Rondi in CA and rescued Fjord....
This message is from: "Jeanne Zuker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Rondi, First, bless you for rescuing this horse, the next first, if the other horses are in similar condition call the Animal Control/ Humane Society and any other organizations in your area. I would say get a vet out to go over this little lady and have her checked out, the vet can probably advise you on how to bring her back to the picture of health and vitality. I will pray for you and her that she learns that most humans would never treat her badly and that she now has people and a place where she is loved. I know I could never leave any animal in this condition and I am glad that your friends helped you get her. I am angered that people can let any animal get in such condition, but thank God they decided to sell her. Let us know how she does. Jeanne and Olaf MI
RE: rescue fjord questions.
This message is from: "Gail Russell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Rhondi, Here is my Google search on using the words "feeding" "starved" "horse". http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=feeding+starved+horse&btnG =Google+Search There is a lot there. One thing I do know is that you can overfeed a starved horse. The UC Davis site helps evaluate the animal's condition and recommend strategies. Hope that helps. Gail
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #162
This message is from: Tamara Rousso <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Saturday, July 17, 2004, at 07:54 AM, Pat Holland wrote: This message is from: "Pat Holland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "MAKE SURE?" ...lovely THEORY but illogical. I agree the term make sure is to strong wording. But do give it your best effort. You are working with nature and nothing is a guarantee stamp-out. Pat This makes me curious. Of course there are no guarantees, but it does seem to me if you breed two ugly, poor conformation horses you are pretty certain of getting an ugly horse with poor confirmation. Anyone have any experience with accidental breedings where two bad horses produced a beauty queen? If not than it would seem you are for sure safer to start with two fine looking horses to begin with. Tamara Fallbrook CA
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #162
This message is from: Tamara Rousso <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> A, but maybe he would have been only 13 hh without that early gelding... :^) Tamara On Saturday, July 17, 2004, at 06:44 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a message dated 7/17/2004 4:26:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My Gelling is short and big/bulky. Blows both those theories right out of the water :) He is barely 13.2 hands and is 1200 lbs
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #160
This message is from: Tamara Rousso <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> On Saturday, July 17, 2004, at 06:42 AM, Charla Kingsley wrote: I think Arianna should go back to her roots..or alfalfa sprouts, tofu and carrot juice - that California has to offer her :-) Harrison Fjord thanks you Charla. He has even been losing weight in anticipation of her arrival. Wants to look his very best ya know, dude. Off to sip carrot juice and munch sprouts, Tamara 13 miles as the crow flies from surf paradise Fallbrook CA
Re: BREEDING
This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -- I've been skimming the Digest all summer, and deleting most of the messages, as I simply don't have time to indulge myself this time of year. However, the BREEDING post caught my eye, and when I read Pat Holland's advice, I just had to respond. >> > > My only advice is to take that statement and go one further. Make sure > through whatever means you can afford, that the resulting foal is better > than the sire and dam. That is what a breeder is suppose to do.> I suppose what Pat meant was that if you're breeding a fairly normal quality Fjord that you should strive to find a stallion that hopefully will upgrade the mare. -- This IS possible! However, if the mare is extremely high quality, you would be hard pressed to improve on that even by breeding to an extremely high quality stallion. It MIGHT happen, but the laws of genetics are not in favor of such a thing, because if it was that easy then horses today would be light years above horses of a hundred years ago, and that's just not so. At Beaver Dam Farm, we've always patterned our breeding policies after the Dutch model. Their wonderful system works like this --- First of all, all the APPROVED stallions are hand-picked and owned by the Netherlands Fjordhorse Studbook. There are about 45 of these highly selected stallions for a total Fjord population of 13,000 + Fjordhorses. So, it's obvious that these 45 stallions are as good as you're going to get. They are different types and sizes, but they are all as close to perfection as it's possible to get (and total perfection is NOT possible). -- Most of the Dutch mares are evaluated from 3 or 4 months on through their growth cycles, and through their lives, so the owners know what they have. When it's time to evaluate the foals, they are graded "AA" quality, "A" quality, "B" quality, or "C" quality. If they don't make at least a "C", they are usually put down. -- The evaluation of the foal reflects on the s tallion's record. -- If the foal is out of an ordinary mare, and