To counter all of the Friesian haters out there, there are some really lovely ones who are perfect ammy horses. Of course, if you’re buying a poorly bred one, as with any breed, you could get a lemon. I’ve ridden a lot of them and only a couple were difficult to put together. Most of them learned flying changes, and collected work really easily.
I have a fancy PRE now. Hes a nice guy but I’d happily trade him for a good Friesian.
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I don’t think anyone here is hating Friesians, just wouldn’t have them as our first choice. There are exceptions - for better and for worse - within every breed.
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I don’t dislike them. They’re fun horses. A friend has an old fashioned one in her herd of special needs seniors. He was featured in a documentary as one of the last of his line. The first thing you’d notice about him is how slight of stature he is compared to many modern type Friesians. And therein lies the issue.
We get these monster dudes coming into jiu jitsu sometimes that weigh over twice as much as me. All lean muscle mass. On a particularly memorable occasion, I arm barred one of them. He proceeded to biceps curl me (120 lbs) to escape. 
Something I have discovered is that extraordinary muscle mass usually = less than average mobility. Strong as they are, I can rap one out by finishing an omaplata shoulder lock on them, a move that is a pass thru/transition & almost impossible to lock in on most normal-sized people.
Same goes with my draft horses. I’ve legit worried if a Morton 4-stall barn was going to come down around us when one of my 18.1hh Belgian geldings had a temper tantrum about staying in without his brother while he was sick. (106F fever & he was mostly still eating. Just seemed a little “meh”.) They’re designed to go long & low, set against a collar, & roar forward like a 20 ton locomotive. It’s the reason why they tend to snap every cross tie within a 5 mile radius.
They’re slower to mature than smaller horses. Once they hit about 10 or so they basically turn into humans in a horse costume. My old shire gelding got downright agitated once watching me hook a tree stump to the truck with a tow chain:
“Billy, I know what you’re thinking. But this stump isn’t budging. And you’re retired.”
“Imma pull the tree stump for you, mom!” [Leans on pasture gate & bends it clean off its hinges in his haste to join me.]
Some can bend & supple & be light & track under themselves. It isn’t a desirable quality for driving, though, and most aren’t built for it.
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I do know of at least one nice friesian dressage horse, and I have no doubt there are more that can do well. However, I feel like unless you really love friesians you’d be better off getting a horse more naturally suited to dressage. There’s a friesian x at my barn, and I will say that I absolutely love his personality. He’s beautiful and loves people, but he’s totally built like a horse meant to lean into a collar and pull. The canter is a huge struggle for him but he is still fairly green. I personally wouldn’t want to buy a horse for dressage if the natural canter was anything other than decent.
That said, I do know individual PREs that are built from spare parts and have natural movement that borders on hideous. You definitely have to look at the horse in front of you and not JUST their breed.
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Agree that a PRE or a Lusitano could be a good fit. But I would say if all you’ve ever had are warmbloods, you need to go ride and hang out with PRE before you know they are a good fit. They can be so different. Signed as someone who LOVES PRE, and wouldn’t give you $500 for 99.99% of warmblood geldings. I can be won over by WB mares.
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So true!
My problem with the fresian is the straight up and down shoulder - like riding a jackhammer. Not a riding horse, in my opinion, and certainly not a dressage horse.
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I do love the look of Friesians, and everyone I know who owns them is their greatest fan… But I think you need to know what you are getting, it’s not known as a healthy breed!
KER has a good summary of the genetic problems associated with the breed
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The other health-related breeding issue is that during/after WW2 the breed almost became extinct and numbers have been bred up from a very small base.
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Lipizzans, they move through their body, while Iberians mostly are leg movers. Nice breed with a good mind.
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Funny thing about inbreeding and all the problems that happen from a small base, the primary culprit appears to be the human element (you are shocked, I know…)
The exact same thing happened to the Fjord post great wars. I think every modern Fjord traces back to Njal, the population was so decimated after the wars. But when nature is in charge of who makes it and who doesn’t, you get a hardy, tough sound healthy animal. Fjords and Friesians, same start, different endings!
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This would be my process. Putting my various mounts through basic training under my coach’s educated eye.
Competition is not my goal. Learning the art is. I want to learn how to be a better horsewoman. And, if along-the-way one or more of my horses and i rise to the level of skill that is competitive i’ll try a show. My guess is i won’t like it, but who knows?! I have a beauty of a horse that does very well in our lessons…unfortunately she now has EPM. So, back to square one with the next horse. This one is a Standardbred. He LOOKS the part, but he does pace …he has a nice canter, and his walk is a lovely overreaching enthusiastic movement. He can trot, but i’ve never ridden him, so we shall see…
Nope, not at all. Possibly you’ve looked at video of poorly ridden Iberians, and it’s easy to smoosh them together and get an eggbeater.
They don’t swing the same way as warmbloods, but when honestly connected, they are super supple in their backs, and bend very easily.
And, as in other breeds, some lines are bred for one thing, and others another.
Lusitanos have bullfighting lines which are hotter than snot, and all about collection…and other lines which have been bred for dressage and sport other than bullfighting.
I’m not so familiar with the Pre’s, but I know some are “leg flingers”, others not at all.
Jackass Mt Ranch has a hue selection of VERY nice Andelausians and a few Lusitanos.
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huh. Well, i’ll keep looking. Nice to know that such lovely creatures can have the right stuff. I just always thought it was maybe on purpose. That the stiff looking buttoned-up rider sat aboard a stiff looking primly set horse and the legs did all the work…like a duck upon water. And that this was the look they were going for. I stand corrected~ and if you can…link me to a good one!
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Love this. Just makes me smile.
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The short back and the way they move is a challenge and needs effective flat work and training. Sadly not everyone sees the difference between ‘circus’ and dressage. I see too many people riding Iberians who can’t sit a Warmblood with big gaits but feel kissed by the muse now.
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It may also be possible that the WB giant gait can survive some lacklustre schooling where the Iberian needs work to develop the extended gaits.
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If he trots and canters you will be able to get him to do that under saddle, but some take more time than others. If competition is not your primary focus, you will probably enjoy the journey. Dressage training is great for Standardbreds and so many of them are wonderful to work with.
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