This message is from: Misty Meadows B & B <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Anna - We are fjord breeders who also happen to own a fjord-morgan cross, Heidi. (first time I have admitted this on the list:>:> ) Heidi was our first horse, purchased for a nine year old daughter. As we learned more about fjords, we opted for quality breeding stock of registered fjords. Noone knows the original breeders of Heidi and we ourselves do not crossbreed because we too feel that the fjordhorse has characteristics maintained over the centuries that are too precious to lose. There are crossbreeds that crop up here in BC at shows and CDE's; they cannot be registered with the Canadian Fjordhorse Association and they are generally not an improvement of either breed.
Heidi is the only fjord-cross that we have ever seen that I would deem successful in appearance. In fact, she is a gorgeous animal who also shows successfully, almost always in the top three ribbons in the hunter-jumper ring. (class size 30 horses) She is darker than our fjords, has lost the characteristic oatmeal muzzle, but retains the mane. She has slighter legs, a slighter head and neck and retains the stripings on her legs. Because of her showing record, we could sell her tomorrow at a greater price than any of our adult registered fjords, so discussions of price are a red herring in thinking of cross breeding. However, did she improve the Morgan? - no, absolutely not! Morgan folks think her heavy, she does not have their characteristic trot; hunter judges still whisper to Elise that they loved her riding but her horse does not have a hunter neck. Although both Morgans and fjords are good driving horses, the thought of ever putting a cart, wagon or plough behind Heidi would result in a certain accident. Somehow, she has a much different temperment than either of her original breeds. And is she a fjord? - absolutely not!! Our bed and breakfast guest children can roam freely among the fjords, but not with Heidi. She is flightly. Our fjords live as an intact herd with their stallion, but Heidi is too high strung to fit into this situation. Heidi is the only horse on the property who needs four shoes because her feet are not as hard. She will never be ridden by any of the children who come for lessons or guests because she is flighty, suddenly deciding to kick out at a school bus passing by on the road, or a gust of wind. She hates grey horses in the show ring and pursues them. Elise has the riding skills to make her look like a push button horse whose rider is doing little, but what we have at times in the hunter ring is an extremely strong horse that is pulling like a freight train. As our younger daughter has taken over the riding of Heidi this year, she has been given three flying lessons - something that I hate and do not even think about with her daily riding or our fjords. On trail rides, Heidi is the horse that will kick back at a following horse endangering a rider. So although Heidi is a beloved, very highly trained, good looking horse with good confirmation and who can probably outperform most fjords in jumping, we have lost one of the truly unique and important qualities of the breed - TEMPERMENT. Temperment is so inherent and important in our breed that we cannot allow it to become altered in any way. The signature temperment of the breed is patient, willing, courgeous, reliable, mild-mannered, steadfast, dependable, friendly. Comparing the fjord crosses that I have seen which all lack this signature and and the wonderful purebreds that we have bred who all have this signature temperment, there is no doubt in my mind that crossbreeding fjords should simply not be done. It doesn't matter whether we are talking mare or stallion. I always at a loss when I get at least four phone calls a year from folks wanting to know how to market their fjord crosses - the words "too strong for my child", "needs someone with strong hands", "stubborn", should be warning flags to us all. Cathy at Misty Meadows B&B and Fjords, Victoria, BC