her foal receives a "AA" or "A", or even a "B", then the stallion receives a "plus" beside his name. If the foal of this ordinary mare who is bred to one of the Studbook stallions is not as good as the dam, the stallion receives a "minus" beside his name. If it's a very high quality mare, and her foal is at least as good as she is, the stallion receives a "plus", and if the foal out of this excellent mare is not as good as she is, the stallion receives a "minus". At the end of the breeding season, the pluses and minuses earned by the stallion are added up, and if there are more minuses than pluses, then the stallion's breeding career is likely finished. ~ I certainly am agreeing with Pat that every breeder should strive for the best quality he can get, but to say that the foal should be better than both parents is not realistic. If the mare is ordinary, and she's bred to an excellent stallion, then the foal should be better than she is, but unlikely to be better than the stallion. Carol Rivoire
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #162
This message is from: "Pat Holland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > "MAKE SURE?" ...lovely THEORY but illogical. > I agree the term make sure is to strong wording. But do give it your best effort. You are working with nature and nothing is a guarantee stamp-out. Pat
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #162
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 7/17/2004 4:26:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My Gelling is short and big/bulky. Blows both those theories right out of the water :) He is barely 13.2 hands and is 1200 lbs There is definitely always the factor of genetics to consider... That's why breeding is really such a gamble as a whole. No matter what the parents are, you just can't predict to guarantee what the offspring will be. Amy Amy Evers Dun Lookin' Fjords Redmond, OR Fjord [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #160
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Charla Kingsley) Thankyou for the raffle information. I looked up the name "Arianna" and found it's Italian, from the Ancient Greek name "Ariadne" which translates to "California Surfer Girl". (I've saved all of you the trouble of looking it up, so don't bother to recheck...) I think Arianna should go back to her roots..or alfalfa sprouts, tofu and carrot juice - that California has to offer her :-) Charla
Re: fjordhorse-digest V2004 #162
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Also, > this colt was gelded at 8 weeks; not sure what that would do for height. >My vet told me that this makes them taller. >Yes, my vet had pretty much the same opinion, although there is no real >concrete evidence. I guess it'd similar to oxen that are cut or banded at just days >old though... They don't get anywhere near as bulky as a bull, but some of >them get outrageously tall. I needed to comment here. My gelding was cut VERY young... less then a month old if I remember correctsomething new the breeders vet was doing etc. My Geling is short and big/bulky. Blows both those theories right out of the water :) He is barely 13.2 hands and is 1200 lbs (a real tank) of course he's a little over weight right nowbut he's dieting (always dieting it seems) Aimee Day Garaldn, Me. Days End Fjords
RE: breeding
This message is from: "Skeels, Mark A (MED)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I guess another angle would be, your mare is 11 years old and not getting any younger, it may good for her to have a foal now that she is still prime and strong if you were thinking of having one some day anyhow. Plus it sounds like you do have plans that the foal would be used for therapy, so it may be a good time. Also foals are good therapy for people of all ages, unless they kick you in the hand that is (just kidding), the little stinkers can like to run and kick up their heals on occasion when they are little though. I guess that is just a genetic instinct they have as prey animals. Fortunately that quirk passes quickly as they get accustomed and comfortable with you, and regard you as the alpha. My mother-in-law is loving our two in Montana dearly. They both seem to think they need to be brushed at the same time and she is having the time of her life. We went out last week and saw them for the first time. Here's one for you, what is the possibility of having a brown stallion, 2 brown mares, produce 6 foals, all being grey. Obviously the stallion's dad was a grey and the mare's have a red gene, but always passing on those genes, I'm not a gambler, but what are the odds? Big money in that one. Actually were still waiting to find out for sure the color of this years, as it can be hard to tell at first, but they do look grey. Funny thing about the greys we have had, the hairs on their backs have very light hilights of brown when the sun hits it just right, but they shed those and the hair comes back as grey and their faces are defiantly grey. Mark -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Pat Holland Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 7:59 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: breeding This message is from: "Pat Holland" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >, I don't believe in having a foal > just for the sake of having a foal. Debbie - in my opinion your statement above defines a good perspective on breeding your mare. Good luck Pat Holland
