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| Friesians have been bred for many centuries in Holland. They are descended from the Andalusian, the Barb, and European draft breeds. During the Crusades it was used as a warhorse, its large size and heavy bone enabling it to carry riders wearing the heavy armor used in those days. During peacetime it was used as a draft horse on the farms. Friesian blood has influenced other breeds such as the famous Shire draft horse from England, and the Oldenburg warmblood and the Dales and Fell ponies. |  |
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For a time the Friesian was used heavily for crossbreeding and almost became extinct as a purebreed. When there were only one herd of mares and a couple of purebred stallions left, a small group of dedicated breeders worked at preserving this beautiful horse. Today the Friesian is used for pleasure riding, dressage, and as a harness horse. Friesians stand a minimum of 15 hands tall, and the only allowed color is pure black with almost no white. They are a friendly, gentle horse and are usually easy to handle. |
| Check out the links below for more information on the Friesian and for farms currently breeding Friesians. Clicking on the link will open a new window: | |||||||||
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| Links to other horse breed pages: |
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