Fjord horse

Fjord
Other names	Norwegian Fjord Horse; Fjording; Fjordhest; Fjord Horse;
Country of origin	Norway
Standard	Norwegian Fjord Horse Association (in Norwegian) ; Norsk Hestesenter (in Norwegian) ; Fjord Horse International Association ;
	Equus ferus caballus ;

Last updated February 02, 2024

The Fjord or Norwegian Fjord Horse (Norwegian : fjordhest) is a relatively small but very strong horse breed from the mountainous regions of western Norway. It is an agile breed of light draught horse build. It is always dun in colour, with five variations in shade recognised in the breed standard. One of the world's oldest breeds, it has been used for hundreds of years as a farm horse in Norway, and in modern times is popular for its generally good temperament. It is used both as a harness horse and under saddle.

History

Coat of arms of Gloppen Municipality

Coat of arms of Eid Municipality (now Stad Municipality after the 2020 Municipal reform in Norway)

The Fjord is one of the world's oldest and purest breeds. Horses were known to exist in Norway at the end of the last ice age. It is believed that its ancestors migrated to Norway and were domesticated over 4000 years ago. Archaeological excavations at Viking burial sites suggest that horses of this type have been selectively bred for at least 2000 years.^[1]^[2] The horses were used by the Vikings as war mounts, and have been used for hundreds of years as farm animals in western Norway. Even as late as World War II, they were useful for work in mountainous terrain. Its strength, durability and thick coat fare well in the rough winters of Norway.^[2]

The breed has a long history of pure breeding without cross-breeding from other sources.^[2]

Characteristics

The conformation of the Norwegian Fjord Horse differs from that of many other breeds in that it is a blend of draught horse muscling and bone, with smaller size and greater agility. It has a strong, arched neck, sturdy legs and good feet, and a compact, muscular body. The head is medium-sized and well defined with a broad, flat forehead and a straight or slightly dished face, with small ears and large eyes.^[1] Despite its small size, the breed is fully capable of carrying an adult human and pulling heavy loads. The hair coat becomes particularly heavy and thick in the winter.

The natural mane is long, thick, and heavy, but is usually clipped in a distinctive crescent shape to between five and ten centimetres (two to four inches) so that it stands straight up and emphasises the shape of the neck.^[1] This roached mane is thought to make for easier grooming. It also accentuates the horse's strong neck and full-length dorsal stripe. There is some feathering on the lower legs; however, the breed standard discourages profuse feathering.^[3]

There is no upper or lower limit for height set for the breed, but heights between 135 and 150 cm (13.1 and 14.3 hands ; 53 and 59 inches) at the withers are recommended.^[4]^[2] The weight normally ranges from 400 to 500 kilograms (880 to 1,100 lb).^[1]

Colour

Most of the horses are dun.^[1]^[5] Dun is a body colour that is a tan, gold or related shade with darker (usually black or dark brown) points and primitive markings. The breed standard recognises five shade variations.^[3] These shades have been officially recognised in Norway since 1922.^[5] The hooves are most often dark, but can be a lighter brown colour on lighter-coloured horses.^[3]

The dun colour itself is a dominant dilution gene. All the horses are dun; therefore they are homozygous or nearly so for dun colouration.^[6] No equine coat colour genetics studies have been done specifically on the horses; but if they were not homozygous for the dun gene, then a dark-coloured, non-dun individual could occasionally occur. However, this is very rare or non-existent today; dark cropouts existed in the past, but breed standardisation has favoured duns and the colour is now produced consistently.^[5]

Two-toned mane, showing black midtstol, characteristic of the breed Fjord-Aalstrich.jpg — Two-toned mane, showing black *midtstol*, characteristic of the breed

The primitive markings associated with the dun gene are often quite vivid. These include the dorsal stripe, darker mane and tail, horizontal stripes on the back of the forearms, and, in rare cases, transverse striping across the withers.^[5] Some horses have small brown spots on the body or the head.^[3] These spots are called "Njal marks" after one of the foundation sires of the breed, who had such markings.^[5] The horses are also consistent for having pangare traits: lighter hair on the muzzle, belly, inside of legs, and over the eyes.^[5] Some also carry the cream gene, which combines with the dun gene to create the lighter shades of the breed.^[6]

The horses have a significant amount of lighter hairs on the outside edges of the mane and edges of the tail, and when teamed with the darker-coloured centre of the mane common to most colour shades gives a two-toned look that is more dramatic than seen in dun horses of other breeds.^[7] The dark section of hair in the middle of the mane and the darker hair in the middle of the tail are described by the Norwegian terms midtstol and halefjær, respectively.^[5]

