the stallion Dragtind
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dragtind (pronounced Drog'-tind) will be a name that's new to some of you. My grandfather, Harold Jacobsen, had started raising Fjords in 1973. By 1977 we had a small handful of mares who were mostly descended from the Fjords that were imported to the Broadmore Hotel in Colorado Springs in the 1950's. Given the small number of Fjords in the US at the time, it was difficult to find a stallion that was unrelated to these mares. So Harold and my older brother John headed to Norway to purchase a stallion with the help of John Hegdal, head of the Norwegian Registry. They came home with a with a four-year-old stallion named Dragtind N1781 who had just been awarded third prize at the stallion show in Nordfjordeid. I believe he was ranked as second in quality of all the stallions of that age. (For those unfamiliar with the Norwegian system of judging, Fjords are not awarded a prize until they are at least 3 years old. At their first judging, if they are of sufficient quality, they are usually awarded a 3rd prize. An outstanding horse is sometimes awarded a 2nd prize. They are judged against the breed standard, not against the other horses there, so a number of them can get the same prize. They are ranked against each other though, and said to be first in quality and second in quality and so on.) Dragtind was sired by the stallion Ola Gik N1703 1.pr - 2. avk.pr. (The 1.pr means he had been awarded first prize for himself, and the 2. avk. pr means he had been given 2nd prize for the quality of his offspring.) Ola Gik was a grandson of Torbjorn N1417 1.pr, who was descended from Hakon Jarl N645. Dragtind's dam was Goma N13425 1.pr. Goma was a daughter of the excellent stallion Valebu N1569 1.pr - 1.avk.pr. Dragtind himself was never judged again for a higher prize, though I feel he was of high enough quality to have received one. At the time Dragtind was born (1973), Norway was beginning a shift in focus from the Fjord as primarily a draft animal to a horse more suited for a variety of disciplines. Dragtind was one of the first of these stallions, and according to a letter written to Harold from Sven Huseby, there were a number of breeders in Norway who were sad to see Dragtind go as they hoped he would be licensed when he was old enough and they would be able to breed their mares to him. I regret that I don't have exact measurements to share with you, but if memory serves, Dragtind was around 14 hands and weighed 1050-1100 pounds at ideal weight. He was a nicely balanced stallion with average muscling and bone size and very nice striping on front and rear legs. His withers were slightly higher than his hips and he had a nicely sloped shoulder. His conformation gave him a smoother gait with better reach than most Fjords at that time. I remember him having quite a bit of action with the front legs at the trot though, which was typical for some of the faster trotters. I will always regret that he was never really trained, shown or competed. He was a very sweet-natured stallion with a long forelock and a beautiful face. I hope Mike and Sue Davies don't mind the comparison, but to give you some idea what Dragtind looked like, he looked similar to their stallion Montano as he is shown in the Herald (on page 9 in the most recent issue). Dragtind was slightly shorter and just a little stockier than Montano appears in that picture, with a slightly more developed rear end. Dragtind was quite a gentleman with the ladies (mares). We had one mare in particular who would not let Grabb touch her, but who thought Dragtind was quite charming. (Grabb is the other stallion we imported. I'll describe him in a separate post). We had 14 foals born on the ranch in Colorado who were sired by Dragtind. There would have been more but Grabb arrived on the ranch in 1980, and Grabb got the lion's share of the breedings after that since he was new and was so good and so well-known. Despite Grabb's widespread reputation, to Dragtind he was just an unwelcome intruder. Usually the two were kept quite far apart and out of site of each other, but I remember one time they got together. If there are two stallions around, if one gets out, you can just about count on him letting the other one out too and them having a nice fight. We were able to get them separated quickly though before any real damage was done to either. Fortunately a stallion fight is just half fighting and half strutting, snorting, and screaming. A fight between two mares is actually much more dangerous unless the stallion fight is just allowed to go on and on. The two stallions must have vowed to continue the fight when they could, because they got together again several years later at Clif Balsley's ranch in New Mexico. This time the fight resulted in Grabb's death. (Years later a son of Grabb and son of Dragtind would continue the family fued - more on that later). Dragtind lived
Re: Bloodlines
This message is from: Mike May [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 06:06 AM 10/31/99 -0500, you wrote: This message is from: Dave McWethy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Along with the posts on stallions, I want to note the mare Nora N12232, who was the mother of Gjestarson. Phil Prichard sold her to us at age 26 for $500 for her retirement home. She was with us til 32. She was imported early and belonged to a retired admiral in Blairstown NJ. She had many very nice offspring. I never saw one that wasn't a standout. I was told she last foaled at age 25. Nora served us magnificently as the horse to put any child on, and she was just a sweet old girl. I show that she was born in 1960 and died in 1990 Dave. I only show 3 offspring for her but she was registered in the Assn too so there could be more there. Tom Hans owns one of them - Mari CAB-Q-082-M she is a 1977 foal. Here is Nora's pedigree: NORA N-12232 2018-A N-60-137-M Foaled January 1, 1960 Bred by KARESTEIN KROGSAETER, VATNE DYRE N-1059 DRAUM N-1308 MONA N-4811 ROTFAST N-1540 VESTRERUGGEN N-1049 EDEL II N-9148 EDEL N-2069 ORSTINGEN N-1148 OLVE N-1384 G-F(He)41 VONA N-6523 FRIDA N-12345 RAUM N-1227 JORUN N-10211 NORMA N-8593
