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Friesian

9K views 30 replies 19 participants last post by  xXcre8tiveXx 
#1 ·
If any one out there knows any thing about this breed tell me every thing you know!
All I know is they are big, black and expensive :P
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#2 ·
Move your mouse over the the browser's tab, where you can enter a new address, type "google.com"
Then in the search window, search for "Friesian" and it will tell you everything.


They are not just big black and beautiful. They are horses who need proper care etc, same as any other horse. Each individual is different.
 
#5 ·
What would you like to know? I have one in my paddock. He belongs to a friend of mine but I have the ride on him. Another friend breeds them.

They are black and hairy.
They are quite pushy. You have to set strong boundaries as to what is ok and what isn't, and you can't deviate from those boundaries. They will test them in one way or another all the time.
They may not be intelligent, but they are clever.
They are NOT for inexperienced people. Too big, too aware of their own size.
They have weak stifles.
Fitting a saddle to them is an absolute nightmare, especially the more traditional types.
 
#18 ·
What would you like to know? I have one in my paddock. He belongs to a friend of mine but I have the ride on him. Another friend breeds them.

They are black and hairy.
They are quite pushy. You have to set strong boundaries as to what is ok and what isn't, and you can't deviate from those boundaries. They will test them in one way or another all the time.
They may not be intelligent, but they are clever.
They are NOT for inexperienced people. Too big, too aware of their own size.
They have weak stifles.
Fitting a saddle to them is an absolute nightmare, especially the more traditional types.

My experience with them is the same. I was never a fan of the breed, but after watching my former trainer work with one in particular, I started to change my mind a bit. He was young, and needed to be constantly reminded who the boss was. His owner would come get him and bring him home for the weekends, and then he would be back at the farm where I lived and trained during the week. Any considerable amount of time off- and it was like starting from scratch.

They also had a horrible time fitting him for a saddle.

One thing I will point out is that there are people, especially in the Dressage world, who hate the breed. I have been to shows where he scored lower because the judges weren't crazy about his breed. We know that because we know them.

Here he is at a USDA show last year:
 

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#7 ·
I'm by no means an expert, I just groom for one friesian and have since the barn got him so this may just be him.

I've found that he's very:
-unaware of how big he is
-flighty
-not necessarily pushy but has no problem moving into your space or being mouthy if not reprimanded
-he's a bit stupid. Maybe it's the inbreeding lol he can be clever, but it takes him a while haha

I equate him to a big dog but not the sort of horse you want for a pleasure animal. He took a lot of work to get him safe for kids on the ground and he still takes a lot of work to keep him safe for everyone. (In terms of not spooking, not being pushy, etc). Other than that he's a blast! :)
 
#8 ·
Only rode a Friesian mare for lessons and had a half-Friesian lease horse, so my experience with them is a bit limited. From what I've gathered, they are a very intelligent breed, but a bit more independent and "stoic" than some other horses I've come across. Their independence made them seem a bit more headstrong to me, where as my Arabian is very willing to please. Big, powerful gaits. Could never sit their trots, LOL. After moving from Friesians/half-Friesians to my Arabian, she was a piece of cake to ride. :lol:
 
#9 ·
If any one out there knows any thing about this breed tell me every thing you know!
All I know is they are big, black and expensive :P
Posted via Mobile Device
:lol: A bit over simplified.

They have a pretty wide range of sizes and 3 variations of build.

They are one of the old classic "baroque" horse breeds (like the Lipizzan). Very popular during the middle ages. Almost extinct by the end of the WW II.

They have never been a draught breed although many have mistaken them as such. Most likely because some of them (like some of the Lipizzan) in the early 20th century were bred to be a bit larger for use in pulling carriages and wagons for farm work. The three variations are not significantly different.
One type has a lighter, sportier build (like my younger horses sire).
The classical type (the type common for most of it's history) is slightly heavier and has a build much like other baroque breeds.
The larger (by weight) is slightly heavier than the baroque, but still an easy to ride and generally too light to be classified as a draught horse.
Height can vary significantly from in the 15 hands range up to just over 17 hands. Many of the lighter, sportier one's are tall, but any of the three types can be found in all height ranges.
Mentally the most defining characteristics I've experienced are:
Generally a pretty calm animal. Don't readily spook. Tend to spook really big when they do, but recover quite quickly (e.g. have had them spook, yanking the lead away, but only run about 15 yards before stopping and standing calmly for me to take rope again).
They are powerful (even by horse standards), so it's a good thing they tend to be rather calm. I've found that they respond extremely well to a reward/praise system during training. Even more so than some other horses I've dealt with.
I've found that for me some of their extended trots can be difficult to sit and just easier to post or even easier to just stand :lol: (they seem to almost hang in the air slightly when I'm sitting on them)

They have a LOT of hair and since most people like to have all their hair flowing as long as possible you end up with tails that sweep the ground of anything not heavy enough to avoid being collected. Manes so long that they'll collect anything where they lay down. So checking the out ever couple of days is a good idea to avoid having a small tangle become a large tangle.

