This message is from: "Lynn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I don't think it is just tradition in the Fjord world. it is the dichotomy between "natural" (by which I am not referring to style of horsemanship) presentation often found in the mountain and Moorland breeds among others (like my Friesian for instance) and the more artificial presentation of the (what I call a ) hack.
Traditionally the "classy" animals used by "Ladies & Gentleman" for riding or driving were groomed, clipped, prettied up with in an inch of their lives as appearance was the name of the game, but the "working" horses (or semi wild) didn't have time for that rubbish. So our modern show horses whether they be hacks or hackneys follow that artificial tradition and the older breeds don't. The other thing of course was that as a lot of the hot breeds are not as naturally hairy you passed off a "common" animal by clipping off any offending hair around fetlocks etc. I was always taught never to trim off the whiskers on the muzzle and round the eyes for exactly that reason, they help the feel where things are, but the excess winter fuzz is a different thing all together and you trim that for the comfort of the horse, which includes not standing around dripping wet for hours after work. And those goofy bits that some of them grow out of their ears! My TB mare, who is not a hairy beast at all will grow these huge long tufts out of her ears, and I can't see what earthly good the do, so trim them off level with the edge of her ear. The hacks here usually have their ears trimmed totally bald inside. How to the Fjords in the warmer climes cope? Do they not grow as thick winter coats as the ones that actually experience winter, or do they still go the whole hog in defiance of the temperature? Lynn
