Friesian Horses
Ht. 15 - 16 hh
Color: Almost always black with the exception of an extremely rare chestnut.
The Friesian is most often recognized by its black coat, long thick mane and tail, and "feathers"--long, silky hair on the lower legs, deliberately left untrimmed. The official breed rarely has white markings of any kind; most registries allow only a small star on the forehead for purebred registration. Although the breed's conformation resembles that of a light draft horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. They are best known for their brisk, high-stepping trot due to their powerful hindquarters. Gentle and docile, they have an impressive arched neck that accentuates the Friesian's elegant presence.
HISTORY
Descendants of the ancient Forest horse, the Friesian has been around for thousands of years. The breed was developed in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands along the North Sea. The region's open, sweeping pastures produced a horse that even today is sturdy and economical to keep.
Frieslanders and their horses were the auxiliaries for the Roman legions in Britain around 100 AD, when Roman historians praised the Friesian horse for its value as a powerful all-around utility animal. The Friesians remained long after the Romans left. Their influence is seen in the Dales and Fell Ponies and they are the undisputed ancestors of the Shire horse.
Its strength, endurance and courage made the Friesian the perfect destrier, a warhorse to carry Frieslander and German knights to the Crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries. Contact made with desert horses during these campaigns introduced warmer blood and a more refined look to the breed.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Netherlands were occupied by Spain during the 80 years war, the Spanish crossed the Friesian with their own famous Andalusian horses. The result was a lighter, more distinguished horse. This infusion of the same bloodlines as the Lippizan gave the Friesian more powerful, dramatic gaits. They became popular in France and Spain for high-school dressage. In fact, the Friesian was so popular that it served as the founding stock for the Oldenburg in the 17th century as well contributing heavily to other breeds such as the Dole Gudbrandsdal
The Friesian horse rose to greater popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries when they were not only in demand as harness horses for agricultural work but also for trotting races. Its muscular body and well-developed hindquarters made for a successful racehorse.
By the 19th century, however, the widening world trade market made it easy to import faster, lighter trotters from Russia and America, replacing the Friesian at almost every racecourse. Modern farm equipment also made them obsolete as a workhorse, threatening the very survival of Friesian breed. The once-famous Friesian was so rare it was in danger of becoming extinct. A studbook was opened in 1879 in an effort to save the breed but by 1913 there were only 3 Friesian stallions left in Friesland.
Ironically, World War II contributed to the salvation of the breed when fuel shortages forced farmers to return to the use of horse drawn vehicles. Also important to 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. The use of the Friesian in their performances began the international recognition that the breed enjoys today.
THE FRIESIAN TODAY
Friesian horses are popular in both Europe and the United States, and are often used today for Dressage, pleasure riding, and driving. They have a lovable nature that makes them easy to work with whether they're under saddle or being driven in harness.
Today, there are two distinct conformation types; the baroque type and the modern type. The baroque type has the more robust build of the classical Friesian. This type is more popular as a carriage horse where its powerful, high-stepping action is eye-catching. The breed's all black color also makes it easy to have a perfectly matched team of horses. The modern, sport horse type is finer-boned and is currently more popular in the show ring.
Due to its flashy appearance, the Friesian has become popular in films. 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, and 300 have also featured Friesian horses.
