This message is from: Steve McIlree <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I'm really sorry that so more people here have missed the point of
my original post than not. I was in no way attacking the Fjord's
temperament or trainability. Instead I was concerned about what the
Web site left out of it's description of the breed's personality.
That is, as a few folks have discerned, the fact that these are
horses, and are not born trained. It is the recommendation to the
first-time horse owner without any caveat about getting the horse
professionally trained that particularly bothers me. Part of the joy
of working with Fjords comes from their intelligence, a trait that
can quickly work to the detriment of the inexperienced person if
they try to train the horse themselves. They DO learn quickly and
retain what they have learned, but they do NOT have any way to
determine what they have learned is good or bad. The simple
knowledge of that fact is where past experience with horses comes to
one's rescue. I would venture that an novice trainer can ruin a
Fjord much more quickly than many other breeds. Please remember,
even if the person new to horses realizes they are not big dogs,
their concept of horses has been formed by Trigger, Silver, and
the other well trained horses they have seen in the movies. And
their ideas of what it take to train a horse have probably been
heavily influenced by Richard, Monty, Pat, et al.
--
Steve McIlree -- Pferd & Skipper -- Omaha, Nebraska, USA
He that would venture nothing must not get on horseback. --Spanish proverb
