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The Fjord horse is a small breed of horse from the mountaineous regions of western Norway. It ranges from 137 cm to 147 cm in height –and weigh from 900 to 1,200 pounds, so is a pony according to international rules – but is always called a horse in Norway. This breed is one of the world’s oldest and purest breeds. It is believed that the original Fjord Horse migrated to Norway and was domesticated over 4,000 years ago. Archeological excavations at Viking burial sites indicate the Fjord Horse has been selectively bred for 2,000 years. It has a strong neck, good feet, and a quite compact and muscular body, and is fully capable of carrying an adult. It is almost always dun in colour, bay dun being the most common colour, the exception from the variations of dun is grey where there are light and dark grey. The mane is long and thick and heavy, but is usually clipped so that it stands up, about five to ten centimetres, which makes the horse much easier to groom, and accentuates its thick, strong neck and full-length dorsal stripe. It has small brown marks over the eyes and on the checks and thighs. Dark horizontal stripes on the legs (zebra). Dark ear outlines and tips. Some "feathering" on the legs, but not profuse. The fur is thin and shiny in summer, but long and furry in winter. The fjord horse and its ancestors has been used for hundreds of years as a farm horse in western Norway. It is strong enough for heavy work, such as plowing the fields or pulling timber, yet light and fast enough to be a good riding and driving horse. |
