The Friesian is a horse breed originating in Friesland, in the Netherlands. Although
the breed's conformation resembles that of a light draft horse, Friesians are graceful
and nimble for their size. It is believed that during the Middle Ages, ancestors of
Friesian horses were in great demand as war horses throughout continental Europe. Through
the Early Middle Ages and High Middle Ages, their size enabled them to carry a knight
in armour. In the Late Middle Ages, heavier, draft type animals were needed. Though the
breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion, the modern day Friesian horse is
growing in numbers and popularity, used both in harness and under saddle. Most recently,
the breed is being introduced to the field of dressage.
Spelling and usage In English, the word indicating origin from
the Friesland region is typically spelled "Frisian". However, the alternative spelling
with an "e" is used for Holstein Friesian cattle. During much of the history of the
Friesch Paarden Stamboek breed registry, most breeders of the horses also were breeders
of dairy cattle and the same spelling was also used for both animals, particularly by
English-language breeding societies and registries. Breed characteristics
The Friesian breed is most often recognized by its black coat color, however, color alone
is not the only distinguishing characteristic; Friesians are occasionally chestnut. They
rarely have white markings of any kind; most registries allow only a small star on the
forehead for purebred registration. To be accepted as breeding stock in the FPS studbook,
a stallion must pass a rigorous approval process. The chestnut color is not accepted for registration
in most cases. A chestnut-colored Friesian that competes is penalized. Stallions are
most severely penalized. However, discoloration from old injuries or fading from the sun are
not penalized. The Friesian's average height is about 15.3 hands,
although it may vary from 14.2 to 17 hands at the withers, and mares or geldings must
be at least 15.2 hands to qualify for a "star-designation" pedigree. Horses are judged at an inspection,
or keuring, by Dutch judges, who decide whether the horse is worthy of star designation. The
breed has powerful overall conformation and good bone structure, with what is sometimes
called a "Baroque" body type. Friesians have long, arched necks and well-chiseled, short-eared,
"Spanish-type" heads. They have powerful, sloping shoulders, compact, muscular bodies
with strong, sloping hindquarters and low-set tails. Their limbs are comparatively short
and strong. A Friesian horse also has a long, thick mane and tail, often wavy, and "feather" —
long, silky hair on the lower legs - deliberately left untrimmed. The breed is known for a brisk,
high-stepping trot. The Friesian's temperament is considered willing, active, and energetic,
but also gentle and docile. A Friesian tends to have great presence and to carry itself
with elegance. Today, there are two distinct conformation types — the "baroque" type,
which has the more robust build of the classical Friesian, and the modern, "sport horse" type,
which is finer-boned. Both types are common, though the modern type is currently more popular
in the show ring than is the baroque Friesian. However, conformation type is considered less
important than correct movement.
History
The breed was developed in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands, where
there is evidence of thousands of years of horse populations, and this breed is said
to have descended from the primitive forest horse.
Ancestors of the modern Friesians were used in medieval times to carry knights to battle.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, some eastern horses of crusaders were mated with Friesian
stock. During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Netherlands were briefly linked with
Spain, there was less demand for heavy war horses, as battle arms changed and became
lighter. Andalusian horses were bred with Friesians, producing a lighter horse more
suitable for work as urban carriage horses. Historian Ann Hyland wrote of the Friesian
breed: The Emperor Charles continued Spanish expansion
into the Netherlands, which had its Frisian warhorse, noted by Vegetius and used on the
continent and in Britain in Roman times. Like the Andalusian, the Frisian bred true to type.
Even with infusions of Spanish blood during the sixteenth century, it retained its indigenous
characteristics, taking the best from both breeds. The Frisian is mentioned in 16th and
17th century works ... a courageous horse eminently suitable for war, lacking the volatility
of some breeds or the phlegm of very heavy ones. Generally black, the Frisian was around
15hh with strong, cobby conformation, but with a deal more elegance and quality. The
noted gait was a smooth trot coming from powerful quarters. Nowadays, though breed definition
is retained, the size has markedly increased, as has that of most breeds due to improved
rearing and dietary methods. The breed was especially popular in the 18th
and 19th centuries, when they were in demand not only as harness horses and for agricultural
work, but also for the trotting races so popular then. The Friesian may have been used as foundation
stock for such breeds as the Dole Gudbrandsdal, the Norfolk Trotter, and the Morgan. In the
1800s, the Friesian was bred to be lighter and faster for trotting, but this led to what
some owners and breeders regarded as inferior stock, so a movement to return to pureblood
stock took place at the end of the 19th century. A Studbook Society was founded in 1879 by
Frisian farmers and landowners who had gathered to found the Friesian Cattle Registry was
published in 1880 and initially registered both Friesian horses and a group of heavy
warmblood breeds, including East Friesians and Oldenburgers, collectively known as "Bovenlanders".