Re: Anvil's Torbjorn Toby
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (william poe) Nancy, I like to see you referring to Viking in your e-mail. Could you put our name or farm in there so we get a little promo? Thanks, Bill Bill and Kathy Poe East Fork Fjords Lynchburg, Ohio
Re: evaluation 2000/ FW meeting
This message is from: Karen McCarthy [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Catherine, Sorry you were not there to be in the chat room meeting. Only 3 of us showed up, Ellen, Barry (and Margaret) and me. Anyway, we discussed the eval, and they seemed to think that to holdit in May would be too early, as did some of the List people, and that it was too far. I offered to look into seeing if therer was an opening here in Carson City, at Fuji Park, in late June thru July. Its allot cheaper than Turlock, and the acess and lodging are excellent. I thought of you wanting to have a small herd evaluated, and if you wanted to show up here a bit earlier and stay a bit late, we have 8 stalls in our barn, w/ runs.Anyway, its a thought, and everyone certainly felt like the West coast had better follow thru or loose credibility.. I will check into avail. tomorrow.Please let me know when Karen Maas was avail. Does she have email? Also, who else shall we pick, of the BIG BOYZ: Havelhurst is closer... We really needed Sami, or Jon Keevy online, as we did not know what the show expenses came in to. Barry agreed to leave the checking acct. up there, as it would be a hassle to transfer it. Talked about need to inc. ASAP. Thats all. I am sure you will rec. the minutes from Ellen. Hows it all going? Pretty neat fall weather, huh? NICE!!! Say hello to Rune, and give Lu a hug. Karen __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Re: Nancy/Toby
This message is from: Karen McCarthy [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Larson [EMAIL PROTECTED] I understand King Gjestar tended to throw taller than himself (?) Wow - the get must be huge, as I remember seeing King Gjestar in person at Libby, while he was still owned by Nancy Lehnert, and he was no shrimp boat! One of his sons, Sven ( King Gjestar x Kristoffa) has get that are taller than his 14 hands. Perhaps someone could shed a little light on this. Nancy L. can you comment, (or Ginny Cowles, if you are online...) ??? __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Re: Fjord driving wrecks
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 11/2/99 11:24:23 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Hubby's saddle was loose so he got off to tighten it - as he started to get back on the QH started to turn in a circle and hubby got off balance and fell to the ground - QH (in typical fashion) leaps off and runs a distance. Well, Sven heard him running and thought - YIPEE, here we go!!! - and started to follow him. Hi Linda- I have a similar situation where I ride. there are many ranches along the country road with horses and cattle. Today, several of my Fjords' neighbors as I call them decided to gallop around their huge pasture. I could just feel Tommes wanting to join them, it just seems so natural for horses to want to move together as a group. Luckily, he just trotted a little and slowed down when told. Brigid in CA
conquering fear
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Okay, who out there has never felt any anxiety while riding? Thought so : ) I am slowly but surely becoming more comfortable with riding our boys in challenging situations. My other half has been very instrumental (he's a natural teacher, what can I say?). Last week we went for a trail ride, and Tommes got a bit antsy, started hopping around. I jumped out of that saddle in no time! I felt silly, leading my horse, but I wanted him to settle down and walk which he did after a while. Honey never pressured me to get back up, but I saw the broad smile on his face when I eventually did. I just had to get my legs under me in my own time. Since then, I have felt much more confident. Every ride gets better. Our horses quickly get used to all the attention, as people often pull over to the side of the road to admire the Fjords! Brigid in CA
Re: Saddles
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi All- I am enjoying the discussion on saddles. I lucked out in finding 2 super saddles used at my local tack shop. Tommes' saddle is a Circle-Y roper, lightweight yet secure with a deep seat. It accomodates a back cinch and breast plate, but I have yet to buy these items. May be helpful, as we do a lot of up-n-downhill trail riding : ) Rafael's saddle was a Godsend. It is a GORGEOUS (probably) Western Pleasure saddle with endless tooling, weighs about a ton, complete with back cinch and breast plate (also tooled). The reason we got the saddle for such a reasonable price? Too WIDE for most horses, LOL! Perfect for our drafty, witherless boy. My honey, who rides Rafael, has flat feet, so they're affectionately known as the no arches, no withers team : ) I too love riding bareback. I just love being able to feel every move and nuance of the horse. It's especially enjoyable with shorts on, during the summer (warm fuzzy weegie!) However I am not a good enough rider to go bareback out of the sand arena, where a fall is not the end of the world. Brigid in CA
Re: Ivan
