Friesian horse
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The Friesian horse is a breed of horse from Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. Although originally bred as a draft horse, the breed is graceful and nimble for it's size and later developed into a finer-boned nobleman's steed. During the Middle Ages, Friesian horses were in great demand as destriers throughout Europe since their size enabled them to carry a knight in full armour. After a few close calls with breed extinction, the impressive Friesian horse is now growing in numbers and popularity, proving to excel in both dressage and driving.
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Breed Characteristics
The Friesian is probably best known for its black color and luxurious mane, tail, and 'feathered' feet. The breed rarely has white markings of any kind, the registries allowing only a small star on the forehead. The Friesian's average height is about 15.3 hands, though they may range from 14.2 - 17 hands tall. They have a spectacular trot, both fast and high-stepping. The Friesian is very willing, active, and energetic, but gentle. The Friesian has great presence, and carry themselves proudly.
The breed has excellent overall conformation. Friesians have a long, elegant, arched neck and a fine, rather long, head (Spanish type) with short ears. Their sloping shoulders are powerful. They have a compact and muscular body, with strong, sloping hindquarters and a low-set tail. Their limbs are short and strong with good bone and a fair amount of feathering.
History of the Friesian
The breed was developed in the province of Friesland, in the northern Netherlands. There is evidence of horses in this area for thousands of years, and this breed is thought to have been descended from the primitive Forest Horse of the area. The Romans used the breed for riding, and it is believed that they took some of these horses to England, and thus the breed influenced the Shire, Clydesdale, Fell and Dales.
The horses were then used in medieval times to carry knights to battle. In the 12th and 13th centuries, eastern horses that were brought by crusaders were mixed into the Friesian stock. During the 16th and 17th centuries, when there was no more need for heavy war horses and the Spanish had occupation of The Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War, Andalusian blood was added to lighten the breed and make it more suitable as a carriage horse. The horses were also used in the riding schools of France and Spain, performing High School dressage.
The breed was most sucessful in the 18th and 19th centuries, when they were not only in demand a harness horses and for agricultural work, but also for the trotting races to popular in the time. The Freisian was used as foundation stock during that time for breeds such as the Orlov Trotter, the Norfolk Trotter (ancestor to the Hackney), and the Morgan.
The Friesian stud book was started in 1879, but it was open to both cross-breds as well as full-breds, as it was popular to inject Friesian blood into other breeds due to their fantastic trot, presence, and color. There was so much cross-breeding that the Friesian's purity was threatened, so a new association was formed to protect the breed's purity and bloodlines. The breed almost became extinct in the early 20th century, but due to fuel shortages from World War II, the people of the Netherlands used the animals once again for transport.
The Friesian has also influenced the Old Black Horse of the Midlands, the Dole Gudbrandsdal of Norway, and were the base stock at Germany's Marbach stud, contributing to the developement of the Oldenburg and the Württemberger.
The Friesian Today
The Friesian is used mainly for dressage, especially for high-school dressage displays. They are also still popular as carriage horses, especially for competitive driving, as it is easy to match teams and their high-stepping action makes them eye-catching and impressive. They are also good all-rounders, used for showing, driving, and general riding, and are also used as circus horses.
Weblinks
- The Friesian (http://www.dread.net/~steele/)
- Friesian Crazy (http://www.friesiancrazy.cjb.net)
- Friesian Horse Association of North America (http://www.fhana.com)
- Friesch Paarden-Stamboek (http://www.fps-studbook.com)
- The North American Friesian Journal (http://www.northamericanfriesianjournal.com)de:Friese