Friesians and Friesiansporthorses

La Belle Vie farm is proud to showcase our Friesians with top pedigrees.

 Our mare and Stallion are the result of extraordinary Stallions

•  with astounding show careers in Driving and Dressage.
• Their inherited talents have allowed them to make waves in the show ring
•  in both of these respective disciplines.
  
  

  Meet Samson! He is imported from the Netherlands  and has a 2 premie. A Book reg.FHANA

  
  
  

  A Brief History of the Friesian Horse The black Friesian breed of horse, over 2000 years old, is one of the oldest domesticated breeds in Europe. It is native to the province of Friesland  in the northern Netherlands.  During the 16th and 17th centuries,  but probably earlier, Arabian and Andalusian blood was introduced to lighten the breed. This has given them  the high knee action, the small head and the craning neck.

  
  During the last two centuries the breed has been bred pure

  •  and is considered to be a warm blood.
  • The Friesian has been used to form the basis of many breeds,
  • such as the Shire, New Forest, Dale, Morgan, Swedish Warmblood,
  •  the Orlov Trotter, and was recently used to revive the Kladruber breed.
    To better illustrate the rare and valuable nature of this breed,
  • consider their population statistics:
  • In all of North America it is estimated that there are no more than
  • 㺔 to 25 stallions standing at stud.
  •  It was reported that 445 foals were born in 2002
  • and that the total number of Friesians recorded stands at 4011.
  • The Friesian horse has been kept free from influence of the English Thoroughbred.
    
    

  The armored knights found  the Friesian horse very desirable, having the strength to carry great weight  and still maneuver precisely. The Hungarian King Louis II used a Friesian stallion on the battlefield on June 15, 1526.  The Friesian was used as a war horse  by Friesian soldiers fighting with the Roman armies, and later was used by knights and traveled all the way to the Middle East with the Crusaders.  Their suppleness and agility made Friesians sought after in the riding schools of Paris and Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries.  They were also used as a fast trotting coach horse, and it was, in fact, Friesians who invented trotting races over short distances (320 metres) in the 18th century.

  • The Modern day Friesian has enjoyed its share of publicity,
  •  regularly being seen on the big screen in movies such as
  • Interview With a Vampire, Sense and Sensibility,
  • Emma, Disney's Tall Tales, and The Mask of Zorro.
  • There was the magnificent Othello, known as Goliath,
  • a Friesian who caught many people's eyes in the movie, LadyHawke.
  •  For those who have traveled to Harrod's Department store in London
  • , you may have seen the impressive Friesian stallions driving their carriages.
    
    

  Titana Victoria

  The Friesian suffered a decline in numbers with the increase of mechanization on the farm and in transportation. In fact, the number of Friesian stallions reputedly  was reduced to only three prior to World War I.  Through rigorous efforts of "Het Friesch Paarden-Stamboek", the official studbook, the purity of the Friesian horse has been preserved and the Friesian horse has become  a favorite sight the world over.

  • This class of horse has been saved
  •  from extinction by a group of dedicated breeders in Friesland,
  • a northern province of Holland.
  • The studbook is one of the oldest in the world being established in 1879.
  • Breeding is done under strict guidelines such as selection,
  •  performance testing and classification
  •  to ensure that the quality of the breed remains very high.
    
    The Friesian is a noble animal,
  • possessing a kind and willing character, intelligence and strength.
  • The horses are always black, with a long wavy mane and tail, and feather on the legs.
  • No white markings are permitted, except for a small white star on the forehead.
  • They possess a high neck carriage and powerful hindquarters.
  • Their movement is forward and elevated with a high knee action.
  •  The average height is 15- l7 hands with an average weight of 1300-1600 pounds.
    
    

  Recognized as a superb show horse, the Friesian has been used by many European circuses for classical dressage. The French Troupe, Zingaro, has performed for sold out crowds in New York and the star horse is the Friesian stallion by the same name, Zingaro. They are now gaining further respect in the dressage arena of today as some specimens of the breed are reaching Grand Prix level due to their natural carriage and elevated movement.  Ring driving always attracts hundreds of spectators,  but Friesians also perform well in modern equestrian sports such as combined driving, and more recently, in North American and Canadian dressage where a Friesian performed at the 2000 Olympics and another has graded to medium level.

  
  

  With only about 4000 Friesians in the United States, they have not been well known here.  But the excitement over this breed is catching on at such events as Equitana in Louisville, Kentucky (The World's Fair for Horses). The Friesians were showcased in 1997 to roaring crowds.  They were really showstoppers. FHANA, the Friesian Horse Association of North America,  brought from all over America about 60 beautiful Friesians  to show the versatility and majesty of the breed. The Friesian's beauty, size, rideability and temperament  make them a perfect choice for the whole family.

  • 
    Be sure to visit the FHANA website
  • for more information about the North American Friesian horse market and culture.