Tell me about your Friesians! The good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m becoming more interested in the breed, and would like to know about other amateurs’ experiences. 
According to pictures on the internet, it looks like they cross nicely with other breeds as well.
If I were shopping for a Friesian, I would work very closely with a reputable breeder. A lot of people got into them because they’re pretty and feathery, and my first impression of Friesians were that they were neurotic, and tended to be tense.
Since then, I have seen some nice ones. However, teaching them to stretch into the connection is still going to be a challenge - which is going to knock you down on the stretchy trot at Training/1st level. They can be flashy movers, but not in a way that is helpful for dressage (that is, a hind end that is built for carrying and collection). And the vast majority of them won’t have a strong enough stifle and loin connection for FEI.
1 Like
I’m of the opinion the Frisian shouldn’t be crossed with other breeds. They are at their best pure. It’s also hard to match a Frisian’s personality. They are so animated and love their people.
I’ve had multiple.
First & foremost, as others have recommended, find a reputable breeder or trainer. I’ve never really seen a Friesian cross that I’ve liked, so I’ suggest a purebred, FHANA registered Friesian (although this is personal preference). Look for those that are sport bred versus carriage bred if you’re looking at a dressage prospect.
Friesians tend to really like to have a person. They are very sweet, although a bit on the lower end of the intelligence spectrum. They are the type that take forever to learn something new, however once they understand what you’re asking, they will always preform (unlike my QH who is super smart, learns things very quickly, & then tries to figure out ways to get around doing what you’re asking lol).
Mares can be a bit of a bully in regards to other horses and using their brute force to “power” their way through things. Not malicious, but definitely know how to use their stance to their advantage. Definitely were alphas in the herd. Our geldings were never like this, low men in the pecking order types.
One other mostly uncommon mentioned thing, but something to consider thing: Friesians pee A LOT. Seriously, they will pee their entire stalls, so get ready to purchase lots of shavings.
They really bond with their person & are constantly trying to please. They are very good about looking to their person for guidance and are pretty level headed about most things.
Generally speaking, Friesians don’t make the best dressage horses. They are built to pull with their front ends, not push from behind over their backs. This makes them mostly tight in the back and make it difficult to create correct contact . Many don’t canter well. There are some breeders focusing on breeding for sport, but I think it will take several more generations before dressage comes easily to them. Many, many other breeds are better suited for dressage.
They are also susceptible to several breed specific health issues.
I have only known Friesians, not owned them. Many people have touched on the main issues already esp. related to dressage.
I think they are a good match for someone who truly loves their quiet temperament and who loves to fuss with hair (and hair products)! They are very personable horses and seem very “pet” like. They generally seem slow to react, which can be a blessing to some people and absolutely maddening to others.
Anhidrosis is an issue for some.
Hot climates are hard on them.
Truly fitting them up is also challenging–like many heavier horses, they lose condition rather quickly.
They need a LOT more care than the average horse because of the hair. You really need to be diligent about caring for the mane, the tail and the feather to keep your Friesian healthy and happy. A friend has 3 and she hires a groom to keep them up. Otherwise, as she says, she has no time to ride.
The ones I have known are not naughty or tense, but tough to get forward and stretch. And the one mare is very much a bully when she knows she can be. If you give clear aids and follow up she can be lovely. If you are wishy-washy she will do things her way.
[QUOTE=Dressagelvr;8811541]
They are also susceptible to several breed specific health issues.[/QUOTE]
Highlighting this point. And not just that they are susceptible to breed specific issues, but stuff that is so rare that the vets haven’t seen it in 15-20 years. My trainer at one point had a 30+ stall boarding and training facility, and had lots of clients with Friesians. Love them, get a good one and they’re amazing. But 4 of the 6 of them were dead at 11. Two made it longer, and one had serious health issues all along that if he had been with any other owner who didn’t pay tens of thousands of dollars in vet bills each year would have been put down. All had different issues, some had multiple, all were heartbreaking for their owners. The owners I know well do not ever want another.
[QUOTE=piedmontfields;8811591]Anhidrosis is an issue for some.
Hot climates are hard on them.
Truly fitting them up is also challenging–like many heavier horses, they lose condition rather quickly.[/QUOTE]
Basically this! Unless you live in the deep North, or like riding at 5am, good luck. They DO NOT handle heat well, too big and dark, and again, getting them fit is very very difficult. They love winter though!
