fjord horses

sally87

sally87

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 March 2009
Messages
533
Visit site
hi

i have seen an advert for a fjord horse that i like the sound of & was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about the breed in general. was wondering how hardy they are? are they lami prone (have had natives in the past so quite used to that), how much work they require. also what they are good at.

essentially i want a horse i can have fun with. i want to be able to ride out safely on my own & with friends & do local riding club type shows (bit of showing, bit of not big jumping, maybe some dressage & little xc). confidence is not my biggest strength & have had some time off riding so want something i can build confidence with & just have fun. not really in a position to buy now but maybe in a few months. i liked the sound of this advert so may look at fjords when i finally do get in a position to have a horse again!

have seen some pics of ones on here so thought there may be some hidden (and some not so hidden) experts lurking!

thanks for your help!
 
ours is lami prone, hardy and determined want to get out will push gate, doe.sn't want catching turn tail but he is about 20 or older and a loveable retired nag
 
thank you, that website looks very informative. i basically want a loveable-friend who will look after me instead of scaring me as some have done in the past. as i said not in the position to buy now, but considering options for later on
 
also what show classes can you do with them? im only on about local riding clubs & not bothered about winning. suppose equitation classes but what about working hunter? can they do cob classes?
 
In Norway they are viewed much the same as cobs in the UK. They are kind, usually quiet but in my opinion lack personality (for me anyway and I have had a few pass through my yard).

There are two types:

Heavy type bred for farmwork, are ridden also.

Sport Type: Finer modern day breeding for riding.

I have had both on my old dealing yard, fun to hack, can jump a little but they are not usually the most competitive horses although you do get the exception but that is rare. Same goes for dressage really.

Obviously the Fjording as they are called in Norway are Norwegian, they are very good doers as bred for cold harsh climate so lami would have to be watched out for as with any good doer. They are good weight carriers (especially the heavier type). They are sweet but a bit dumb on the ground (don't shoot me just my opinion as I have seen/experienced literally 100's of them now). They are hugely cuddly and always make me think of a teddy :)

They are usually very steady so great confidence givers, for your requirements I think you would enjoy the breed. I have enjoyed them but for what I want to do they don't fit the bill but would not hesitate getting one for my boys when the youngest is a bit older.
 
We've got a Fjord mare. We bought her as my daughters first pony and now can't bear to part with her so hopefully she'll be with us for life.
Fjords are very affectionate and love having a lot of fuss made of them and as others have said they're great confidence givers. We live in France and they're really popular over here, most riding schools have several. Ours can jump 1 metre and they seem to love cross country (at a low level!).
They can also be incredibly strong and pushy and will do anything to get to a tasty piece of grass, they need a firm hand. The only way to lead ours over anything edible is with a "Be nice" halter.
I adore Fjords and I think if you get a good one you'll be smitten for life!
 
Vixxy said:
They are kind, usually quiet but in my opinion lack personality (for me anyway and I have had a few pass through my yard).

There are two types:

Heavy type bred for farmwork, are ridden also.

Sport Type: Finer modern day breeding for riding.
Click to expand...

Totally totally totally totally disagree with you, sorry lol! i have 2 fjords, one heavy type and one sport type, and they both have bags & bags of personality. the heavy type, Minty, is very cheeky and the sporty type, Loki, is very quiet and affectionate. i have never met another horse with more personality than my Minty!
 
melxvengeance said:
Totally totally totally totally disagree with you, sorry lol! i have 2 fjords, one heavy type and one sport type, and they both have bags & bags of personality. the heavy type, Minty, is very cheeky and the sporty type, Loki, is very quiet and affectionate. i have never met another horse with more personality than my Minty!
Click to expand...

I did say 'in my opinion' lol!

I also said the nice points about them, the fact is they originate from the country I live in and most horse people here feel the same as what I said in my post. People like different types and breed of horses, not an insult just the way it is. I gave an unbiased truthful account of the Fjordings (Norwegian bred, true to type) that have been through my yard/in the riding school I owned over the past 7 years :)

I am sure your two are lovely.
 
I look after a fjord mare and she has really pretty little head. she is the finer riding type, very low maintenance, lives on nothing..rich pasture is definite no.
bombproof hardy. she doesn't show/compete so can't help with that. at mo she is on box rest as she has fracture- freak accident in field.. nothing to d with breed.:(
 
I've got a Fjord mare, Honey, she's retired now cos she's 34, and has only become prone to lami in the last couple of years because she's on really rich grazing. Prior to that we had no problems. She loved to hack and jump, also a bit of showing (mainly coloured classes) which she wasn't very keen on.

Her main hobbies since she retired are being 'midwife/nanny' to the cows when they have calves and dragging me and my mum up and down the road when we move her! She can be quite bargy as she recently ran my mum over because she wanted her dinner and my mum was late bringing her in. She's also very nosy and had to be pulled out of the slurry pit earlier this year by the fire brigade :eek: (it's very well sealed off now with a Honey proof fence!)

They are definitely real characters and very individual in their ways. I'd definitely have another one.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top