Friesian horses

[emipou]

I don’t know why anyone would think they were neurotic. My first experience and every day moving forward has shown me that Friesians have solid sane and sweet personalities. Maybe there is good breeding and bad breeding though?

I echo responses to go through reputable breeders. The good ones are expensive for good reason. Once you are owned by one, there is no turning back.

For a long time I thought my girl was lazy. As it turns out, she is not. I’m just not very good at asking for what I want. Learning how to be more effective and serious in my riding has made a huge difference.

Now bonded, she trusts me. Before that trust was built, she was constantly trying to take care of me. But now she sees that I will take care of her.

On the ground, these horses are very good natured and goofy. Every one I have met is a lover. Every one in our barn (four) demands attention and love. My girl is the most solid horse on the ground I’ve known.

Wonderful horses. Hope one day to be able to own my girl, or a similar Friesian.

[lidador]

I can confirm that “slow twich” does not imply unintelligent or even necessarily slow to learn. While I rode a few friesians regularly that a friend of mine owned (about a decade ago), I didn’t try to do any serious training under saddle with them (though I did see that they were very trainable in hand) so can’t guarantee that the horse I have now is exactly like they are in this way, but 100% all of the things people in this thread are agreeing about with respect to the “friesian brain” (and personality, in fact) aligns exactly with my current Tb (!)

He learns very quickly when the aids are uncluttered, so as the work gets more complex, the rider needs to be more deliberate about what they are asking for to make it clear to him what is wanted. He’s not spooky, goes everywhere, does everything, but when he needs time to process something, he really needs that time. He thinks before he reacts. This is definitely similar to the friesians. We rode in parades and “helped” herd some cows once, and the gelding I was on always had a “hey, that’s cool, let’s go do that” attitude rather than a sleepy “yeah, whatever” attitude.

I never felt like they had difficult trots or canters. They also were forward rides, except the really really fat one. They weren’t specifically sport-bred either.

The manes and tails aren’t too hard to care for. It’s a lot of hair, but you can brush it regularly without worrying about destroying it, unlike arabs whose manes are really fine and need to be hand-picked. And if it’s a big concern, mares and some geldings don’t have obscenely thick manes, so you could add it to your search criteria.

Climate and health issues should be taken seriously, of course, but setting them aside for a moment, friesians are a breed I’d consider owning in the future (also crosses with tbs) and would have no qualms about recommending to other amateurs as dressage mounts, with the caveat about choosing a sport prospect and trainer carefully if they’re aiming for a high level. I’ve spent a lot of time with baroque breeds (and arabs) already, though, and don’t feel breed-loyal to any of them, so in the near future I’m more interested in branching out tbs and warmbloods.

Morgans and cobs are also really nice amateur horses, if the size is a concern.

[emipou]

[QUOTE=yaya;8812324]
I just lost my Friesian mare, one month shy of her 25th birthday.

She had been anhidrotic for the past 10 years or so. Nothing worked with her (although the Equiwinner patch did seem to relieve the panting).

She was the alpha mare in my little herd, but not from being bossy, just because all the geldings were in love with her. One gelding was so attached, I was afraid I would have to put him down and bury him with her if she died first (he died two months before she did). If ever a horse was hard to catch, all I had to do was bring her into the barn, and he would be at the gate wanting to go in (and they weren’t even in the same pasture).

I suspect she had immune system problems. She was allergic to gnats (solved with allergy shots). She got EPM. She ended up with Cushing’s. She forever had crud under her feathers (suspect mites, and treated, but never resolved). Frequent respiratory discharge. Lymphangitis occasionally.

She was so not forward, I often called her backward. She was smart, and caught onto things quickly (saved my ass in a test once when she knew the test better than I did!) Performed at a dressage demonstration after only six rides under saddle, and the trainer who taught her to drive said she was the only horse in 50 years he ever hooked to the cart and went for a drive the very first day. Spookier at home than at shows, but spooking consisted of about three steps, then back to normal. Very non-reactive to whip or spur (sometimes not a good thing). Hard to get to stretch over her back, and curled behind the bit. The thundering noise she made cantering spooked several horses at shows, or made people think there was a loose horse.

Very neat in the stall - one pee spot, one poo spot. Super easy keeper - called her air fern.

Very sweet, and very loving, never once tried to bite or kick, never even threatened. Loved to give hugs with that great big neck. (She was old baroque type.) Great mama, but when it was time to wean, she never looked back (weaning took about 30 seconds for her and her very sweet baby).

Loved her, love the breed, but as long as I live in the Gulf South, will never have another.[/QUOTE]

This is very similar to my mare.

