Thanks for Welcoming comments & suggestions
This message is from: Margaret Hicks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Thanks for the welcoming comments. I appreciate the time you took to write them up. To Amy and anybody else who asked--I live in North Carolina--about 50 miles west of Raleigh. To Marti, Joe and anybody else who tackled the subject of horsedrawn mowers -Sure. Please do. I need all the 'pointing in the right direction' I can get. Referrals to websites, books, catalogs...anything along these lines would be very helpful. Thanks for all the useful info. -To those of you concerned about the possibility of overstressing an out-of-conditioned Fjord. Yeah. I appreciate your concern. I don't wish to do that to any horse. Your comments got me curious about the proper way to condition a draft pony. At this point, I believe my goals are modest--perhaps a total of 5 hours per week, broken into 2 or 3 weekly sessions. Could a well conditioned Fjord handle this schedule? To Carol - The Percheron team with harness sounds lovely...but...I'm not tall enough or strong enough to manage a typically tall, husky, husky pair of Percherons. Are they short and shrimpy?say under 15.2 hands? To Nancy -- availability? As mentioned in my intro, I haven't seen a Fjord--really and truly--- in the flesh. Maybe, I'll get lucky and see one at a Draft show or sale one day soon. To DeeAnn--I agree and have heard almost the same story. The trick is to find folks who farm with 'em and NOT show. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack. To Pamela - I think your's is a good story illustrating 'good draft character'. I don't know why, but drafts are very good with children. To Jean -- Gunnar sounds like a big sneak and very naughty but you love him anyway, Right? Thanks for sharing your experiences. This post is long but I wished to acknowledge all who spoke up and to say thanks. Kay
Intro
This message is from: Margaret Hicks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello, At this point, I don't have much to say of a practical nature or in a familiar knowing way about Fjords. I admire the Fjord's appearance and descriptive write ups very much. I've never seen one face-to-face, but I'd like to. That's about it. I'm mulling over the idea of acquiring a draft pony...or perhaps a team. I daydream about using original horsepower to mow 10 acres. (I wonder if there is such a gizmo as a one horse mower?) Inotherwords, I believe I'd really enjoy owning and using a sure 'nuf working animal. I expect the following sentiments might hit a raw nerve on the heart of a true-blue Fjord enthusiast. Good draft character, good feet and a large dollop of versatility matter more to me than breed and/or show records of it's ancestors. At this point, I don't know if I'll wind up with a 'runt' Belgian ( Is there such a thing as a 14.2 to 15 hand Belgian?); or a Haflinger; or a Fjord; or whatever. I intend to spend the winter reading all I can about drafts, going to auctions, and talking drafts with any soul kind enough to share knowledge. I presently own a pony-sized mule (too short to be useful), a Saddlebred mare, and a TWH filly. While a good group, none are particularly suitable for what I've got in mind. I believe I'd enjoy hearing how you wound up with Fjords. Was it the same drive to do something useful, skilled and honest with your favorite broomtail, too? Kay
