We have all heard of Norwegian Fjords, with their distinctive dun coloring and two-tone mane, but few of us are as familiar with the Norwegian Dole Horse.
Also known as the Dole Gudbrandsdal or Dølahest, the Dole originated in the Gudbrandsdal region of Norway and are thought to be descendants of Friesians. They were used as workhorses doing agricultural work or hauling timber for hundreds of years, but as the need for such labor diminished, so did the number of Dole horses in their homeland. There are less than 4,000 Dole horses left in the world, and they are now listed as one of Norway’s endangered native horse breeds.
Paula Barlett, who breeds Friesians at her farm in Potlatch, Idaho, came across Dole horses on Facebook and was instantly intrigued.
“It was their temperament that drew me, and then their beauty,” Barlett said. Having been used to large Friesians, the compact size of the Dole — which is classed as the smallest draft horse — was also appealing to her.
Dole horses range from 14.1 hands to 15.3 hands and are most commonly bay, black, or brown in color, while chestnut, grey, palomino or buckskin are rarer but still acceptable. They have extremely amiable temperaments and are known in Norway as “the cold horse with the warm heart.”
Tine May Fatland Kvalvågnes of Vormedal, Norway, is the co-founder of The Norwegian Stables in Montrose, Penn., which is dedicated to preserving the Dole horse in the United States.
When Kvalvågnes and her partner discovered the Dole breed and learned that it was endangered, their “crazy horse girl” origins kicked in and they were determined to make them part of their lives.
“We did some research and learned that the Dole horse did not exist in U.S. and that we would actually be bringing this amazing breed to the country,” she said.“They are beautiful, they are flashy, they have feathers, they have a long mane, they are sturdy. You get the beauty of a draft horse, but they are a lighter type. They are still versatile.”
Like Bartlett, she is also in awe of the Dole horses’ amazing temperament.
“They are very friendly and they love people.”
While the Dole breed is new to most Americans, they are very well-known in Norway despite their small numbers.
“The breed is really one of the national treasures of Norway, and Norwegian people take a lot of pride in them,” Kvalvågnes said. “They want to protect the breed and heritage so were initially afraid of the breed going outside of Norway due to crossbreeding risks.”
Dole horses became endangered after World War II, when many horses were lost in the fighting, and also the need for work horses lessened due to industrial advances.
“That is when the government of Norway saw what was happening and made a plan for how to keep the breed from going extinct,” Kvalvågnes explained. “They also tried to create a Dole horse that was a little bit more versatile than the sturdy farm horse, so the breed has been modernized over recent decades.”
Upon discovering Dole horses, Barlett traveled to Scandinavia to learn about the breed and fell in love with them even more.
“When I went to Norway, I had no clue how gorgeous and magnificent this breed was until I saw them in person,” she said.
While there, she met with the largest breeder of Dole horses and saw them in action driving, logging, and training in dressage.
“He wanted to demonstrate to me how versatile the breed was,” Bartlett said.
The most surprising thing about the experience was that all the horses doing these activities were stallions, who lived peacefully in paddocks next to each other.
“I became totally immersed in this breed. It was just fascinating, so I dove all feet and hooves in,” Barlett said. “I was just flabbergasted about how beautiful they were with their long manes and perfect bone structure. What amazes me is that despite how being such a work horse, they are also so agile.”
Bartlett has since purchased two Dole mares, one of which was pregnant and gave birth to a colt earlier this year. The foal was born in New Jersey, so she named him Jovi after the famous N.J. native, Jon Bon Jovi. The dam, Lilia, and colt spent some time at The Norwegian Stables before coming to live with Barlett in Idaho. There they joined her other Dole mare, Grace, and the rest of Barlett’s herd that is made up of Friesians and a Quarter Horse.
Barlett’s goal is to establish herself as a breeder to grow the number of Dole horses in America, as there are currently only 24 stateside. The official Norwegian breeding program is very strict in order to preserve the characteristics of the breed, and to protect long-term genetic diversity.
“There is a limit on how many foals a stallion can have, and they carry out all-natural breeding in Norway,” Bartlett explained.
In addition, not every stallion is allowed to breed. They have to be evaluated for conformation, temperament, movement, and health, and cannot get permanently approved until they are 8 years old.
Bartlett said the characteristics desired in a Dole horse include: a noble head with a straight profile; a short muscular neck; solid bones and hooves; a heavy mane and tail; and compact, strong legs with feathers.
Another benefit of the Dole horse is that due to the strict breeding regulations, they have few inherent health problems.
“I asked, ‘tell me their downside,’ and they really don’t have any because breeders have worked on their genetics by not overloading one stallion,” Bartlett said.
However, it is the amiable demeanor that attracts many people to the breed. Bartlett marvels over how calm her yearling mare, Grace, is. Despite having little prior handling, Bartlett was able to give her a full-body clip, including her ears, and Grace simply stood there patiently.
“The temperament is what really attracted me to them,” she said.
Aside from introducing this amazing breed to more people, Bartlett’s long-term goal is to get Dole horses off the endangered list, while still preserving the breeding quality.
“We would love to have dedicated Dole horses shows, while also competing in open shows,” she said.
To learn more about Dole horses and their heritage, please visit thenorwegianstables.com.