Very smart, sane. Easy keeper. Her stall has a pooh area and a pre area. Alpha mare. Not inclined to be forward but I now know not to call her lazy. She is not anhidrotic. I spent some time working on her fitness and still take her on a lot of hacks up hills and longe her.

I’m rather offended by the person who called them stupid as they are far from that.

My chick is more of a sport build btw. Wander baby with a long neck and long legs and a long barrel.

[beowulf]

dressage bred friesians are very differently built than cart bred; there are plenty of friesians competitive in dressage when bred for it.

iron springs stands quite a few lovely ones.

my experience with them, they are very emotionally intelligent and very sweet horses. i wouldn’t call them stupid, but i think their processing is different than say, a TB’s. they do need to be somewhere moderate in temperature and none of them i’ve met/handled would have been athletic enough for jumping but they were all incredible dressage horses. i’ve only met and handled a few but none were neurotic, but all were very quirky. they reminded me of poodles in that they have their people they are very loyal to, but other people can’t see the good in them.

and they do pee, a lot. it was interesting reading the responses about their stall habits; all the friesians i cared for all had one pee and one poo spot as well. i used to have to go in with a shovel for the urine, but it’d take me less time to pick their stalls over anyone else.

[BlackPearlz]

I’ve been at a training barn with my Friesian for the past 7 years, and I wouldn’t trade her for any other horse in the barn. We’ve had lots of Warmbloods, Andys, TB’s, Arabs, etc. and as MysticOakRanch pointed out, they ALL have their issues. Mine is athletic and forward, but not spooky or goofy at all. Very sweet, very smart and all heart. My next horse will be a Friesian from the same lines. She’s the perfect ammy horse. Hair maintenance is really no big deal. Working with a good trainer is definitely a good idea no matter what breed. She’s now doing very well at FEI levels and got me my silver medal (and half a gold so far!). Negatives would be we do have to take it easy in the heat and give her lots of breaks. Her trot is tough to sit, but that’s made me work on my core strength, which is a good thing! Her stifles can get loose, but if she’s kept in regular work, not an issue. She can get seasonal allergies, but those are fairly manageable too. All-in-all though she’s an amazing horse that is worth her weight in gold! She’s 100% worth any and all of the “issues” she comes with.
Mine doesn’t pee more than any other horse… so weird

[Smthn_Like_Olivia]

So nice to see so many Friesian people with knowledge of their traits that I thought specific only to my horse! I never really realized the canter until someone here mentioned. BIG, heavy, and loud! Lol. When other people are cantering their horses, no big deal. But there are very few times that I’ve cantered her where people haven’t stopped to turn around and watch. We’ve been complimented many times on her canter, but I know for the dressage ring, it needs a lot of work!

[cnm161]

[QUOTE=MysticOakRanch;8812822]
Something I totally don’t understand. Anytime the topic of Friesian horses in dressage comes up, many people have such a negative reaction. And a good percentage of them have never ridden a Friesian, or have ridden ONE. Yet, if someone brings up Andalusians, Thoroughbreds, Haflingers, many of the other “non-Warmblood” breeds for dressage, there is much less push-back. Yet - go through the dressage rankings every year, and there are ALWAYS Friesians in the top 100 at every level through Grand Prix. In spite of it being a rare breed, there are always representatives doing well at each level.

So why do people feel they can’t do dressage? Why do people feel so compelled to say "get something else, even if that “something else” has NO rankings at any FEI level? What is it about this breed that some people just don’t like? I’ve seen a few area trainers with the same feeling - then they rode a Friesian (or a cross), and loved the horse.

When you talk to someone who has dealt with both Friesians and Warmbloods, they will tell you, the Friesian in general is WAY less spooky (and when they spook, it is less dramatic), MUCH friendlier and people oriented, more fun to ride, less fight, more of an attachment. They will be honest in saying they are not as easy to collect and get through (although most riders don’t succeed on that with their Warmbloods either), but will go on to say still more fun and less pushback then the Warmblood. So why do Warmblood riders/breeders have such a dislike of the breed? Why do you think Iron Springs Farm started breeding Friesians?

I could list all the horrible experiences my friends have had with their Warmbloods - would that mean all Warmbloods are a disaster? If I really go through the list, it would appear so! Neuro issues, disasterous riding and handling injuries (athletic broncs!), lameness, colic, OCD, the list goes on and on. So why do Friesians attract all the negative attention?[/QUOTE]

Every breed has something-- (general) you’re sensitive to Friesians because it’s your breed. If (general) you had QHs, you’d be sensitive to their HYPP/western pleasure lope/whatever else stereotypes. Same goes for arabs and TBs and etc, etc.

Similar to gypsy vanners, the Friesian has a certain farts-rainbows-and-butterflies magical thinking following. That doesn’t make the breed bad but it does color some of their perception. They also rose to popularity quickly and were expensive for their level of training and some may argue for their dressage potential.

