saddles/Jumping
This message is from: "Alison Barr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I find that extra wide German Saddles Fit best. They seem to do really nicely. I Jumped 2 3 foot (1 meter) courses on Fj at a show on Sunday. The first, most of the Jumps were a bit smaller, but there was 6 inches (15 cm?) of mud, which of course added to the height and difficulty. The second course, all the jumps were at their maximum height. He went round both courses, no refusals, one knock down, and we got 2nd out of 12 in the second class. Just thought you guys would like to know, for those wanting to compete in jumping with Fjords. Question, how many people are going to the High Country Combined Driving Event in Calgary this year?
Re: fjordhorse-digest V98 #92
This message is from: Cathy Koshman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi everyone, This is Erroll at Misty Meadows, Victoria, BC. Afew of you have asked us to describe the Norwegian working harness. The main distinction is padded hames which adjust directly on the horse. The North American style harness fits the hames over a separate collar. One collar can generally only fit one horse. Norwegian padded hames can be adjusted at top and bottom to fit any horse. There is also a means for attaching the harness for pulling and braking directly into a D-ring on the shafts. The hames are open at the top, so there no rubbing or flattening of manes as can happen with a collar. We saw one demonstrated at the Saltspring event and thought that it looked great for our needs in that we could adjust it easily as young fjords grow. Carol Rivoire at BeaverDam and Anton Voorhoeve at Saltspring Fjords could probably enlighten more us more as to how well they actually work, their experiences with them, etc.
saddles
This message is from: "duane trupiano" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I too ride in an Orthoflex dresseur model saddle. I originally bought it for a large quarterhorse that was balking at almost every saddle we tried. I have used it on a large App, my huge fjord( 15.1 and obese), and my 14.1 more petite fjord mare. All the horses seem content in it because the panels move to fit the horse. I love it because of the padded seat and the external knee rolls help hold you when going down steep hills when trail riding. I'm used to how it looks, but people always comment about it. I've never had a sorebacked horse since... On glucosamine..I have used it in my practice for a couple of years now. Some dogs give a good response to it and some don't. I use it periodically, along with antioxidants, vitamins and mineral...i've more energy, less sickness and don't get out of bed as stiffly. tho...I'm stiff today..are you Bernie? We rode in a weekend clinc with a horse trainer named Dave Kluge from Colorado...similar stuff to John Lyons. That's another story and it's late now... but the fjords did very well i think!
saddles, spooks, etc.
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I use a Stubben Seigfired VSD saddle. I don't know if it is wide or not. It seems to fit fine. As for the shying, my horse is spooky in windy weather. She seems to think there is a "scary thing" around every corner. The deer are the same way in the wind. They can't hear when the real "scary things" are approaching, so they are spooky about everything.
