# Friesian QH cross?



## EmilyJoy

I'm also curious as to what would cross best with the Friesian horse. Maybe a lighter type horse with high head carriage, Saddlebred, Arabian, or Hackney???

I'll probably never get one, but it's still very interesting.


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## dbarabians

I can see no reason to cross a friesan with any other breed. 
They are unique and were bred for centuries for a specific purpose.
I have seen some very nice half friesans but I wonder what happens to those that are not desirable.
I am a firm believer in cross breeding.
Friesans and a few other breeds need to remain pure IMO.
QHs and friesans are too different in type for me to consider crossing one with the other. 
Shalom


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## QHDragon

First of off it really bugs me how people are crossing everything and anything with a friesian cuz they're purdy. 

Let me put it this way, once a friesian horse is approved they cannot cross with any non-friesians or they will lose their approval. If you are willing to put in the time and money that it takes to get your horse approved you are not going to risk losing that approval. So, only the horses that don't get approved are the ones that are being bred to make all these crosses. Breeding two extremely opposite types has its risks. You could get a really lovely horse, and you could get one that ends up looking like a disaster. Morgans and Saddlebreds tend to produce the best crosses because they are fairly close in type, everything else is kind of a carp shoots. Friesians are not the easiest to ride, nor are they the easiest to train. They love to be around people, and are friendly, sometimes too much. 

My first horse was a friesian x qh cross. We bought him as a 5 year old and sent him to a trainer. 90 days later the trainer informed us that he would likely only ever be a horse for a professional or very experienced rider. We traded him for the horse that I consider to be my true first horse. He ended up with a lovely lady that did a lot of work with him, and at the age of 11 he is finally starting to mellow out and be a solid citizen. 

Here he is this past spring:









During owning him and dealing with his previous owner I met enough friesians to know that they aren't for me.


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## ponyboy

QHDragon said:


> First of off it really bugs me how people are crossing everything and anything with a friesian cuz they're purdy.


It's more likely because they can't afford a purebred :lol:

It seems to me there have been a lot of TB X Warmblood crosses in the Olympics. Quality matters more than being a purebred anything IMO.


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## QHDragon

I agree, to a point. I won't buy any stock horse without papers due to HYPP. There are also certain lines of Warmbloods I wouldn't buy without papers because of OCD running in them. 

The crosses aren't really all that much cheaper than the purebreds. In my area the cheapest cross I ever saw was an unbroke 3 year old for $3000. Most of them are around $5000, which I think is insane. Like I said, nobody in their right mind who has gone through the process and spent the money on getting their horse approved is going to risk losing that approval by breeding a cross bred, so only the non-approved horses are the ones being used to create all these crosses.


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## KigerQueen

I almost got a Frisian qh cross. Complete nut! I was walking him out of the pipe stall barn down the isle. He was calm, almost half asleep. The second we where level with the mare in the barn he reared over the gate, grabbed her by her poll and proceeded to shake her like a dog dose a toy. I pulled him off and he acted like NOTHING happened. He gave NO signs of attacking. His head was relaxed, he did NOT pin his ears, did not even look at her. It happened in less than 10 seconds. His owner (my friend at the time) said he tries to kill mares. He was gelded before he was a year old so hes not study, just a nut.


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## LadyChevalier

I have a friesian cross- Dante. He is 50% Friesian, 25% Appaloosa and 25% Clydesdale. He is my dream horse. Very intelligent, quick to catch on to things. He is very personable and loves me over his herd mates, and he is a bit pushy but we are working on that. He can have a lot of energy and sometimes can get carried away but he is a good boy, hes still young and learning. Friesians are not for everyone, and most certainly I would not let anyone else besides my trainer ride my guy. His trot is HUGE and cannot sit to it without posting but his canter is floaty and a dream to ride. He loves to go on trails and we've done a little bit of jumping which he seemed to enjoy. 

I agree with what was said earlier but no point in breeding a Friesian to anything that is dissimilar in type. More often than not I see crosses that look nothing like a friesian and have some questionable confirmation. If you are breeding to a friesian it should be to something that most likely will look like a friesian. I know the main reason for breeding crosses for friesians is because peop[le cannot afford 15,000 or more for a purebred, so they settle for the "next best thing". Add "Friesian cross" and it automatically ups the price of a horse like 1000 or more. 