I've known some that suffered from seasonal skin issues.
Scratches can be a problem in the feathering, but easily avoided by checking them when you pick their feet. In my personal experience I've seldom scratches, but I know people for whom it's been much more common.

Price can actually vary a great deal (and expensive is a relative term). I've been offered my pick of any mare in the heard for $5,000 which many think is cheap :lol:. Which it is when compared to people selling them for
$25,000 and up. A lot of it depends on where you're locating (some parts of the country are more expensive than others). Getting to be close friends with a breeder never hurts either :lol:
 
#10 ·
I think Friesians are one of those breeds that are very impressionable from a young age and therefore have the capability to be either very good or . . . not so much. Kind of like a pitt bull. If you don't train them young properly the odds of having a "dangerous animal" are probably a lot higher. IMO
 
#11 ·
I've only been half leasing a friesian mare since November so I can't say. Have extensive I knowledge of the breed. But in my experience with her I've found her to be very level headed in that if she "spooks" at something the worst she'll do is stop and stare, or try to avoid going near it (but she won't bolt or buck or anything like that).

She's the type of horse that was a little bit stoic at first, but after a couple weeks of me going to see her almost as often as her owner she has warmed up to me a lot, to the point where she will walk up to me and leave her hay when I go to get her from the paddock.

That being said, she is also very stuck in her ways for some things. They can be quick to learn bad behaviours as much as they are quick to learn good ones. When I first started to lease her, her owner had let her get away with craning her neck up at the sight of a bridle, but we both addressed the issue using the same technique and within a week she's almost turned a full 180. She is quite quick to learn like that.

She can also be surprisingly dumb a times too though, and my riding instructor has noticed this with other friesians as well. While they're quick to learn things with your help, they can sometimes not be very street smart (mine has run over large traffic pilons head-on and tripped herself on them, hits her face on gates, etc). They're big goof balls, and seem to be more one-person horses. I really like them, for all the above reasons.
 
#13 ·
Your horse is EXTREMELY over bent. She is not in any sort of outline, as her head is just forced in. Have you by any chance been using rolkur to get her head in? That is what it looks like. I really think this horse will have to be started again from scratch. She needs to be re taught how to work in a correct outline. Lots and lots of lunging in loose side reins, or the pessoa system will help. Then, when riding, she will have to do loads of long and low. How long has this horse been ridden like that? If she has been ridden like that for an extended period of time, she will have a dip behind the withers. With her head in that position, I can tell you that she won't be able to see a thing either.
 
#17 ·
I don't have a whole lot of experience with Fresians, but I trained one for a while, and honestly I didn't like him much. I'm sure that some of it was the owners pretty crappy small arena, not the best for a 17.3hh Fresian lol. And I know he was bred to be a cart horse, so I get the feeling that he was built a little bit different from one who was bred to ride. He was VERY upright, was hard to get going, but once he was GOING, and we had enough space (like out on trail), he had huge movement, and me saying that means something. I'm used to riding BIG dressage warmbloods with huge movement, big floaty trots etc, and man, he was a much bigger mover than that lol. He was a big sweetie though, I always enjoyed hanging out with him, and I'm sure with a better arena, and some more consistent riding, he might have become more pleasant to ride. He loved attention, and loved to be groomed, he was definitely a big ham. He was on the HUGE side so trying to find a saddle to fit was a joke. We finally had to go with a draft horse saddle. I have no idea what type he would be classified as, but he seriously looked like a draft. BIG bone, huge dinner plate feet, 17.3 hands, just as wide as some percherons and belgians I used to work with. Definitely a sight to look at! Personally if you are interested in Fresians, I'd read up on them, find a breeder to talk to, watch some videos, etc. Trying to classify a horse by breed alone really isn't fair to the horse. I've met Thoroughbred and Arabians that were totally lazy, and has no spook or speed what so ever, and I've met Draft horses (crosses as well as purebreds), and Quarter Horses who were kind of crazy. It all depends on the horse, how they were trained etc. So find out what you can online, and talking to breeders, and maybe go look at a few maybe for lease and try one out for yourself, and see if it's something you want. Good luck! If you find one, you must post pictures.
 
#20 ·
I will also say that having gone to the FHANA keurings, I have had the opportunity to see many Friesian mares, geldings, foals, and stallions. The majority were handled daily and acted like saints. Some of the stallions in particular were more well mannered than our horses at home. They are generally a very caring, sweet breed, if handled correctly. They typically form deeper bonds with humans than with other horses (At least in my experience with my own and seeing others.). I truly can't say enough good things about them, provided they're handled and trained well.
 
#21 ·
I have ridden a Friesian cross (Peruvian paso) numerous times and while she is pretty, she is stubborn, spooky, and lazy. On the ground she is okay... Just pushy. I am going to guess with more training she would be okay..
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#23 ·
Same here, I was actually looking actively to buy one, and then I figured out that they cost 25k ++++, and that dream went flying out the window lol :lol:.
 
#28 ·
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