Friesians tend to be pretty hot, as well as the DHH. Combined with their extravagant knee action it doesn’t make an easy ride. I get the concept, combine size and knee action for a flashy half arab, but they seem to make better main ring horses for pros than dressage horses for ammys.
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🤣😂
I keep seeing this claim, and every Friesian or Friesian cross I have known (close to 20) has preferred sleep to every action besides eating.
Now, my mom’s mare hallucinates on alfalfa, so if you had seen her when we were figuring that out you might have thought she was hot, since she was running away from monsters all the time. 😂🤣
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My mare was like this. I used to say she was so not forward she moved backward! Of course, she was the heavier old style (born 1991), before they really went flashy. She was actually less spooky at shows than she was at home (apparently my arena had monsters in one corner). Miss her - she died a month before her 26th birthday.
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Im glad you piped up! I was scratching my head. I haven’t had my hands on nearly as many Friesians as you have, but the few I’ve known were all really easy to get along with!
My personal horse is a Friesian cross and if he was any more amateur friendly he’d be a stuffed toy. He is nice and forward and his trot is pretty flashy. When I first started him under saddle he trotted like he was shooting for a western pleasure career, but a bit of clicker training got him motivated. He’d follow me to hell for an apple. Complete cuddle bug for grooming and hanging out with. He jumps cute too. I’d say he’s the ideal amateur horse. Sure he’s a bit more to sit than a QH, but brain wise he’s tops.
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I’ve owned several Arabians, and find them no more or less spooky than any other breed. I’ve found the major difference is the Arabian WARNS you before they spook. You usually get several steps before they spook, giving you time to react. My Arab x ASB is the hottest horse in the barn, but I’ve never had a spook I didn’t know about 3 strides in advance. This goes with 95% of the ones I’ve ridden/owned. I’ve had one totally out of nowhere spook in 9 years with Arabians, and it was a bird flying into the side of their head.
The Friesians I’ve interacted with and ridden DO have great temperaments, but the movement can be too powerful for many amateurs to ride comfortably. A timid ammy won’t feel confident riding that much power.
Arab/Friesian crosses are hit and miss. They’re either absolutely wonderful, or utter train wrecks conformationally.
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My children grew up on Arabians because they were the safest ones around as opposed to my Welsh which were far too powerful and reactive to trust with my children. One exception was my foundation mare to my breeding program (welsh cob); so, the key to every breed is assessing the individual. I also have known more than one Friesian that has been so accommodating to their ammi owner that they deserved sainthood. Yet I think we can find reasons for every breed or individual to not be a great match for ‘someone’.
I spent decades researching, then breeding Friesians and Friesian crosses (and a few Warmbloods), and I have only met ONE hot Friesian. I know of ONE specific line that tends toward hot. So I’m curious, how many have you dealt with over the years? Because this is NOT what the breed standard is. I’ve seen several people learn to ride on Friesians, because they had such kind, tolerant temperaments. And several people who have ended up with a Friesian cross after trying a lot of different horses that were just TOO MUCH for them. So I’m seriously curious as to where this misconception comes from? The registries all discuss the gentle nature of the horse. The biggest reason I started breeding Friesian crosses (my personal cross was to Warmbloods) was for the kind, gentle nature of the breed?
Knee action (which they don’t all have) doesn’t make for a hard ride? Many of them are quite comfortable. Some (not all) struggle with collection and flying changes, so for a mid to upper level horse, they aren’t always the best choice, although many do make it to the FEI levels.
I am not sure how many Friesians you have met in your life, but hot is not a descriptor I would use! I agree, the DHH tends toward hot, although as I stated, there are exceptions. Many Warmbloods tend toward hot, especially the Dutch. Arabians also tend toward hot. And of course, Tbreds tend toward hot. And of course, there are many exceptions to the rule. But the Friesian does NOT tend to be hot - again, there are exceptions, but the breed standard is for a very gentle, kind horse. Sometimes they are TOO quiet.
