Friesians

[Jetta]

Please tell me everything I need to know about riding a Friesian! Good and bad. :)

[FriesianX]

Well, Friesians are just like any other sport horse type - they are all a bit different :winkgrin: If you are looking for "general" statements, I'll say, generally (and this does not apply to ALL of them - each horse is an individual):

They have fabulous minds - they desire to please, and to do well for their people perhaps more than any horse you could ever imagine! I think this is one reason they are becoming so popular - they have incredible personality and really bond with people.

They don't tend to be spooky in the traditional sense - they tend to be looky - they can grow a very LONG, upright neck when they need to see something. But generally, not much more than that. (although there are a few bloodlines I tend to avoid because they are spookier than others).

Many need to learn to be QUICK behind - don't be afraid to take them out galloping, take them over ground poles, get someone to help with ground work to keep them quick.

They tend to have a lovely carriage that fools a lot of people - they need to learn to reach over their backs - long and low is good for many Friesians to get them into a different MO. Once they get that, poll high is easy! For a beginner rider who doesn't really desire to climb the levels - that natural "carriage" can help them win ribbons quickly :yes:

Getting their hind ends underneath them can be another challenge - some are quite out behind (others are quite under behind - and they seem to be in either one or the other category).

Conditioning can take longer than it might with your typical Warmblood - getting them fit and building up stamina. They are a breed that also may need grain to help "pump them up" a bit.

Another warning - they tend to be very STOIC horses - they don't show pain or discomfort until it is very strong, so realize if your Friesian says it hurts, it probably REALLY hurts.

If you are looking for one for dressage - make sure you find one with a good walk and canter - certain bloodlines tend to have three good gaits, others don't. Of course, there are exceptions within all the bloodlines, but be aware going into it, the canter needs to be carefully assessed.

Sabine Schutt-Kerry wrote a great article on riding Friesians about a year ago - all very useful information. I think Jane Savoie has also put out some good information on riding them.

I'll warn you - I'm no trainer, and most of what I ride is actually Friesian CROSSES, but I have a few friends who train Friesians and have quite a bit of success with them in the show ring, both of them rode a lot of Warmbloods, and both of whom far prefer the kind mind of the Friesian. If you are one who likes a hot, sensitive horse, you probably WON'T like the Friesian - everyone has a different preferred type of horse ;) If you like the quieter horse who is very people oriented, you may totally fall in love!

[Hopscotch]

Good post by FriesianX. It seems like a lot of people lump all friesians into the same category whereas you don't see this with other breeds. My Friesian tends to be a little lazy but I would rather that than crazy! I found a trainer who also owns a Friesian and that has made a huge difference.

[Ambrey]

If you're going to ride a Friesian in dressage, you MUST check out Jane Savoie's stuff! Her personal horse is a Friesian and he's fabulous :)

[Jane Savoie]

Thanks Ambrey! Yeah, he's a very special guy. --a real volunteer who loves his job and is as sweet as he is beautiful. I'm very lucky! :):)

[Ride On]

I own a Friesian and it is the most wonderful horse. He is my partner and will try his heart out for me. Friesian X summed up the Friesian pretty well in her post.

[Thomas_1]

Friesian X summed it up o.k. ish except she forgot to mention one of the most important things.

Tch tch tch how could she.

They make fantastic light harness horses. I think I've driven them in every combination possible and for quite a few years I drove a team of stallions. Very well behaved and very easy to manage.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/flodden_edge/Driving/freisianpair0009.jpg

[birdsong]

Friesian X summed it up o.k. ish except she forgot to mention one of the most important things.

Tch tch tch how could she.


They make fantastic light harness horses. I think I've driven them in every combination possible and for quite a few years I drove a team of stallions. Very well behaved and very easy to manage.

Thomas...you simply live my dream life!!

[columbus]

The range of Friesians is very wide and some are great dressage horses. You need to know what you are looking for...look at a lot of Friesians performing and ask where their horse came from. There have been a lot of people breeding Friesians and not all of them understand the conformation problems of Friesians for dressage. If a Friesian is less expensive there is usually a good reason. Well bred dressage type Friesians are still higher priced.

I breed Irish Draughts and I have gotten a few calls on my Irish Draughts from people who find their Friesians harder to ride than they had guessed and not suitable for their kids and families. There are some big bouncy Friesian trots out there and you may need a healthy back and an experienced seat to enjoy them and if you don't buy a good canter they have a difficult canter to improve.

I have found judges to be very tough on the Friesian or rather the common Friesian problems. I don't think this is wrong but it means you really need to understand coming from behind and preventing them from curling. That said they are charming and pretty easy to live with. Watch for stifle problems and weak loins. If you buy a future breeding horse there are fertility issues though all I have know had great semen and easy to get in foal mares...I have seen more foal loss than other breeds. Friesians are a passion for their people. PatO

[thatmoody]

Colic. Because of the stoicism problem that FriesianX mentioned, colic can be particularly dangerous for the breed. They are stoic, and often you don't know how sick they are till they are very sick. They also tend to have weak abdominal walls, and ours herniated after a previous colic surgery. That said, ours has the hugest trot I've ever ridden, and he is fantastic! His canter is also nice and balanced (he received very high scores on his canter at his inspection, which is nice). I love his personality, and he's definitely the barn rock star.

