what do you think of Fresians?

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Sunny08

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They are a breed I have admired from afar but do not have huge amount of direct experience with. I have been contemplating buying a fresian youngster to bring on for all round type work and dressage.
What are others experience of the breed?
 
Im not a fan, havent ridden one but the one i know, on the ground the high head carriage ( as well as being 17hh :rolleyes:) was very annoying!

I do know a lovely friesian x cob though, never met a nicer mare :D

I think friesians are like marmite, you either love them or dont :p
 
i've backed one and ridden quite a few....

they would be fine for what you want... they'll never make great jumpers as they are just not bred for that - but would pop a small course no bother - but be warned = there are very few good freisian breeders in the Uk - for jsut a hobby horse you can pick one up easily - but if you want a quality one then you need to do more research. the ones being bred over here for quick money (ie just a 'fresian' (black pretty horse) not a well bred one) are often really poor examplse of the breed. saying that there are some v good uk breeders too

you basically get two types - modern sporty type (finer lighter but often been bred too tall to quickly and often have weak quarters unless good breeder) and baroque type (older traditional stockier often shorter)
 
yeah have to agree with the marmite view. it is either a love or hate and can i just say i loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee themmmmmmmmmmmmmmm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much. have never ridden one say would be very bouncy, have a half bred mare but she is getting backed this winter, she looks a bouncy ride, but what a stunner. her dam was a irish cob coloured and sire full friesian. she is in my sig 2nd horse black and white heavy, she has amazing movement and a real stunner when shows off, but also has a plod side to her when she wants to be lazy, then as if 2 different personalitys she is like a show horse is a blink of a eye.
 
Hate them, lol!

No, they are a lovely breed to own. So kind, trainable and loveable. They are very humanised and always want to please.

They make nice allrounders, most have amazing movement. I have found that with my boy his trot work has come easy, finding extended trot, medium trot a doddle. They do tend to struggle more with the canter work. Not sure what level dressage you want to be doing?

When I started looking for a friesian I was told that friesians dont jump. Well, this is my boy:

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Dont be fooled about them, i have a baroquee type friesian (bigger, fatter) apparently not deseigned for sports as mouch as the more moderntype but believe me there are days when I think I should have just bought a TB. They arent always the ploddy cobs they look like.

Echo what has been said about breeding, I went abroad to get my horse. There are good breeders over herer but there is also alot of **** If you go for a FPS registered friesian though you cant go to far wrong as the breeeding is tightly monitored.
 
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They are not for me, I have ridden one and looked after one for a while, he was bolshy, nasty and rude but any horse can be like that, it just put me off!

I only rode him a couple of times and the high head carriage was horrible, I felt like he was going to take off all the time, he just wouldn't relax - we didn't get on :o

He looked nice though ... from a distance :)
 
Bexwarren - he's lovely! i prefer the baroque type tbh ;) i think the sports versions are just not quite right yet - give it a few more years so they've caught up on their height and i think they'll be nicer- but not many float my boat at the mo as much as a good traditional type :)
 
posie_honey said:
Bexwarren - he's lovely! i prefer the baroque type tbh ;) i think the sports versions are just not quite right yet - give it a few more years so they've caught up on their height and i think they'll be nicer- but not many float my boat at the mo as much as a good traditional type :)
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Why, thank-you kindly :)

I prefer the baroquee type too, I just like big horses, personal prefernce I suppose. I can understand the need for the more sports horse types but my boy will jump BSJA heights, do as high a level dressage as I want to do ever do and will pop around a XC course (all be it maybe not as fast as some horses).

There was a lovely modern type horse at our yard once, 6yrs old, been out to affliated elementry 3 times and won everytime. Now thats pretty impressive, well i thought so!
 
Handsome is as handsome does as the saying goes. They look gorgeous but Ive only known of 2 and one left the trainer with no front teeth (kick) and the other left the YO with a badly injured knee (kick)......might be coincidence but....
 
I have one who is very heavy type, compact and stocky, despite being a small tank he is a fab allrounder and can jump the odd 5 bar gate if needed. Only thing I would say is that they are a 'lot of horse' and when green/spooky can be a handful. A friend of mine has my friesian's brother - both are very gentle, good at endurance and dressage, can jump etc. Both are very much people lovers, more like huge pet dogs than horses. I agree there are not very good bloodlines in the UK, we got our boys from a breeder in Wales, but I would suggest going abroad for something special.
 
