coblet
Novice Poster
Posts: 31
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Post by coblet on Jan 20, 2013 16:12:13 GMT 1
www.blackhorses.co.uk/ ;D My husband ADORES Fresians and I would have loved to have been arranged a surprise trip here but unfortunately, although there isn't an ounce of fat on him, he's rather tall and therefore blows their 12.5 stone weight limit out of the water
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Post by heather on Jan 20, 2013 16:36:35 GMT 1
Heck the Dutch are very tall and many of the male of the species is way over this weight, in muscle! I have seen bigger men than 12.5 stone riding the bigger Friesians, by a long way!
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Post by specialized on Jan 20, 2013 18:24:33 GMT 1
12.5 stone weight limit on a horse of that build seems a little ridiculous.
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Post by mjcssjw2 on Jan 21, 2013 10:02:16 GMT 1
i thought the 12.5 stone weight lomit a bit harsh, maybe they don't want people over that riding for half a day or something.
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orangetails
Intermediate Poster
Jay, Lilly and Tangle
Posts: 219
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Post by orangetails on Jan 21, 2013 15:52:40 GMT 1
It doesn't massively surprise me (nice in some ways to see a commercial place putting such a weight limit on their horses, particularly if they have some people who aren't massively experienced/competent riders) but again, they are carriage horses, they are bred to pull weight not carry it and often have quite long weak backs/loins - like most heavy horses the fact they are chunky doesn't make them ideal weight carriers. It's different the highly schooled ones bertie has posted pics of being ridden by competent riders, then I'd expect them to be able to carry a little more, but these guys could be ridden by far less competent people, probably aren't as well muscled and carrying themselves as efficiently/effectively, as well as potentially having those conformational weaknesses...
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Post by angblue on Jan 21, 2013 21:03:50 GMT 1
Friesians nowadays come in three types, (It's a common misunderstanding that they are Not bred for riding) Baroque which are generally heavier & shorter in height & more compact altogether, there is the Classic which is slightly finer & taller, the Sport Friesian is even more fine compared to the other two types. Friesians stallions that the KFPS allow to become breeding stallions in the stud book have to go through a very thorough series of tests a "keuring" they are most certainly not bred just for driving. Yes driving is part of it but they have to perform extremely well under saddle & in hand to pass the tests, their offspring are then tested also to remain in the book. Of course the above will only apply to a Friesian that has approved breeding, unfortunately there are a lot appearing over here that are not of a good standard & it's best to go to a reputable breeder or dealer who imports/breeds good examples. Look on YouTube for the vids of the 2013 kuerings, some beautiful riding displays & you can see they are not a "heavy horse". The fun bit ;D They are fantastic horses most have a temperament to die for & love human company/interaction, they are adaptable & can do very well in dressage, will try their hand at anything, I know a breeder who has taken many different types on endurance rides her stallion loves them! Showing wise there are a lot of Foreign breed classes now & even Friesian specific ones.......so long as you can keep up with their trot!! Yes they can be heavy on the forehand but no more than any horse, they do mature at around 6-8 yrs, most are big in presence not necessarily in height confo & yes groundwork is important but not through malice they just need to be taught to be more bodily aware(not all though), one that moves in balance is stunning & not any harder to achieve than with any other breed. Their presence is something else, my boy is 16.1 but looks 18hh in full Friesian alert pose! Most tend to be non spooky as in they jump to the side & stop but there are the hotter bloodlines out there but horses are horses & they are all different FHAGBI do a fantastic job with the breed in Britain & Ireland so a great start to get advise on bloodlines etc. The saying goes once you've had a Black Pearl you won't look back.....I know I won't ;D ;D
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Post by shan on Jan 21, 2013 23:05:36 GMT 1
Beautiful pics.... droooool!!!
Is there anywhere to go and ride them? I suppose it may be a long shot but you never know!
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Post by janwilky on Jan 22, 2013 0:58:32 GMT 1
Amanda's Moo is a gorgeous boy, he helped give me my confidence back last summer and I'll always be grateful to him for that. It's sad that he's now losing his sight in the other eye, but perhaps just as well or I'd be tempted to kidnap him! He was a bit spooky when I rode him but he never did anything at all scary - just jumped a bit when he didn't quite see something properly. Even so, he's a lot easier than my blimming cob . Each time I've visited my boys at Amanda's since my accident Moo has been the one horse who has carefully and very gently sniffed the injured left side of my face - it nearly makes me cry. My cob, whose foot did all the damage, only cares if his haynet's been filled up .