Re: Marge's Horse, Saddle Report, Scent Masking agent, Kool Aid
This message is from: Mike May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 12:51 PM 6/22/98 -0700, you wrote: >This message is from: Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Wanted to ask if anyone else has heard of products to disguise smells for >horses. Gunthar dumped me again yesterday. Spooked at nothing visible - >and without warning dumped me with a big jump. This always happens when we >are in, or have *just* passed through a particularly windy area. Someone >suggested that he is spooking at smells and that there is a product to put >in his nose when we reach a windy area that might stop this. It is very >scary and difficult to devise a plan to train out of him. I managed to drag >myself out of the dirt (he stopped and stood absolutely still with the reins >off to one side, and a shocked look on his face) and lead him a few feet >back to the monster. By that time there was no monster - at least in his >view. So I think it might be smells on the wind. Try some Vicks Vapo Rub. Just a little bit in each nostril will do the job. It will cover up most any smell in the air. Learned this one at the 4 H Shows at the NY State Fair. There were lots of smells there to hide the horses from. Never had to use it with our Fjord but I know a lot of others that did with their horses. Mike == Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Mike May, Registrar Webster, NY, USA (Suburb of Rochester) Voice 716-872-4114 FAX 716-787-0497 http://www.nfhr.com mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Marge's Horse, Saddle Report, Scent Masking agent, Kool Aid
This message is from: Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all, Marge, glad to see that Asta is looking better. I am grateful that you put us all on the alert about letting horses get too fat - may save several Fjords from going through the same thing. Gunthar's ribs are being tested for "overstuffing" daily- reverse of the fairy tale about the witch, the children and the chicken bones stuck through the bars. Wanted to ask if anyone else has heard of products to disguise smells for horses. Gunthar dumped me again yesterday. Spooked at nothing visible - and without warning dumped me with a big jump. This always happens when we are in, or have *just* passed through a particularly windy area. Someone suggested that he is spooking at smells and that there is a product to put in his nose when we reach a windy area that might stop this. It is very scary and difficult to devise a plan to train out of him. I managed to drag myself out of the dirt (he stopped and stood absolutely still with the reins off to one side, and a shocked look on his face) and lead him a few feet back to the monster. By that time there was no monster - at least in his view. So I think it might be smells on the wind. Continuing to look for a saddle - especially one that provides a bit more security! Talked to the Australian Stock Saddle Company. Also the Shiloh Aussie Saddle company. Judy, at the latter, seems very nice and has fitted Norwegian Fjords (even advertises the fact). Pretty accommodating. Think I may demo one from her - the Norm Wilson - extra wide. Apparently more dressage type, closer contact than her Wide Stockman saddle - at the cost of some comfort to horse and rider when compared to the Stockman. She said she had recently closed her shop in town and decided to specialize in Aussies. Said most Aussie horses are Thoroughbreds - so trees were narrower. Just recently they began building them wider. For that reason it is very difficult to find a wide aussie saddle used. Australian Stock Saddle Company sells wood/steel combo trees. They *bend* the steel part wider specially to fit the horse. They recommend not getting a saddle without the steel (bendable) tree (too narrow). As near as I can tell the Stock Saddle trees have bars, whereas the ones Judy recommended do not - have to look into that more closely - we're in my area of ignorance. Pursuing the Boz saddle - *talked* (via e-mail) to someone who was greatly relieved that it fit her high-withered horse - and said it is not all that flexible. Does not sound likely to be the Holy Grail of saddledom - the "one size fits all." (Apparently made of cross-linked polyethylene - the type of poly used in the best polyethylene kayaks. "Boz" claims it bends out to fit the horse, but does not spring right back - goes back slowly - so it will not pinch the horse.) Not sure I believe that it will work with a *really wide* horse - plan to do some research on cross linked poly). Other thing about the Boz saddle is that it is designed to put weight over the horse's front end - not back. He has quite the discussion on how the way to have a collected horse is to get the weight off the *back* end so the horse can reach under himself - not try to get the weight off the forehand. Certainly would be nice to get poor long-backed Gunthar all the advantage he can get in doing dressage. I ordered Boz's booklet which explains his theories (drawn from Monte Forman - not that I know anything about him). Oh - trained Gunthar to drink Kool Aid out of a dog water dish yesterday. Idea is to get him so he will drink in the trailer. He sure looks cute with his muzzle coated with cherry flavored Kool Aid. Our QH hated it! In fact he sniffed it, then turned his butt to me as if to kick. I lashed back with the only weapon at hand - the plastic dish full of Kool Aid. He is a Princess and the Pea Horse and must have hated being covered with foul smelling liquid. Yesterday when we came home and washed the sweat off of them Gunthar rolled in the mud - and Brother found a nice pile of hay in a grassy area to roll on. He certainly wouldn't want to get his clean clothes *dirty.* Funny thing is that their owners have like characteristics! Plan to go back and talk to Orthoflex again too. Thanks for all the input. Gail Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Just want to share what has been happening.
