head strong Fijord X

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courtagm

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I need advice. While out hunting, or hacking, my FIjord X drops his head and runs. I am left riding a headless/neckless horse! I am quite strong so always stop him in the end but the experience is not a plesant one. Ride in french link gag.
(sometimes end up almost lying flat leaning backwards!!)
 
Fjordings are known in Norway for being very stubborn by nature, also proven in my experience with the number I have rescued and then brought on or ridden in.

Think a stubborn Welsh D (no I am not a hater, I adore them and have owned 2 in my lifetime) and then think 10x worse and your about there. They also have a very fleshy thick tongue, have you considered this with your current bit, I tended to use something with a port with Fjordings in the past?

Do you know what the Fjording is crossed with?

Not much help I know, I am sure there are forum memebrs much more experienced and equipped than I.

I am just quite interested in your horse as I have spent many years with the breed out here in Norway ;-)
 
He is crossed with a New Forest. I have owned them in the past and have always got on really well with them. He is a nice horse, just want to enjoy riding him a bit more.
Thanks for your thoughts.
 
There is one at my yard - its the only one ive ever known and it does the exact same thing - she puts her head down and drags her around terribly - when i first moved to my yard i went on a hack with her and it dragged her in front of a car luckily she was ok but it was terrifying - i never hacked out with her again after that but she falls off regularly and has really hurt herself a few times. She rides in a snaffle but i think if it were me i waoul be inclined to try one of those buckstopper/ daisy rein things to stop it getting its head down.
 
When i took on Thor he had no mouth what so ever! He had bent the rings on a 3 ring gag prior to me having him as he was so strong. I found that the more your pulled the faster and more evasive he got. I had his back and teeth checked, i also had a saddle fitted to him. I did a lot fo schooling with him and went back to basics. I started to ride him in a fench link hanging cheek snaffle with a flash. I foudn that he responded more to my seat, and i was able to slow him down with my seat. If you took hold of him, he woudl take hold of you, and would go, and there was nothing on this earth bit wise strong enougth to stop him.

The schooling helped a lot, i tried a bitless bridle and he was good in this, but i had no steering. I took him cross country and all sorts in the frenchlink hanging cheek and always had breaks.

He was a pure bred fjord and was only geldedat 8, so prior to that he was a stallion, and he knew that!

The key to success with thor was to work with him and not against him. He was dangerous when i got him. I was able to ride him ina head coller bareback after some work with him.

He hated a lot of poll pressure, and a gag woudl see him with his head between his legs hammering off in trot. The way forwards was a loose rein and plenty of seat to control him.

i297071936_96826_5.jpg
 
Not sure what the answer is but my friend had a lovely Fjord mare but she used to set her neck and just tank off, mounted and in hand! Loved her though, I was gutted when my friend sold her as I would have bought her if I had known.
 
I agree with kingcharles, schooling is the main answer. teach him to respond to weight aids, no just by pulling on the bit.

Also, tbh the gag probably makes him run off, particularly if you only use one rein. He is probably dropping his head to get away from the poll pressure. These bits are designed to be used with 2 reins and work by pressure-release. using just one rein means all pressure and no release. Imagine how much pressure you are putting on his mouth and head by pulling so hard you are leaning backwards! Any bit with shanks multiplies the pressure, its approx x3 with a dutch gag.

So i would advise going back to basics with schooling, make sure your saddle fits and his teeth arent sharp and review the bitting. A human will never be stronger than a horse, so you have to work with them
 
Had this with my heavy Irish Cob, has finally stopped this as long as I use a PeeWee bit, it works on the sides of the lower jaw so different in action :-)
 
I’m probably sticking my nose in here where it isn’t wanted, but just want to stand up for Fjords. They aren’t all stubborn tanks, we have one that is absolute darling (Badger). My novice Mum rides him all the time. Right I’ll butt out now.
 
No they are not JoBo, they are affectionate and fun also ;-)

If they were just stubborn tanks I would not rescue them and rehome them for non profit from time to time ;-)

Stubbornness in regards to training is there though sadly, I live on a a farm where 50 years ago the breed was used only for farm work and driven (never for riding). They had to be stubborn and dig their heels into the work.

Norway has a very different culture in regards to equestrianism than the UK and the breed has only been adapted to riding within the last 50 years. Norway was a very very poor country before the oil and gas boom in the seventies. Most farms had horses not tractors, our farm had its first tractor in the fifties.

So that's why they are stubborn in their defence, they also are great for novices as they are kind as the day is long and fun for hacking, dressage and jumping as within the last 20 years much effort has been put into breeding the lighter types for ridden work...I love them :-)
 
Just to prove how lovely they are...meet Hugo a 4 year old I rescued and rehomed after I rode him in a few years ago (non profit). First hack after backing and and basics put in place and he was a darling that came from the worst conditions imaginable. He looked lovely once he was hogged in the traditional manner. Although a stunning mane it was too thick and he sweated with it. He is the only Fjording (in Norway they are called Fjordings) I have ever seen with a mane or probably ever will again.

I get pics every Christmas from his new family where he is now a firm member of the family :-)

Hugo.jpg
 
Thanks for that Vixxy, I have never meet as more affectionate horse , then our Fjord, in fact he is a pure attention seeker. I can now tell my Mum that her Badger was designed as a tractor, she will love that. Maybe we should get him working, and get him to pull the muck trailer, lol! I love them as well.
My Mum on Badger.
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