I got very lucky with my guy that he actually shows more of his father than his mother. His mother produced some really nice crosses. Her babies have gone as far as the east coast to Alaska... and she is grade. But that doesnt mean that the next time she is bred to a Friesian it will be anything like her past babies. 

I hope to maybe someday own my very own purebred Friesian but for now I am content with my "next best thing"


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## greentree

My friend has 5 or so Friesian X QH. He bred his Foundation mares with a stallion to get driving horses. They went to the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Gorgeous animals. They are as gentle as puppies, very trainable, and nice movers. 

They do not look like Friesian crosses, but just big bay warmbloods. 

I will try to dig up a picture.

Nancy

ETA: you can see pictures of them here
http://www.foundationquarterhorse.com/teamtexas.asp


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## Zexious

Firstly, I will say that I /love/ Friesians. I think they are beautiful <3 I'd love to own one someday, when I'm less concerned with competing.

dbarabians--Lots of people cross Friesians to get something more sporty. They're pretty popular around here.
I'm neither here nor there on the subject, I'm just sharing their line of thinking. xD

As for a Quarter Horse... 
I think when you cross a horse, you need to have a reason. IE-I am going to cross x breed and x breed to get something that is athletic, with stamina. Or x breed and x breed to get something with height, but a bit more sleek.
I cannot see a reason to cross a Quarter Horse and a Friesian. I'm interested to see what you had in mind, OP.

I've seen some really nice Arab x Friesian crosses. They come out a bit sportier.


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## DuckDodgers

dbarabians said:


> I can see no reason to cross a friesan with any other breed.
> They are unique and were bred for centuries for a specific purpose.
> I have seen some very nice half friesans but I wonder what happens to those that are not desirable.
> I am a firm believer in cross breeding.
> Friesans and a few other breeds need to remain pure IMO.
> QHs and friesans are too different in type for me to consider crossing one with the other.
> Shalom


Agreed. I don't see the appeal that everyone seems to with crossing friesans with everything under the sun. I understand that the purpose is to get a more sporty horse, but I've seen some pretty rotten looking half friesans. More than come out looking decent. IMO, not a cross that I'd go for.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HoovesWithDaFur

While there are breeders who cross Friesians to produce 'great' offspring for competition, I feel there are tons of breeders who cross Friesians with whatever they can get a hold of to produce offspring that'll bring in a good penny because it is.. well, half friesian and generally a good market for such. I wouldnt want to breed a Friesian to a QH, I feel as though they are two entirely different types. 

My friend has a Peruvian Paso x Friesian cross because she couldnt afford a purebred. She's a nice horse but needs a lot of work..


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## IndiesaurusRex

I agree with QHDragon. An unapproved stallion cannot be bred to a non Friesian mare without losing approval, and to be honest, if I were to breed to a Friesian, it would be approved, sheerly for the fact that I know there are a lot of issues within the breed to do with inbreeding due to small numbers, so I would want to go with the best.

My friend works for the president of FHAGBI (Friesian Horse Association of Great Britain and Ireland) and I have been on the receiving end of many rants revolving around the dilution of the breed. The issue is, people breed to these unapproved stallions because they are cheaper and will breed to any old hodgepot old mare, and end up causing some real "ouch" foals.

Not to say that there is anything wrong with a lot of the Friesian crosses already out there and shown in this thread, I just don't think it is a breed that should be diluted - if you want a sport type, you can get a pure Friesian that has a Sport title, and breed to that.

A gorgeous example of the Sport type is this boy here, one of my friend's boss' horses: Droomwals


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## ponyboy

Why is it that even when inbreeding causes problems, people still think outcrossing is a bad idea? I think we place too much emphasis on purity. You can't keep breeding from a small gene pool forever and expect to keep producing healthy horses.


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## IndiesaurusRex

ponyboy said:


> Why is it that even when inbreeding causes problems, people still think outcrossing is a bad idea? I think we place too much emphasis on purity. You can't keep breeding from a small gene pool forever and expect to keep producing healthy horses.


The breed itself is evolving though - the new sport types are proof of that. The breed is still pure but new blood is being brought through. Inbreeding is bad yes, but purity? For a breed like this, I think it is a good thing.

Traditonal baroque Friesian (almost overly baroque):









Sport type Friesian:









If that's not breed diversity, I don't know what is.