White markings are rare,^[5]^[8] but have been noted as long as written records have been kept of the breed.^[5] A small star is acceptable,^[3] but any other white or pink markings are considered undesirable.^[5] Norges Fjordhestlag (The Norwegian Fjord Horse Association) decided in 1982 that stallions of any age with any other white markings than a small white star cannot be accepted for breeding.^[5]

Recognized shades

The breed standard recognises five colours. 90% of all the horses are "brown dun" (the colour called "bay dun" in other breeds).^[1] The remaining 10% are either "red dun", "grey" (less often "grey dun", the colour known as mouse dun in other breeds), or two colours reflecting the influence of the cream gene: "white dun" (or "uls dun") and "yellow dun".^[5] The breed association encourages preservation of all colours.^[3] The dun colour variations can be subtle and hard to distinguish unless horses of different shades are standing side by side. The colour terms are also non-standard when compared to English terminology more commonly used to describe horse coat colours in other breeds. This difference appears to be based in part from being derived from Norwegian language terms, which were set in 1922, and their English translations, which were made official in 1980.^[5] While these terms were set before equine coat colour genetics were fully understood, the variations do match up to modern genetic studies as variations of dun colour with the addition of other genetic factors.

Brown dun (brunblakk) is the most common color.^[5] The body colour is a pale yellow-brown, and can vary from cream to almost a light chestnut. The primitive markings, as well as the midtstol and halefjær, are black or dark brown. The remainder of the mane and tail is usually cream or white, though may be a darker on darker individuals.^[5] The colour is genetically bay diluted by the dun factor, called "dun", "bay dun" or "zebra dun" in other breeds.

Red dun, showing lighter tail and body colour Fjordfuchsfalbe.jpg — Red dun, showing lighter tail and body colour

The red dun (rødblakk) has a pale golden body colour. Midtstol, halefjær and primitive markings are red or red-brownish, always darker than the colour of the body, but never black. The rest of the mane and tail is usually cream, though on some individuals the entire mane and tail may be white.^[5] Like red duns in other breeds, this shade is produced by the dun factor diluting a genetic chestnut base colour.

A "grey" form of dun called mouse dun in other breeds Iron.JPG — A "grey" form of dun called mouse dun in other breeds

The "grey" (grå) has a grey body; the shade can vary from light silver to dark slate grey. The midtstol, halefjær and primitive markings are dark grey or black.^[5] The remainder of the mane, tail and forelock are a lighter grey than the body colour, and can be very pale. Though the term used in the breed standard for this colour is "grey",^[3] it is actually a form of dun and not a true genetic grey. The term "grey" and even "grey dun" are misnomers, as the Fjord gene pool does not carry the greying gene. The term used for this colour in other breeds and by geneticists is mouse dun or blue dun. As in other breeds, the "grey" body colour is produced by the dun factor diluting a genetic black base colour. The term "grey dun" or "gråblakk" is sometimes used to describe this colour, but among Fjord owners, that terminology is considered incorrect even if more consistent. Had English-speaking Fjord breeders used the same naming conventions as for their breed's other shades, the colour could genetically be called a "black dun,"^[5] but this did not happen.
The white dun or uls dun (ulsblakk) has a cream body colour. The midtstol, halefjær and primitive markings are black or off-black. The rest of the mane and tail are lighter than the body colour.^[5] The colouration is genetically a bay-based dun further diluted by a single allele of the cream gene, what is sometimes called a "buckskin dun" in other settings.^[6]
The yellow dun (gulblakk) is the rarest colour aside from kvit (see below).^[5] It is a red dun with an additional dilution factor that makes the body a light cream colour. This also due to the cream gene.^[6] The forelock, mane and tail can be completely white, and the primitive markings can be indistinct.^[5]

Kvit, "white"

Along with the recognised five shades of dun, two cream dilution alleles (C^Cr) on any other colour results in a horse with a light cream coat colour and blue eyes. This colour is called "kvit" ("white") in Norwegian, and is known as cremello, perlino or smoky cream in other breeds. A dun with double cream dilution will have faint or indistinguishable primitive markings.^[8] In the Fjord, Kvit was traditionally considered undesirable, and thus is a very rare colour in the breed due to intentional selection against it.^[8] Nonetheless, it is a normal colour within the gene pool, as the nature of cream genetics statistically will result in the occasional kvit horse any time two horses that both carry a single copy of the cream dilution are mated, such as an ulsblakk and/or a gulblakk.^[6]

Use

The Fjord is strong enough for heavy work, such as ploughing fields or hauling wood, yet light and agile enough to be a good riding and driving horse. It is also sure-footed in the mountains. It is common at Norwegian riding and therapeutic schools, as its generally mild temperament and small size make it suitable for children and disabled individuals. It is considered a good harness horse, and is commonly used in competition and in tourist transport.