[suzy]

This is a great thread! I knew nothing about Friesians until almost two years ago when a friend bought one and left her at my farm to train. I think she had been “man-handled” prior to our getting her as she was very head shy and would panic if I reached to pat her neck while leading her to/from paddock. Now that she has adopted me and another woman in the barn, this is rarely an issue, and she is very affectionate. It took a bit of time to teach her to stretch into the contact and lift her back, but now that she has it figured out, it’s easy.

We keep her legs clipped to avoid scratches and her mane pulled to keep her cooler in the summer and tidier. She is on allergy meds as she was tearing out huge chunks of hair with her teeth when she first arrived. As others have said, some Freisians have weak stifles. This mare stumbled behind frequently (and sometimes very hard) when she first arrived, so we do cavaletti work and lots of transitions between and within gaits to help. The stumbling is rare now and minor.

This horse is also immaculate in her stall, and you can ride all three gaits without spilling a single crop (er, drop) of your martini. What’s not to love!

[MelanieC]

There have been some at my barn, two purebreds and an Arab/Friesian cross. The cross is an active, quick guy, but he takes almost entirely after the Arab side and is basically a black Arab with a plain head. The purebreds are extremely sweet, devoted horses, and I have an Arabian so I don’t say that lightly. They’re not my type of horse physically and all the hair would drive me insane, but I value having a personal relationship with my horse and they definitely make that connection.

My Arab goes out in a group of four geldings: him, another Arabian, a Thoroughbred, and a really big Friesian. The Friesian is probably about 16.2 and built like a truck. And even though he has trouble keeping up sometimes, whenever they get into mischief or start playing, the Friesian is ALWAYS the instigator. He has a ton of personality and is so, so handsome, and when my trainer rides him he looks truly spectacular under saddle. His ammy owner, who IMO has not made the personal connection with him I think he craves, has a much harder time with him. I don’t think he is naturally athletic and his size does not help. I don’t know if he has any health problems but I have read that they are short-lived and disease-prone, which is why the breed was never on my list when I was shopping for a horse. That said, I don’t think the guy my gelding goes out with has been sick since I’ve known him, and it’s been a couple of years.

It is definitely true that when they start cantering, it can sound like the cavalry is coming and there is hair all over the place. The first time we were in the indoor at the same time as the big guy, every other horse in there startled when he began to canter. We are all used to it now though. We did not have that experience with a Friesian mare who used to board with us, but she is much more petite and lighter on her feet than the big guy.

[Romily_Bernard]

OMG, I love mine. She’s a Georgian Grande out of Ohio. Was super cheap and completely untouched. First time I went in her stall, she bolted, but she always went around me so I figured she was probably fairly kind. I had no idea. The mare is the kindest, easiest, most darling horse imaginable. She LOVES her people. She will go to her knees for children. It’s hilarious.

She’s an air fern. Also hallucinates on alfalfa. Picks up stuff super fast. VERY eager to please. Not the best canter in the world, but she tries so hard we just work on it.

Also not the bravest horse in the world. Cross country worries her, but she’ll do it because I asked.

Goes barefoot and hasn’t taken an off step in the six years I’ve owned her. Slight issues with sweating in summer, but not enough to concern our vet. For reference, we live 30 minutes south of Atlanta.

I shave off all her feathers and keep her mane short because I’m lazy.

She’s also fairly petite, which I like because I’m short too. I don’t think she hit 16 hands.

I really enjoy her. Every day is good day for Tempi. We’re schooling 2nd and she’ll hop around a 3 ft course no problem.

[Romily_Bernard]

Oh and she only pees/poops in one spot in her stall and NEVER lies in it, and the time the fence fell down (long story) and the other horses ran around like idiots, Tempi stood inside the broken paddock waiting for the barn owner.

I don’t want to make her out to be a Majikal Unicorn, but WOW has she been good to me.

[Tanyanoel]

Pros and Cons…

Pros - They are beautiful, the few I have been around in our bar can be lovely to be around who have adoring owners, they are built heartily and are not hot horses which is great for amateurs!

Cons - As far as a dressage goes, can they do it - sure, but for the ones I have seen (I am sure this does not apply to all!) their natural build and way of going makes them have to work much harder than other horses in our barn and that makes VERY hard work for an amateur.

So, if you are someone with a passion for dressage please do yourself a huge favor and buy a horse that has the conformation to do it easily, it is hard enough as an amateur without having to start at a disadvantage.

If however you love the breed (I mean they are GORGEOUS) and the possible dressage limitations will not bother you too much then go for it!!! Life is short, buy the horse you love but be sure to do do with open eyes and realistic expectations of the horse and yourself and it’ll be a great match!

