Sunday, January 17, 2010

365 Project - Day 169


This was the view that Mirko and I saw as we took a horse & carriage ride through the country side by Lossburg on our romantic weekend get-away. It was a beautiful weekend and since I love horses, I especially loved the norwegian fjord horses that drew our carriage. Their owner breeds them and owns about 30 mares/foals and a very gentle loving stallion:


Norwegian Fjord


also Known By: Fjord, Norges Fjordhest (Norwegian), Fjording, Nordbag, Nordfjord, Northern Dun, Norwegian Dun, Norwegian Pony, Vestland, West Norway, West Norwegian

The Norwegian Fjord (pronounced Fee-ord) Horse is Norway's oldest horse breed. It is estimated that the original Fjords migrated to Norway and the Scandinavian peninsula over 4,000 years ago and they were domesticated about 2,000 B.C. They have been selectively bred in Norway for over 2,000 years and the first directed selection program began in the mid-1880's. The original Norwegian Fjord varied in color and averaged 12.1 hands in size. Selection has increased the height to 13 to 14.1 hands and the breed is one of the few modern breeds exhibiting only the primitive or dun coloration.
This pony was used by the Vikings for war mounts and they were also thought to be the first western Europeans to use horses for farming and the horses they used were the versatile Fjord pony. It is thought that all present-day draft breeds in western Europe are descended in part from the Norwegian Fjord.






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