The Friesian is an ancient breed of horse. They are a descendant of Equus Robustus one of the original three types of horses. They are listed in Roman supply lists as war-horses supplied for the Calvary from Gaul. In a Roman veterinary manual they are described as "Tall horses heavily muscled with sturdy legs and hooves" (tall horses for the Romans were 14 hh +). The Romans prized these early Friesians because they fit their ideal of beauty. They not only imported them from Gaul they took them to many of the provinces that they conquered.
The Friesian is also mentioned in the Middle Ages. In several documents Friesian Horses are listed by name or type, as fine "Destriers" costing up to 18x the price of a common riding horse. They were especially prized as warhorses because of their courage. They were extremely valuable and there is a document that prohibits their export. This gives a good us a good how much the willing strength and beautiful movement of the Friesian was prized during this time.
During the period of the Spanish occupation from about 1500-1700, Arabian blood was introduced to the Friesian through the Andalusian. This added refinement to the Friesian, and in a sense makes them one of the original warmbloods.
During the Baroque period as the art of Dressage began to be studied, Friesians were again sought for their willing temperament and intelligence. They proved an ideal school horse, performing the high school movements with ease. They were also used as racehorses, participating in trotting races over roads and ice pulling sleighs and the specially built high wheeled Sjees.
An interesting historical note about the popularity of Friesians, and the other baroque breeds as war horses is reflected in their relatively uniform color throughout their breeds. Kings, and Generals favored horses with flashy, unique color patterns as their battle mounts. These people being prized targets tended to loose a lot of horses and, it seems they also lost many of the flashy coat patterns too!
The Friesian has held many jobs over the years, carriage horses, circus horses, school horses, farm horses, and they were known for years for their jobs pulling hearses. They have been the part of the creation of many different breeds of horses, including the Kladruber, the Hackney, the Oldenburger, the Dale, Fell, and the Morgan, as well as many others. Despite many reports in various books of horse breeds, the Friesian breed has not been rebuilt using other breeds. The breed has been at threatened levels several times during it's long history, however there have always been enough mares and stallions in the various books to ensure the continuation of the breed.
Friesians are willing and wonderful horses with honest open temperaments. They are intelligent horses thriving on interaction with people, and learning new things. They are similar to the other baroque breeds (Lipizzan, Andalusian) in exhibiting a need to develop a bond with one person. They also share the several other traits such as: Maturing more slowly (4 years old is just considered old enough to start under saddle, they are mature between 6-8), and longevity.
The breeding of the Friesian Horse is governed by two international organizations the FPS, from their home country the Netherlands, which was created in 1879 to preserve the unique characteristics of the Friesian breed, in 1979 the FPZV was formed. The FPZV is now a separate German registry and holds slightly different standards and aims then the FPS. They both have organizations in America that supervise the breeding of Friesians by very strict guidelines. Both organizations evaluate their horses at multiple times during their lives for quality and conformity to the ideal of the Friesian breed.
Currently the Friesian Horse is experiencing an upsurge in popularity due to it's noble character and impressive appearance. It remains to be seen where the future of this precious breed will take it.
Compiled & Written by Melissa Ondercin
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