1. They are adorable.
This one is a given, because, well, they are Fjords for crying out loud. At the end of the day, sometimes Ypke's cuteness factor is her only redeeming quality.
A cute pony with kind eyes |
I for one have never seen a Fjord completely lose it (bolt, throw huge tantrums, bucking fests). Sure Ypke sometimes has crazy spooks, but they are far and few. From my observations, Fjords are tolerant horses who put up with A LOT — whether it is getting their mouth yanked on, someone bouncing around in the saddle, or little Mary Jean who insists on running up directly behind and petting their tail. They aren't hotheaded horses, but they are definitely willing to move out when asked.
Be happy, not hot-tempered |
I have never heard of or known of anyone who had a Fjord go lame (except in the case of founder). Ypke has never had a lame day in her life. This breed is known for their excellent hooves and ability to go barefoot — I can testify because Ypke has strong, beautiful hooves with no issues. While there are sportier builds being bred, I have always liked their drafty structure. Fjords are short yet stout tanks that can carry a surprising amount of weight.
4. They are bold.
You would be hard-pressed to find a Fjord that spooks at butterflies and plastic bags. I have always loved how confident they are — whether it is crossing bridges and tarps without a second thought or happily splashing through water. You can literally throw anything at Ypke and she will end up cocking a hind leg, drooping her lip, and falling asleep.
Kori, owned by Wendy Luscombe, jumping 4'3 Photo taken by: Carol Hill |
Remember how I did that Fjord of the Month interview with Koriakin of Narnia? Kori is a lovely dressage horse who has been shortlisted for the National Dressage Championships and won 12 USDF All Breed Awards among other things. Don't be fooled though, this dressage horse can JUMP. In fact, he easily cleared a 4'3 fence during a jumping demo at Equine Affaire. Many people are under the impression that Fjords are just slow, fat, lazy little ponies, so I'll just let that sink in.
I think that about sums it up! Have you ever met any Fjords that can relate to this?
4'3"?!? Amazing. I never would've guessed...they seem too heavy.
ReplyDeleteThey are definitely versatile horses! From their appearance you wouldn't assume so, but they really are surprisingly athletic.
Deletethis is awesome! my coach wants to get a fjord to add to her herd and i told her about your blog and that you've got ypke. i know if they find out, they'll probably just go for it. they sound like good lesson ponies for kids to learn on while being versatile enough to work to do more like jumping and dressage.
ReplyDeleteLike I said in the case against the Fjord, they do have a tendency to try to "manipulate" people to get their way. I know a common tactic that quite a few people (myself included) have experienced is fake spooking. If things aren't going the Fjord's way, they spook at nothing in hopes of intimidating the rider. There are others, and though they may sound ridiculous it actually happens. In that aspect, I'm not quite sure about being a lesson horse for kids, though I suppose if there is trainer supervision it would be fine. Their tendency to be levelheaded, bold, sound, and versatile are good lesson horse traits though.
Deletei saw a fjord warming up at a recent dressage show (i was just volunteering), and the thing was stunning. like, a whole audience at formed at the rail just quietly watching it warm up. very cool horses!
ReplyDeleteNeat! They are definitely eye-catching.
DeleteFjords are adorable! I had no idea they were so versatile either. :)
ReplyDeleteThe cuteness makes up for any flaws! :)
Delete