Fjord Horse: Strong, Mild Mannered and Masters of the Stage and the Farm 

I have the pleasure of owning my second Fjord Horse. My first was imported from the Netherlands inutero and born in New Hampshire USA, the second was bred and born in Canada. Their gentle nature have made them both a delight to own. Daily care is as involved as you choose it to be, they thrive on kind human contact and regular grooming and hoof care. A novice rider can be perfectly safe around as well as riding a Fjord.

I rode one once in a field in S/W Norway when I was 12. Just a simple bridle and reins, no saddle. The farm where they kept them up in the hills/mountains for the summer told us we could just grab whichever one was happy to let us ride it and take it round the field. Have always loved them.

“Their thick necks are what makes them so capable of pulling carts and wagons,”… And their handlers across the lot when they decide to take for grass instead of whatever else you’re trying to do with them.😂😂😂 But seriously though, I have a Fjord I purchased as a weanling. He is 6 now and he is THE most relational horse I have ever owned. He does have a LOT of his own ideas about how things should be, but so long as you talk him through it, he works out alright. I have found that although he is tough, he is actually quite sensitive to emotions, and does not like angry people AT ALL! He was the easiest horse I ever started under saddle as far as accepting me and tack, but one of the most difficult to get straight. He’s plenty forward and has a lot of tempo, but he’s actually much more flexible than he looks. He’s got a great “sense of humor,” and wouldn’t intentionally hurt a flea, but because he is 15hh and weighs 1,200lbs, is super brave and isn’t afraid of anything, he is a bit like a bull in a China closet at times. We live in Alaska, and I will catch him laying flat out sleeping in a snow storm at -10F like he’s tanning on a beach, while all my other horses are huddled together with their blankets on.😂 I have learned a lot as a horseman by working with him, because he certainly isn’t like the Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds I’ve had/have and worked with for almost 50 years. But don’t think they are for everyone.

Coming from a Fjord owner: Not all Norwegian people were Vikings and not all Vikings were Norwegians. Vikings were akin to pirates. Though they indeed did bring Fjords into battle, the general population of what is now Norway were not all Vikings and they used the horses for work on the farm, or as riding and pack animals. I always learnt that in winter, they would turn the horses out in the mountains, where they could forage their own food, making the horses extremely sturdy. When they were again needed on the farm in Springtime, the horses were brought down again from their mountain pastures and the people would roach their mane, so it wouldnt interfere with the tack. Thats where the typical trimmed mane style of Fjord horses comes from. Also, Fjords are not that rare in Europe and thus not as expensive, though prices for horses in general have gone up the last few years, in Europe. With good pasture management, the right kinds of grasses and herbs and enough exercise, it is absolutely possible to keep some Fjords on grass.

Yay I saw my girl in the videos ❤

I own a Fjord. She is a 21 year old mare and overweight. We ride her 3 times a week but plan o. Working her 2 more days a week. My husband feeds her 1 flake of Teff and 1/2 flake of Alfalfa morning and evening. Plus 2 cups of senior feed. I'm going to ask him to lower the Teff and see if that helps. Any tips are welcome.

Beautiful looking horses…. Wish I had one 😊

It's pronounced Niaul, (like Paul) not Njal.

I like the content but the narrator's voice is a bit too effete for my taste. ef·fete /əˈfēt/ adjective affected and overly refined. Please consider using a different narrator for your videos in the future. Thanks. (I still hit like and subscribe because your transcript enabled me to learn the content without the unpleasant commentator.)