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## dressagebelle

I have never been a big fan of Fresians and Fresian crosses. I believe that the price tag for a cross bred is still REALLY expensive so you aren't saving a huge ton of money buying a crossbreed, though breeding saying there aren't any problems will be a little less expensive than buying a 3 year old Fresian say. That being said, any cross breed being bred, should be bred for a reason, as stated above, crossing a TB with a WB for example, to add more bone to the TB, but keep a bit more spit and fire for eventing say, breeding an Arabian with a Saddlebred for a little more action on the Arabian side. What would be the purpose of breeding a QH to a Fresian other than trying to get a look a like that isn't as expensive as buying a purebred? If it's just for looks, I'd pass. The Fresian is typically a driving breed, and the QH is a stock breed, and have two completely different conformational qualities that don't mesh well. You can get either something that looks pretty good, or you can end up with something that gets all the wrong fresian attributes with all the wrong QH attributes, and isn't usable. Keep that in mind when thinking of breeding no matter what you are breeding. I'm not against cross breeding by any means, but just like breeding purebreds, you need to have a purpose and goal in mind.


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## Breezy2011

Thanks guys, for sharing your photos and opinions! I am by no means wanting to cross my quarter horses with a friesian... 

I was just curious on what people thought about the cross, as I came across more then a couple of friesian studs in Saskatchewan that would breed to any breed of horse, but were more expensive for the 'sport horse crosses'. 

What also came to my mind when I was looking at them was, would they be like the Half Arab registry and can have a grade horse in there and still be able to be registered. 

If I breed my mares, it would be to suitable quarter horse studs that match them best for their conformation and overall build.


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## wakiya

This is the trouble with inbreeding:

The trouble with Friesians - DVM

And disallowing members of an already critical small population such as this purebred red:










It's not helping matters. The breed will not survive if this continues. I'm not saying allowing outcrosses will help but SOMETHING needs to be done.


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## KigerQueen

I agree. They should be aloud to out cross to foundation breeds. Like possibly shires, Percheron or even large fell pony's (And i mean large otherwise there would be an issue lol)


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## Zexious

I guess the just of my last post was if you have a /reason/ to cross something (and I don't think there being a large market is a reason xD) then cool, do it.
Again, I don't really see that here. xD


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## HoovesWithDaFur

Zexious said:


> I guess the just of my last post was if you have a /reason/ to cross something (and I don't think there being a large market is a reason xD) then cool, do it.
> Again, I don't really see that here. xD


Agreed.. A great market for the foal isnt a proper reason to cross your Friesian with a Paintaloosarabistang.  Or a QH, especially one with very differing qualities (All of them? Never seen a QH that I said "Wow! I'd breed that to a Friesian!")

To create a reasonable cross with a purpose/promising future.. is a better reason. 

But then again, some people probably see use in a QH/Friesian. To each their own!


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## KigerQueen

I have pics!

QH cross








Not a bad looking horse.

Appy cross
































I think I want one XD lol!


Warlander (Friesian X Andalusian)

















Gypsy Cross









and then there is the Georgia Grande (Saddlebred Friesian cross)

















Not ALL the bad. Some are nice and I can see why people would want to cross.


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## EmilyJoy

While those crosses^^ are gorgeous (especially the gypsy cross!) I have to say I do agree. 

I don't think anybody should ever add "color" to the Friesian world (and definitely NOT red!), don't we all ready have every color out there all ready? If a person wanted color, go buy a paint. I don't believe there will ever be enough black horses, (go search on any old internet classifieds, what is the pure non-fading black ratio to reds, bays, browns and greys?)... We don't need to ruin this breed, or mess with them (don't need a separate class of halter horse, jumping, cart, racing, endurance, gaming, etc in one breed, go buy a quarter horse). 

Look at that bone, that muscle, the head, that body, and that strong, powerful yet elegant look about them, so uniquely Friesian. I don't believe they need to be turned into anything but what they are. 

It's interesting how they cross out, and I could see people doing it and having a good horse under them, but I don't think the crosses should be registrable.

Gotta love that baroque look!

Anyway just my 2 cents.


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## trailhorserider

You know, I am all for sturdy, good boned, good footed using horses. And I personally think draft type horses are lovely. So, with that being said, I could see a Friesian (or other draft type horse) improving on the bone and hoof quality of other breeds, especially Quarter Horse which today often have fine bones and feet (I blame modern breeders of show horses for that. Bleh. :-x). 

