Looking to buy a Friesian Horse

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Spoiled cob

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I'm looking at buying a Friesian and wondered if anyone has imported from Holland and whether you bought from a video/photos or went over to try it?

If you bought unseen did you have a contract that included a trial period?

I have done a lot of research but would be interested to know people's experiences with them as a breed and their temperament etc.

Thanks

:)
 
Take great care.
I've had experience of 4 Friesians that friends have owned. 2 had serious health problems (both died suddenly very young, one passing his heart problem to his offspring) and the other 2 dangerous temperament problems.
 
I would buy from a stud or breeder in Holland but I wouldn't buy from an online sales place.

There are quite a few people now though breeding very good quality friesians in the UK and FHAGBI are very helpful.

if you did want to get one from Holland I would say get a list of some of the friesian studs and then make appointments with them. It would be helpful as well if you had knowledge of the grading systems, inbreeding percentages and stallion breeding values before you went. Again FHAGBI could probably help you with that.

I've got 5 friesians myself, 2 that I bought and another 3 that I have bred, a good idea for you to meet people and learn more about friesians would be for you to go to the UK friesian gradings this year - they are on at Myerscough College on August bank holiday.

There will be owners and breeders there who will happily talk friesians and answer questions :)
 
Hi, i bought mine two years ago from Holland. I contacted a lot of breeders and asked a lot of questions over a period of 4 months and then made the trip to go see some.

I bought my amazing boy from http://www.stoeterijravensbos.nl/Engels/index.htm . Joke, the lady in charge was close to 9 months pregnant at the time but yet made the time to show me all her horses. Take me through their strengths and weaknesses. Those horses are extremely well behaved and well mannered. They are raised in herds and kept in herds until their are sold meaning you end up with a social horse who knows his place. Sueno (Azarro Van Ravensbos- real name) was unbacked when i bought him and i was able to do everythin myself. But they also sell already backed horses. She made me sign a contract before i left including some guarantees for me: I could send him back if he didnt behave like he should or even if he turned out not to be as black as expected! Joke also organised transport for me (although admittedly the transport company wasnt brilliant).

You do not have to go there and she can email you videos of the horse you want to see more about himself but i would strongly recommend going.

To reply to the temparement part of your query: Sueno thinks he is a big labrador. He loves being cuddled and made a fuss of and loves human beings. He is on part lively and everyone working at the yard absolutely love him. He has proved to be very trainable. I use him to hack, jump, cross country and we have even started on some trick training... Friesians do mature very late though so if you buy a youngster (around 3 years old) who already measures 1m60 behare as mine as started at barely 1m50 (he was sold to me as 1m60) at 3 and is now standing at 1m62 and still growing. Due to the late maturity, you also need to limit what you do with them from 3-5 and even after 5, take it slow as all their bones are not quite there yet.

Feel free to PM if you would like more info. And good luck
 
I too personally know a friesian that died inexplicably at a young age, and also recently read about another. :confused: I wonder if they were from the stallion that you mentioned?

The only thing I would say is that more often than not, their paces are massive and almost impossible to sit to, so will be a good workout for your core muscles! They do look a pretty picture though! :)
 
I have a friend with one that has suffered with knee problems from a very young age. Knee problems are apparently quite a common problem in Friesians. There are 2 Friesian breeders in Essex/Suffolk. Actually one stud has an open day this Saturday and I am going along to view the horses and demonstrations; I am in no way linked to the stud. I have a Dales - my mini friesian :)

http://www.bhs.org.uk/enjoy-riding/.../regional/east-of-england/friesian-experience
 
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I just want to comment on health problems/ skin deceases/ behavioural problems: I have known problems with such issues on friesians in the past and ALL had been bought from a dealer. .

A breeder (in Holland rather than UK) will have a wider pool of available stallions meaning the inbreeding coefficient is lower. Also, all stocks from a dealer will have issues (or more than likely) so again, please go direct to a breeder.

I really cant stress this enough. And again, these horses are from Holland. So why buy one bred over here? Its like buying a PRE bred in France or the UK? Why not go directly at source (I do not mean to offend any UK breeders- this is a personal opinion which has served me well over the years)
 
I have one and I love him he is a beast totally agree he is a dope but I know he loves me. I do most things with him. I must warn you mine has great breeding but suffers with sweet itch this year he is being attacked on his legs poor mite. feel free to come on over to the Friesian post on the picture forum there is also Friesian 80 who knows a lot about them and owns quite a few :D:D
 
I am not a fan of Freisians but buying any horse should involve lots of research into temperament and health issues. Hope you find what you are looking for
 
Thank you for commenting. I'm just trying to find out as much as I can before I make a decision.

I have a lot of experience and have been riding for 22 years now :eek: my boy is 21 and has fractured his splint bone so am thinking of getting another to ride and let him enjoy semi retirement (think he did it on purpose lol).

I want something sensible to hack and that i can compete in Dressage classes, but am not a fan of warmbloods.
 
They're definitely not quieter than warmbloods, per se - Very forward thinking. I've met sensible ones and fiesty ones, probably more down to rider and upbringing than anything else.

