to see how he did and what reaction to him was like from the judges , he did very well and the judges were mostly very constructive . So i have recently affliated him with British Dressage as far as i know hes the only fjord member But dont worry i will not let the snooty remarks put me off infact it makes us more determined to do well you don't need a 17h warmblood to do dressage a rider came up to Emma at a dressage show last year she was reading the result board, he said to her what ever made you bring a driving pony to dressage in a not very complimentry tone! so she turned to him and said yes he is a driving pony and hes just beaten you at dressage?? his horse was a 17 h warmblood! of course we do actually like warmbloods but some times its hard to resist a bit of fun making when people say really stupid remark like that the mail on the evaluation s is really intresting ive been trying to find out about the testing of stock for ages but what bit i found was in Dutch or Danish I had to go to the Danish church in Hull to find a Danish speaker to read bullers papers when i got him and to tell me what his name meant but i figured translating articules from magazines was a bit too much to ask well id best go now , its poring with rain and id best go and muck out my ponies FIONA ,BULLER , BILLY AND SADIE THE SHETLANDS
