# Bonjour from France!



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Welcome from all our Paints here in North Carolina!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

PaintHorseMares, thank you!  Do you have more photos of your beauties somewhere?


----------



## That Friesian (Jan 15, 2015)

Welcome


----------



## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Welcome to the Forum !

Fay


----------



## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

welcome to the forum, we love pictures and stories


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Thank you, all!  

loveduffy, that's good because I like sharing! I will probably create my own journal on the 'Member Journals'.


----------



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Fimargue said:


> PaintHorseMares, thank you!  Do you have more photos of your beauties somewhere?


"Angel", our 21 year old bay tobiano mare










"Mandy", our 20 year old sorrel overo mare










"Cinnamon", our 11 year old sorrel overo mare










"Lady", our 13 year old chestnut tovero mare with her 2 year old black tobiano colt, "Buckshot".


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

PaintHorseMares, thanks for the photos - they are absolutely stunning! Lady has very interesting colour.


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Very beautiful horses, Fimargue!

I rode a French Trotter mare as a child. She was from Orne!










Now I ride her great-grandson.











:welcome:


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

Thank you, SueC!  They are gorgeous! How cool that you have her great-grandson. I have ridden Standardbreds, of which one stallion with a great temperament, but I haven't yet had the chance to ride the local cousin. Maybe at the farm!


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

The French Trotter is more solid and big-striding, and preserves some of the old French carriage horse genes. Also it's a trotting specialist (SBs are more geared to pacing, European Trotter breeds to trotting) and will give you a tremendous, comfortable flying trot. These days of course, the French Trotter has a lot of SB infusion.

Here's one of the most famous French Trotters ever, and he was a real beauty too - a stallion called Ideal du Gazeau, who had a big international race career:




























This horse was racing when I was a child in Europe, and I had a poster of him on my wall! 

I hope you enjoy trying some of the local breeds, and coming to this forum. At our house and also at the house of family we're friendly with, we have a great respect for Finnish society, their education system etc. Our friends have been to Finland for work and say they'd emigrate at the drop of a hat if they could!

And those local horses you posted look pretty spectacular!


----------



## Luv 2 Trail (Jun 11, 2009)

Love your pictures! Welcome from South Carolina!


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

SueC, wow what a horse that is :shock: I like this type of trotter this stallion and your horse are. It's also refreshing to see some other colour than bay sometimes.

You are right :iagree: The Finnish education system is top class. On top of the fact that the studying is free. What I also love about Finland is that in general people respect animals and our nature (the national animals are even printed on the passport - each in their own corner of page). For example, kennels are not common at all, but the dogs used for breeding purposes are family pets. Usually the breeders have only a couple dogs at home and others they lease with a contract that the breeder takes around half of the selling price, and if the female dog is not used for breeding (one litter) until the age of 3-4, the breeder will return the money.

There are no stray dogs on the street in Finland either. I was shocked when I learned how little people often care about their animals in France. Of course, there are animal lovers here as well, but too many abandonned or neglected dogs and cats (and other animals) in general.

Unfortunately it is a huge crisis in Finland, so no jobs. But yes, Finland is a great country. Plenty of nature, well build houses, well working system, and not too much people (around six million in total). The winter I do not miss though - it is horrible. After being used to Brittany's climate with no extreme changes. I don't mind living in France, I'm quite well-adjusted here (apart from the language I still struggle with). 

I have to be proud about the Finnhorses as well :grin: They're just all purpose horses and generally easy keepers. 

Thank you for all your sweet words, and I'm PM away, if you want to share thoughts 

Luv 2 Trail, thank you!


----------



## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Hey again! 



Fimargue said:


> You are right :iagree: The Finnish education system is top class. On top of the fact that the studying is free.


:bowwdown: Yes, I wish more countries did it like that. And actually cared about education as much, and not being an ignoramus!





> What I also love about Finland is that in general people respect animals and our nature (the national animals are even printed on the passport - each in their own corner of page). For example, kennels are not common at all, but the dogs used for breeding purposes are family pets. Usually the breeders have only a couple dogs at home and others they lease with a contract that the breeder takes around half of the selling price, and if the female dog is not used for breeding (one litter) until the age of 3-4, the breeder will return the money.
> 
> There are no stray dogs on the street in Finland either.


:bowwdown:

People of my own heart. Why isn't every country like that? And why do you think you guys got it so right with attitude to education, animals, and nature, as a society?

I totally get your dismay at what you are observing elsewhere on these "big three"...


----------



## Fimargue (Jun 19, 2015)

^ That's a very good question, Sue. Maybe it's because Finland is a fairly new country, and the life has been always around agriculture and nature, which is the national treasure. Most of the acreage of Finland is forest and people mostly would like to keep it that way. 

*About Finnish mentality and society*: Everyone has the equal right to study, no matter where you come from, or who you know. Finnish people are often (at least used to be) raised to be humble, and hardworking/enterprising. They only ask "how are you", if they care to hear it, not as a compliment. I have lived in England, and even if I consider myself quite sociable, it took some time to get used to the small talk and the bit where they actually didn't care at all how I'm doing, when I naively answered in more words than "fine, you" :lol: Finnish people are often seen introvert, or even rude by people who have a small talk culture, but I'm telling you, it only means respecting each other's personal space. We kind of save time, too, by being polite but straightforward. 

*About pets*: The breeding of companion animals is controlled and animals are expensive in general. Most of the dogs in Finland are with a pedigree.

Dogs are everywhere. There is a dark side in this, too - there are some crazy people who hate dogs and every year there are some cases where dogs die, or are taken to the vet because of poisoned food that is left on the ground. My best friend's dog died because of this, and this food was thrown in their backyard. I sometimes forget this because I don't live in Finland, but some people take it personnally that dogs are cared and kept as family members - and that there are so many of them. 

Every spring the forums are full of complaining about dog poo everywhere, after the snow has vanished. Of course, poo should be picked up after, if it's not in the forest but on the road - but it's no reason to kill other people's pets. Well, there are mental people in every country. 

The other thing is that dogs are stolen, usually when they're left to wait in front of stores, while their owner shops. And usually it's the small dogs because they're much more valuable. So nowadays dogs shouldn't be left alone.


----------



## wildhorse666 (Jun 24, 2015)

*Hello from Ontario*

*Hi and welcome to the forum.I am new here myself! Your horses are beautiful:runninghorse2:*


----------