Is it a typical cross, perhaps not. And the purists of both breeds would probably think it sacrilege, but I could see the cross working out very well as a using horse. Maybe not as a beauty contestant, but as a good, sound using horse. The examples people have posted on here have been really, really lovely horses. Now if you don't like the movement or temperment of Friesians, well, maybe another breed would be a better cross. I could really get into some Belgian cross Quarter Horses for example! But hey, what do I know. I just want a sound horse that can be trail ridden for many years in rugged terrain and stay sound doing it. I don't care about showing or trying to win ribbons. I just want a good, sturdy, sound horse that will still be sound 20 years from now (God willing). So yeah, I have no problem with crossbreds, especially if the crosses add more substance to a lighter boned breed. 

Are there better breeds to cross a Friesian to? Perhaps. Those Warlanders look right up my alley! But if someone wants a Friesian/QH cross, who am I to say it is a dumb idea?

And by the way, what about the QH breeder that uses the crosses as driving horses? Maybe that's not everyone's cup of tea, but obviously it has been working out well for that person.

I get tired of everyone on the Internet being the breeding police. If you don't like the cross, don't breed it or buy it. That doesn't mean it's not the perfect horse for someone else. Diversity is a good thing.


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## KigerQueen

Agreed. I have always liked the breed, and my goal one day it to own one (and a mawari lol). I would not outcross. BUT that being said they NEED to add new blood. They are inbred to a frightening level. Crossing them with their foundation breeds, and ones that are homozigous (Spelling?) black, Could save this breed from genetic issues.


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## wakiya

Red was already in the breed - still is in my opinion. In 1990 they started testing only the stallions (which means mares could still have it pass it to their male offspring cross onto a mare that's Ee and BOOM red horse) and wouldn't allow any Ee into the top books. I think it's shooting themselves in the foot with how little genetic diversity they have as is.

Also interestingly, in Spanish Barbs, especially SMR bred horses black outnumber reds 4:1. The genes (if they exist) for fading and non-fading haven't been established.


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## trailhorserider

This is a bit off topic I guess, but I look at all these Friesian crosses and one of the common characteristics seems to be the really high set, arched neck. 

I have a horse that is NOT a Friesian cross, but I can't help but think I could stick him in here and he would fit right in with all the Friesian crosses. (He kind of reminds me of the first Warlander). What do you think? 

He's about 15.3-16 hands, 1300 lbs. Bigger than both his parents. Wanna guess what kind of cross he is?


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## Alexandra V

I have to agree with what was already said about them being approved. If someone is willing to cross their friesian with another breed then I would find that a bit sketchy in terms of the quality of their friesian.

I also agree with the idea of crossing breeds with a specific purpose in mind, but just doing it for fun to see what would happen is wasteful to me. I have seen a few nice friesian crosses, like one gorgeous friesian x percheron, who turned out looking like a baroque-built friesian with the great mane and tail, fewer feathers and was an all-over dark grey. He was stunning, but again he was a cross of two similar-ish breeds.


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## rookie

I am not a huge fan of the friesian crosses. Even when crossed to a similar horse. I see/hear a lot about standardbred friesian crosses. I think this is a horrible idea. This is often done more for the Friesian side of the breeding than the Standardbred side. Yes they come from similar origins but its really hit or miss and when they miss what do you do with it? It should be an great conformation mare with a record/personality/awesome kids horse (something of value) combined with a stallion with great conformation and a show record/personality/awesome kids horse (something of value). Don't breed junk to junk and expect gold. 

The thought seems to be all often that any Friesian is a good Friesian. Which is not true. It is almost as though some folks feel that any Friesian bred to any mare (no matter the quality) will result in a valuable horse. Which is part of the reason you see some real train wrecks from Friesian crosses. I admire the efforts that the Friesian breed as made to maintain a certain standard within its breed. I think it should be difficult to register a stallion and it should be required to meet certain standards. The fact that you can take a stallion, which does not meet the breed characteristics (which include personality/temperament) and breed it kinda bothers me. You are creating a grade horse so sell it as a grade. No one advertises for a 5,000 dollar grade weanling but you get a 5,000 dollar freisian/whatever cross.