This message is from: Marge Littleboy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all, Welcome new folks, it is great to hear from people all over the world, and to see how our great Fjords are fairing. I have occasionally voiced my opinions on various topics, but mostly I am a lurker, as I am receiving this at work and don't always get a chance to read the messages when they come in. I do find it is a nice break when I can take the time to read, and catch up on what is happening elsewhere with the Fjords. Just recently I had shared about the foundering experience we are going through with our 9 year old mare Asta. This has been a very trying month and a half, with ups and downs on her condition. the heart bar shoes are helping, but she is still sore especially on the right fore leg. We take her on Friday to get new radiographs (x-rays) and have the shoes reset. Last week she had a set back, had the vet out, x-rays done and although Asta is sore the heart bars are supporting the coffin bone and it is almost back in normal position. I am prayerful and hopeful that she will be back to normal or as close as she can be. I am concerned about her hind legs as she appears sore, though not as bad as the front. The vet gives me the impression that I am foolish for wanting films done on the hind and heart bars if she needs them. It is our money and I do not want her hurting. If these will make her more comfortable, I want her to have them. This has been an emotional experience to go through, but it has also been an educational one. It is amazing what treatments are offered, and how much more hope there is now. We know we have a long road - it will probably be at least another 6 months to a year - before we can start driving and riding her again. But at least we have that hope - in the past, with this as severe a case as it was, and affecting all 4 feet, she would have been put down. The vet thinks she may have had an allergic reaction to the annual shots she was given, so the next time she gets vaccinations we will do so with extreme caution. Some of you may know that last August, at a driving competition locally (The Walnut Hill Pleasure Driving Competition), I had an accident on the cross country course, fracturing a vertebrae in my lower back - Lumbar 1), which went from a compressed vertebrae to a totally collapsed vertebrae. This kept me from driving for 38 weeks, but I'm back!! Two weeks ago my husband Bill purchased a Bird In Hand Flyer, which can be used in both pleasure driving and combined driving. It is great to have, as we can drive it single or pair, it came with two sets of shafts and a pole. It is not a "War Wagon" by appearance, but it is built to handle the terrain of the marathon phase. I got the ok that I can get back to driving, which I was eager to do, as the accident was 100% my error, and I drive Brith our 13 year old mare, who has a great head on her shoulders. (With the carriage tipped on its side, me on the ground, with a "Whoa" "Stand" she did, stayed put until help came, did not drag me an inch.) She impressed a lot of people, as the obstacle was in plain sight of the spectators, who were expecting to see a run away.) She does not seem to have any memories of the incident, as I am back to driving cross country and she is loving it as always. It is great to have a horse you can trust, and she is that and more for me. Saturday we had her out for a 10 mile drive, going to one of the local parks. Bill was on the back, being my navigator as I got used to driving our first 4 wheeled vehicle. We had the best time, stopping and resting Brith when she needed it, in areas that just happened to have wild raspberries and strawberries and cherries!! Then we watch a radio controlled model plane show that was going on at the same park. We ended up being out for 3 hours, and it was terrific. In 10 days I am going to pick up my new vehicle. I designed a Village Cart last fall, and did not put a rush on getting it done - I could drive yet anyway - so why hurry? Well it went to get the pin stripes done on it last Wednesday, then the upholstery is getting done, and it will be ready for pick up. The vehicle is burgundy with black trim, there will be no paten leather, the dash is black leather as re the leathers on the shafts. The pin stripes will be a soft pastel yellow/beige. The wheels have flush hubs. The boot (compartment below the seat) is 18 inches deep by 18 inches high (I do have short legs - but they do reach the ground when I stand!) by 36 inches long. There is a center support which divides the boot in half. the boot opens from the rear, and the door becomes a table. The left side of the boot will hold my picnic basket and the right side is divided in half. The top half has a wine rack and the bottom holds my "Spares". If you do not know what a spares kit contains and you carriage drive, let me fill you in. This kit should contain the following: hole punch, pliers, hammer, screw driver, knife,