[Dbliron]

My mare is hot. Most of the Friesians I’ve known have been hot. I think that because they look (and sound) drafty, the perception is that they are insensitive and on the lazy side. My experience has been quite the opposite - if anything they try too hard and get tight and explosive because of it.

My coach, who’s Dutch and rides GP on his own horses in Holland, recently was sent a Friesian gelding for training. He agrees, the Friesian is hot and tries very very hard. He was also surprised by how trainable they are, they really work at learning. The difficult thing as a trainer is to not overwhelm them, because they just don’t know how to say “no”.

[redhorse5]

Mine is the sweetest horse but he is truly low functioning. His canter is like a derailing freight train, he had serious bolting isses as a youngster, and the only compliment he got was that he was very straight. (That was because he never did learn how to turn). Honestly after 10 years in the same paddock he could not find the gate. I have had him for 20 years now and we all love him but really… He was in training with a trainer who would have put a saddle on a frog if the owner had paid the bills and they sent him home because he was untrainable. He is sound of course. Never a lame step.

[Scribbler]

I got to watch a harness demo with at least a dozen Friesians all in the arena at once, driving patterns in one horse, two horse, tandem, and even a four horse carriage. Interesting that although they were all the same height and pretty identical, the loft and suspension of their gaits varied a lot even between the same team from the same breeder.

As harness horses, they are spectacular. From what I’ve seen of them as riding horses, I feel like they tend to be too narrow, to have a high head carriage that doesn’t necessarily correlate to collection under saddle, and not loads of ability to collect in the hind end. But then I like Andalusians, that often don’t look like much until they start to move, and have all the western as well as the advanced dressage moves almost innately (I was recently watching my coach ride a youngster whose idea of really being bad was to do canter pirouettes).

I haven’t seen enough riding-bred Friesians to have a clear idea of how they compare to the harness Friesians, which are a small but visible niche market here, which I think might be due to there being a Dutch community out in our farming areas.

[GraceLikeRain]

They aren’t my breed of choice and that’s after riding a handful and knowing a few dozen. Overall, their personalities seem to be sweet and inquisitive. As a result, most I know are allowed to be pushy and insistent, my two biggest pet peeves.

Under saddle most have felt like trying to drive an eager bus. They are more than willing to do what is asked but had a heck of a time connecting back to front. Most trainers and riders that I’ve known have pushed them too fast because they can fake a false connection. Even at nationals last year I recall seeing a horse or two go around that didn’t appear to have any connection.

I’ve personally known three friesian sport horses (warmblood or TB crosses). Two out of the three I ran rather than walked away from due to absolutely nasty personalities (dominant bordering on aggressive). The third was very challenging but ultimately has much more of the good-natured friesian demeanor. Three isn’t an adequate sample size but it is weird that all three came from radically different background but had similar very challenging dispositions.

[Derbyhorse]

Wonderful responses! Thank you!

[keepersmom]

Friesians were actually one of the last horses I was interested in when I was looking for a horse last year but I ended up buying a gorgeous buckskin Friesian/QH cross. He is extremely well put together and has a really nice canter and no high knee action. He can be like riding a sloth though!!! That is the hardest thing about him. It can take forever to get him going but once you get his engine started he is really nice and forward. He is super stubborn and I think has a bit of a split personality. He is super curious and comes to see you and seems really sweet sometimes, other times he can border on aggressive. He will charge at me on the lunge line or when I’m out in the field and will chase after the barn cat and try to stomp him. And he can be really grumpy and will pin his ears while grooming him, other times he is really relaxed and loves to be groomed. I chalk that more up to him being gelded at 4 than a breed characteristic though.

[SillyHorse]

[QUOTE=Romily Bernard;8813435]
Oh and she only pees/poops in one spot in her stall and NEVER lies in it, and the time the fence fell down (long story) and the other horses ran around like idiots, Tempi stood inside the broken paddock waiting for the barn owner.[/QUOTE]
That is so sweet!

[yaya]

@Romily Bernard;8813435

Oh and she only pees/poops in one spot in her stall and NEVER lies in it, and the time the fence fell down (long story) and the other horses ran around like idiots, Tempi stood inside the broken paddock waiting for the barn owner.

When Hurricane Katrina knocked trees down onto my wire fences, I just left them there until the rest of the trees in the yard got cleaned up. I knew that none of my horses (only one of which was the Friesian) were ambitious enough to try to climb through the branches to get out, although it would have been easy. Then when I finally did get them removed, I put up temporary fencing with T-posts and plastic zip ties. They lasted for months, because luckily my horses never tested the fencing.

The two times I had horses get out of their stalls, where were they found? With their heads inside the Friesian’s stall, of course. They all loved her.