What's a fjord horse?

In July, Kate and I took a short weekend excursion up to the northern German city of Erfurt to do some riding - it was Kate's first lesson. Tender rears aside, it was good fun. The riding school was a former stagecoach rest station for the famous trade route through the Thüringer forest between the Bavarian city of Nüremberg with Erfuhrt, both of which were city states in medival times.

Kate went from beginner to intermediate in the course of a few hours. She learned how to gear the hores up, ride the trot, and even canter. The big treat was the school's large number of fjord horses. With a black stripe down the center of their white kempt manes, they really were amazing animals.