Re: English saddles for Fjords
This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gail Russel wrote: >>Did you mean 31 cm tree?>> Hm...what does 31 really stands for? Might be cm, but you measure the seats in inches (15, 16, 17 etc). But the tree-sizes of English saddles are also "translated" as follow: 29 - narrow 30 - normal 31 - wide 32 - extra wide And, in my experience, 31/wide are the most used width concerning Fjords. Regards Anneli
Re: English saddles for Fjords
This message is from: Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Did you mean 31 cm tree? >Generally, most Fjords need a 31" tree. > >Regards, Anneli > > > > Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
English saddles for Fjords
This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Bernadine Karns wrote: >>We also have had trouble fitting saddles to various Fjords. The 'Aussie' saddle fits pretty much all, but is HEAVY. We have a Orthro Flex, which fits most also, but was made for a short person, so when I tried riding in it, it was comfortable, but I couldn't walk when I got off.>> When I worked on the Fjord-camp I got some experience in fitting (English) saddles on Fjords. Tricky business, sometimes, but there are some saddleries that one can look for when buying a used saddle for a Fjord: HUBERTUS, very good quality and fit many Fjords very well. Some models, marked "Flexline" have an andjustable tree. The Hubertussaddles are made in many diffrent models, such as dressage, jumping, flat back, all-purpose...I just don´t remeber where they are made. England or Germany, I think. I have a Hubertus Kosack dressage and I love it! Fits both my horses great! My favourite saddlery! LEWA, this saddlery was situated in the DDR, and was closed when Germany re-united. The saddles were of good quality to a low price, and it was belived that under the new circumstances the price would have been much higher and there were no money for PR. Anyhow, there are still many used Lewa-saddles out there at very good prices. Many diffrent models. Generally, they fit Fjords very well. I especially remember a model (all-purpose) called "Ingolf" mentioned. I´ve ridden many hours in a Lewa Comet dressage and it was a great saddle that fitted the Fjord-gelding I had then great. I have tried this saddle on Tina too, and it was good on her and on a dozen of other Fjords I´ve seen it on. STÜBBEN, the well-known saddlery from Germany. I don´t know anything about their new models (Stübben -94), but the old ones are often great on Fjord. A used Stübben is a liter higher in price than a used Hubertus, but on the other hand the Stübben defintely last YOUR lifetime. Many diffrent models. HUSAR/FELS BACH, very good comfort for horse and rider, BUT these saddles are filled with foam instead of wool and that can not be adjusted by your local saddlery. Once the saddle need to be re-filled (or whatever you call it) you have to send it to the original saddlery or through it away. These saddles come in many models and often fit Fjords. I have one myself and it´s very comfortable to ride in. Generally, most Fjords need a 31" tree. Regards, Anneli
Welcome Anneli
This message is from: Lori Albrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Anneli - just wanted to say welcome to the list. I really loved your intro, just imagine working at a camp with 80 Fjords. Heaven! Jousting sounds like a hoot too. Do you have any pictures of that? Maybe Saskia could put them up on the web page? Welcome aboard! Lori
Re: Orthoflex saddle for Fjord
This message is from: Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all, Just out of curiosity, which Orthoflex have you been using? >We also have had trouble fitting saddles to various Fjords. The 'Aussie' >saddle fits pretty much all, but is HEAVY. We have a Orthro Flex, which fits >most also, but was made for a short person, so when I tried riding in it, it >was comfortable, but I couldn't walk when I got off. > Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Introduction
This message is from: Mike May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> At 05:07 PM 6/22/98 +0200, you wrote: >This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Hello, everybody! > >Well, now you know a little about me! It´s great to be aboard! Hi Anneli, Great to have you on board. It sounds like you have done an awful lot with Fjords. It is great to have someone with such experience with them on the list. Welcome! Mike == Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry Mike May, Registrar Webster, NY, USA (Suburb of Rochester) Voice 716-872-4114 FAX 716-787-0497 http://www.nfhr.com mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Introduction
This message is from: Anneli Sundkvist <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hello, everybody!
