Fjord horse
A grazing Fjord horse
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| Conservation status | DOM |
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| Other names | Norwegian Fjord Horse, Fjording, Fjordhest, Fjord Horse, Fjord |
| Country of origin | Norway |
| Traits | |
| Distinguishing features | Strongly built, dun coat with primitive markings, mane usually roached to stand erect |
| Breed standards | |
The Fjord horse or Norwegian Fjord Horse 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. All Fjord horses are 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.
There is no variations. These shades have been officially recognised in Norway since 1922.White markings are discouraged, though a small star is acceptable. The hooves are most often dark, but can be a lighter brown colour on lighter-coloured horses.
The dun colour itself is a dominant dilution gene. All Fjord horses are dun; therefore they are homozygous or nearly so for dun colouration. No equine coat colour genetics studies have been done specifically on Fjord horses. But, if Fjord horses were not homozygous for the dun gene, then a dark-coloured, non-dun individual could occasionally occur in the breed. However, this is very rare or nonexistent today; dark cropouts existed in the past, but breed standardisation has favoured duns and the colour is now produced consistently.
The primitive markings associated with the dun gene are often quite vivid in the Fjord horse. 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. Some Fjord horses have small brown spots on the body or the head. These spots are called "Njal marks" after one of the of the contemporary Fjord horse, who had such markings. Fjord horses are also consistent for having pangare traits: lighter hair on the muzzle, belly, inside of legs, and over the eyes. Some Fjord horses also carry the cream gene, which combines with the dun gene to create the lighter shades of the breed.
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Wikipedia