Re: [IceHorses] Conformation
Karen Thomas
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>>> Here is a link to the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry (this is the U.S. >>> registry) If you click on evaluation program and scroll to the bottom of >>> the page, there are links to the PDF files explaining the whole process: >>> https://www.nfhr.org/index.php?com_frontpage&Itemid=1 Cherie

That's very interesting, Cherie. I spent some time going through the three .pdf documents and I've bookmarked them for future reference. It's very interesting to me that someone took the time to put some simple conformational sketches into the second document, showing, for instance, how front legs should look, and what common faults look like. That sort of thing is available in many conformation books and articles of course, but having it in print right in the breed standard certainly clarifies that those faults to watch for. If that were shown in some Icelandic publications, we wouldn't have to go through these same old tiring arguments all the time. Also, it clarifies how much deviation from generic "good conformation" is acceptable for your particular breed "type" - in other words, it shows that Fjords should be "draftier" than some other light riding horses. My kudos to the Fjord registry for putting some good information out to new owners. That's a great way to help the horses...of course, it also takes some of the elitism away from the judges. Nice to see a registry helping to empower its members to take care of the breed. Those are certainly interesting riding tests too - interesting in that they aren't simply about flying around the track at break-neck speed. I like that they require the horse to be ridden with some finesse - with turns and stops, etc., at specified points. On the other hand, the tests don't look so complicated as to make it hard to compare horses on a uniform basis. Basically, I guess I'm still more inclined to think that breeding evaluations should be as free from human interference as possible - meaning tested without a rider up. But, if anyone is going to try to test with riders, these look like reasonable patterns to show. Nancy, I don't know if you read these, but I chuckled over one detail. This is one of the few breed standards that doesn't call for a "clean throatlatch." I don't remember the phrasing, but they clearly state that the throatlatch will be thicker than most - but not too thick. Hey, this is a breed with draft origins - nothing wrong with that. Amazing that this standard is from another "Viking" breed - it's certainly very different from the Icelandic one. Karen Thomas, NC ------------------------------------ IceHorses Community for Photos and Videos: http://kickapps.com/icehorses "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/