Five varieties of the dun coloring have been preserved. The great majority of Fjords are brown, but others display the grey, white, red, or rare yellow type of dun coat. One of the most striking features of these horses is their very dark dorsal stripe, which runs from forelock through tail. Manes, traditionally clipped to stand up in a crescent shape accentuating the curve of the neck, are creamy white, split by the contrasting black stripe running down the midline. These horses, who range from 900 to1400 pounds, are very strong, able to pull 2 times their weight.
Body types range from heavy draft to lighter-boned.
The breed is recognized for its excellence as mountain army horse, since it is agile and sure-footed in difficult terrain, and can go where motorized vehicles and heavier horses cannot. The first Fjord was brought to the US in 1888 as a carriage horse. Increasingly popular in the last 20 years, the breed now numbers about 3,000 here. All breeding in Norway is now controlled by a Norwegian government agency, and only champion stock can be exported. Fjord horse registries exist in Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.