Thursday, February 10, 2011

you bet on them so you better know about them too

Sourced from http://www.horseracingblog.org/

Friesian horses were thought to have evolved in the Netherlands as a breed from European war horses many centuries ago. In their early days as a breed, they were strong and hardy enough to carry a fighting knight attired in full armor.

A hallmark of a purebred Friesian horse was its black color. While small numbers of them are known to occur in additional colors such as chestnut. Although the typical purebred Friesian horse does not bear any markings, some have a small star shape located on their foreheads.

Others have more elaborate white markings. Typically only plain, unmarked black ones or the ones wearing only the small star are selected for registration.

These handsome horses have, in addition to their identifying(a) gleaming black coats, a thick mane and tail, and “feathered” hair on the lower legs. This distinctive hair is not cut, but left on the legs to feather gracefully, giving the horses an attractive and unique look.

Friesian horses are fearless, adaptable creatures who have long been used both for “harness work”; that is, as hitched to a wagon or plow for agricultural work or other carrying device, or “saddle work.” They are often ridden by regular riders, as found at horse shows and races. Good natured animals, they function well in both capacities.

Friesian horses were typically raised with dairy animals. Part of their early work was to help with the dairy farms. When mechanization became a way of life on the old farms, replacing the use and dependence on the horses, these elegant horses began to fall out of use and this line of magnificent horses nearly became extinct. However, their well-known attributes enabled them to survive and continue as a viable breed, as it still thrives today.

Despite the fact that these beautiful animals are of European descent, enjoying a good market on the European continent, there is in addition a large market for these animals in the States. Enormous horse breeding farms can be found throughout the United States, from coast to coast and found spreading through Middle America as well.

Interested buyers can habitually find a Friesian horse sale at the well-known breeding farms that are advertised on the Internet. The online itemization of Friesian horses gives a comprehensive outline of the notable horse farms, the horses they breed, and other pertinent information concerning the availability of the breed, such as Friesian Sale.

The breed continues to flourish today both as its conventional durable form, and with at least two new breedings, both of which are lighter agile attractive horses in the same form as the traditional pureblood Friesian horse, which has graced the horse world for ages.

The newer breeds of the Friesian horse are referred to as the “Friesian cross” and the “Friesian Sportbreed.” These two exemplary horses have been imbued with both the most valuable attributes of the old Friesian breed and newer hearty genetics from a well-matched cross breed. However, that being said ‘true’ Friesian enthusiasts will only own and invest in an ‘approved’ Friesian.

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