"Fit" is a fairly relative concept when it comes to horses. Normally when we talk horse fitness we talk, at least in part, about a
Body Condition Score.
This is a great tool, but Pancake doesn't look like any of those horses. She is
one big fat pad. And I daresay that even if I got her a tad underweight
for her body type, she'd probably still be a bit cresty.
Pancake will never look like a Thoroughbred. But that doesn't mean she can't be fit. I interpret fit to mean "capable of doing the job required without extraordinary effort." My current fitness goal for Pancake means we can make it around a starter XC course without hitting the point of fatigue and she can recover within a reasonable amount of time. That's 16 or so 2' 3" fences, rolling terrain, maintaining a sprightly, forward canter for most if not all of it.
This is not a big job to a horse with a higher natural level of fitness. But right now it would be a tall, if not impossible, order for her, because her default natural fitness level is not the same as a Thoroughbred's.
Fjords are considered light draft horses. They were selectively bred for a very, verrrrry long time to plow fields, pull logs, and pack big Viking dudes and their all their stuff up and down mountains. They are strong, surefooted, sound as the day is long, quiet, and resilient. They have great stamina for long, slow work. They are not particularly inclined to speed. Or sudden bursts of energy. (Which is a big selling point for timid, breakable adult amateurs who don't have the time or inclination to fool around with something that needs to be longed down for 45 minutes before you dare sit on it--*
Erin raises hand*.)
Look at the build. They are a collection of curves. Nary an angular wither to be seen. That said, there are distinct phenotypes within the breed. Some bloodlines emphasize the draft more heavily, while some are lighter, more athletic riding horses.
Here's how the NFHR describes this variation in the breed standard:
"Body structure within the breed ranges the entire spectrum, from
flatter, lighter muscling to a more round, heavier muscling.
Historically, Fjords have appeared in different shapes, models or body
types, according to the different needs of the times. From this wide
genetic pool comes the versatile Fjord of today, which is not a
specialized breed, but a breed with horses of different types and sizes
which can be used for a wide variety of activities. Horses that meet the
set conditions and demands of quality are equally acceptable, although
they can be of different sizes and body types. Conformation should be
harmoniously balanced and must always be complemented by substance of
body and ample bone."
And to get more specific, and use lots of the cool "ø" letter, from the
Fjord Horse International Handbook:
"The Fjord seems to have varied in size
and type from the north to the south of Vestlandet. The Fjord Horse from
Nordfjord and Sunnmøre was known to be larger with more bone and with
more profuse mane, tail and feathering than the Fjord in Sunnhordland,
which was smaller, lighter and more refined. This has led to an
assumption that there were perhaps different types of the Fjord Horse
with slightly dissimilar origins."
Why do different breeds, and different types within breeds, respond differently to exercise and conditioning programs? It comes down to the ratio of different types of muscle fibers. Type-1 fibers are slow to contract but hold contractions with minimal effort. Think endurance. Type-2 (A and B) are fast-twitch, for short bursts of power. Every horse has both kinds of muscles fibers, but the
proportions of each type vary from breed to breed and individual to individual.
More:
"It is this variation that makes some horses more suitable for one type
of exercise than another. If all other factors are equal, a horse with a
larger proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers will perform better in
short-duration, high-intensity exercise, while a horse with a larger
proportion of slow-twitch fibers will excel in an activity that calls
for long-duration, low-intensity exercise. A training program can
increase both speed and endurance, but the horse will probably still
excel in one exercise type or the other because of the way his muscle
fibers are proportioned."
When you get down to it, this is why Percherons (usually) don't run in the Kentucky Derby, Thoroughbreds (usually) don't pull the Budweiser wagon, and why Pancake, unlike some of her Thoroughbred friends, can't just pop out and easily jump around the Masterson hunter course after a winter without much of any conditioning.
An important note
in that article is that, with proper conditioning, you can actually change the contractile profile of the muscle fibers, increasing oxidative capacity. So while speed work may not come as naturally to Pancake as it would to purpose-bred horses, it's certainly not a lost cause. (Dr. Ernie Bailey
did a talk a few years ago in which he said 30% of racing performance is genetic. Which means
70% is management, conditioning, training, age, environmental factors, etc. That's a whole lot of wiggle room to improve the things we can improve!)
So what does "Fjord fit" actually look like? I think
Sorum Fjord Farm does a particularly great job of getting their horses fit. I saw a couple of their horses going Second Level or so at a USDF show a couple years ago and they were lovely, light, and athletic. They also produced SNF Maarta, the little mare who won the Open BN at the AECs a few years back on a 23. I don't want to steal their pics, so
click here and check out the bottom row, second from the left.
That's what we're after.