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## HoovesWithDaFur

KigerQueen said:


> I have pics!
> 
> QH cross
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not a bad looking horse.
> 
> Appy cross


:shock: Yum! Okay, those ones are quite pretty!


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## KigerQueen

the appy cross is named Mystic Warrior
Mystic Warrior

He is a nice looking stud


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## HoovesWithDaFur

That one if my favorite of the two. The QH cross looks nice but the Appaloosa cross is extra nice!


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## ponyboy

EmilyJoy said:


> I don't think anybody should ever add "color" to the Friesian world (and definitely NOT red!), don't we all ready have every color out there all ready?



You need to learn about color genetics. It is *impossible* to eliminate chestnut from the Friesian gene pool because it is recessive. And now that we understand that, breeding for black-only horses is irresponsible IMO.


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## Kelli

I debated weighing in on this subject, but here goes. I am a new owner of a friesian sport horse cross. She is friesian/ spotted draft and I would consider her for breeding purposes. Here is why: she has very good conformation, very good demeanor (her sire is known for this), her sire is very accomplished and she is a proven winner. She is a past USEF high point horse of the year and former IFSHA world champion. All of that happened before I owned her, so I can't take any credit. In my opinion, her breeder really knew what he was doing. I won't pretend to be an expert because I'm not, but I do think this is an example of a good cross. I didn't get her because I couldn't afford a Frieisan I got her because she is a really good looking horse and hopefully will turn out to be the full package(only had her 3 weeks). I have some pics of her posted on the conformation forum, one is her Pinterest pin from KYB dressage and the other is from the IFSHA website....and a pic of her in the barn upside down(can't figure out how to turn it....lol). She will either be a good dressage horse for myself, or I will sell her to someone with much more experience than me. 

I think the real issue here is breeding horses that shouldn't be bred. To me that seems to be the case with many breeds and crosses not just a friesian. I am a fan of good horses, not just particular breeds (although Arabians were my first love....lol). If I can figure out how to link, I will post one to my conformation thread.


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## rookie

I agree Kelli the issue is breeding horses that should not be bred regardless of breed. The high price tag associated with Friesian crosses is just sort of a sticking point with a lot of folks.


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## DuckDodgers

ponyboy said:


> You need to learn about color genetics. It is *impossible* to eliminate chestnut from the Friesian gene pool because it is recessive. And now that we understand that, breeding for black-only horses is irresponsible IMO.


But aren't there tests that can be done on breeding stock to determine whether or not these recessive traits are present? Naturally, it would be impossible to eliminate recessive traits from an entire breed, but if it's your goal then you could easily opt out of breeding these chestnut carriers for all-black lines. I'm not one to breed for color, but what's the problem with breeding for black in a black-dominated breed?

I don't think she made a comment about ELIMINATING color from the breed, anyway, just that it shouldn't be added... Doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of genetic knowledge :wink:


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## EmilyJoy

Thank-you DuckDodgers, my thoughts exactly.


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## wakiya

The problem is that's an extreme loss of genetic diversity in an already extremely inbred breed. By culling all red carriers, you're culling horses that may otherwise be great horses and have different bloodlines. You can also be involuntarily removing other genes or increasing the frequency of deleterious, defective, or disorderous genes.


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## DuckDodgers

Done correctly, though, these horses CAN be bred, and then the chestnut carriers from the next generation not bred. If you breed a chestnut carrier, then it's only half a chance that the offspring will be a carrier.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Kayty

Look, its the same deal with any breed. Stallion is pretty, someone has a mare conveniently with a set of ovaries, WELL HEY NOW! Lets make a 'beebee'. 

THIS is where problems lie, there is outcrossing to improve a breed, and there is outcrossing 'just because'. 
Take the crossing of warmbloods with TBs, my own 3 year old is a Hanoverian x TB. He was bred by a registered stud, the mare (TB) was approved by the Hanoverian Stud Book as a foundation mare, and as a foal, my horse was approved by the studbook also and score an 8.5 of a possible 10 overall. The mare was mentioned in the visiting assessor's report consisting of an Australia wide assessment of Hanoverian youngstock, where he said that she is the ideal mare that should be being crossed with the Hanoverian breed to introduce a little more blood. My youngster has been eyed off by a number of FEI riders including the German assessors and I have been told multiple times that he is an ideal FEI (GP) prospect. 