As far as training, he is very easy to get behind the bit, but he is much more of an ammie ride than our Andalusian stallion. He's hot, but in a more manageable way. Many of them seem to have kind of a pseudo-hotness. A lot of snort and flash but no real fireworks. The size, however, makes ours a freight train if you don't stay ahead of him. We are just bringing him back after 3 months of stall rest after his hernia surgery, and he is really out of shape!

[ddashaq]

I have only ridden a couple of frieisans, but found them to be a very kind, willing, and trainable breed. The ones I rode had very lofty gaits, but were still quite easy to ride. I don't know if that is typical of the breed, or if the fellow who owned them had picked them out for the bigger, flashier gaits since he does a lot of demos on them. My husband works for one of the friesian associations, so we have learned a lot about them. I would love to buy one, but they are sooo expensive!:)

[Couture TB]

I have ridden a few and I find that they have very good minds, but most have problems at canter work. You have to remember they are bred for cart.

As for the Fresian crosses I know 2 stallions that stand at stud and cover quite a few mares and I have only ever seen a handful that do not have rear end problems. You have to remember the stallions that cross out of the breed are not the quality stallions.


That said I did have a chance to ride a Grand Prix Friesian once and he was a blast, BUT his trainer said that they had to really keep him in shape and work on his butt muscles to do the work that warmbloods and TBs find easier.

[Thomas_1]

Friesians are light harness horses and as such are put to a light carriage.

They're not heavy cart horses at all.

The breed is known for fast, high-stepping trot but forward trot and that in particular is what makes them very showy light harness horses.

There a willing, active, and energetic horse that tends to have great presence and they carry themselves very proudly.

I'm just not recognising what some folks are describing in this thread now.

Subject to colic????? Never had one colic yet.

Problem back ends????? NO WAY!

Problem in canter!?? You're having a laugh!

[columbus]

Not laughing. Locked stifles are pretty obvious. Certainly these were not the best Friesians in the world...but they were breeding crossbreds. Friesians have been very popular in the States and they were imported often without regard to good structure. Mane length...yes...but not necessarily structure. Can you find good well made Friesians with three good working gaits...certainly. Shop smart. PatO

[Ambrey]

Look at the awful canter on this Friesian. Terrible, I think she should give up on him. I'll take him off her hands ;)

http://www.janesavoie.com/images/moshi/Moshi_frontpage.jpg

(www.janesavoie.com)

[Couture TB]

I didn't mean that EVERY one of them has those issues. It is just one of the things to watch for when shopping for a friesian, as they were bred as you stated for light harness. Every horse benifits from dressage, as I think every rider does. It is just all about realizing what needs to be worked on and what a certain horse/breed's weakness can be.

[Arizona DQ]

Look at the awful canter on this Friesian. Terrible, I think she should give up on him. I'll take him off her hands ;)

http://www.janesavoie.com/images/moshi/Moshi_frontpage.jpg

(www.janesavoie.com)

Awww. Jane can make ANY horse look great. :D My BF has a Friesian. While I like the breed, I am very short and he pretty much ignores my leg (probably my fault not his). :eek:

[thatmoody]

Friesians are light harness horses and as such are put to a light carriage.

They're not heavy cart horses at all.

The breed is known for fast, high-stepping trot but forward trot and that in particular is what makes them very showy light harness horses.

There a willing, active, and energetic horse that tends to have great presence and they carry themselves very proudly.

I'm just not recognising what some folks are describing in this thread now.

Subject to colic????? Never had one colic yet.

Problem back ends????? NO WAY!

Problem in canter!?? You're having a laugh!

No no no, I'm not saying they're any more subject to colic than any other horse (we live in Florida, land of sand colic, so we DO tend to have more cases anyway) but that when they colic, it's harder to recognize the symptoms. And stoicism varies from horse to horse anyway - I have a VERY stoic TB, and I worry about him, as well.

And ours canters quite well, and has LOTS of energy - I just find that it's a "softer" energy than some of our other horses.

[slc2]

My friend's two go out in the night in summer, and they do indeed suffer in the heat if she isn't careful; she said she got a very angry lecture from the breeder when she complained about their lack of heat tolerance. The breeder insisted that you cannot change that, and the owner must accomodate that very consciously and carefully. I think fitness does help, but the bottom line is a dark horse with a lot of hair on it, and they tend to carry more flesh and muscle than 'radiator' type horses. It's different here from where they came from. Our American climate can go to extremes and temperatures can increase very rapidly.

[Daatje]

I've owned my mare for 8 years (since she was 6 months old) and worked at a Friesian import barn prior to that.

