Friesians are an amazing breed, and I’m only a little bit biased. They are elegant, graceful, intelligent and kind, not to mention absolutely beautiful. While a lot of people have heard of Friesian horses, not many know the history or any facts about the breed. So, to help more people learn about Friesians, we’ve created a fun list of Friesian Horse Facts!

They have been around for centuries

We have records of the Friesian horse dating back to the early 1200’s. There are several records of Friesian horses all over Europe, owned by royalty and ridden into battles. For more history on the Friesian horse, check out our Friesian Horse History.

They are from a small province in the Netherlands

Friesians originated in a small province in the Netherlands called Friesland. Friesland is also known for producing the Holstein Friesian cow and is well known for agriculture. 

They were a major influence on many breeds

Friesians were a major influence on a number of other well-known breeds. The breed provided the foundation blood for many European breeds including, The Shire, Gelderlander, Oldenburg, Fell ponies, Old English Blacks, Dutch Warmbloods, and Holsteiners. It is also thought that they had an influence on the Morgan horse.

They have a chestnut gene

While Friesian horse registries do not encourage and will not register colors other than black, some Friesians do carry the chestnut factor or gene. In the 1990’s, the Dutch registry, KFPS, actively tried to breed this out of the Friesian breed. Today, the FPS DNA tests all approved stallions to ensure they do not carry this gene.

They are judged at Keurings

Friesian horses participate in a keuring, or judging done by the breed registry as they grow. These keurings are held annually in the U.S. and results are permanently added to the horse’s registration papers. Friesians can be judged at any age, but the most important ages are as foals and as three-year-olds. 

They are related to Andalusians

Many believe the Andalusian was influential in creating the original Friesian horse. They were located in similar parts of the world and share several traits, including muscular builds, size, and graceful gaits.

Ashton Kirkeide

I’ve been around horses my entire life, but my Friesian journey started just over 20 years ago. Our horses have always been a part of our family. They have traveled with us as we relocated from Vermont to New York to Iowa and finally, to Arizona. I can’t wait to share our story with you!