Now, if we look at Friesians in the same light. They are an extremely distinctive breed and as such, they are difficult to cross. You may hit the jackpot and get really lucky if you cross it with something 'out of a hat' but more likely than not, it's going to be a fugly runt of a thing with no real talent for anything. 
There are a rare handful of breeders who are extremely carefully crossing quality Friesian stallions with approved and thoroughly scrutinised mares, to produce youngstock that are really quite nice. BUT this is the result of a huge amount of research - you need to have an enormous amount of knowledge about how each fault and good trait of each parent may impact each other. If you can find a mare that compliments a friesian stallion and is very similar in type but perhaps a little finer build, you may end up with quite an athletic horse. Cross it with a bum high, thick set QH and by golly you are likely to end up with a mule. 

Also worth noting, if a Friesian stallion is being advertised for outside 'any old mare' mares, then he is NOT an approved/registered Friesian stallion and 99% certainly not of excellent quality for that breed. Most people who truly want to preserve and improve the breed won't touch these horses with a 40 foot barge pole.


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## ponyboy

DuckDodgers said:


> But aren't there tests that can be done on breeding stock to determine whether or not these recessive traits are present? Naturally, it would be impossible to eliminate recessive traits from an entire breed, but if it's your goal then you could easily opt out of breeding these chestnut carriers for all-black lines. I'm not one to breed for color, but what's the problem with breeding for black in a black-dominated breed?


You'd be reducing the gene pool even further. If it's not smart to breed _for _a certain color than it's not smart to breed _against _one either.



DuckDodgers said:


> I don't think she made a comment about ELIMINATING color from the breed, anyway, just that it shouldn't be added... Doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of genetic knowledge :wink:


The color is not being "added" to the breed – it was always there.


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## QHDragon

DuckDodgers said:


> Agreed. I don't see the appeal that everyone seems to with crossing friesans with everything under the sun. I understand that the purpose is to get a more sporty horse, but I've seen some pretty rotten looking half friesans. More than come out looking decent. IMO, not a cross that I'd go for.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Another problem with the cross breeding is the other half of the equation. Just like if no approved friesian owner would allow their horse to be bred to a non-friesian, it goes the other way. If you have a really nice QH, Morgan, or whatever, showing well in whatever sport and is breeding quality, the chances are that you are going to breed for a purebred foal that you can register and show within the breed. There just aren't a lot of quality stock being used in the whole friesian cross breeding realm. BUT I am also a strong believer that a horse must prove itself in some way (in our society that means showing for the most part) and have exceptional conformation. 

Also, a few people have pointed out something I was trying to skirt on, but didn't say very well. Friesians are not the easiest to train. They can get very pushy very easy. That was one of the problems that we ran into with my first horse.


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## QHDragon

wakiya said:


> This is the trouble with inbreeding:
> 
> The trouble with Friesians - DVM
> 
> And disallowing members of an already critical small population such as this purebred red:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's not helping matters. The breed will not survive if this continues. I'm not saying allowing outcrosses will help but SOMETHING needs to be done.


Wow, can't believe that they were using dwarfed friesians as broodmares!! Those poor mares! And way to insure the passing on of an undesirable trait. Just like all those idiots in the AQHA world breeding HYPP carrying horses.


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## EmilyJoy

Maybe so, ponyboy, but then what is the point of Friesians? What makes everyone crave them? What sets them apart from the other breeds? Why are they so expensive? What other breed sports black as it's sole color? If you start letting chestnuts be registered I'll bet the breed popularity will go down immensely. To preserve the breed maybe it's necessary... But maybe they can bring in a breeding of some other similar type black horse (the biggest Dales/Fell ponies?) to refresh the gene pool also. And ponyboy you are right, I know little of genes and how they work, so please don't hold this against me, just my thoughts and nothing else.


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## QHDragon

They are pretty I think is the biggest draw, and I will agree with that, they are pretty. But for the same price you could get a nice warmblood that could actually take you some place in the sport horse world (even to the top for the price of some of those friesians).


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## ponyboy

Or you could get a Canadian. Almost the same look but more of a practical build.


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## Houston

I used to lease a Friesian X QH cross mare. Beautiful horse, but she ended up not being for me and was sent back to her owner. Her brother (who my friend leased) had absolutely horrible conformation that is, in my opinion, a risk when you cross two very different breeds.

