Despite its retention of its primitive ancestry, the Friesian is a stunning beast. The round withers lead to a compact body and powerful hindquarters that slope down to short, but strong hind legs. The hooves are hard and complimented by a breath of feathering on the lower legs.

Aesthetically, the Friesian are always black, so they're both uniform and dramatic. Their tail and mane hair is thick and voluminous, making them all the more striking.

Renowned and loved for their nature, the Friesian is a gentle, loyal, and docile horse. They have an excellent character and are known to form exceptional bonds with their partner owners. Because of their temperament and agility, they are even sometimes used for dressage, a form of horse ballet that displays a horse's level of training and grace.

The uniformity of a group of Friesian also makes them popular for show purposes such as circus work, advertising, or more grimly, as formal funeral horses. Over the centuries, the Friesian has been used in harness, under saddle, at war, and, of course, on the farm. They are often used as foundation cross stock for other breeds and have influenced such breeds as the Fell, Dales, and Shires.

Evidence of the Friesian as a breed was first recorded by the Romans in the first century AD. One thousand years later, they carried Friesian knights to the Crusades. For centuries after, they were a prominent war horse and because the Friesian was at ease while travelling by sea, the horse spread quickly all over the world.

Despite its widespread popularity, the breed almost became extinct. By 1913, only three Friesian stallions remained in Friesland. But, the Second World War saw a resurgence in demand as farmers of the area returned to horse power in the face of fuel rations, thus saving the breed.

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Friesian - Horses for Sale