Latest from Horse & Hound in Fjord-horses

From ‘farmer’s horse’ to dressage star: farewell to 30-year-old ‘Fjord who could do everything’

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 18:51:55 +0000

Tributes have been paid to the “Fjord who could do everything”, a farmer’s horse who held his own at the top of his sport.

Super Guus, who became the first Fjord in the Netherlands to compete at subtop, the highest national level of dressage and appeared at an FEI World Cup leg, has died aged 30.

Grand prix rider Jolanda Adelaar, who owned Super Guus for 27 years, said he was “an inspiration to the common man”.

“A ‘farmer’s horse’ who held his own in the top sports world was an enormous inspiration,” she said. “He never became an Olympic horse, but he did have a huge impact. He encouraged people to also start to do dressage with their horses. Those who did not have a sport horse; Haflingers, Fjords, tinkers, crossbreeds, were inspired by Super Guus to appear in the competition arena. Because ‘If Super Guus can do it, my horse can do it too’.”

Jolanda does not come from an equestrian family; she started at a riding school and met Guus at a summer camp when she was 12. She wanted to buy him but her parents were wary of the costs of owning a horse. It took her a year to convince her father, and she found a field where he could be kept for €30 per month.

“At the beginning I trained Guus in the cow pasture,” she said. “I rode bareback because I did not own a saddle yet. His first bridle I made myself.”

Jolanda joined her local Pony Club, which was close enough that she could hack to weekly lessons, and it was when she saw a dressage freestyle on television that she knew what she wanted to do.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“I wanted to start competing dressage with Guus but I was told I needed a sport breed for that,” she said. “My father bought a one-horse trailer to connect to his car for €1,200 so we could travel to competitions. Within two years I became regional champion in the Z2 level with Guus and got in the newspaper. We were invited as a special act at the FEI World Cup dressage in 2006 at ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Here we showed that a draft horse can do piaffe and passage. Guus also became the first Fjord horse in the Netherlands competing at subtop. People started to call him Super Guus. He got his own fan club and book, Guus, published in 2006. It fascinated me how telling the story of an unknown animal can make an animal loved by so many.”

Jolanda said Super Guus “made dressage pop”, which had not been done before, in the early 2000s.

“He paved the way for new ideas,” she said. “I was the first to start a YouTube channel in the Netherlands about my life with my horse. At that time, there were no horse influencers active on the internet as they are today. My company has carried his name for almost 20 years. His life came with an important message and I will continue to carry it forward. He is a Dutch legend.”

Jolanda added that from her perspective, Super Guus was her best friend.

“He was my indestructible rock who literally and figuratively carried me when life was difficult,” she said. “Super Guus moved with me to Italy in 2013, where we lived for five years, in Rome and Milan. He had never officially said goodbye to the Dutch public.

“When Super Guus returned to the Netherlands in 2019, he was already retired. He gave a farewell show at Equiday on 8 April this year. He was still so healthy and full of zest for life.”

Jolanda said she had thought Super Guus would live to at least 40, but he deteriorated during the two weeks before he was put down, on 7 October.

“I am grateful that we were able to say goodbye at my home,” she said. “Super Guus is part of me and his loss feels like a big hole that can never be closed in this life.”

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Owner’s Badminton dream for half-Fjord filly

‘I always described Maddison as a Land Rover Defender, and her foal is more like a Range Rover Sport’

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The flashy Fjord: combining the prehistoric with a modern workhorse

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The flashy Fjord: combining the prehistoric with a modern workhorse

Martha Terry — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 16:59:22 +0000

With its golden creamy colour and spiky two-tone mane, the distinctive Fjord horse is a unique and ancient breed. It combines echoes of wild and primitive horses with a friendly, willing temperament that has proved popular for use in equine therapy, riding schools and general all-rounders for riding and driving.

In this article: Potted history | Conformation | Uses | Future

Potted history

One of the world’s oldest and purest breeds, herds of wild Fjord horses existed in Norway after the Ice Age. According to archaeological findings, the Fjord horse has been selectively bred for the past 2,000 years, and domesticated for the past four millennia. The modern Fjord originates from the fjord areas in the west of Norway, where its hardy and surefooted attributes are well adapted to getting around the harsh and rugged terrain in this area characterised by steep mountains and fjords.

Although the Fjord shares many similarities with the Przewalski horse – such as primitive markings and colour – the Fjord’s genetic material shows they are not closely related. However, the Fjord may share some heritage with the now-extinct Tarpan. It is likely to have some influence from Icelandic and British breeds as there was contact between the seafaring nations of Norway, Iceland and Britain in that era.

Around 1840, the breeding of Fjord horses was formalised, with a stud established in the Dovre Mountains (Dovrefjell) in central Norway at an altitude of 1,000m. At that time, the Fjord horse was used on farms, for forestry work, harvesting, as a pack horse and pulling a cart.

