The only horse native
to Holland, the Friesian breed developed from a very old breed that was
inherent to all of western Europe. The black coat of the Friesian will
impress you at first sight, a unique horse, the Friesian is truly a breed
to be proud of.
In the show ring, the
Friesian is an imposing sight with his shiny black coat, flying mane and
tail, Shire-like fetlock hair and high action. By nature, the Friesian
is a talented show horse. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Arabian
blood was introduced - especially through Andalusian horses from Spain.
This gave the Friesian the high knee-action, the small head and the craning
neck.
The able writer Jeanne
Mellin proposes in her books "The Morgan Horse" (1961) and "The Morgan
Horse Handbook" (1973) the possibility that this well-known American horse
is of Friesian descent. The ability to trot fast, the heavy manes, the
long rich tail and the fetlocks at the feet of the original forefather
of this race may be an indication.
The Friesian horse
has a talent for dressage; his pleasant character and his gentleness make
the Friesian an attractive mount for competition as well as for recreational
purposes. The foundation lies in his intelligence, willingness to learn,
and readiness to perform. Because of his temperament the Friesian horse
is considered warm blooded.
Apart
from its high knee action and elegant performance, the Friesian horse
was sought as a trotting horse. The Friesian horse influenced the breeding
of the Russian Orloff and of English and American race horses.
Once the
Circus Strassburger began training Friesian horses in the Academy style
of riding and put them through various performances, many other circuses
followed suit. His intelligence and his gentleness makes the Friesian
horse extremely suitable for this purpose. The stately black hair gives
the show a touch of eminence.
A condition
for registering a Friesian horse is that it must be 2 1/2 years old. A
stallion must then have a height at the withers of at least 1.58 m and
at the age of 4, of 1.60 m (rod measures). Mares must be 1.50 m, "star"
mares 1.55m, "model" mares 1.58m, and geldings 1.50m. In order to be registered
a horse has to be written into the Foal Book. Only foals with a document
proving the mating of the sire and dam are included in this book; moreover,
both parents have to be registered in one of the books of the Studbook.
To be registered a horse may have no faults and it must be true to the
type of the Friesian breed.
Examining
the mares, the "star" mares and geldings for registration takes place
at the shows of the Breeding Associations or at home. During the Major
Mare Show, in the autumn, it is possible to have "model" mares examined
for registration. To obtain this classification the horse has to be four
years old. Since mares of six years and over are no longer shown at the
Major Mare Show, these mares can be examined for the classification as
"model" mare at the shows of the Breeding Associations, or at home. They
must pass a test. The pre-examination of two year-old stallions takes
place in the autumn. Only approved stallions can be presented at the Stallion
Examination Show for registration, in spring. They also must pass a test.
The Friesian
horse nowadays is bred exclusively black. The only white allowed is a
small white spot between the eyes. The Friesian horse is gentle, honest,
sober, high-mettled and clever. It is descended from the western European
horse that has been in general use from the earliest days on and that
attained high perfection in the Knight's horse, the destrier. So far,
it has been preserved in Friesland only.
For more
information on this beautiful breed, contact :
Friesian Horse Association of North America