Friesian traits....

T

tetsmum

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Dec 7, 2008
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Norfolk
I have a long and well documented ongoing project called Taff. Well, he's my daughters actually but I am project manager......

We don't know his breeding, or his history - but always felt friesian/section D.

Three NH instructors and now one farrier have gone sheesh - there may be some Section D in there, but I see loads of Friesian! This leads to two predictable comments;

a) what an explosive combination - no wonder you are having problems and
b) unlike most horses, at 6, being mostly friesian, he's still a baby.

Can anyone tell me more information/opinions on the traits of both breeds, why Friesians in particular 'mature' late.......... so that I can work out how this could be causal to the issues we faced, and how I can make sure that we take the right things into account for his future training?

Thankyou muchly.
 
Friesian are so distinctive IMO, stand your horse next to a friesian and you will be able to tell if he is friesian or not, they just have something that other horses dont ;)

I have both friesian and section D and there are 2 friesian x welsh youngsters on the yard. Friesian are generally very laid back, though there is a 'hot' bloodline, but my mare was almost horizontal she was so laid back, huge people horses! High set arched 'swan' necks is what sets them apart from other breeds, with plenty of bone and fair amount of feather, ample (usually curly/wavy) mane and tail.

Section D are IMO overgrown ponies that are nice and compact with broad foreheads, 'curly' ears and a good deep barrel with decent bone... intelligent beyond belief and can be your perfect partner or worse nightmare!

Do you have any pictures at all?
 
My friesian X dales was very laid back also, i had him from 18 months and he wasn't a bit of bother. Everyone called him the gentle giant. He was very mature for his age and even under saddle he was perfect in every way (rode when i was preggers). Wish i still had him :(
 
DEFINITELY see welsh, look at those ears! Soooo cute!

At first glance though, he looked very much like the fell at my yard, how tall is he? He looks nothing like either of the welsh x friesian we have at my yard, he looks more 'coarse' and heavy
 
haha! See we've been having this debate for a year already - I just love that. He stands just over 15, maybe 1 or 2.

And he's fat as butter, but he is naturally heavy.

And isn't he the cutest thing in the world - we love him to bits.
 
Yup definately friesian in there!

OK friesian traits, conformation and movement

Trot is a natural pace for them and is high knee action - can be quite lazy through the back end.
Naturally very much on the forehand
They have a slightly sloping back, ears tip in at the tips, lots of feather, mane and tail.

Temperament, normally very friendly with people (a bit over friendly sometimes) as a rule quite laid back but if they decide that they are going to tow you off somewhere then you don't really have much say in the matter, they are big powerful horses and can show a touch of subborness.

They are slow to mature, while they have generally finished growing height wise by 4 they then have another 2 years of filling out and muscling up - my mare looked like a completely different horse from 4 to 6, because of this they can have balance issues - Dandea was 6 before her canter was anywhere like balanced and she was still struggling with bending and 20m circles - it took another year before canter transitions were smooth and we had enough bend and flexibility to attempt basic lateral work. On the upside she was very easy to back, we had no issues with that at all.

Hope this helps.
 
And you are on the button madlady - the backing went a dream, and then suddenly the 'towing off' kicked in.

Because he was such a 'people' horse and didn't complain he was 'broken' fairly brutally - and took several months of it before he started the towing off.

We have been working on being ridden without disappearing in a cloud of dust - because once he sets that neck and the front legs are going there is no stopping him!

And he has the most beautiful movement.
 
Would say even more definite! Probably friesian stally x welsh mare - that tends to produce more friesian looks than friesian mare x - if that makes sense.

He's a lovely looking boy though, he'll be a big lad by the time he's finished growing!
 
Only just seen your reply - yes there isn't much stopping them when they decide to go, luckily with me Dandea has only done it once through panic because of a dog and I managed to pull her up at walk. My older mare though has bolted with me at walk - I kid you not, on the way home asked her to stand at the main road - no chance she just carried on going there was nothing at all I could do.

My older mare will quite happily forget all of her manners and drag me around in a headcollar - if she wants to get to something will think nothing of walking through us if necessary!

Love them to bits though :D I'm sure with time your boy will come round, it is very much a trust thing with them, Dandea will do just about anything I ask but we have issues with running water - she won't go through it, I still get off and lead her through because that is what she is more comfortable with, if I tried force she'd either put me on the floor or tank off.
 
I personally don't see the fresian in him :confused:

From what I've since, nice examples of fresians are very distintive in body shape and carraige.
Poorly bred examples have all the same glaringly obvious conformational faults, he doesn't fit into either. He's a nice stamp of a horse and yet not distinctly freisian. I would say Welsh D possibly with some Irish cob influence.
 
Rips said:
I personally don't see the fresian in him :confused:

From what I've since, nice examples of fresians are very distintive in body shape and carraige.
Poorly bred examples have all the same glaringly obvious conformational faults, he doesn't fit into either. He's a nice stamp of a horse and yet not distinctly freisian. I would say Welsh D possibly with some Irish cob influence.
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Ditto this.

The friesian x welsh's I know are out of welsh mares by the same stallion as my filly and are really nothing like the horse in question :rolleyes: He just looks too coarse and 'cobby' and I have never met a coarse friesian yet and section Ds can be coarse, but thats not a D or friesian head IMO.

ETA - coarse should not be confused with heavy :p
 
Sexy Sietske said:
Ditto this.

The friesian x welsh's I know are out of welsh mares by the same stallion as my filly and are really nothing like the horse in question :rolleyes: He just looks too coarse and 'cobby' and I have never met a coarse friesian yet and section Ds can be coarse, but thats not a D or friesian head IMO.

ETA - coarse should not be confused with heavy :p
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Yes but you know the stallion and have seen other offspring.

To me from the pics he has quite strong frieisian characteristics, ears, front, back end and the way his head is set on.

I have seen friesian crosses look very similar, these from people who have brought visiting mares to the stud, but the mares have been more gypsy cob type than welsh. Resulting offspring have looked very similar.

Also my older mare has been bred to a TB stallion a couple of times (before I owned her) and the resulting offspring had no friesian characteristics whatsoever so the friesian looks don't always pass or and can be passed on as a mix.
 
madlady said:
Yes but you know the stallion and have seen other offspring.

To me from the pics he has quite strong frieisian characteristics, ears, front, back end and the way his head is set on.
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Imagine he was grey, would you still think he had friesian charcteristics? I think the qualitlies in him you are seeing as freisian are draught qualities, similar in type to that of a welsh or typical irish driving cob. He has the typical set and carriage of a horse with driving breeding, and many had numerous influences. If the horse was grey I don't think there'd be any one posting about his friesian characteristics.

Also my older mare has been bred to a TB stallion a couple of times (before I owned her) and the resulting offspring had no friesian characteristics whatsoever so the friesian looks don't always pass or and can be passed on as a mix.
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So what are you saying? That any black horse with unknown breeding who even slightly resembles a friesian can be classed as one, because they don't always pass off their looks?
 
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