I have a question for those who have bought from video/photos, how do you know you're getting the same horse? They all look identical to me :o
 
If it helps the one I am looking at is a 4 year old 167cm breeding is Beart x Folkert x Meindert but is with a dealer in the Netherlands, they only have a few in at a time and also sell warmbloods, I can't find any bad feedback on the Internet.
 
How about alexart on here? She owns mealrigg stud and is based in Cumbria. She's very knowledgeable about the breed and may have some for sale.
 
My personal experience of Friesians is that they, whilst having very nice, laid-back personalities on the ground, they can be very uptight to ride, and all the ones I've known have been cold-backed. The ones I've known have been British bred, though, so the slightly long back and the tension under saddle (in one it caused a reluctance to extend his paces and/or jump under saddle due to reluctance to relax and stretch) could be a British bred fault rather than breed trait though. Yes to the huge paces (the elevation in the canter is MENTAL) and also quite a high head carriage...
 
Don't know much about buying abroad but I shared a friesian a few years ago and it was the most chilled out and lovely 5 year old I've ever met! I would hack him out by myself as a novice rider and he was an absolute saint. Great to catch and handle, he certainly lived up to the reputation they are like big friendly dogs! Also don't think a friesian can't jump, the owner evented him at riding clubs and was placed at the championships!

Their trots are certainly big and extravagant and at times it did feel like I was riding a giraffe! But he was certainly a lovely horse and a real confidence giver.
 
Spoiled cob said:
I'm looking at buying a Friesian and wondered if anyone has imported from Holland and whether you bought from a video/photos or went over to try it?

If you bought unseen did you have a contract that included a trial period?

I have done a lot of research but would be interested to know people's experiences with them as a breed and their temperament etc.

Thanks

:)
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HI,

I saw your post and wondered if this one would be of interest to you.

4yr old 16.1hh Friesian mare with 3rd premie. Full papered. Broken to drive and ride. Has done her first dressage competition, hacking out and schooling confidently and calmly. Located in North Chailey, East Sussex. £6000. Contact the 'Horses In Mind' Facebook page for more photos and details.

There are some lovely Friesians on the facebook page.
 
Suenomel said:
I just want to comment on health problems/ skin deceases/ behavioural problems: I have known problems with such issues on friesians in the past and ALL had been bought from a dealer. .

A breeder (in Holland rather than UK) will have a wider pool of available stallions meaning the inbreeding coefficient is lower. Also, all stocks from a dealer will have issues (or more than likely) so again, please go direct to a breeder.

I really cant stress this enough. And again, these horses are from Holland. So why buy one bred over here? Its like buying a PRE bred in France or the UK? Why not go directly at source (I do not mean to offend any UK breeders- this is a personal opinion which has served me well over the years)
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I think you'll find that the majority of breeders in the UK are using frozen semen from the stallions in Holland as they are the only stallions that are 'approved' by the KFPS. I have a 4yo stallion by Tsjerk (dutch stallion) and a 4yo filly by Doaitsen (dutch stallion) by 11yo mare is by Folkert :) I bred myself because it was cheaper than buying a 2yo with the bloodlines that I wanted.

Spoiled cob said:
If it helps the one I am looking at is a 4 year old 167cm breeding is Beart x Folkert x Meindert but is with a dealer in the Netherlands, they only have a few in at a time and also sell warmbloods, I can't find any bad feedback on the Internet.
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Beart x Folkert is a very nice cross! Folkert is from one of the oldest, most sucessful lines - well in terms of producing approved stallions that is! I struggle because both of my older mares are Jochem line and one is by Folkert himself. All of the stallions that we saw at the grading that I really liked are too closely related for me to use. Beart is a nice big moving stallion with fantastic paces. I personally thought he had a small eye (well smaller than I prefer) but he is by Jasper who is amazing and his offspring are nice.

khalswitz said:
My personal experience of Friesians is that they, whilst having very nice, laid-back personalities on the ground, they can be very uptight to ride, and all the ones I've known have been cold-backed. The ones I've known have been British bred, though, so the slightly long back and the tension under saddle (in one it caused a reluctance to extend his paces and/or jump under saddle due to reluctance to relax and stretch) could be a British bred fault rather than breed trait though. Yes to the huge paces (the elevation in the canter is MENTAL) and also quite a high head carriage...
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Have to say that none of mine are uptight or cold backed :) The head carriage did cause problems at first because my big girl was just on the forehand constantly, some schooling did sort that out and she will now stretch down and through and work from behind. Her canter is lovely and smooth - in fact it rides a lot smoother than it looks. The trend of breeding them with a longer back actually comes from Holland - they are trying to make them more of an allrounder 'sport' horse type and move away from the shorter backed carriage horse type.
 
Pigeon said:
I too personally know a friesian that died inexplicably at a young age, and also recently read about another. :confused: I wonder if they were from the stallion that you mentioned?
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The two that I know that died young came from Holland but it is quite a few years ago now. The one that was bred from died as a 4yo from a burst aorta in his stable. He didn't have any pure bred offspring but one crossbred died from a heart attack while being hacked out as a 4yo and heard of another that also died while being ridden.
I can't remember their breeding from Holland (they were both from the same place) so there's a chance others in that line have the same problems.
These two did have placid, friendly temperaments though unlike the two I've known recently who were dangerously unpredictable.
 
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