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My experience with Welsh Cobs is limited to my half-cob, and two other (purebred) in the area, and both are quite hot and spooky. Actually, mine can be lazy or hot, depending on his mood, but he’s always spooky. But - I have had a lot of experience with Welsh Mountain Ponies - everyone had them when I was growing up, and they were as steady and easy as can be. And a friend of mine had a lovely Welsh B stallion that they bred quite a bit - he had the best temperament, you could put little kids on him. And they had a few mares, same thing - barely broke (broodies), but so easy going. So even with Welsh, I would say the cobs are a whole different thing, as I’m sure you would agree. The ponies seem to be a different temperament type - it is like the cobs are a whole 'nother breed. Both in physical attributes and temperament - AND suitability for different sports. The ponies tend to be great little hunters - while the cobs tend to be dressage or driving horses. We see them in Combined driving sometimes - which is for the hot and high energy, although spooky isn’t helpful!
I had an Arab that was as sweet and steady as can be, and I know a few others like that too - Arabians are super popular in my region (California), but a LOT, LOT, LOT of them are super hot and super spooky. Especially if they have any halter breeding in their lines. I think the old lines (pre-halter) tend to be easier horses. We see a lot of them doing endurance too - many of those horses would flunk out of other disciplines, but put them on steep, hard terrain, and ride them for many miles, and all of a sudden that hot becomes super useful! There was a breeder in the area that started breeding his (halter bred) mares to a Friesian stallion to cool them down, and created a few lovely crosses. We just see a LOT of Arabians in CA - the Arab show circuit is alive and well here.
I always chuckle when I read smaller/ammy friendly. My 15.1 hand Hungarian/Hano cross is now easy-tempered at 15, is working the GP, but was a handful to bring up. We cleared many a warm up in his youth. My 17 hand 6 yo youngster is the poster child for rideability and sensibility.
It is well known among welsh breeders that there is a definite difference and focus between the cobs and A & B ponies in general. Arabians are definitely not a minority in Arizona the state of the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. I would agree that the halter lines tend to be more ‘sensitive and reactive’ as opposed to Polish, Crabbet and Spanish lines. The same can even be said about Morgans with respect to those with more sensitivity and reactive nature (spook prone) and those known to be more steady eddy worker bee types. I think this can be repeated with most breeds including many draft and even trakehners. I think my point is that there are often distinct ‘types’ within breeds and no one type should paint the whole breed. If one wants to narrow their search (not always a good idea) you choose a breed or sport type whose breeding standard holds the majority of physical attributes you want or need and then do the research to determine which bloodlines within that registry have the highest chance of producing the disposition/temperament/trainability/drive you desire or do best with.
Very true that size does NOT equate “Ammy-friendly”. Also true that within the breeds there are distinct types, which often include temperament. Many years ago, a bunch of middle aged dressage ladies bought welsh cobs because they were small, flashy, and there was a very successful cob breaking into the FEI levels. That didn’t work out so well, because lots of those cobs were hot little pistols (the breeders call them “dragons”). Not all cobs are super-charged, but many are.
Now a large section “B” is a different story altogether :), since they are bred to be children’s riding ponies, in contrast to the cobs, which were not. However, I own a large B (14.2) who is NOT a children’s pony…so you really do have to look at the individual.
Given that there is always variation within a breed, the Friesians I have known tended to be on the lazy side. One of their appeals was that they could look flashy yet be very manageable for a lower-level rider. The issues the owners I have known had were more about being honestly forward rather than faking in a frame. But they could look impressive and “hot” while not really being hot, which their owners really enjoyed. The only hot one I knew was a cross, so not sure where the temperament came from.
My Morgan with mostly show lines was a bit hot and spooky in his youth. Even as he got older, he could be reactive to unexpected things - like a butterfly! My current Morgan with mostly foundation lines is much less spooky. And when he is concerned, it is honest and understandable. Still he can be hot in a forward sense. We have worked on reducing his athletic startle (and spin!).
We have one. He’s a 6 year old, with good scores at 3rd level and lots of potential for more. He’s been produced only by an AA. Priced low for his accomplishments and has a lease option. We can’t get anyone to come look at him- why, he’s a TB! He is an AA dream horse and people inquire but once they read that he is a TB say things like ‘oh- I’m only considering Warmbloods’ and disappear. It’s really a shame.
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PM sent. I have the perfect horse