Here is the mare. She was gorgeous, as are many Friesians and Friesian crosses. But I don't think they are for me. I am _much_ happier with my Arabian. :lol:


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## smrobs

The biggest problem, IMHO, with breeding horses of such different type is the possibility of a sure-enough wonky looking offspring.

It seems that every person with an unapproved (meaning mediocre enough to not qualify as registered Friesian breeding stock) stud is willing to cross his stud on almost anything with a uterus because it makes money for them and they don't have to worry about the usefulness of the resulting foal.

For every one foal born that grows up to look like the gorgeous crosses already posted in this thread , I'm sure that there are twice the number who end up looking like this..... Big head, long weak back, weak hind end, upright shoulder, ugly neck, super fine boned legs, etc.



















And those folks are asking $3000 for that first mare simply because she's half Friesian. If she were any other breed, she'd be going for meat prices or less.

I mean, holy long back, Batman!! And he's only 2 so his back will get longer as he finishes growing.









IMHO, no person should breed anything unless they have a reasonable expectation regarding the appearance or ability of the resulting foal. When breeding 2 horses of such different type, there_ can't_ be any reasonable expectation because you have no idea which genes the foal will get from which parent.


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## Luv2Train81

Oh boy. Granted friesians are pretty the way they are... well let's say not all of them. 
The red gene is from my knowledge rather rare and the majority of stallions doesn't carry it.

Now to the crosses. I have never been a big fan of the Friesian/QH cross. Reason why because from all the horses that I've seen there aren't that many nice ones out there. And yet, the people that know what they are doing have produced some excellent Friesian/QHs. But that wouldn't be my first way to go. I do however love the Georgian Grande (Friesian/Asb) crosses a lot. But even here you'll find some really mismatched ones.

Point of breeding is and should always be QUALITY. The stallion and mare should be of highest quality and compliment each other in every way. The mare in particular needs to have an amazing conformation, disposition, movement and temperament because the foal will take more after the mare than the stallion. That being said, if you breed your goal should be to produce a foal that beats both of the parents by miles Quality wise. 
Sadly a lot of people do just want that pretty mane and feathers in their offpring and some backyard breeders just want to make a quick buck. But there are a lot of breeder that require conformation shots and papers for the mares people want to breed. And that is a good thing.

Now to the approved stallions. There are only a handful of approved stallions in the US. The reason why is not because other stallions are less quality but the amount of money that is required to get your stallion approved in the first place... There are different registries. Fhana is the main one. But then you have B Book friesians as well. If you have a b book horse you can not be in the approved class so to speak.... and that's decided at birth. If the sire or mare is b book the foal will be. If they are fhana the foal will be. 

There are a few really nice Friesian sport horse registries out there that hold yearly inspections to judge their conformation, disposition, movement, etc. 

And yes some crosses are almost as expensive as purebreds. Especially if color is involved. 

But it is like with every other breed. People breed whatever is *in* right now. Lately these crosses don't even sell anymore as good as they have years ago because too many people breed now and on top of that the economy being what it is, only few can afford to pay tons of money to own a friesian or a cross... ugh what am I talking bout... owning a horse in general for christs sake is hard...

But just to show off some nicer crosses too.... here is a Friesian/asb GG mare.


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## Ale

HoovesWithDaFur!! I also ride a Peruvian Paso/Friesian Cross! 

This is Fynn, he is around 5-6 years old. Overall, he is a very intelligent and kind horse. But because of his past owner passing away before completing his training, he can get carried away, especially with a canter. But with assurance, a stronger hand with training and patience, he could turn out to be an amazing horse. I wouldn't blame his cross breeding on his antics at all though. (My apologies for the quality of some of the photos, my camera is horrid.)


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## Zexious

Cute :>


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## Luv2Train81

Ale said:


> HoovesWithDaFur!! I also ride a Peruvian Paso/Friesian Cross!
> 
> This is Fynn, he is around 5-6 years old. Overall, he is a very intelligent and kind horse. But because of his past owner passing away before completing his training, he can get carried away, especially with a canter. But with assurance, a stronger hand with training and patience, he could turn out to be an amazing horse. I wouldn't blame his cross breeding on his antics at all though. (My apologies for the quality of some of the photos, my camera is horrid.)


