With Winny close to aging out of reproduction, our burning desire was to produce a "mini-Winny" for our herd — a Fjord expressing all of the traits and attributes we most appreciate in our beloved senior mare.  Uber-sensible and highly talented Njord Halsnaes — serendipitously also a red dun — was the perfect choice to sire our dream ... and for the cherry on top, our final keeper foal from Winny is a filly!!!

We got our Fjords to enjoy them on the trail, not to sideline them for breeding ... and tomorrow is promised to no one.  Once Roslyn is weaned, Winny will be done doing the "mom thing" for good, and will then shift to helping us to instruct our youngsters, including Roslyn, on all the finer points of learning to be a solid trail horse ... as each horse's maturity level permits, of course.  We see all the evidence that Roslyn will indeed step squarely into Winny's mighty and mentor-ly hoofprints when mature, and as a bonus, it appears she will prove a fine liberty and groundwork teammate for Chestry as well.

From everything we're seeing, it's highly likely we'll allow Roslyn to produce a few foals on commission in the future for a few deserving horse lovers who (1) really want their next horse buddy to be a Fjord, and (2) really want that horse buddy to have the solid foundation of growing up in a functional and natural herd during their early years.

However, Roslyn won't be producing any offspring for the Fjord gene pool.  Besides having well-represented genetics (though her combination remains unique), her very light foal coat shed out to reveal a small white star which, although explicitly allowed on mares by breed standards in every country, is in actual practice resoundingly shunned and shamed by numerous US breeders.  While silly, that attitude serves to screen out a whole class of inappropriate customers for her future foals ... and without any effort on our part.  Yay!  And that little star makes critter ID easier for our farmsitters.  :-)

Roslyn is currently learning to be very good at being a horse and herd member, and also how to become a very good partner with her humans.  She is often keeping herself busy as self-appointed Exercise Instigator, and she tattles on Linus when he displaces by chewing on the barn when the humans aren't looking.  And she's happily getting muddy — the muddier, the better!

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Roslyn is an ancient name combining the elements "hros" (horse) and "lind" (gentle).  All who know both Winny and Njord are not the least bit surprised that it's a perfect fit.  :-)