Origin: Norway
Height: 13-14 hh
Colors: Dun with dark dorsal stripe and possible zebra striping on legs
Build: Stout, thick body, muscular with broad chest
Attributes: Kind, calm, tough, has good endurance
History of the Norwegian Fjord Draft Horse
The Norwegian Fjord is one of the oldest and most pure breeds of horse in the world. It very closely resembles its ancestor, the Asian Wild Horse, which was existent during the Ice Age. It is thought that Norwegian Fjord migrated to Norway, and was then domesticated, over four thousand years ago. This unique horse was the mount of the Vikings, and they were often depicted in the art of the Vikings, identifiable by their distinctive upright mane. The Scandinavian warriors often used the Norwegian Fjord in horse fights, where two horses were forced to fight each other, sometimes to death.
The Norwegian Fjord has been selectively bred since two thousand years ago. Norwegian Fjords were often crossed with the Highland pony, which they still resemble in confirmation and color. These two horses were often bred because of the close association between Scandinavia and the Western Isles of Scotland. When the first Norse raiders approached Scotland they brought with them their horses. These horses happened to be Norwegian Fjords because the raiders were from Hordaland, which was the primary territory of the breed. In fact, even in the late eighteen hundreds Norwegian Fjord stallions were imported to the Hebrides to improve the local highland pony stock.
Characteristics of the Norwegian Fjord Draft Horse
Appearance and Conformation of the Norwegian Fjord Draft Horse
The hooves of the Norwegian Fjord draft horse are hard, black and open. The legs are short and very muscular and therefore powerful. Norwegian Fjord draft horses should have especially short cannon bones, which are quite dense, and only a very little bit of feathering. The body of the Norwegian Fjord draft horse is heavily muscled, with a very deep and broad barrel. This width causes the forelegs to be set far apart. The withers are not prominent, however the shoulders are extremely strong. The neck is thick and arched, with a well-developed crest. The head of the Norwegian Fjord draft horse is broad with a flat forehead and the face is slightly dished, almost like an Arabian.
The mane is one of the defining features of the Norwegian Fjord draft horse. It has a core of black, surrounded by silver main on either side of the stripe. The mane is trimmed short, so that it will stand erect. It is also trimmed into a crescent shape to highlight the arched neck. Traditionally the silver sections of the mane are cut to be shorter than then the black section, to display the drama of the black hair.
The other defining feature of the Norwegian Fjord draft horse is its color. The defining marks on the color are the zebra stripes on the lower legs, the "midtstol" (the dark stripe in the middle of the mane), dorsal stripe (the dark stripe down the middle of the back) and "halefjaer" (darker hair in the middle of the tail). Almost all Norwegian Fjord draft horses, 90%, are brown dun in color. The other 10% consist of red duns, yellow duns, grays, and uls (white) duns.
The brown dun Norwegian Fjord draft horse is found in varying shades, ranging from creamy yellow to almost brown. The midtstol, dorsal stripe and halefjaer are black or dark brown.
The red dun is a reddish-yellow color, which does vary, although not by a great deal. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between a brown dun and a red dun, but the obvious difference is in the coloring of the dorsal stripe, the midstol and the halefjaer. All of these markings, on the red dun, are considerably darker than the body color. They can be found in red or red-brown, but never black. An interesting point is that when red dun foals are born they sometimes have white hooves, but these will eventually turn to black as the foal matures.
The grey Norwegian Fjord draft horse is found in shades ranging from a silvery yellow to a dark slate color. The dorsal stripe, the midstol and the halefjaer are always lighter in color than the main body. Also on the grey the forelock and muzzle area can be quite dark.
The uls dun Norwegian Fjord draft horse is actually a type of brown down, but the horse has a gene that reduces the production of pigment. This causes the color of the body to be almost white, or a yellowish-white. The dorsal stripe, the midstol and the halefjaer are either black or grey. The mane and tale are always a lighter silver than the body.
The yellow dun is the rarest color in Norwegian Fjords. It is caused by the same gene that the uls Norwegian Fjord draft horses have, only in this situation the horse would have actually been a red dun, not a brown dun. The body color is a yellowish-white, slightly darker than that of the uls dun. The dorsal stripe, the midstol and the halefjaer are a darker yellow than that of the body. It is possible with this color that the mane and tale be almost pure white, in this case the dorsal stripe is almost indistinguishable.
Temperament of the Norwegian Fjord Draft Horse
The Norwegian Fjord draft horse is a very personable horse, and is often described as a not just a horse, but a part of the family. Norwegian Fjord draft horses are very gentle and placid, although some might say that they have a sense of humor. They are very hardy, not requiring a great deal to eat, their stamina is amazing, and they have a very good sense of balance. The Norwegian Fjord draft horse loves to work, and is happiest when it has a job; their memory is wonderful and so even after long periods of inactivity they will retain a great deal of knowledge.
Uses for the Norwegian Fjord Draft Horse
The Norwegian Fjord draft horse can be used for most small tasks. They are strong even though they are small. Norwegian Fjord draft horses work willingly under the harness and under the saddle. They are great jumpers and are often used for children, when they are first learning to ride. On the farm they are a handy little horse, being useful for light logging or even work light field work although they are not used very often for the latter.