# *Please Tell Me How Well He Is Built* (friesian)



## Zeke (Jun 27, 2010)

I know very little about confirmation, although he looks a bit slighter then the average fresian. 

I have to say though Im riding on a drill team and I love it!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DrillRider (Jun 23, 2012)

Yeah he is a little sportier I think. He looks really funky on the drill team but he LOVES it.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

He has a very correct shoulder and a rather high neck set common to the breed. His back is straight but his point of croup is a bit behind his LS joint.. making his coupling a bit rough. Fact is, he almost looks like a "hunter's bump" but I suspect it is not. His croup is short and steep. He is straight thru the stifle and hock and he is sickle hocked. His hind end is a Draft horse issue.. as there are breeders who breed for this thinking (erroneously) it will give the horse more power when pulling. 

These horses, if they do not gait (and most in this breed do gait)can be super dressaage horses. This one could go quite aways up.. but I think his over straight hind leg would stop him from being the best mover at the highest levels. Even if he gaited, I would go for it because it would help him to stay sound in his elder years. Fresians are good horses.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well,. his hind end is bit odd with his point of croup so far back and his hip very steep and on the small side. His shoulder is also very laid back (flat) and he's a bit pigeion breasted. All of these shoulder/chest things are moderately common in Fresians. His rear end is his weakest point, for me. his neck and head are very nice and pasterns and feet look good, too.

If you enjoy him that's all that really matters.


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## DrillRider (Jun 23, 2012)

Thanks! His right hind when he walks kinda goes under him more then his left because of a previous injury that his past owners didnt treat. The chiropractor is helping him with that and it will be gone hopefully. I was told he moves "fancy" but I dont think he is gated. His sire produced horses that were bred for dressage. I was told that he might not be able to go any higher then 1st level because the vertebra start to close to his scull(?). I personally dont believe that because when I ride him a lot of times he puts hid head+neck in an upper level head set easy. Can someone explain it?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

A lot of Fresians are built with a very high set on neck and can lift the neck and curl the head back easily. Don't assume that that is true collection. Only a lifted back and legs reaching under and "lifting" while also pushing is a sign of collectionl.


I always thought that Fresians were bred as cart horses, and the high necks meant they were fance. the big shoulders were good for pulling a cart.


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

Friesians were developed by friesian cattle ranchers for cart and argiculture work. Like all breeds, they had a humble beginning. They later became mounts for knights since they were big enough to hold weight but very nimble on their feet.

I do have to say that the friesian in the pictures is not a traditional friesian. He is more "sporty" and lean. His wither is very high and he has a weak "draft" butt. His pasterns are extremely short and upright. In the second photo, he almost looks like a thoroughbred cross.

All in all, he's not the best horse to represent the breed, but none of us really own those! I will probably never put my mare's photo up for critique because I know her faults and she's not the best conformed creature out there, but she does her job well and she's got great spirit. Thats what really counts.

He does look extremely sweet and able to do his job for you though. I'd hang onto him, he's probably got all the ladies looking!


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## FeatheredFeet (Jan 27, 2010)

I don't know a great deal about Friesians I'll admit. However, just looking at him as a 'horse', I don't think he's well balanced. He's a lot more horse up-front, than from the mid-barrel back. I don't like his rear quarter at all I'm afraid. He's a bit straight in the rear and has a very steep croup with a slight sign of a possible roach. I'd say he rather more resembles more of a sport horse/lighter type, than a good example of the breed. Certainly if he were whole, he would not be breeding quality.

Regardless though, if he's a sweet and willing boy and enjoys everything you do with him, who really cares if he has some conformation issues.

Lizzie


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## DrillRider (Jun 23, 2012)

Yeah he is REALLY sweet (as long as you dont make him mad). He actually is EXTREMELY up hill in his movements. His goal in life is to turn heads and be loved. At shows he tries super hard to be noticed. When someone said he looks like a Tb cross, do you think he should be able to run decently fast? From every ones opinion, what does he look like he should be good at? I am thinking about teaching him how to be a trick horse (painting, laying down, rearing, spanish walk, other stuff, outside me trick riding on him) and seeing if that can help him get the attention he loves so much from many more people. Any thoughts?


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Elana said:


> He has a very correct shoulder and a rather high neck set common to the breed. His back is straight but his point of croup is a bit behind his LS joint.. making his coupling a bit rough. Fact is, he almost looks like a "hunter's bump" but I suspect it is not. His croup is short and steep. He is straight thru the stifle and hock and he is sickle hocked. His hind end is a Draft horse issue.. as there are breeders who breed for this thinking (erroneously) it will give the horse more power when pulling.
> 
> These horses, if they do not gait (and most in this breed do gait)can be super dressaage horses. This one could go quite aways up.. but I think his over straight hind leg would stop him from being the best mover at the highest levels. Even if he gaited, I would go for it because it would help him to stay sound in his elder years. Fresians are good horses.


 I have never heard of a gaited friesian and couldn't find anything about that on the web. If you are correct about them being gaited could you provide some photos or video?


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## Copperhead (Jun 27, 2012)

I haven't heard of a gaited friesian either. I thought they did walk/trot/canter/gallop like every other horse. 

I made the half TB cross comment because in the second pic, the horse resembled the big barrel and deep chest of a TB, was slender and had the long legs. 

I'm not sure if he is purebred or a cross. Not sure if this would make him any faster than the normal friesian or friesian sport horse cross.

He would probably be good at the traditional things like lower level dressage or general trail and pleasure riding. Whatever he likes, really.


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## Chopsticks (Mar 11, 2012)

I think it's nice that you are thinking of training him for things he likes, like tricks to get attention. very sweet of you! he is certainly eye catching and if he can do fun things he will get the attention and adoration he craves. i did notice his hock is very large and knobby, is this the injury you speak of? surprised no one else has mentioned it. conformation wise, he is a little drafty in the rear and i'd like to see more muscle on his topline, he's a little hollow behind the wither and his loin connection would be helped with more muscle. ground exercises like tummy lifts with the manure fork are great for the loin area. hill work would be good for his front end and of course collected work in the ring. all over he's a beautiful boy and in good condition!


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## DrillRider (Jun 23, 2012)

Thanks! He actually was off work for about 3 months when this picture was taken, normally he is more muscular. The chiropractor actually was telling me to work on getting him to life his back by poking his stomach and its really helping him! Yes the hock is what his injury was. My trainers mother owned him until he was 4 and then sold him to buy a truck. He had three owners in between, one let him sit in a stall for years doing nothing, another (who is big into baroque horses and he was her star horse) used him a LOT and then suddenly put him out to pasture for two years and wont tell anyone way. When my trainer called her asking about him, she said "wow! he isnt lame any more!!?!" The last owner didnt care what so ever if he was ok, she had extremely heavy shoes on to make him life his feet, he ended up some how having a reaction to something, lost all his mane a lots of his tale, yeah... the girl only cared about winning in the dressae ring. He has had an interesting life. His hock has a bone chip be we are 99% sure he also had a bad injury (when he was put to pasture) that was never treated and he still thinks it hurt to move right, but we had it checked and its ok. The chiropractor is working with us so he starts moving normal again.


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