Viking horses capture hearts in Fallbrook

On a hill overlooking the Santa Margarita River Valley sits the home of Jayne Olson and her beloved Norwegian Fjord horses. A group of 18 ladies from the Daughters of Norway (DON), Hulda Garborg Lodge visited Olson at her Meadowlark Bluff Farms to learn about her horses as the program for their May meeting.

Olson said, “My passion is the Norwegian Fjord horse, and I have owned every flavor of horses there are, Arab, paint, jumper.” She added that there are presently only 6,000 Norwegian Fjord horses in North America, 300 in California, and she owns seven of them. Happy to give a program about her horses, Olson wore a Viking hat with fake braids to set the stage for her talk.

She explained to her visitors that the Norwegian Fjords’ distinct coloring with stripes on their legs and in their manes means that they “are flight animals. All primitive horses had stripes to hide them from predators in the wild. Two thousand years ago, Norwegian Fjords were the selectively bred horses of the Vikings.” Remains of these horses have been found in glaciers and their DNA studied, she added.

Olson informed the DON group that the Vikings would tow a ferry boat behind their ships with the Norwegian Fjord horses on it for their trips from Scandinavia down to France. When they landed, they were able to travel farther inland on horseback on their invasions. According to Olson, the Vikings fed their horses seaweed during those trips.

Once used as beasts of burden for pulling farm implements in Norway, the horses are still used to pull wagons. When ridden on trails, they can also travel straight over rocks like goats do, perfectly suited for Norway’s craggy mountainsides. Because the horses store fat in their necks, they don’t need to eat as much as other horses do and so survive harsh winters that other horses can’t handle.

In the old days, the horses were housed with the family cows in stables directly under the house so that the animals’ warmth would rise to heat the house above them during the long winters. While snowed in, the children in the family would be sent down below to take care of the animals. Because the children spent a lot of time with the horses, Norwegian Fjords got used to the company of humans.

Olson said her Norwegian Fjords want attention all the time. They are also very competitive in the show ring. She acquired her first fjord horse, Katrine (aka Katie), in 2001. Olson said that even though the horse was not halter broken when she bought her, Katie competed in her first horse show three months later and loved it. Within six months, she took reserve high point champion at a Scandinavian Festival in Turlock.

Olson had just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the time and discovered that Norwegian Fjords are gentle, loving animals. Besides being competitive, her horses “know when people are having a bad time and are sensitive to [their] needs.” She said that her Fjords comfort her when she is

feeling down.

The second Fjord she acquired was Anika Reidun (nick-named Ry-Ry) whose grandfather came from Norway. Olson said that Ry-Ry is stubborn and “doing anything has to be her own idea.” Olson had one of her trainers ride Ry-Ry to demonstrate English-style riding for her visitors.

The Fjords can compete in many disciplines, (including Western, trail, halter, dressage and vaulting), and perform well. All Norwegian Fjords are pure bred. Olson has her horses micro-chipped and evaluated by the Norwegian Fjord Horse Registry.

The Norwegian Fjords not only place well in horse shows, but are also good with beginning riders. Olson uses the sturdy horses for her non-profit Silver Spurs Club, teaching both children and adults to ride. She said, “The mares know when to slow down. If kids are not looking forward, the horses stop. If the kids are not sitting properly, the horses stop. They are not bouncy, but are solid and steady and don’t spook easily.”

Hulda Garborg Lodge cultural director Julie Watts said, “It was evident all during Jayne’s presentation how much she loves these fjord horses and her love was contagious to all of us who heard her speak of her beloved fjords. No other horse seems to have the outstanding character, work ethic and beauty of the Norwegian fjord horse.”

Olson also showed the DON group how she puts a bit on Katie to prepare her for a lesson with one of her volunteers from Great Oak High School in Temecula. (Several teenage students are among the volunteers who help care for the horses, feeding and grooming them, as well as cleaning up after them.) After the presentation, the group enjoyed coffee and horse-shaped cookies made by Olson’s mother.

Hulda Garborg Lodge president Ronna Clymens said, “I was thoroughly entranced with the Fjord horse program. We’ll have to do that again sometime.”

For more information on Olson’s horses, see mbffjords.homestead.com or contact her at (760) 731-3268. For more information on Daughters of Norway, see http://www.daughtersofnorway.org, or on Hulda Garborg Lodge, call (760) 489-9502 or email [email protected].