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi, everyone! Thanks Brian for pointing out all noteworthy stallions that are out there! I am lucky enough to own one on your list: Ivan. You had mentioned he was owned by Bernadine Karns, but he is really owned (as much as a Fjord can be owned) by me. However, since she is my mother, I'm not upset by that! Ivan (King Gjestar X Kristoffa) came to Nottawa Crossing Fjords in 1990. He came to us with no papers and having been sent through a horse auction several years before. Well, my parents had previously owned an Arab stallion (many years ago) and really didn't want another stallion on the farm. You know the story: Too much work, too unpredictable, too much of a hand full. Well, a week after he came, we knew we had a totally different kind of stallion. So, I purchased him and here is has stayed. Over the years, I have used him for showing at local shows as well as the Michigan State Fair. We entered the halter classes against the All other breed categories and always ended in the ribbons. Just goes to show that good conformation can make up for being different in the looks category. We also showed in showmanship, English, Western, jumping, cart, and hitch classes, and we placed well in all of them. He was very well known around the local show circuit. Everyone loved his laid-back manner and wonderful temperament--people would always search him out just to pet him. We have also used him extensively in educational pursuits. He has gone to the Michigan State Fair in the Horse Hospitality Row and Minor Breeds exhibits, Sauder Village (Ohio), Michigan State University Education Days, and many other exhibitions. At each of these he has represented the breed in the most professional, friendly manner. As a matter of fact, at the Michigan State University Stallion Expo that we attended for 4 straight years, no one cared that I was there! All I heard when we pulled up to unload was, Ivan is here! Doesn't do much for one's ego! The nice thing about Ivan is he passes along these traits to his offspring. His foals tend to be very easy going and great to work with. He also passes along his tremendous striping and dorsal stripe. We have bred him three times to our mare Tundra (Solar X Fjordelv Farm's Katina) with wonderful results. While Ivan is 14.2, this combination has resulted in foals that will be taller than that with great movement. I have not had Ivan at an evaluation due mainly to the cost of such an endeavor. I find that at this point the expense of traveling to a location and the actual evaluation is more than I want to incur. Also, at the present time, I am not comfortable with the evaluators handling these evaluations. So, I have opted to not put myself and Ivan through this. However, I feel Ivan has proven himself over the last nine years through his foals and his actions. It's not every stallion that can be used on a Sheriff's Department's Mounted Division for crowd control and searches. He was exclusive mount for this detail for over 6 years. While I am breaking another Fjord into this duty, Ivan still is used by other members when they need a steady, calm horse for a specific duty. This tells me more than any evaluation ever could. Thanks for listening to my brag. Anne Karns Crandall Nottawa Crossing Fjords Marshall MI 49068
Re: squirrel war
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] re drowning squirrels. I found a little squirrel drowned in a horse bucket full of water. I even tried to restart the little guy by holding him upside down and pressing his lungs. whirling him about, everything short of respiration tactics. Did rescue one from the cat and was promptly bitten! Once a cat has caught them they do not have much chance from the infections from the claws. Oh well!! Jean Gayle Aberdeen, WA [Authoress of The Colonel's Daughter Occupied Germany 1946 TO 1949 ] http://www.techline.com/~jgayle Barnes Noble Book Stores
Re: shredded office paper
This message is from: Jean Gayle [EMAIL PROTECTED] Re shredded paper for stalls. I used it for a short time. When it get wet is is quite heavy and clumps. I felt I spent more time cleaning than with shavings and sawdust. It is clean. But I also found it all over the yard and paddocks as it sticks to feet etc and blows. Could not say if it was more economical re source as some give it away and I was paying. If it is from an office just be sure there are no staples, I am not sure re carbon paper and horses. Jean Jean Gayle Aberdeen, WA [Authoress of The Colonel's Daughter Occupied Germany 1946 TO 1949 ] http://www.techline.com/~jgayle Barnes Noble Book Stores
Re: shredded office paper
This message is from: Walter Monheim [EMAIL PROTECTED] Inregards to shredded offfice paper for stalls, we know of two barns that tried it and said it wasn't as absorbant and it is not easily picked through in the stall. Nathan Lapp wrote: This message is from: Nathan Lapp [EMAIL PROTECTED] Has anyone ever tried shredded office paper for stall bedding? There are two banks in town that pile up bags and bags of the stuff for the taking. I'm curious if anyone has experience using this stuff? It works well for cattle stalls and for dog boxes. I'll look forward to hear what others have to say about using it for horse beds. Barbara Lyn
Re: shredded office paper
This message is from: Nathan Lapp [EMAIL PROTECTED] Has anyone ever tried shredded office paper for stall bedding? There are two banks in town that pile up bags and bags of the stuff for the taking. I'm curious if anyone has experience using this stuff? It works well for cattle stalls and for dog boxes. I'll look forward to hear what others have to say about using it for horse beds. Barbara Lyn
shredded office paper
This message is from: Mark and Lisa McGinley [EMAIL PROTECTED] Has anyone ever tried shredded office paper for stall bedding? There are two banks in town that pile up bags and bags of the stuff for the taking. I'm curious if anyone has experience using this stuff? Thanks Mark @Mariposa
Cards...
