The Norwegian Fjord horses, which stand as tall as a pony, are the first of their kind to be seen in Bermuda. They arrived last week from North America after a three-day sea journey.

"The horses will obviously take some time to adjust to their new surroundings but they were specifically chosen due to the nature of the breed and their specific backgrounds,'' said Moyra Benbow, manager of the BRD.

Norwegian Fjord horses are one of the world's oldest and purest breeds and were first domesticated over 4,000 years ago, she said. They are very placid, have a very strong body structure and are easily trainable.

They love attention and are "people orientated'' and are happiest when they are working, continued Ms Benbow.

And they learn fast and have an amazing ability to retain what they have learned even after long periods of inactivity, she noted. They are used for schooling horses for both the young and the experienced rider and they have been found to be very suitable for therapeutic riding programmes.

Mrs. Benbow said: "This is fantastic for BRD as these horses possess both the gentle dispositions and strength that will enable us to extend our riding therapy to a wider selection of Bermuda's disabled. We would like to thank the International American Women's Club and the Committee of 25 for their amazing generosity.'' The International America Women's Club donated one horse, known as IAWC Sand Dust, while the other horse, called Brohr's Garrik, was donated by the Committee of 25 which purchased the horse using funds left to the committee by Emma Brohr who was a member for 30 years and was the publicity chairperson.

Committee vice chairperson Mona O'Leary said: "Emma was very fond of children and requested that the money she left be used for the children so they could participate in areas not normally covered by the Committee of 25.'' The BRD provides riding therapy for persons with special needs. At present the programme runs five-and-a-half days a week and provides riding for 75 riders during that time. Potential volunteers and donators can call 238-7433. The new Norwegian Fjord horses can be seen at the next BRD Open Day on May 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.