I see on other thread that some people really don’t like draft crosses. Is a Friesian a draft horse? I think it is not a warmblood, but not draft horse either so I don’t know. I am considering a Friesian Sporthorse to breed, this is what they call the crosses is sporthorse not warmblood. What is the difference between sporthorse / warmblood?
Thank you
I think alot of people like draft crosses, they just aren’t a BREED of warmblood horse. Friesians are a weird catagory. The FPS considers them a warmblood breed, as their stock has been bred true for centuries, but the foundation stock were carriage and agriculture horses with heavy spanish infuence(hot blood). They are certianly not a draft breed, and it kind of irritates me that some people believe this despite no evidence of them being true cold blooded horses. I think most just put them in the catagory of Baroque breed. Hope this helps.
I’ve always heard them referred to as “carriage horses” as opposed to draft horses. Don’t know if that helps you, just what I’ve heard.
Interesting…I don’t know much about them.
I remember someone telling me they are considered a light draft,but I never knew if this was correct.
[QUOTE=chicki;2221209]
I think alot of people like draft crosses, they just aren’t a BREED of warmblood horse. Friesians are a weird catagory. The FPS considers them a warmblood breed, as their stock has been bred true for centuries, but the foundation stock were carriage and agriculture horses with heavy spanish infuence(hot blood). They are certianly not a draft breed, and it kind of irritates me that some people believe this despite no evidence of them being true cold blooded horses. I think most just put them in the catagory of Baroque breed. Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]
I do not see how ANYone could ever watch one of these horses ‘in motion’ and come to any conclusion that they are of any draft influence. 
They scream Romanesque Arabian… if that makes any sense. yslvia
Friesians, Lipizzans, Cleveland Bays and a few others are placed in a category of their own. They are neither warmbloods, draft horses, or the lighter breeds like TBs.
A arther large Warmblood encyclopedia book came out a few years ago with the preface explaining why these breeders are not warmbloods. It is mostly due to the fact these breeders have “closed” or virtually closed stud books.
Gabrielle
Texas USA
“gabriellemg” is right. Many breeds do not really fall into these strict categories.
Breeds that are not accepted into Warmblood breeding are by definition not Warmbloods. However that does not automatically make them drafts etc.
For example a Lusitano is not a Warmblood but this does not make him into a draft etc.
In every literature I’ve ever read and in every conversation with anyone who was connected in with the Fresian horse, they have considered them coldbloods. That doesn’t necessarily mean “draft” just that they are a cold blood breed.
[QUOTE=tri;2222690]
In every literature I’ve ever read and in every conversation with anyone who was connected in with the Fresian horse, they have considered them coldbloods. That doesn’t necessarily mean “draft” just that they are a cold blood breed.[/QUOTE]
This was probably undoubtably true of the original Friesians, but even old sources describe them as a “light coldblood” . Others say they are not a coldblood. Others say that they are … Draft definately not by my definition, but they definately aren’t Warmbloods (or even 'w’armbloods ) or “hotbloods”
They don’t really fit into either category properly, a bit like the Cleveland Bay too.
It’s such a distinctive and unique breed that I personally don’t think it is necessarily fitting to try and fit them into any of the common “pidgeon-holes” as they don’t comfortably fit into any of them properly.
I think that is just an American perception - that “cold” blood automatically means draft. In europe, it doesn’t. There are many “cold” blood horses and ponies that were used as haulers, carriage horses, etc but don’t have the draft (front end loaded engine) that americans attribute to anything considered coldblooded.
I can’t even imagine a Friesian pulling a plow. They are very elegant carriage horses that some people are tweaking to make dressage horses. I would call them carriage or sport horses.
Well, I just say warmblood because they originated from a heavier stock and then were heavily infused with hot(spanish) blood in the 1600’s and bred true from then on. Fhana and the FPS classify them as warmblood, although, yeah they aren’t a warmblood breed in the traditional sense,it’s just that their breeding hints at it. Trakehners are warmblooded horses and have a pretty closed studbook…ie you can’t use any other warmblood in there. Anyways, there is nothing in the horses breeding lineage that suggest cold blood…which essentially means what it says…COLD blood…lack of HOT blood, which is not the case for friesians if you read the history links below.