Norwegian Fjord Horse Centre

The Norwegian Fjord Horse Centre (Norwegian: Norsk Fjordhestsenter) in Nordfjordeid is the national resource centre for the Fjord Horse in Norway. It was established in 1989 and is owned by the Norwegian Fjord Horse Association, Stad Municipality and the Vestland County authority.

Breed associations

Related Research Articles

Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" (chestnut) base coat. Palomino is created by a genetic mechanism of incomplete dominance, hence it is not considered true-breeding. However, most color breed registries that record palomino horses were founded before equine coat color genetics were understood as well as they are today, therefore the standard definition of a palomino is based on the visible coat color, not heritability nor the underlying presence of the dilution gene.

A dilution gene is any one of a number of genes that act to create a lighter coat color in living creatures. There are many examples of such genes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay (horse)</span> Hair coat color of horses

Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish-brown or brown body color with a black point coloration on the mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds.

Buckskin is a colour of horse that is commonly misconceived for being a breed of horse. Buckskins coloring is a hair coat color referring to a color that resembles certain shades of tanned deerskin. Similar colors in some breeds of dogs are also called buckskin. The horse has a tan or gold colored coat with black points. Buckskin occurs as a result of the cream dilution gene acting on a bay horse. Therefore, a buckskin has the Extension, or "black base coat" (E) gene, the agouti gene (A) gene, which restricts the black base coat to the points, and one copy of the cream gene (CCr), which lightens the red/brown color of the bay coat to a tan/gold.

At right is displayed the color traditionally called liver.

Point coloration is animal coat coloration with a pale body and relatively darker extremities, i.e. the face, ears, feet, tail, and scrotum. It is most recognized as the coloration of Siamese and related breeds of cat, but can be found in dogs, rabbits, rats, sheep, guinea pigs and horses as well.

A gray horse has a coat color characterized by progressive depigmentation of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike some equine dilution genes and some other genes that lead to depigmentation, gray does not affect skin or eye color. Gray horses may be born any base color, depending on other color genes present. White hairs begin to appear at or shortly after birth and become progressively more prevalent as the horse ages as white hairs become intermingled with hairs of other colors. Graying can occur at different rates—very quickly on one horse and very slowly on another. As adults, most gray horses eventually become completely white, though some retain intermixed light and dark hairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream gene</span> Gene for several horse coat colors

The cream gene is responsible for a number of horse coat colors. Horses that have the cream gene in addition to a base coat color that is chestnut will become palomino if they are heterozygous, having one copy of the cream gene, or cremello, if they are homozygous. Similarly, horses with a bay base coat and the cream gene will be buckskin or perlino. A black base coat with the cream gene becomes the not-always-recognized smoky black or a smoky cream. Cream horses, even those with blue eyes, are not white horses. Dilution coloring is also not related to any of the white spotting patterns.

The champagne gene is a simple dominant allele responsible for a number of rare horse coat colors. The most distinctive traits of horses with the champagne gene are the hazel eyes and pinkish, freckled skin, which are bright blue and bright pink at birth, respectively. The coat color is also affected: any hairs that would have been red are gold, and any hairs that would have been black are chocolate brown. If a horse inherits the champagne gene from either or both parents, a coat that would otherwise be chestnut is instead gold champagne, with bay corresponding to amber champagne, seal brown to sable champagne, and black to classic champagne. A horse must have at least one champagne parent to inherit the champagne gene, for which there is now a DNA test.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver dapple gene</span>

The silver or silver dapple (Z) gene is a dilution gene that affects the black base coat color and is associated with Multiple Congenital Ocular Abnormalities. It will typically dilute a black mane and tail to a silvery gray or flaxen color, and a black body to a chocolaty brown, sometimes with dapples. It is responsible for a group of coat colors in horses called "silver dapple" in the west, or "taffy" in Australia. The most common colors in this category are black silver and bay silver, referring to the respective underlying coat color.

Equine coat color genetics determine a horse's coat color. Many colors are possible, but all variations are produced by changes in only a few genes. Bay is the most common color of horse, followed by black and chestnut. A change at the agouti locus is capable of turning bay to black, while a mutation at the extension locus can turn bay or black to chestnut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dun gene</span> Dilution gene

The dun gene is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a horse. The dun gene lightens most of the body while leaving the mane, tail, legs, and primitive markings the shade of the undiluted base coat color. A dun horse always has a dark dorsal stripe down the middle of its back, usually has a darker face and legs, and may have transverse striping across the shoulders or horizontal striping on the back of the forelegs. Body color depends on the underlying coat color genetics. A classic "bay dun" is a gray-gold or tan, characterized by a body color ranging from sandy yellow to reddish brown. Duns with a chestnut base may appear a light tan shade, and those with black base coloration are a smoky gray. Manes, tails, primitive markings, and other dark areas are usually the shade of the undiluted base coat color. The dun gene may interact with all other coat color alleles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland pony</span> Breed of horse

