This message is from: "Julie Will" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Speaking for myself, not as a BOD member:
The Judges Rule book and the Evaluation Handbook both state the PREFERRED grooming, which includes leaving the muzzle and eye whiskers, neaten up the ears and "goat hairs" under the chin to the jaw, and neaten the fetlocks, if desired. The Evaluation Handbook states that horses will NOT be penalized if fully clipped, but also says that having the mane upright and the forelock and tail long (tail may be banged) is REQUIRED grooming. The "preferred" and "required" grooming are in keeping with hundreds of years of tradition. I am personally glad to have these preferences stated, to help guard against having our breed go the way of the clipped, plucked, oiled, powdered, bleached and colored equines in some of the other breeds in America. Not to mention tail docking, breaking, setting, feet being sored, unnatural shoeing, chains, unnatural gaits with the nose practically dragging the ground...it's amazing what we humans have done to our equines! One of the things I proudly state to people who are inquiring about the Fjord breed is that it is one of the FEW breeds that does NOT encourage (or require) excessive clipping/shaving. I actually believe that there are good reasons for whiskers, hairy ears, hairy fetlocks, winter coats in winter, summer coats in summer, long tails, even long manes! But with manes, I bow to the traditional "hallmark" of the breed. Certainly everyone can make their own choice about grooming, but that does not mean the NFHR rules should not state the "preferred", traditional, grooming of our breed.
