Much of what makes a Fjord a very distinct and versatile horse is the history of the uses of these horses. Fjords are named for that western area of Norway which is as far north as Alaska. It has a coastline punctuated by dozens of "fjords", saltwater inlets as narrow as rivers but with steep mountainous surroundings. These "fjords" are fed by rushing rivers, often flowing from high mountain glaciers. The farms of this region are not at all what we are accustomed to in much of the U.S., but small and located on sloping ground often edged with steep granite cliffs. The winters are long and the natural vegetation is scarce.
The Fjord horse, developed and used by these Norwegian farmers, needed to be small, strong, thrifty, sure-footed and calm. These traits were necessary for their use for farm and logging tasks and also the additional use as pack-horses to connect western Norway over rugged mountain trails to eastern Norway. Some areas of this region were so remote that the Fjord horses were transported by sailing boats and row boats for parts of their journey and then re-loaded with pack-saddles of heavy goods.
Fjords were the pack horse of choice for the Norwegian military during the first and second World War. Roads were mostly non-existent in the mountains of Norway. The most demanding test for the pack horses was to pack a 264 pound cannon barrel. Only the Fjords seemed able to carry these top-heavy loads up and down the mountain trails.
Today the Fjord is still popular in western Norway, but also in Holland, Germany, Denmark and North America. Cooperation between these nations has brought substantial agreement of the defining characteristics of the breed, so that the best historic traits have been preserved. Many of these nations feature the photo of Rosendalsborken, a famous Fjord stallion born in Norway in 1863, as the benchmark for Fjord type. The Evaluation systems in Norway, Denmark and Holland are esteemed by breeders in North America, which has developed a similar Evaluation system thru NFHR, the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry. That voluntary NFHR Evaluation system allows a Fjord owner to prove the conformation of their Fjord and also the "versatile" performance achievements for that particular horse: English, Driving and Draft.
The Fjord horse has always been "versatile". The word "versatile" is more and more one of the best words to describe the modern day Fjord. In the mountains of North America and Europe the Fjord is still used to pack vacationers and hunters. Small farmers still employ the Fjord in farming and logging activities. As a harness horse, the Fjord is used for tourists, horse shows, weight pulls, combined driving events (dressage, marathon and obstacles) and pleasure driving. As a saddle horse the Fjord is suitable for children and adults in dozens of disciplines: hunter/jumper, western, English and dressage. But the Fjord excells at many new activities: Trail competition, horse-soccer, roman riding, vaulting and therapeutic riding. The list of Fjord accomplishments continues to grow.
What is a Fjord? It is not just its big brown eyes and distinct two-tone mane which make it a unique breed. It is the horse which is a friendly and willing partner for most any "horse" activity you want to pursue.
Much of what makes a Fjord a very distinct and versatile horse is the history of the uses of these horses. Fjords are named for that western area of Norway which is as far north as Alaska. It has a coastline punctuated by dozens of "fjords", saltwater inlets as narrow as rivers but with steep mountainous surroundings. These "fjords" are fed by rushing rivers, often flowing from high mountain glaciers. The farms of this region are not at all what we are accustomed to in much of the U.S., but small and located on sloping ground often edged with steep granite cliffs. The winters are long and the natural vegetation is scarce.