Chestry has a delightfully sweet and innately cooperative temperament, and was born with noticeable talent. Although she is definitely her own unique and separate self, the qualities we appreciate so much in her dam Winny shine through in Chestry's disposition and intuitive sensitivity.
Chestry has no idea she was bred to be an athlete, nor that formal dressage achievement runs deep in her ancestry on her dam's side. She only knows that she loves her family, that she likes to explore new places (quintessential mapmaker!), and that she and Gwen are exceptionally well-suited to each other. The strong, easy, and comfortable bond between Chestry and Gwen continually elicits exclamations of amazement from all who see them together. This would be wonderful under any circumstances, but because Chestry's first and best friend is her year-mate Linus, and because Linus and Jim are also an exceptional match with amazing connection, it makes the collective journey with our Fjords supremely special.
In addition to pursuing Chestry's natural knack for trail-based activities, long-lining, and liberty work (all of which Chestry considers "play" and "fun"!), we look forward to to exploring and developing Chestry's other talents (non-competitively) according to her interests and maturity level. Chestry is also receiving age- and fitness-appropriate dressage training that will continue throughout her life, both in-hand and under saddle — because the whole point of dressage isn't formalized achievements; it's the appropriate physical preparation of any horse for other athletic endeavors. And Chestry exemplifies the sort of horse who needs that kind of careful and well-considered physical preparation. Although clearly talented from birth, Chestry has acquired more than her share of asymmetries, habitual tensions, and boo-boos during a stretch of time when she was not living here.
As any realistic and experienced breeder knows, not every horse turns out to be breeding quality ... even those born to breeding-quality parents. We originally expected to pair Chestry occasionally with select stallions so that she (and we) can "pay it forward" to the Fjord gene pool's next generation of breeders and aficionados (after Chestry fully matures, of course — both physically and mentally). At her current stage of growth and maturation, Chestry has a persistently steeper, poorly-muscled croup, a notably tight dorsal kinetic line, and a not-so-functional too-short back; she is also a klutz at anything resembling jumping. If in the end we decide that a fully-mature and physically-rehabbed Chestry does not represent good type and sufficient versatility to breed forward from, then we will forego breeding her, and instead enjoy her friendship that much more as Gwen's full-time partner.
Chestry enjoys getting attention, going places with Gwen, and earning her mom Winny's approval.
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Chestry's name comes from the Kate Seredy book The Chestry Oak. One of Gwen's childhood friends thought the name would be perfect for a chestnut mare ... and indeed, it is!