Sunny08 said:
They are a breed I have admired from afar but do not have huge amount of direct experience with. I have been contemplating buying a fresian youngster to bring on for all round type work and dressage.
What are others experience of the breed?
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I think they are one of the most beautiful breed of horses on the planet. Not sure about their temperament - I have heard mixed views.
 
I think they are like marmite...and not for me.

We had a freisian x WB at our yard once. He was like a 17hh pet dog and was quite affectionate, however he did seem to have no concept of your personal space and like to barge/push you around ( I know that can be a lot of horses but he has put me off the breed slightly!). He also had a habit of galloping off when being lead in from the field, as someone said, it's a lot of horse when they are being naughty/green :)

He was easy to break, he seemed fine we just popped a saddle on, got on and walked/trotted around and it was as though he had been ridden for years! Sadly he was pts at 5 years old due to having many leg problems and was not field sound. The vet thinks this was due to him growing too big too fast.

....be prepared to spend ALOT of money on mane and tail detangler! :)
 
I think they are beautiful - not entirely on topic but in reply to heather_bambi try furniture polish. Honestly, it is a LOT cheeper than mane and tail conditioner and it works a treat. :)
 
lillith said:
I think they are beautiful - not entirely on topic but in reply to heather_bambi try furniture polish. Honestly, it is a LOT cheeper than mane and tail conditioner and it works a treat. :)
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Thanks I do use it, but his owner would only buy mane and tail!
 
Nope, not for me, I can't even see how people say they are stunning.
Their heads are just so huge and long they just look wrong on every level.

Do they have problems with OCD, or is that just the British bred ones? .... or have I made that up :eek::o?
 
heather_bambi said:
I think they are like marmite...and not for me.

He also had a habit of galloping off when being lead in from the field, as someone said, it's a lot of horse when they are being naughty/green
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That is what the Fresian on my yard did - he was a bug*er! you had to have a chain through is mouth otherwise he would just 'go' when you were going in or out to the field ... horrible horse!
 
I adore them. I have a Friesian X. He is very kind, always wants to please and jumps like a stag (not with me, as I keep my feet and theirs firmly on the ground) Like someone else said they can be like a highly strung TB one minute and a blackpool donkey the next. They are very sensitive creatures and not always for the faint hearted as you need to go with the flow a bit with them. He is lovely in the stable and loves his Mum so he'll do for me.:)
 
well I have had mine nearly three days, hmmmmmm she is only six months old so we are still getting to know each other, she is very strong but no different to my tank of a haffy.



I will let you know in about three years what she is like lol ................
 
Not had any problems with the ones I have had dealings with. What I have found is that, as with most draft / heavier breeds (cobs inc!!!) they have an initial problem with spatial awareness and finding their own balance. This is commonly mistaken for being bolshy, pushy etc. With the correct training, time etc these issues are easily corrected.

Regarding temperament - as with any animal, it is how you deal with them. If you don't correct / shape the unwanted behaviour then it will continue to be "bad behaviour" Hardly the animals fault. As a breed, generally they are known for their kind, gentle disposition. I am not a "Friesian only" person - I do have other horses other than my friesian, but I do believe in equality and "Horses is horses" :)

With reference to high head carriage - Yes they are bred to have a higher head carriage as they were originally bred as harness horses. But again, with the correct training you can encourage a much better head carriage. My boy is a classic example.

There are a lot of problems with Friesians in the uk, but then again, if you go looking I am sure you will find a lot of problems with a lot of breeds...

They are a larger breed and they do need longer to mature / grow if you are to have a healthy adult horse. There seems to be a misconception that if they are big / heavy then you have to back them sooner rather than later. In doing so you just generally give yourself a bigger headache later.

My lad was sat on at 3 1/2 "backed" and then turned away. He is now 4 1/2 and I have just started riding him with a saddle. I have however done lots of groundwork with him, helping him to slow down and balance himself. Establishing his groundwork has helped me when I got on his back. I am only 5ft2 and he is now pushing 16hh / half ton of Baroque horse (still entire too!) I can stop him with just a rope round his neck and shifting my weight.

There are a few very good Friesian studs in UK using only proven, top class blood lines.

