This message is from: "Ron & Sherrie Dayton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi all, All the talk about the Evaluation program has started me thinking. Whether you believe in the Evaluation system or not it seems to be working. I believe this because I've heard people like Wayne Hipsley say at Libby that the overall quality of the Fjord Horses that he sees is better then it was 10 years ago. I'm sure that the same is true for the other shows and evaluations. That tells me that the Fjord owner/breeders are educating themselves about what is a good quality Fjord horse. Part of that learning process has been due to them attending Evaluations. Even if you don't bring horses to be evaluated you learn from the experience. The comments at the end of the day by the Senior Evaluator are very educational. To keep the gene pool large but continue to breed inferior quality stallions and mares is not doing this breed any favors. Yes you'll have more genetic diversity but it will be of lower quality over all. That is what has happened in other breeds, the overall quality of the breeds has deteriorated. I have friends that breed other horses and when I tell them about our Evaluation program any number of them have said "I wish our Registry had something like that". This country is so large that you end up with pockets of the same bloodlines in one area. We have a lot of good stallions in this country but they're spread out so far. I wish there were a program where East coast and West coast stallion owners could swap stallions for a couple of years or so. That would introduce different bloodlines and create more genetic diversity and would also alleviate the shrinking of the gene pool but maintain the quality. Our system is not perfect but it's the best thing going. I have found over the years that the owner/breeders for the most part really want to protect this breed. Our Registry and those that have worked so hard to put this program in place are to be applauded. It will continue to be a work in process and get better and better and as a result our horses will get better and better. Just my two cents worth. Sherrie Sunwood Fjords [EMAIL PROTECTED]