Here is what I have learned about riding the Friesian. :)

They have big trots, some are smooth to sit, some not so smooth. Individual conformation plays a bit part here.

My mare didn't develop a nice canter until last year (7 years old). We did lots, and lot and lots of work on it. It take a long time for them to learn to use their bodies in that way.

They are very easy to ride in a false frame. Getting them to stretch that carriage horse neck out and down is almost harder than developing a good canter!!! :)

They overheat, VERY easily and are incredibly difficult to get fit. They don't get a second wind. Plan on bodyclipping all summer long if you are in a warm climate. It makes cooling off much easier for them.

They are like big black labrador retrievers.....sweet, loving, devoted. My mare is truly my best friend. She tries her heart out for me to the best of her ability.

On a healthcare note, and I didn't see this mentioned.......be VERY watchful of the skin condition on their lower legs, especially the hinds. Friesians are VERY prone to chorioptic mange mites and most of them have them. This causes skabby, bloody, itchy pasterns and is detrimental to the horses health. If you suspect this condition, it is necessary to shave the back of the pastern and treat the skin with Frontline Spray (fipronil) once a month. This keeps them at bay and your Friesian happy and comfortable.

I have had many, many friends lose their Friesians to colic. I don't know if this means they are more prone to it or not, but it is something to be aware of in any horse, regardless of breed.

I've ridden many, many of these wonderful horses, and they are quite special. If you every have any specific questions about them, feel free to email me. :) daatje2001@gmail.com

www.freewebs.com/daatje2008

[slc2]

Yes, my friend's horses had problems with chapped, raw pasterns, but she says it's not the mites, it's mud fever. So she hired a groom who takes about two hours each day - he washes the feathers and dries them, and brushes out the mane and tail on each of the two horses. I wonder, perhaps the horses don't have mud fever at all, but mites.

[spaghetti legs]

probably greasy heel.

[Blue Bandit]

one of my sister's Friesians...she has had him for eight years...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xn9Gh_AeA8&feature=response_from_watch
ditto about the mange mites...they can be a real challenge
the trot? some are easier to ride than others...
devoted friend and supreme overachiever who will try his heart out for you....yessiree, 110%
sooooo much personality....ahhhh, we love em!

[FriesianX]

OK, here I am again :winkgrin: Yes, I would agree, watch for poor stifles - but I'd say the same for Warmbloods as well, it seems to be a big horse issue. Most sport horse vets will tell you they see bad stifles/locking patellas in big horses (Warmbloods, Friesians, Drafts and crosses). Luckily, it is a pretty easy thing to spot. And, as for crosses, when you look at a cross, you do it the same as you would for other sport horses, look for QUALITY. If someone is breeding garbage to garbage, odds are you'll get (drum roll)....garbage:no: And that rule also applies to all breeds! My stallion has a fabulous hind end, loin, and back - can't tell you how many judges and FEI trainers have said they'd kill to get that structure on their horses.

Yes, there are some poor quality Friesians and Friesian crosses out there, but the same can be said for Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarterhorses, and any other breed. You have to analyze the individual horse - back to my original comment - you wouldn't say all Warmbloods are (fill in the blank), and I'd apply the same rule to Friesians. They are not all perfect, nor are they all lazy, nor do they all have bad canters.

And yes, some judges are breed biased - but most are not. Years ago, I finished a Training Level test on an Arabian - the judged saluted, then stood up and yelled to me Arabians can't do dressage :eek: I almost fell off the horse:mad: Luckily, most judges understand dressage, and understand ANY horse with three pure gaits can compete, and if well ridden and trained, can do well.

Columbus - I have a funny story to tell about someone who sold a Friesian who was "hard to ride in dressage". I found out later on, they had already been through a Thoroughbred, then two Warmbloods who were "hard to ride", then someone told them to try a Friesian. She was "hard to ride" too - a friend of mine bought her and she is so EASY, forward, light, three nice gaits. She got a good deal, because they wanted to sell her fast and look for an easy horse (they are running out of breed options!). I think some people are looking for a way to make dressage EASY, and it isn't EASY! So they blame the horse.

Having said all that, I will also reiterate, not all Friesians do well in dressage, some do have bad canters, some don't have good backs and loins, some do have locking stifles, some are just not built for dressage. The same for any other breed. Oh - the hair - I shave off all the feathers :lol:

[columbus]

I have also known a couple of Friesians described as hard to ride who were great for someone with a better seat and a more forward mindset. They are a more forward and a harder working horse than observers think.

Also I think the judging is not about bias but the judges will penalize for faults like not coming through and curling which are things Friesian trainers have to work hard on. The Friesians curl naturally and that keeps them from coming through and then they get dinged for it. The coming through issue is a common problem for all breeds but the curling highlights the problem. The same judge LOVES to see a Friesian going correctly and rewards correspondingly. It is just that curling happens with them and it is their first defense. PatO