Until 1947, the breed was called the Vestlandhest – the west country horse, as this has been the breeding centre for the Fjord. This sure-footed, hardy and charming breed is considered part of Norway’s national heritage and some regard the Fjord as a Norwegian national symbol.

Fjord mare and foal (Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

Looks and conformation

According to the studbook, the breed’s type and character are paramount.

Height: there is no maximum or minimum but the desired height is between 135cm and 150cm (13.1hh to 14.3hh).

Colour: the vast majority (90%) of Fjords are brown dun (varying from creamy yellow to nearly brown). The remaining 10% are also dun, but red, uls (white) or yellow. To be the colour dun means they have a base coat of any colour, with a dun dilution gene. The base coat determines what variation of dun they are.

In keeping with their dun colour, they carry primitive markings, including zebra stripes on the legs and a dorsal stripe running from the forelock all the way down the neck, back to the tail. Darker stripes may also be seen on the withers.

Mane: this is characteristic of the breed, with the centre hair being black or dark, while the outer hair is white. The mane is traditionally cut to be upstanding, with a convex form following the topline of the horse. It is thought that this upstanding mane goes back to the time of the Vikings, to give the impression of a taller, stronger horse in battle.

Head: this is the main feature as regards type and character. It should be small and well-defined with a broad, flat forehead. The bridge of the nose should be short, and preferably concave. The nostrils should be large and open, with a square muzzle. The lower jaw and cheekbone should be strong without being heavy. The ears should be small, wide apart and pointed. Eyes should be large, dark and friendly.

Body: the overall impression should be strong and well-muscled. The neck should have a convex topline and be muscular. Originally, as the breed was primarily a working horse, the neck was short and heavy, and the shoulder straight, but nowadays the preference is for a slightly longer neck and more sloping shoulder.

In the 19th century, when the breed was being formalised, the typical Fjord was described as having “a head like a brisling [a Norwegian sprat], neck like a spinning wheel, body like a turnip and limbs like steel springs”. This may not shed much light on its appearance, however the breed has since evolved as times have changed and a more athletic build is preferred.

Fjords are as adept at pulling a carriage as they are carrying a rider (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Uses

The Fjord was originally valued for its strength and surefooted capabilities as a work animal – in forestry, pulling carts, and as a pack horse – so ideally suited to the small, hilly farms of Norway. In the early days, breeders tried to produce a heavier draught animal for the agricultural demands, however since machinery has replaced the horse, a more athletic build is now preferred. The aim is to breed a supple horse with a good temperament for both riding and driving, which is at at home in the manège as on the mountain.

Fjords are popular in riding schools and are also quite capable of contesting grassroots competitions. They can be an ideal horse for beginners to learn to ride on, being typically calm in temperament, sturdy, strong and gentle. They are often used in programmes for disabled riders and in equine therapy due to their easy going nature.

A Fjord horse competing in a cross-country competition (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Future of the Fjord horse

The Fjord is now an endangered breed in Norway as there are insufficient numbers of foals being born there each year. There are around 5,000 Fjords registered in its native country. However, there are larger populations of this likeable breed in other countries, such as Denmark, German and the US.

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Owner’s Badminton dream for half-Fjord filly

Eleanor Jones — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 06:06:32 +0000

The owner of a filly described as “a Fjord with more engine” says her dream is to qualify her for the British Eventing (BE) grassroots final at Badminton.

Kira Simpson bred Sula Borealis by thoroughbred event stallion Sula Blue, out of her Fjord mare Maddison, who herself evented at BE80(T) level.

The three-month-old filly resembles her dam in colouring, and with a version of the trademark Fjord mane, but is, Kira says, a more refined model.

“I said I wanted a V8 version of Maddison, with more engine and longer legs, and when she was born she was like a spider,” Kira told H&H. “I sent pictures of her to Sula Blue’s owner and she said: ‘Well, you’ve got what you wanted!’”

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Kira was given Maddison free, when her owners moved abroad, and had competed at showjumping and dressage, but it was a friend’s chance remark that led her to eventing.

“People said ‘you’ll never get that round a BE event’, but my friend Rachel who events said she thought I could, and that’s all it took,” Kira said, adding that their one run was at Millfield in 2017.

“She ended up with a cricket score – 41 dressage, two rails and a refusal showjumping and two refusals cross-country – but it was the best day of my life,” Kira added.

“It was hers and my first event, and I really threw her in the deep end. She turned a few heads as you don’t see many Fjords eventing – but she was fantastic.”

A few days later, Maddison was slightly lame and it was found she had proximal suspensory desmitis and so would not jump again.

“We decided to put her in foal as she’s the nicest mare ever,” Kira said.