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clarea
Olympic Poster
Posts: 878
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Post by clarea on Jan 22, 2013 15:05:30 GMT 1
I love my boy! He is absolutely perfect (imho!) and generally just the best horse in the world A few things to consider - I would only ever consider buying directly from Holland, the ones bred over here are generally a much poorer quality and overpriced. They are known for their laid back temperament; whilst this is often true don't expect a lazy, dope on a rope type. My boy is laid back to be around but ridden he can be hot, he is sharp, he has an opinion on absolutely everything and will argue if necessary! However he is incredibly sensitive so he requires gentle persuasion rather than 'you will do it' attitude. As above, there are different types of Friesian and certainly are a million miles away from the carriage horse they once were. Most do not struggle with canter (I have ridden hundreds in Holland and very few had a problem). We can do pretty much everything including piaffe, passage, all lateral work in all three paces, canter changes, working on our tempi changes, canter piris, spanish walk and spanish trot. The only thing that we are taking more time than most on is our medium and extended paces as he is built for collection but we will get there. On the forehand?! I would say less than many horses but depends on the training and the horse/rider. If you want any more info or pics then please pm me - I don't want to bore everyone here!
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Post by shan on Jan 22, 2013 19:08:34 GMT 1
Oh more pics, please feel free to bore us to tears with photos
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Post by curlytobiano on Jan 23, 2013 8:51:49 GMT 1
oo yes clarea your boy sounds amazing pics and videos please!!
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Post by Pony-Nutt on Jan 23, 2013 10:45:36 GMT 1
Not read all the thread but of the ones Ive met in person, they all have a nice temperament. I have been told that they are not the best driving horses around as they very often dont like to push into the collar properly, I guess with the long legs their centre of gravity is not that low to the ground and they are quite light in front and as driving forward requires weight on the forehand and a low centre of gravity there are better breeds for moving heavy loads but as a flashy funeral horse I dont think anything looks better. Horses for courses I suppose. As a riding horse my main worry would be that as they carry their heads so high with quite an upright neck and front would I be good enough to get one to round his back and then lower his head and go forward properly and freely. I doubt it
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Post by specialized on Jan 23, 2013 11:41:33 GMT 1
As a riding horse my main worry would be that as they carry their heads so high with quite an upright neck and front would I be good enough to get one to round his back and then lower his head and go forward properly and freely. I doubt it From the experience of the two that I have saddled, once the shoulder is free they will drop their heads and round their backs quite happily, and that trot is amazing to watch.
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Post by Pony-Nutt on Jan 23, 2013 14:48:49 GMT 1
That is good to hear but I wonder if it is easy for average riders to get there with them? And as you say, 'once the shoulder is free'. Exactly how do you get to that point with them? I am the first to admit that they have lovely movement and are breathtaking to watch when going properly but they are perhaps a specialist breed for devoted fans of the breed? It is worth noting that there are none out there competing with the big boys. We are now seeing plenty Iberian types doing well but no Friesians so presumably the professionals stay clear of them for a reason? Only my own personal thoughts, no idea if Im talking tosh!
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Post by specialized on Jan 23, 2013 15:03:40 GMT 1
That is good to hear but I wonder if it is easy for average riders to get there with them? And as you say, 'once the shoulder is free'. Exactly how do you get to that point with them? I am the first to admit that they have lovely movement and are breathtaking to watch when going properly but they are perhaps a specialist breed for devoted fans of the breed? It is worth noting that there are none out there competing with the big boys. We are now seeing plenty Iberian types doing well but no Friesians so presumably the professionals stay clear of them for a reason? Only my own personal thoughts, no idea if Im talking tosh! These were not highly schooled horses and the riders were competent every-day riders. The way to clear the shoulder is getting a saddle that suits their shape and I know the owner was having problems with every english saddle she tried as they were blocking the large shoulder. I expect the professionals have not started competing on them is probably more a case of fashion rather than ability.
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