Today, when for the first time in MONTHS, I was able to visit Roland´s
excellent web site, I found the address to this list. I subscribed at once,
and this is a short introduction of me:
I´m 31 and live outside Uppsala, Sweden. I´m an archaeologist, writing a
thesis about horse manship in Late Iron Age Scandinavia, so there´s no
wonder I´m intrested in ancient, norse horse breeds:o)
But my intrest for the Fjord-breed started much earlier than my career in
archaeology: in 1981 I went to Taffsnäs Fjord Camp for the first time. I
went there 2 more summers as a pupil and then became a co-leader in 1984
and group-leader in 1985. I worked on the camp, with +80 Fjords (and
actually could tell them all from each other) until 1990. This summer I was
lucky enough to work with the Fjords that took part in the World Equestrian
Games Show programme. It was much work, but great fun. We had 10 horses
with us, and two of them stayed when our shows were over, to be ridden on
the streets of Stockholm as a PR-thing. We also sold t-shirts, postcards
and stuff and I met many fjord-fans from many countries.
In 1992, I borrowed a Fjord-mare from Taffsnäs, that I liked so much that I
later bought her. Her name was Tina, and this is still her barn-name, but
when I later found out that her earlier name had been Lektra, I had her
registred in the stud book under that name. In 1993 I got a colt as a
present from my previous employer at Taffsnäs. His name is Cider, and I
choosed his parents myself; a stud named Champis and a mare named Taffsnäs
Mackie. Both parents have won the Swedish Fjord-championship in dressage.
Tina had a colt, Thjodolf, in 1995 (now sold) but that is her only foal so
far. I had her covered by Daler last season, but unfortunately she proved
barren. I take dressage lessons on her, she is also jumped by a 12 yo girl.
Last year we started to take jousting-lessons ("tornerspel", if there´re
other Scandinavians on the list), and I later became a knight in Celeres
Nordica, a Medieval Society from Uppsala. In may -97 we did a show on the
racing track Solvalla, the same day as the greatest race of the year,
"Elitloppet" went off. This is an international harness-race, and every
knight was supposed to represent one of the countries that took part in the
race. Forutnately, there was a Norwegian horse (Gentle Star)entered, so
there was no doubt which country I should represent:o) Even if our show was
around lunch-time, hours before the great race, there must have been 1
people there! And among them many Norwegians.
I broke Cider to saddle last autumn, and he is really promising with an
outstanding personality and temperament. He learns really quickly and loves
to work.
But right now, my efforts are focused on keeping Tina INSIDE THE FENCE!
She´s amazing! Always finds a way to get out!
Well, now you know a little about me! It´s great to be aboard!
Regards,
Anneli
Re: Knee problems / Gluc / Chon.
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi everyone , Regarding the Glucosamin(splg.) . I have been taking the G. Sulfate for about 10 months now and knees and legs have quit aching!!I highly reccommend it. Our aged stallion and dog is on the horse G. regimin also. We also have had trouble fitting saddles to various Fjords. The 'Aussie' saddle fits pretty much all, but is HEAVY. We have a Orthro Flex, which fits most also, but was made for a short person, so when I tried riding in it, it was comfortable, but I couldn't walk when I got off. Those that ride in western saddles, make sure the stirrups are turned, so that your feet are not 'holding' them. One of the stirrups on my western saddle which I have had for YEARS, was not 'turned' completely and I did not notice, til I started riding after a broken foot! Also, check that they are both the same length!!! Yes, be sure also that the stirrup length is correct. Notice this changes when you ride a fat or thiner horse. I gave riding lessons for years, so that length irritates me when I see it wrong. Regards, Bernadine Karns, in sweltering Michigan. Good for haying, but thats all.