I agree they are hard to classify…baroque breed probably makes the most sense. However, there is nothing about their history or looks that says cold blooded, so I am not sure if it is just the feathers on the legs or what. There are alot of misconceptions about the breed, and this is probably the most common one. People always think too that they were originally bred for pulling and they were not.
As a side note, I noticed in the last months issue of dressage today in the breed profile article they were classified as a warmblood breed …I think people are starting to look into it more and realize feathers dont automatically equal cold blood.
Here are some good links to friesian history:
The first is an excerpt from the FPS…the governing book for the breed.
http://friesian-crazy.tripod.com/historicnotes.html
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/friesian.html#hist
http://www.knappfriesians.com/SPECTACULAR/New/history.html
http://www.friesianexchange.com/index.asp?cat=75980
I guess it boils down to what you consider a cold blood. To me, something that has this much hot influence is not a cold blood…what they actually are…hmmm, well that is more difficult to say:)
[QUOTE=Tiki;2222775]
I can’t even imagine a Friesian pulling a plow. They are very elegant carriage horses that some people are tweaking to make dressage horses. I would call them carriage or sport horses.[/QUOTE]
Coldblood does not mean “should pull a plough” !
Why not just call them Friesians then everyone knows what it means?
"The Friesians are a cold-blooded horse. The original foundation Friesians can be traced back to a cold-blooded native forest horse. The remains of such a horse have been unearthed in the Fries an area of North Holland. "
"Here breed considered cold bloods:
American Cream Draft
Belgian Heavy Draft
Black Forest Chestnut
Clydesdale
Friesian
Haflinger
Noriker
Percheron
Poitevin
Shire
Suffolk Punch
Swedish Ardennes "
These are just a couple of cut & pastes regarding the Friesian. There are many more if you do a basic search on the internet.
I don’t think anyone said they are plow horses!
Like I said…common misperception. Common sense tells me that if I bred my heavier type horse to an andalucian and then bred that one to another cross of the same…I wouldn’t have a cold blood. I don’t know what it is…but it aint a cold blood. I know lots of people think this way…it is all over the internet. But my sources are from FPS and FHANA and quite frankly I beleive them to be the authority on the breed that they invented and save from extinction.
Ha…they are even listed as a breed on draftsforsale.com.:lol.
Just read the breed history…if that sounds like a coldblood to you…then ok, I guess you can call them that, but it don’t make an ounce of sense to me…or other authorities on the breed.
Wait…I thought the definition of draft is any horse that can be bred with a Saddlebred and called a Georgian Grande
A light draft breed.Doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful or that they need to pull a plow- it is just the classification that they are given.
[QUOTE=ADW;2225320]
A light draft breed.Doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful or that they need to pull a plow- it is just the classification that they are given.[/QUOTE]
I agree, Friesians are a light draft breed.
They are different from the breeds I consider heavy harness breeds, the Cleveland Bay, Hackney Horse, Gelderlander, Groningen and Dutch Harness Horse (and some now extinct types like the old style Oldenburg, the East Friesian, the French Trotter and Norfolk Trotter), with different heritage then this set of breeds who are all interrelated over the last 200 years.
[QUOTE=Renae;2225348]
(and some now extinct types like the old style Oldenburg, the East Friesian, the French Trotter and Norfolk Trotter), .[/QUOTE]
The “AltOldenburger” is not extinct yet - there is a small but very dedicated bunch of breeders who keep it alive
[QUOTE=Waterwitch;2224893]
Wait…I thought the definition of draft is any horse that can be bred with a Saddlebred and called a Georgian Grande :D[/QUOTE]
:lol: Lol Waterwitch, this made me laugh out loud, as I immediately “got” it. By this definition then, a Friesian would most definitely be a draft horse, lol :winkgrin: .
More on topic, I have Friesian Sport Horses (crosses), which I think is as accurate of a name for them as any, and it avoids the warmblood/Warmblood issue entirely.
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