Friesian History

Detail of "The Horse Fair"

The black Friesian breed of horse, over 2000 years old, is one of the oldest domesticated breeds in Europe. It is native to the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands. During the 16th and 17th centuries, but probably earlier, Arabian and Andalusian blood was introduced to lighten the breed. This has given them the high knee action, the small head and the craning neck. The Friesian horse has been kept free from influence of the English Thoroughbred. During the last two centuries, the breed has been bred pure and is considered to be a warm blood. The Friesian has been used to form the basis of many breeds, such as the Shire, New Forest, Dale, Morgan, Swedish Warmblood, the Orlov Trotter, and was recently used to revive the Kladruber breed.

The armored knights found the Friesian horse very desirable, having the strength to carry great weight and still maneuver precisely. The Hungarian King Louis II used a Friesian stallion on the battlefield on June 15, 1526. The Friesian was used as a war horse by Friesian soldiers fighting with the Roman Armies, and later was used by knights and traveled all the way to the Middle East with the Crusaders. Their suppleness and agility made Friesians sought after in the riding schools of Paris and Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Friesian was also used as a fast trotting coach horse, and it was, in fact, Friesians who invented trotting races over short distances (320 metres) in the 18th century.

The Modern day Friesian has enjoyed its share of publicity, regularly being seen on the big screen in movies such as Interview with a Vampire, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Disney's-Tall Tales, and The Mask of Zorro. There was the magnificent Othello, known as Goliath, a Friesian who caught many people's eyes in the movie, LadyHawke. For those who have traveled to Harrod's Department store in London, you may have seen the impressive Friesian stallions driving their carriages.

The Friesian suffered a decline in numbers with the increase of mechanization on the farm and in transportation. In fact, the number of Friesian stallions reputedly was reduced to only three prior to World War I. Through rigorous efforts of "Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek", the official studbook, the purity of the Friesian horse has been preserved and the Friesian horse has become a favorite sight the world over.

The Friesian has been saved from extinction by a group of dedicated breeders in Friesland, a northern province of Holland. The studbook is one of the oldest in the world being established in 1879. Breeding is done under strict guidelines such as selection, performance testing and classification to ensure that the quality of the breed remains very high.

The Friesian is a noble animal, possessing a kind and willing character, intelligence and strength. The horses are always black, with a long wavy mane and tail, and feather on the legs. No white markings are permitted, except for a small white star on the forehead. They possess a high neck carriage and powerful hindquarters. Their movement is forward and elevated with a high knee action. The average height is 15- l7 hands with an average weight of 1300-1600 pounds.

The Friesian is a show horse! - this is why many European circuses use them for classical dressage. The French Troupe, Zingaro, has performed for sold out crowds in New York and the star horse is the Friesian stallion by the same name, Zingaro. They are now gaining further respect in the dressage arena of today as some specimens of the breed are reaching Grand Prix level due to their natural carriage and elevated movement.

Ring driving always attracts hundreds of spectators, but Friesians also perform well in modern equestrian sports such as combined driving, and more recently, in North American and Canadian dressage where a Friesian performed at the 2000 Olympics and another has graded to medium level.

With only about 4000 Friesians in the United States, they have not been well known here. But the excitement over this breed is catching on at such events as Equitana in Louisville, Kentucky (The World's Fair for Horses). The Friesians were showcased in 1997 to roaring crowds. They were really showstoppers. FHANA, the Friesian Horse Association of North America, brought from all over America about 60 beautiful Friesians to show the versatility and majesty of the breed. The Friesian's beauty, size, rideability and temperament make them a perfect choice for the whole family.

The Friesian Horse

Noble, grand, athletic, strong, willing, good tempered--these are all accurate descriptions of the Friesian horse. The breed is said to have been developed by monks in Friesland, a northern province in the Netherlands. The Friesian horse evolved through the cross breeding of warm bloods and draft horses.

By the end of World War I, the breed was almost lost. There were only three stallions and a few mares. The Friesian breed and heritage were considered a national treasure of the Netherlands. The Friesch Paarden-Stamboek, the registry in Holland, was organized, and crossbreeding was forbidden. Accordingly, the Friesian horse has flourished in Europe. Moreover, under the strict control of the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA), the Friesian breed has become popular here in North America.

Friesian horses have been very popular in the cinema. Ladyhawk brought attention to the breed ten years ago. Magnificent carriage scenes with Friesian horses are seen in movie adaptation of Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibilities.

The Stambook

Only authorized Friesian stallions can be bred, and these stallions can only be bred to registered Friesian mares. The offspring are generally judged in the fall of the year of their birth by Dutch judges who travel throughout North America. The judging is referred to as a "keuring", and these are held at various farms across the continent. Foals, mares, and geldings are assigned by the Friesian Horse Association of North America (FHANA) to be judged at the keuring most convenient for the horse owner. Microchips are implanted under the skin of the neck of the foals for identification purposes. DNA testing is done for all mares on the basis of hair samples.

The judging of a foal by the judges is based on conformation (40%) and movement (60%). The babies are then registered in the Foal Book. The judges award 1st, 2nd, or 3rd premiums only to deserving foals. At 3 years of age, mares and geldings are judged again for registration in the official studbook of the Registry, the "Stamboek." If a horse qualifies, the mare or gelding is branded by the judges with an "F" on the neck. A star ("ster") can be awarded for particular quality, and this horse is branded with an "S" adjacent to the "F" brand. At 7 years, a particularly fine mare can be considered for model mare, although very few qualify. Outstanding young colts who are considered candidates to become an authorized stallion attend stallion school, a grueling program from which few "graduate." Those that make the grade receive temporary authorization. These young stallions are then allowed to breed and are subsequently rejudged at 8 years on the basis of their athletic accomplishments and the quality of their offspring. Less than 5% of the original stallion candidates succeed in becoming an authorized Friesian stallion.