“I was sitting in the tack room with the friend who suggested eventing and she said: ‘Why don’t you put her to a thoroughbred? That would be a nice mix.’.”

Kira was impressed by Sula Blue’s record but also his “superb” temperament, and although the first season of trying was unsuccessful, last summer went according to plan, and “Winnie” was born in March.

“We were over the moon with her,” Kira said. “I always described Maddison as a Land Rover Defender, and Winnie’s more like a Range Rover Sport; still a bit heavy but with more refinement.

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

“Her mane is fantastic, like some sort of zebra mane. Maddison’s got the black dorsal stripe and hers is dark but this is like something out of a fairytale.

“I also often say I’m not sure if I’ve bred a Labrador or a foal, she’s into everything.”

Kira said Winnie plays with dog toys, is unfazed by anything she has yet come across and is proving to have a good temperament – so the idea is to event her in future.

“The big dream is Badminton grassroots,” she said. “Some people dream of Burghley or Bramham but if I could get there, that would be a lifetime achievement complete.

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Fjord horses to be returned to cruelty case breeder

Horse & Hound — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:14:15 +0000

ELEVEN Fjord horses nursed back to health following severe malnutrition and ragwort poisoning will be returned to their owner after a court failed to ban him from keeping horses.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals (SSPCA) and Aberdeenshire Council took chairman of the Fjord Horse Studbook Society (FHSS), David Stewart, to court on 17 March following the death from malnutrition and starvation of three horses in his care.

The SSPCA and the council hoped the trial would be a test case for prosecutions involving ragwort poisoning, but Mr Stewart changed his plea to guilty just before the hearing and was dealt with summarily by a sheriff at Banff. He was fined £720.

At his request, Fjord breeder Jacqueline Riley cared for 12 of Mr Stewart’s horses after the SSPCA discovery in February 2008 and said eight had severe liver damage due to ragwort poisoning. One died. Now they must go back to Mr Stewart.

Mrs Riley told H&H: “They had serious malnutrition. I’d never seen horses in this state before.”

FHHS members now want the stud book closed — it has less than 100 registered horses.

Registrar Fiona Nicholson said Mr Stewart was asked to resign in March 2008 after the Scottish government revoked the stud book’s authority to act as a passport issuing organisation (PIO).

Ms Nicholson said: “He agreed to stand down, but has since said he would not hand the paperwork over to us. The stud book is in limbo, but we want to wind it up.”

Mr Stewart was contacted by H&H, but did not return our calls.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (2 April, ’09)

Shock at ‘lenient’ sentence for allowing ponies to starve

Charlotte White — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:04:24 +0000

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has said it is disappointed with the £720 fine handed to chairman of the Fjord Horse Registry of Scotland David Stewart.

Stewart pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to three Fjord ponies at Banff Sheriff Court, Stewart on 17 March. The horses died of starvation and malnutrition.

The three ponies, one an aged mare and the other two both under five years old, died in December 2007.

SSPCA chief inspector John Carle said: “The society is extremely disappointed with the outcome of the case. In cases of severe animal cruelty such as this we are always seeking a lifetime ban on keeping animals.

“We cannot understand why an outright ban or fixed term disqualification, was not given in this instance.

“We will continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those who show cruelty towards animals through neglect or abuse.”

In March 2008 H&H reported that the Scottish government had revoked the stud book’s status as a passport issuing organisation.

Fjord Scottish studbook loses right to issue horse passports

Horse & Hound — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:53:56 +0000

A studbook society has had its authority to issue passports revoked by the Scottish government in what appears to be the first case of this kind, following complaints that it was not operating efficiently.

The revocation against the Fjord Horse Stud Book Society (FHSS), also known as the Fjord Horse Registry of Scotland, came into force on Friday 29 February.

The Scottish government received a number of complaints regarding passport applications that were not being processed and declared that the FHSS “no longer meets the criteria”.

A spokesman for the Scottish government said: “We made every effort to contact the society, but with no response, and we were left with no alternative than to conclude that it was not operating efficiently.

“This is placing horse owners in considerable difficulty and, possibly, in breach of the Horse Passports (Scotland) Regulations 2005.”

From 29 February, all passports issued by the FHSS will become invalid and owners must reapply for a new one. This will affect approximately 60 horses.

FHSS chairman David Stewart said: “We will remain as a breed society — we just won’t issue passports anymore. We are sad about it, but issuing passports is labour intensive and we are a small organisation.”

The FHSS was established in 1997 as a breakaway group from the Fjord Horse National Stud Book Association of Great Britain — which is, and remains, authorised by Defra to issue passports to its members’ 450 Fjord horses.

Its chairman John Goddard-Fenwick said his studbook is happy to issue passports to FHSS members.