The Highland Pony is a native Scottish pony, and is one of the largest of the mountain and moorland pony breeds of the British Isles. Its pedigree dates back to the 1880s. It was once a workhorse in the Scottish mainland and islands, but today is used for driving, trekking and general riding. They are hardy and tough, they rarely require shoeing, and are economical to keep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grullo</span> Color of horses in the dun family

Grulla, also called black dun, gray dun or mouse dun, is a color of horses in the dun family, characterized by tan-gray or mouse-colored hairs on the body, often with shoulder and dorsal stripes and black barring on the lower legs. The genotype for grulla horses is a black base with dun dilution. In this coloration, each individual hair is mouse-colored, unlike a roan, which is composed of a mixture of dark and light hairs. The several shades of grulla are informally referred to with a variety of terms, including black dun, blue dun, slate grulla, silver grulla or light grulla, silver dun, or lobo dun. Silver grulla may also refer to a grulla horse with silver dapple, regardless of shade. In the Icelandic horse, the grulla color is called gray dun, in the Highland pony it is called mouse dun, and in the Norwegian Fjord horse, grå or gråblakk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut (horse color)</span> Horse coat color

Chestnut is a hair coat color of horses consisting of a reddish-to-brown coat with a mane and tail the same or lighter in color than the coat. Chestnut is characterized by the absolute absence of true black hairs. It is one of the most common horse coat colors, seen in almost every breed of horse.

Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings. A specialized vocabulary has evolved to describe them.

Black is a hair coat color of horses in which the entire hair coat is black. Black is a relatively uncommon coat color, and it is not uncommon to mistake dark chestnuts or bays for black.

Primitive markings are a group of hair coat markings and qualities seen in several equine species, including horses, donkeys, and asses. In horses, they are associated with primitive breeds, though not limited to such breeds. The markings are particularly associated with the dun coat color family. All dun horses possess at least the dorsal stripe, but the presence of the other primitive markings varies. Other common markings may include horizontal striping on the legs, transverse striping across the shoulders, and lighter guard hairs along the edges of a dark mane and tail.

Seal brown is a hair coat color of horses characterized by a near-black body color; with black points, the mane, tail and legs; but also reddish or tan areas around the eyes, muzzle, behind the elbow and in front of the stifle. The term is not to be confused with "brown", which is used by some breed registries to refer to either a seal brown horse or to a dark bay without the additional characteristics of seal brown.

Flaxen is a genetic trait in which the mane and tail of chestnut-colored horses are noticeably lighter than the body coat color, often a golden blonde shade. Manes and tails can also be a mixture of darker and lighter hairs. Certain horse breeds such as the Haflinger carry flaxen chestnut coloration as a breed trait. It is seen in chestnut-colored animals of other horse breeds that may not be exclusively chestnut.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 "About the Breed", published by Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Web site accessed 7 December 2009
1 2 3 4 Breeding plan in Norway (7 June 2020) Fjord Horse International Association Old link archived: Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 7 December 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NFHR Breed standard accessed 3 December 2009
↑ Styret i Norsk Hestesenter (7 June 2020). Avlsplan for fjordhest Old link archived: Archived 21 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian). Norsk Hestesenter. Accessed October 2014.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "The Colours of the Norwegian Fjordhorse", accessed 23 January 2012
1 2 3 4 5 Sponenberg, Phillip. "Color in Fjord Horses". Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
↑ "Breed Standard". Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
1 2 3 Norwegian Fjord Horse at horse-genetics.com, accessed 4 December 2009]

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[NFHR_About-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About the Breed", published by Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Web site accessed 7 December 2009

[fjordhorseint-2] 1 2 3 4 Breeding plan in Norway (7 June 2020) Fjord Horse International Association Old link archived: Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 7 December 2009

[NFHR_breed_standard-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NFHR Breed standard accessed 3 December 2009

[avlsplan-4] Styret i Norsk Hestesenter (7 June 2020). Avlsplan for fjordhest Old link archived: Archived 21 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine (in Norwegian). Norsk Hestesenter. Accessed October 2014.

[nestaas-5] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "The Colours of the Norwegian Fjordhorse", accessed 23 January 2012

[Sponenberg-6] 1 2 3 4 5 Sponenberg, Phillip. "Color in Fjord Horses". Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Retrieved 20 January 2010.

[NFHR_standard-7] "Breed Standard". Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. Retrieved 28 May 2017.

[colour_genetics-8] 1 2 3 Norwegian Fjord Horse at horse-genetics.com, accessed 4 December 2009]

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