"The Finnhorse originates from the Northern European domestic horses. The Finnhorse
is the only native horse breed in Finland. There are about 20 000 Finnhorses, which
amounts to 25 per cent of the total amount of horses in Finland. The Finnhorse and the
Finnish people share a common history – the horse has worked with credit in the wars
and also been a great help to the farmers in their work both in the fields and the
forests. The Finnhorse plays both today and in the future a part in the equestrian
sports, it has a role in entrepreneurship and it’s a suitable hobby horse for children,
young people as well as adults."
Read more:
Juha Kujala finds the Finnhorse very special. He lives in southern Finland,
in Paimio, and the horses are very important part of his and his family´s life.
"We have had horses since 2008 when we got two humorous shetland pony studs,
the father Viikari, 19 yrs and his son Keimo, 17 yrs. In 2009 came a Finnhorse gelding
Renny. He was such a great horse and made me fall in love with the breed."
Renny with the daughters - cool!
"The horse of my life, a mare Hovin Inka, came to me in 2011 when she was 6 years old."
Juha likes to do many kinds of things with the horses. For his wife and him it is also
important that their daughters can handle the big horse.
"The Finnhorse is close to my heart for two reasons: it is an original and traditional
Finnish horse breed and it is incredibly versatil breed. With a Finnhorse you can do what
ever you desire: ride, jump, work, race, drive... They are clear headed, loyal and they
function in all kinds of envirements and weather conditions."
"I have used Inka in lumber work just as a hobby and mostly in our own forest. I respect the professional lumberjacks working with horses and I´m very happy to have met them through my hobby. Lumbering with the horses is - of course - much slower than with the modern machines but it saves the undergrowth and the forest does not look like a war zone afterwords."
Juha is very interested in the working tradition with the Finnhorse, so interested that he has
studied how to make a collar and a harness by himself .
"It feels quite special to harness a horse with a collar and a shaft bow that you have made with your own hands - starting with the birch stump in a forest! The first ones were not so great but with a patience and help from the masters anything is possible!
I also wish to continue this kind of horsemanship: you take care of your horse, it takes care of you, you work together and do and make as many things by yourself as possible."
Girls flattening the riding court with Inka
Inka enjoys jumping. This couple has been very succesful, too!
Aili, 91 years, lived the times there were no cars. Bringing back
memories... Jukka´s wife, Sanna, driving.
"I have taken various different classes and of course I have learned from the elder horse men. And after that - practising, practising, practising..."
"But - the best teacher is the horse itself! When you work with it, spend time with it and listen to it you learn to read it and you start understanding how much you can teach it for the moment. Patience and small steps enough guarantee that you both are happy and safe.
This is something I wish to pass on to my daughters. I think they have learned it too!"
"The Finnhorses had a big role during the war. One of the most touching moments I have experienced with Inka was when we met a war veteran. He looked at Inka straight in the eyes and said:
"Thank God, we had horses like you back then..."
"Human being should be more like a horse: humble and willing to learn. To forget about a rush, you don´t learn anything in a day. We are not in a hurry - we have a life time to learn!
It is possible to hire Inka, Juha and this beautiful carriage
for your special day!
Hovin Inka in Facebook Inkantinki
Thank you, Juha, for sharing us your thoughts and these beautiful
photos of your beloved ones!
Facebook group Suomenhevonen, paras hevonen
(Finnhorse, the best horse)
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