Sorry to be a downer. I love watching them, riding them, lovely kind horses. BUT there is a big dark side that folks with limited experience with the breed don’t see.
I am not a fan of most of the crosses, people tend to cross them with anything to get color and hair with no regard to trainability. I don’t think they are suitable for ammys due to their temperament and difficulty cantering.
[QUOTE=AtXAlterSalute;8811358]
They can be flashy movers, but not in a way that is helpful for dressage (that is, a hind end that is built for carrying and collection). [/QUOTE]
I agree with this. And with the comments that they can have difficult canters. I owned one for almost 7 years. He was the soundest, sturdiest horse I’ve ever seen, but HARD to ride CORRECTLY. Mine did not have comfortable gaits, but everyone oooh’d and ahhh’d over him. He was beautiful, but not really suitable for dressage.
I’ve also never seen a cross I really liked.
Mine had anhydrosis. It was manageable, but I had to be careful.
Like others have said, he was a very sweet, personable horse, but also had an unfortunate tendency to spook/bolt for no apparent reason. And once they get going, they are hard to stop!
The couple I have ridden did not impress me much. Of course they may have been poor examples but I would have expected a much better quality of horse for the price.
There is one that comes to a show series we do and he does not impress me much either. Granted, his rider is over horsed so that may be more a reflection of the rider than the horse.
OP, what are you looking for in a horse that makes the fresian appealing to you?
Another “I’ve never owned one, but I have known some” person here. I agree with what everyone else has said, but I do know some very nice Morgan-Friesian crosses. If the Morgan side is the deep-bodied old-fashioned Morgan, there can be good correction of some of the Friesian issues. But that’s a fairly new cross, so over the long term I am not sure how they will do.
[QUOTE=DQEventer;8811515]
I’ve had multiple.
First & foremost, as others have recommended, find a reputable breeder or trainer. I’ve never really seen a Friesian cross that I’ve liked, so I’ suggest a purebred, FHANA registered Friesian (although this is personal preference). Look for those that are sport bred versus carriage bred if you’re looking at a dressage prospect.
Friesians tend to really like to have a person. They are very sweet, although a bit on the lower end of the intelligence spectrum. They are the type that take forever to learn something new, however once they understand what you’re asking, they will always preform (unlike my QH who is super smart, learns things very quickly, & then tries to figure out ways to get around doing what you’re asking lol).
Mares can be a bit of a bully in regards to other horses and using their brute force to “power” their way through things. Not malicious, but definitely know how to use their stance to their advantage. Definitely were alphas in the herd. Our geldings were never like this, low men in the pecking order types.
One other mostly uncommon mentioned thing, but something to consider thing: Friesians pee A LOT. Seriously, they will pee their entire stalls, so get ready to purchase lots of shavings.
They really bond with their person & are constantly trying to please. They are very good about looking to their person for guidance and are pretty level headed about most things.[/QUOTE]
I have a cross, and have been around purebreds. I strongly disagree with the bolded, and I prefer horses with a lot of blood because clever and high energy horses are my thing!
I find Friesians and crosses have a very high sense of self-preservation and self-interest. Therefore, if you are able to show them how things like swinging through their back and over their topline feels good, they will continue to do so for the rest of their lives and you won’t be able to convince them otherwise. So if you’re asking them to do something which doesn’t feel as good, they will be hard to teach to do it because they’re smart enough to know better.
Our cross was NOT bred for performance, just for hair. Her dam is “an Andalusian from Mexico” who may actually have been a Spanish mustang, we don’t know. By the time we got her she was well established walking and trotting on all kinds of difficult trails - and that was her intended purpose for my mom. We discovered she is allergic to alfalfa and hallucinates, and even while hallucinating my mom still managed to ride her until we figured out the problem. This horse had a TERRIBLE canter naturally, but over time it developed to be very cool. She just never naturally chose to canter and had to learn how to do it!
Friesians DO tend to be spooky, and I think it goes along with the self-protectiveness issues. I also have found the same tendency to bully.
I’ve never noticed the pee thing, but large horses who are frequently not sweating enough - makes sense…
I don’t own one. Probably would not just because I prefer a different type of horse.
But know several. One exceptional guy who is very successfully competing Grand Prix.
As with ANY ‘breed’ there will be individuals that appeal to you and your requirements. There will be individuals who do not.
