Re: Fjords, Mules and Cantering....
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] we understand your frustration, but this can be done! even with the drafty-est Fjord! We have found that doing a lot of transition work is the key, as well as lunge work...we ride at a large lesson/boarding barn, altho we have our boys BHF Bjorn BHF Olaf at home here with us...(these guys love to canter in a free lunge too), we are the odd Fjord owners among TB's, Arabains, Andulusians, la de dah, But just getting them into one step of a canter, then praise-praise-praise, let them come down to a nice working trot, and then try it again, I think that the circle aids are the key, once they know that they are safe in consistant circling - bending- they build confidence. They have such a thick, strong neck, ...once they learn that they can still be balanced while bending, wow, it opens up a whole new world. And they will work from the rear then too. They seem to want to pull from the front, rather than have impulsion from the rear, altho that may be true of any young horse, ! they ne ed to learn this behavior, and a great coach doesn't hurt!!! We live in the Northeast, and do a lot of showing, we are always the only Fjords represented at the shows, one of the last 2-phase shows we were at, up near Boston, I overheard a middle aged rider with her coach, standing behind my son Paddy I as he was waiting to go in for the stadium jumping portion (already got a first in Training level, Bjorn does a sweet 20 meter canter circle!) and the coaches student said 'maybe I won't get that Quarter horse, I really like the looks of that Fjord'...and the coach said ' Oh, you don't want a Fjord, they are too stubborn' - and I turned around and said, ' Yep, maybe they are stubborn, but when you, as a rider, get something out of a Fjord, then you know that you are a really great rider' ...nuff saidgotta love this breed, they are awesome and bring out the best in us as riders!! best to you, Denise -- Original message -- From: lgp33 [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message is from: lgp33 [EMAIL PROTECTED] As a new Fjord owner this is my first posting on this site. I have a comment and a question. I am a mule owner (I ride and pack my mules) and until I got my Fjord I would have argued the superiority of mules over any horse! For me, the Fjord is the first horse I've encountered that matches up to my mules' abilities, strength, sure-footedness and intelligence - sorry if this offends the Fjord purists!. So, I was interested to see the debate following the Horse Illustrated article. My question is, how DO I get my Fjord to canter? Bror is nine years old and will only trot at very high speed (he hadn't been ridden much before I got him). I've tried round-penning him and tried riding him into a canter but with very limited success - I'm working at it every day. Will he get it eventually? Any suggestions? Thanks, Linda Patorni _ Linda Patorni High Mesa Ranch 794 Ojo de la Vaca Santa Fe, NM 87508 The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Fjords, Mules and Cantering....
This message is from: lgp33 [EMAIL PROTECTED] As a new Fjord owner this is my first posting on this site. I have a comment and a question. I am a mule owner (I ride and pack my mules) and until I got my Fjord I would have argued the superiority of mules over any horse! For me, the Fjord is the first horse I've encountered that matches up to my mules' abilities, strength, sure-footedness and intelligence - sorry if this offends the Fjord purists!. So, I was interested to see the debate following the Horse Illustrated article. My question is, how DO I get my Fjord to canter? Bror is nine years old and will only trot at very high speed (he hadn't been ridden much before I got him). I've tried round-penning him and tried riding him into a canter but with very limited success - I'm working at it every day. Will he get it eventually? Any suggestions? Thanks, Linda Patorni _ Linda Patorni High Mesa Ranch 794 Ojo de la Vaca Santa Fe, NM 87508 The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: Fjords, Mules and Cantering
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 11/24/2006 4:52:10 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: My question is, how DO I get my Fjord to canter? Bror is nine years old and will only trot at very high speed (he hadn't been ridden much before I got him). I've tried round-penning him and tried riding him into a canter but with very limited success - I'm working at it every day. Will he get it eventually? I guess I did not take exception to anything Mike had to say (although I have not read the article), because he has described *my* fjord perfectly, and I find him to be a perfect horse. Granted, I am not a breeder trying to sell horses, but I also don't believe in trying to market where a breed is headed as opposed to what a majority of the breed is. And I have heard more than one trainer compare fjords to mules, talking about their intelligence and the fact that they learn so quickly they will get bored with repetition and try to change things up. Anyway, I also agree with Mike that at least for my Fjord, the canter is not a comfortably occurring gait. He does not canter in pasture - he trots and gallops. He *can* canter, and we are working on that. I spent a series of days doing ground work and asking for one, then two, then more steps of the canter, rewarding him each time with a release. Once he got better, I rewarded with a bit of carrot and he got much better g. Under saddle, we just keep urging him faster at the trot, and he will eventually say I can't trot any faster and break into a canter. Our new goal is to lengthen the amount of time he will stay in the canter. I can only keep him in for the length of our arena. My trainer can keep him cantering for much, much longer. And I happily acknowledge there are many fjords out there who do *not* have the same aversion to cantering my Fjord does. Kate and Joe (who mentioned today that if I used that crop one more time to urge him faster he was going to buck...) The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: Fjords, Mules and Cantering....
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 11/24/2006 8:33:53 AM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: For me, the Fjord is the first horse I've encountered that matches up to my mules' abilities, strength, sure-footedness and intelligence Welcome Linda! Funny, I recently had the opposite conclusion -- the mule is the only equine that can keep up with my Fjords :-). Several months ago I moved to a boarding facility owned by a mule man and had my first experience with the critters. They are smart, freakishly strong, great on the trail, and they get along with the Fjords! As far as getting your Fjord to canter, a nice long trail works for mine. Riding with other cantering horses helps, and if all else fails, ask for it on the way home :-). Yes, the Fjords can trot faster than other horses can canter. When mine offer this, I say, yes, that's nice, but I need something else. / )_~ /L/L Brigid Wasson SF Bay Area, CA www.eponahorsemanship.com The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