This message is from: Ingrid Ivic [EMAIL PROTECTED] We would like to send Fjord Christmas cards. Are there any?? The list has been very interesting lately. While printing several stallion reports, I got the dinner in the oven. Lois Merrill Dodgeville, Wisconsin Hi Lois... I have still have some cards left to sell... Check out... http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1362/ Thanks! Ingrid ;o)PS...how was dinner?
Pedigree lines
This message is from: misha nogha [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi Guys: All this talk about bloodlines has caused a few folks to ask me to write articles on some of the early NA bloodlines in NA for the Fjord Herald. So would any of you that know--have photos, and information, please send the info and good clean copies of the photos to me snail mail so I can start on these articles? My address is: Shota Fjords 69794 Haefer Lane, Cove OR. 97824. When we get some of the early stuff out there, I would like to do a series of articles on current stallions---wouldn't that be fun? So come on, let's flow. Misha
Nancy/Toby
This message is from: Larson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Nancy wrote: My most interesting cross has been to our old mare Frida (King Gjestar x Jonetta). Her colts seem to mature out around 14 hands and are of the heavier build but her fillies mature out at 14 2 to 15 hands and seem to be of the lighter type. One of these is TUF Reba who has received her Silver Medallion of Quality in 1998 with Blue Ribbons in Conformation, Intro Driving, Intro Draft and Intro Western Riding. Hi Nancy, It was fun reading about Toby. But Frida really caught my eye as her full sister, NFH Danella (King Gjestar X Jonetta), is currently in my barn. Danella, too, is tall and heavier built. I understand King Gjestar tended to throw taller than himself (?) She too recieved her Gold Medallion of Quality Blue in Draft and Red in Driving and Conformation. She was a little young when she was first evaluated and not quite filled out. I'd love to have her reevaluated. But, alas, we live in New Mexico and both Oregon and MN are a long way away. And she is due to foal in Spring anyway and may not have her figure back in time :o)
Re: Husband Wife Driving Training.
This message is from: Gail Russell [EMAIL PROTECTED] We want to buy a couple for next year's Beginner Driving Vacation. This will allow us to take a husband and wife (for instance) on the same lesson. Carol - are you sure this is a good idea? :) Are you sure you aren't subconsiously trying to phase out your driving program? Sorry, couldn't resist!
Re: Flying Squirrels
This message is from: Jean Ernest [EMAIL PROTECTED] Well, my resident flying squirrel is alive and well and feasting on the peanut butter, oats, and craisins (dried cranberries) I mixed up for him plus a lump of caked Omelene 200 which is mostly molasses. I decided since I have all the grain in metal cans now I might as well feed him. It was neat to see him peeking out at me from the peak of the shed roof inside where he comes in..Love those big eyes. OK, I'm a sucker for for a cute critter. I read up on the Northern flying squirrel and apparently they have a pretty long family life, with the young born in late winter, the male and female will associate throughout the year, and the young often stay with mom until the next litter comes which is the next year here in Alaska. So maybe I am feeding a family! At any rate, live trapping and release in another location is not an option...That would be a cruel death sentence for sure. Anyway, I think I sort of like him, now that I have the grain secured. At least he(or she) doesn't scold and swear at me like the red squirrels do! Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska gonna be cold tonight, -17 F degrees. At 09:15 AM 11/2/1999 -0600, you wrote: This message is from: Cheryl Beillard [EMAIL PROTECTED] Oh Jean you are so lucky - to have seen - and unlucky - to have trapped! a flying squirrel. They are protected here, in Ontario, along with red squirrels Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