No matter where I go I can't seem to run away from you and fynn... Anny here, We talked bout a possible lease of Fynn before. You might remember.


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## Ale

Luv2Train81 said:


> No matter where I go I can't seem to run away from you and fynn... Anny here, We talked bout a possible lease of Fynn before. You might remember.


Yes, I find that I post more about Fynn then my own horse because Fynn is like the "problem child" of the barn hehehe. And I don't think I can recall what you are talking about. Can you refresh my memory?


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## paintedpastures

The BO were my horse goes for training Bred one of her AQHA mares to a Friesian. My Trainer & I Thought what was she thinking:shock: ....Hate to admit it but.. Well Baby is actually pretty Nice:lol:. She lucked out we figured, He is a pretty big boy,nice big boned took more of the QH in looks. I think,making him look like a nice sport horse or Dressage prospect.


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## Luv2Train81

Ale said:


> Yes, I find that I post more about Fynn then my own horse because Fynn is like the "problem child" of the barn hehehe. And I don't think I can recall what you are talking about. Can you refresh my memory?



Maybe it was Fynns owner??? Lol I just automatically assumed it was her owner typing... lol


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## Jumping4Joy

I tried a Friesian/QH cross and he was a complete DREAM. Awesome temperament, and he was pretty bombproof. He's the type of horse that's great for a beginner, he would never take off. He was HUGE too, like 16.3hh? Maybe even 17? I don't think temperament depends on the breed, it depends on their training, and how they're treated.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## KigerQueen

^ and also sire and dams temperaments. if one is a complete nut, the foal has a chance of being nutty too.


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## dbarabians

I have found that the mare contributes to a foals temperament more than the sire. Shalom


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## Ale

Luv2Train81 said:


> Maybe it was Fynns owner??? Lol I just automatically assumed it was her owner typing... lol


Well I know that Fynn's current owner wouldn't ever consider parting with him since the day he came into her life. I do know that his original owner did pass away and the barn he was at was going to sell (or maybe lease, I don't know all of the details) him to someone in New Jersey. It might be a possibility


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## Bedhead

Friesian QH cross


Hyperlinking to original page since I'm unsure if the owner would want the images posted off site, but yeah that's a thing.


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## Celeste

trailhorserider said:


> This is a bit off topic I guess, but I look at all these Friesian crosses and one of the common characteristics seems to be the really high set, arched neck.
> 
> I have a horse that is NOT a Friesian cross, but I can't help but think I could stick him in here and he would fit right in with all the Friesian crosses. (He kind of reminds me of the first Warlander). What do you think?
> 
> He's about 15.3-16 hands, 1300 lbs. Bigger than both his parents. Wanna guess what kind of cross he is?


What cross is he?


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## Ale

Bedhead said:


> Friesian QH cross
> 
> 
> Hyperlinking to original page since I'm unsure if the owner would want the images posted off site, but yeah that's a thing.


Goodness gracious, this is one of my favorite horse pictures ever. This horse is stunning beyond words :3


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## trailhorserider

Celeste said:


> What cross is he?


Hi Celeste! He's a QH/Missouri Fox Trotter.


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## Ale

Trail, his neck and feathering reminds me of a Friesian cross


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## Luv2Train81

Ale said:


> Well I know that Fynn's current owner wouldn't ever consider parting with him since the day he came into her life. I do know that his original owner did pass away and the barn he was at was going to sell (or maybe lease, I don't know all of the details) him to someone in New Jersey. It might be a possibility


Now I'm completely not sure anymore if that's the same Fynn... hmm... more than one friesian/QH or Paint or whatever with that name???? lol

No I wasn't buying. back then I was looking for a lease. The one I'm talking bout is in WA state tho.


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## Ale

Luv2Train81 said:


> Now I'm completely not sure anymore if that's the same Fynn... hmm... more than one friesian/QH or Paint or whatever with that name???? lol
> 
> No I wasn't buying. back then I was looking for a lease. The one I'm talking bout is in WA state tho.


Yeah maybe there was just some confusion  
It's alright though hehe.


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## lhorgus

I agree - I think training/handling has a lot to do with it, although natural temperament definitely plays a part, as well. Potentially great horses are ruined at a young age from being spoiled and not handled properly as youngsters (I mean birth to yearling+ ages).


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