I know a number of people who are/were attracted to Friesians because of their uprightness, animation, etc. For those who are used to HOT very sensitive horses, they have been surprised by the innate steady nature of the Friesian. Sometimes that works out. Sometimes it doesn’t
If you are attracted to the breed, find reputable breeders AND reputable trainers that have success competing these horses. Ride a bunch of them. Work around them. Find the one who is suitable for you. Not for anyone here on this board.
Good luck and enjoy
Golden retreievers of the equine world…
We have had four at our barn and I have had the pleasure of riding and working with them for many years. In the past 9 yrs I’ve seen no health related issues, nor fitness problems when kept properly conditioned. Ours ranged from 2nd level to PSG.
In my experiences, they have fantastic temperaments and are quite gentle. I’ve met quick learners and slow learners, they can be food motivated (great for in-hand work!) and they become very bonded with their “person”. As mentioned before, good confirmation and breeding is critical if considering for dressage.
As for training, building a solid canter foundation takes time and they can easily avoid contact with a false frame when not ridden correctly into the bridle, but I’ve been lucky and have few negative things to say about them
If it were me, I’d shave off all the hair and feathers and avoid the upkeep, love the idea of a cross.
I have one, and she’s very kind and generous in her nature. She does have a health issue, but it’s not related to being Friesian.
I shave her legs every two weeks, completely. That takes care of a lot of the grooming issues. The running braid is a lovely thing when prepping for competitions, as it takes only minutes to put in.
However, the breed overall is suited for trot work more than for canter work. Piaffe/passage work is easy, but changes have not been easy, and canter pirouettes have taken and continue to take a lot of time and patience. I think that my mare’s wonderful attitude makes the canter work possible, so we are competing and sometimes winning at PSG, and we are training Inter II. The trot was very hard to sit when I first got her, as she was not connected, and it’s taken 2 years of serious work to establish real connection, but now she’s quite nice to sit.
[QUOTE=netg;8811695]
We discovered she is allergic to alfalfa and hallucinates, and even while hallucinating my mom still managed to ride her until we figured out the problem…[/QUOTE]
Horses can hallucinate!?
I have a Friesian cross. I didn’t seek him out, I bought him mostly as a favor for someone. I’d planned to sell him on and I still really should but…
He’s the kindest horse I’ve ever encountered. And always sound. And athletic. And full of energy. Very handsome. And the world’s easiest keeper. (He’s unrepentantly fat, you can see pics of him here.)
He’s got two half-Friesian parents. Dad is Friesian-KWPN, mum is Friesian-Saddlebred-Arab. Lovely mover, loves to jump, also drives, does not know the meaning of the word ‘evasion’. Despite his calm disposition, he is a LOT of horse to ride, especially in terms of movement and he’s also extremely forward. Yesterday we trotted through a herd of giant wild turkeys in the long grass and he thought that was cool.
I have a Friesian mare that I purchased just last December. I can tell you my experience with her.
Summers are dreadful. Like others, she has anhydrosis, but One AC has saved us. She is 18 and was out of work a year and a half when I got her, so I have been working to get her back into decent shape since I got her. It has been a long, hard road, but she gets better every day. I typically ride 5 days a week.
Temperament wise, she is an anomoly. She loves her person (me), she is gentle and sweet and kind. Not a dominant mare AT ALL, as others have pointed out. She is the only Friesian and at the bottom of the totem pole in our mare pasture and seems to like it that way. She keeps her stall neat and tidy by only peeing and pooping in one back corner. She NEVER goes while in cross-ties. Ever.
We are both basically learning dressage together and its been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. She had no real formal training before me and it took many many months to get her to accept the contact and not constantly fight with me about it. If she spooks at something, it is more a less a sidestep and a few snorts. If she is REALLY uneasy, all it takes is for me to pat her neck and say, “Good girl!” and she will relax. There’s never been a time where I have felt unsafe in the saddle with her. She totally relies on my judgement in unsure situations.
Although we are now dealing with a stifle issue from her being a pasture puff too long, I’ve spoken with 2 previous owners who both told me she’d never been sick a day in all the years they owned her.
It really depends on what you want to do with your horse. If I were ever to purchase another for dressage, though I have no plans to go upper level, I would be sure to purchase one that was already correctly trained in dressage and in top condition.
1 Like
