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Why
are these horses called "Friesians"?
Friesian horses are thought to have originated from Friesland, which
is located in Holland. Historically, the Friesian horses were a mainstay
for Dutch farmers, providing numerous services to their owners. These
services included plowing the fields, driving the carriages, pulling the
sleds, and serving as a strong, reliable mount. The very solid
relationship between the Friesian and the Dutch remains to this day; the
Dutch own and breed some of the finest Friesians in existence. The image
below is a photo of a statue which celebrates the Friesian horse. The
statue is located in Friesland.
Photo by Hermein Wierdsma, from the cover of the Fall
2000 FHANA publication "The Friesian"
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What
is the history of the Friesian horse?
Many feel that Friesians date back to the middle ages where they, by
virtue of their strength and robust nature, carried armored knights.
Whether that is true or not, it is certain that the Friesian breed dates
back for centuries. The line was so popular that cross-breeding became
rampant in the 1800’s. Alarmed, the Dutch hastened to outline a Dutch
Registry of Friesian horses in the late 1870’s. This registry was
created to set rigorous breeding standards and thus preserve this
magnificent breed. Still, due to this significant dilution of the breed,
Friesians were nearly bred out of existence by 1917. Pure-blooded, and top
quality Friesians are now on a comeback, thanks to the Dutch and their
loving and conscientious attention to saving and restoring the breed.
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What
are the typical physical characteristics of these horses?
Friesians are noted by their black color (including the long, thick
mane and tail) and feathered feet. The pure black color is a mandatory
characteristic to achieve a top quality status, so do not look for a
"Friesian of a different color"! Most Friesians are between 15-1
and 16-0 hands tall. Friesians have historically had a very sturdy, broad
physique, perfect for pulling agricultural equipment and carriages. More
recently, Friesians have been bred to be taller and finer and thus more
adaptable as sport horses. Friesians carry themselves proudly, with a high
head carriage and a forthright/bold knee-action. As such, they are lovely
as carriage horses.
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What
is a typical price for a Friesian?
As with many purebred and desirable animals, the price for a
Friesian from a quality breeder will surpass that of a different caliber
horse. As a general rule of thumb, prices will range from $10,000 and up,
depending on the horse’s breeding, degree of training, judged rating,
and gender. Another factor in pricing is the simple principle of supply
and demand. Friesians continue to gain in popularity, yet there are not
that many available for sale (the general estimate is that there are about
30,000 to 35,000 purebred Friesians worldwide, with only 2,000 to 3,000 in
the USA).
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What
do these words mean: "keuring", "premie",
"ster"?
Each of these terms is Dutch, and relates to the rigorous judging
process performed by registry representatives. The judging event is called
a "keuring". Judges are typically flown in from Holland and
review the candidate horses according to a stringent grading criteria.
Each horse is judged carefully, one at a time. The grading centers around
the horse’s conformation and movement through the walk and trot; with
60% based on movement and 40% on conformation A horse
generally attends a keuring as a weanling, and again as a 3 year old.
However, a horse may attend at any time.
The best quality horses are "premium" quality, noted as
"premie" for short. The very top class are 1st premie,
followed by 2nd and then 3rd premie. A horse can be
judged less than premie, but still be considered acceptable as breeding
quality and thus, like the premies, is placed in the studbook (shown as
"stb" and/or "stamboek" on the papers).
When a horse is 3 or more years old, s/he may be judged additionally
for a "ster" (pronounced "star") classification. A
horse may be a ster regardless of gender (yes, even geldings may be ster).
A horse who has been rated ster is considered a superlative example of the
breed.
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What
does it mean for a mare to have a "model" or "preferent"
rating?
The very top quality mares, seven years and older, may be judged for
not only movement and conformation, but for performance (driving,
dressage, riding) as well. Should the mare pass these tests (which are
covered over the course of two years) adequately, she will be awarded a
"model" rating. Obviously, most model mares are also star, but
only the very best star mares would be capable of achieving the strict
model rating.
A mare may achieve preferent rating based on the quality of her
offspring. If four of her babies receive a star rating, the mare then is
declared preferent. If one ov her sons makes it in the second round of the
stallion approval process, she is given 2 stars for this. Since this
rating is only given to mares who have proven themselves, the rating is
considered very prestigious. Note that it is possible for a mare to
produce star quality offspring even if she herself is not a star.
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What
makes a stallion an "approved" stallion?
An "approved" stallion has been approved for breeding
purposes. It is extremely difficult for a stallion to achieve this
status (by some estimates, less than 1% of all Dutch Registered stallions
are approved). Currently there are fewer than 100 approved stallions
worldwide, and fewer than 20 approved stallions reside in the USA. To
achieve an "approved" rating, the stallion must first reach
conditional approval based on his own merits. At this time he may be used
for breeding purposes. He cannot be fully approved until his offspring
have also been judged and highly rated. Should the offspring not be
positively rated, the conditional approval will be revoked. Obviously,
this is an extremely rigorous and time-consuming process; only the very,
very best stallions are approved Dutch Registered stallions.
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Do
Friesians make good dressage/sport horses?
As mentioned above, Friesians were primarily used for agricultural
purposes until the 1970’s or so. During this time they were quite stocky
and not well-positioned as sport horses. Since the 1970’s, the desire
has grown significantly for finer, taller and more agile Friesians.
Presently there are a number of Friesians who are doing quite well in
dressage competitions. This participation continues to grow rapidly.
Friesians, due to their heavy physique, are not well-suited for intense
jumping. Some folks do light jumping with them, though.
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How
can I find a list of breeders?
If you are searching for a Dutch registered Friesian, you should
look into the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA). This
organization is dedicated to the breed and has a wealth of information,
including a list of breeders, on their web site (www.Fhana@Fhana.com..
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Is
there a way I can easily see a Friesian?
Given that there are not that many pure-bred Friesians in the USA,
it can be tough to see one in person. If you are fortunate enough to live
close to a breeder, you could call and set up an appointment to visit. You
may also be able to see a Friesian as a profiled breed at certain horse
shows (take care that you look for Dutch registered horses). FHANA also
has videotapes of Friesian events available for sale. Finally, the
quickest and cheapest way to see a Friesian is to rent a commercial movie
where one may be included. Most Friesian fans know that the movies "Ladyhawke"
and "Mask of Zorro" have wonderful Friesians in cameo
appearances. The movie "Bedazzled" has a quick spot of Wander.
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If
I want to learn much more, where do I go?
As mentioned above, the central information source for Dutch
registered Friesians is the Friesian Horse Association of North America
(FHANA), at www.Fhana@fhana.com.
You can also learn from various local chapters such as mine Coastal California Friesian Horse Club.
Of
course, there is a great deal of information on the internet.
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