The Friesian heavy horse gets its name from the northern province of The Netherlands called Friesland. Originally bred as a draft horse, the breed was later refined and made lighter as it became famous for its graceful movement and its agility despite its size.

A Brief History

This is a heavy horse breed believed to have descended from what was known as the primitive Forest Horse. In Roman times it was used for both riding and to pull chariots. Early records show that they brought the Friesland to the UK where it was a genetic influence on other heavy horse breeds such as the Shire and Clydesdale. Also, during Roman times, they used the Friesian to try and refine both the Fells and Dales pony breeds.

In the Middle Ages the Friesian was used to carry fully-armoured knights into battle. Their combined strength and agility made them ideal for use as battle horses. Records show that not long after the Middle Ages the Friesian breed had virtually died out. There were actually only two left, a stallion and a mare. They were rounded up and bred in an attempt to save the breed. This was successful, and during the 16th and 17th Centuries Andalusian blood was introduced to the breed to lighten its weight and bulk.

The Andalusian bloodline came about as a result of the 80-year war which occurred when Spain occupied the Netherlands. This made the breed more suitable for work as an urban carriage horse. This lighter version also meant that it was even more suitable for use by riding schools, where it is used in Dressage. Friesians were exported to France and Spain where they are still favoured to this day.

As with most heavy horse breeds, the Friesian horse population dwindled in the early 20th Century. The cause was the same as with all heavy horses, the mechanisation of farming and mechanically propelled passenger vehicles. Fuel rationing during World War II saw an upsurge in its use on farms and went on long enough to secure the future of the breed.

Description

This horse is best known for its shiny black coat and long untrimmed hair on its lower legs, known as feathers. There are rare cases where a Friesian is Chestnut (light brown) in colour, but these are not recognised or registered in the official Stud Book. The average height of a Friesian stallion is 15.3 hands (1.6m), they can grow to 17 hands (1.7m). Mares average out at 15.2 hands (1.57m). The Friesian has a high-stepping, fast trot which again, makes it ideal for dressage and show trials as it is also both gentle and docile so easy to control.

To conform to the official breed status the Friesian is only allowed to have, at most, a small white patch on its forehead. Any other areas of white means it won't meet the standard of being purebred, and cannot be registered in the Friesian Stud Registry Book.

The Friesian Stud Book

The Friesian stud registry book, known in the Netherlands as Friesch Paarden Stamboek (FPS), came into being in 1879 and was started by a group of Dutch farmers. Due to a rise in cross breeding the purity of the breed was being threatened. The aim of the formation of the Koninklijke Vereniging 'Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek'  (Royal Society, The Friesian Stud Book) was to protect and promote the breed's original bloodline.

The Friesian Today

There is a demand today for a more agile Friesian horse, so crossbreeding takes place to produce a lighter-weight horse. These mixed breeds do well in both Dressage competitions and as general riding horses, though they don't make it onto the Stud Registry Book. Both the mixed and purebred are popular as a carriage horse, including being used in competitive horse and carriage trials.

The Friesian is also popular in the circus as their baroque style and uniform appearance, as well as their docility and ease of control, make them ideal for that type of work. With their uniformity in size and black coats they are favoured by funeral parlours who use horse-drawn hearses.

Heavy Horse Breeds

Below is a list of the Heavy Horse Breeds, the Shire being top of the list as the most popular and best known of the heavy horses.

• The Shire
• The Suffolk Punch
• Clydesdale
• The Percheron Heavy Horse
• The Belgian or Flemish Heavy Horse
• The Dutch Draft
• The Jutland
• The Friesian

The numbers for each of the above breeds varies (as of 2008) but overall, they are historically very low. There are renewed efforts underway to preserve the various breeds via an assorted array of clubs, societies and individuals.