At the time, the Friesian horse was declining in numbers, and was being replaced by the
more fashionable Bovenlanders, both directly, and by crossbreeding Bovenlander stallions
on Friesian mares. This had already virtually exterminated the pure Friesian in significant
parts of the province in 1879, which made the inclusion of Bovenlanders necessary. While
the work of the registry produced a revival of the breed's popularity in the late 19th
century, it also resulted in the sale and disappearance of many of the best stallions
from the breeding area, and Friesian horse populations dwindled. By the early 20th century,
the number of available breeding stallions was down to three. Therefore, in 1906, the
two parts of the registry were joined, and the studbook was renamed the Friesch Paarden
Stamboek in 1907."
In 1913, a society known as the Het Friesch Paard was founded, dedicated to the protection
and promotion of the breed. By 1915, the group convinced FPS to split the registries back
up into two groups. By 1943, the breeders of non-Friesian horses left the FPS completely
to form an entirely separate registry, which later became the Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek
Nederland. Displacement by petroleum-powered farm equipment
on dairy farms also was a threat to the survival of Friesian horse. The last draught function
performed by Friesians on a significant scale was on farms that raised dairy cattle. World
War II slowed down the process of displacement, allowing the breed's population and popularity
to rebound. Important in the initial stage of the breed's rebound was the circus of the
Strassburger family, who, having fled Nazi Germany for the Low Countries, discovered
the show qualities of the breed and demonstrated its abilities outside of its local breeding
area during and after the Nazi occupation. Today, there are three modern bloodlines:
Tetman 205, Age 168, and Ritske 202. Each of these sires traces his blood to Paulus
121, born in 1913 and entered into the Studbook in 1916. He, in turn, can be traced back three
generations to the original 19th-century Studbook foundation sire, Nemo 51, born in 1885. All
purebred Friesians trace back to these bloodlines. The Friesian today
From the latter part of the 20th century until the present, demand for purebred Friesians,
particularly the "modern", finer-boned, taller, more agile version of the breed, increased,
so breeders have bred both purebreds and a lighter-weight crossbred horse with valued
characteristics, resulting in the Friesian cross and the Friesian Sporthorse.
Friesian horses are popular in both Europe and the United States, and are often used
today for dressage competition, pleasure riding, and driving. Friesian horses can do well in
dressage competition due to the breed's movement, trainability, appearance, power, and body
control. The horse is popular as a carriage horse, with a powerful eye-catching, high
stepping action action, is particularly popular in competitions that require the driving of
a team, partly because of its movement and disposition, and partly because it is easy
to match teams of black horses, and as a circus horse.
Due to its dramatic appearance, the Friesian has become popular in the film industry although
the historical accuracy of dramatizations using Friesians is dubious given the breed
as it is known today only came into being within the last 400 to 600 years. The breed
owes much of its current popularity to the appearance of the Friesian stallion Goliath
in the 1985 film, Ladyhawke, which ignited a worldwide interest in these horses. Films
such as Eragon, The Mask of Zorro, Alexander, The Chronicles of Narnia, For Greater Glory
and The Wolfman have also featured Friesian horses. An episode of the TV series Lost featured
a Friesian/Saddlebred cross. Most recently, Friesians were seen in the 2010 remake of
Clash of the Titans, where two horses named "Boech" and "Gallo" took turns playing the
winged horse, Pegasus. Both were also used in the 2011 remake of Conan the Barbarian.
Friesians were also used for the Tribute Parade in The Hunger Games and in Catching Fire
References
External links Friesch Paarden-Stamboek Netherlands-based
organisation that works globally with local and regional organisations to 'protect the
interests of the breed' Friesian Horse Association of North America
North American representative of the FPS studbook. Friesian Horse Society North American Friesian
Registry with International UELN for the Friesian horse in North America
FPZV Friesenpferde Zuchtverband e. V. German based Friesian registry
International Friesian Show Horse Association USEF recognized representative of the Friesian
breed in the show ring.