You pays for what you get. :)

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3 yrs old here - he has now filled out a lot and grown. His outline is a lot softer and I am very pleased about how he has turned out. I now take him out and about and have confidence that he will behave and remember his manners around others - human and horse alike.
 
Personally not for me, I worked on a yard last year in the USA that had a few. A LOVELY stallion, trained up to 4th level dressage but had got 'stuck' on flying changes and so couldn't continue up the levels. But he was stunning, had a lovely nature and was a fab horse to learn on. They had a fresian mare who was a nasty piece of work, and 2 foals both of which were so STUPID compared to the WBs of a similar age. They were always injuring themselves and were really dificult to teach anything to. I wouldn't have one, when I only liked 1 of the 4 that I have known!
 
Love them i have had my girl 3 years now imported her from holland as a rising 2 year old and she is now 5 and has the sweetest temperament going always willing to please and whatever she learns always remembers even if it is a while before i do that thing with her again
she is 16.1 at present but still growing so god knows where she will end up
love her to bits and she will be with me for life
 
I own 3 young friesians one that I breed and yes is fps registered because his mum was by a well known quality stallion ulbert 390 and was ai to a well sort after holland stallion doaitsen 420 .
My other 2. Are by dries 421 x piter 312
And fetse 349 x Olof 315
Both were imported by myself to sell on and are fps reg so passported and papered
Yes friesian can be sometimes temperamental or pussy but again they are what you make them
My three are well handled and if any bad manners come from them they are correct as soon as
And yes they can have conformation faults or condition such as OCD but agAin it's the same with any horse
They have tremendous gates and are stunning to watch with regards to jumping they cAn jump that was never the problem with regards to people saying they can't jump but continuerous jumping can put excessive strain on joints and tendons .
Because friesians are mainly draft or dressage horses not jumping it doesn't mean they can't jump .
Also with friesians they are very slow matures they don't stop till roughly 6-8
With regards to breeders yes there are crap breeders and good ones the good ones are the ones who have femma who has been awarded many times .
I see you in Kent where abouts maybe if you not to far you could come to me for a day and see my 3
2 of which are up for sale and are yearlings !!!
 
I love them and the next horse i will be getting is a Fresian, theres a friesan stud just like accross the fields from my yard and they breed some really good quality friesans - not just blood line wise but all but one are fantastic riding horses and lovely mares.

I really like their temperament and find them lovely horses to work with, i have rode a few and tend to love the way they move and everything. We have one that was bought from the stud at my yard (all imported from holland and maybe some from ireland i think) and she's just amazing :) x
 
Thankyou for the responses, quite a mixed response! - given me a lot to think about! Though I think I still like the breed very much so think I will investigate further... I am confident that I am experienced enough to ensure that bolshy behaviour would be curtailed and equally a young horse would be given the time to grow up.
thank you for all the responses and pictures - crazyfresian your boy is stunning!!!
 
There are some very concerning temperments amongst some of the UK lines. I personally would avoid all but a couple of the UK breeders. If you stick to FPS registered and research the lines you cant find a better horse. I got my mare as a yearling, she is by a stallion famous for passing on his gentle, trainable temperment on and he has definately dont that with my mare. She is very polite, gentle and easy to do anything with. She is never spooky or silly, very responsive when riding, i only have to touch the reins and she stops, she's never been strong or bolshy. BUT, from her breeding i wouldnt expect her to have temperment issues. There are some that you would expect to be more difficult and those lines are fairly well known of even if their "quirks" arent advertised :D lol

I cant fault my mare though, im really pleased with how she is turning out. She is only 4 but i backed her myself at the beginning of the year - first time i'd ever backed a horse. She has not once bucked, reared, or objected to anything i've done. I havent done things "properly" im sure but she has done everything i've asked of her and been so forgiving of my mistakes :) We have practiced a bit of jumping and she's taking to that really well. I doubt a friesian will ever make a high level jumping horse, but i hope to do some BSJA with mine :)

And just cos i dont need any excuse... Here's my girl:

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Tiny jumps, but we gotta start somewhere!lol

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I know theres a lot of people who dont find friesians attractive or wouldnt want them, but the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same horses. Im not a big fan of arabs so its unlikely i'd ever go and buy one, but each to their own :D Im very happy with my friesian.
 
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