Breeds are often organised in studbooks or breed associations that have clearly-defined conditions (usually exterior characteristics) which every individual animal must comply with. These conditions are regarded as the breeding standard. In most cases, animals will only be considered as a specific breed when its parents, grandparents and great-grandparents are of the same breed. Then the horse is considered to be a pure-bred. Because the Friesian horse belongs to a closed studbook, the pedigrees of all horses can be traced back to the year of the foundation of the (K)FPS.
Every horse of the Friesian breed must meet the requirements as defined by the KFPS and this comes down to the following general description: the Friesian horse is an elegant-looking horse flaunting abundant feathers and with a proud bearing. The body is compact and strong. A more detailed description of its characteristics runs as follows: the Friesian has a graceful head with short, pointed and lively ears. The neck is characterised by its distinctive vertical build and is long and slightly arched. They have strong, powerful shoulders. The sturdy legs have ample length and the fetlock joints are adorned with generous fetlocks. The feet must have black soles; stallions with white soles will not be approved for breeding. The coat colour is black with a total absence of markings. Height at withers should be a minimum of 1,58m.
Uses
A breed’s disposition and exterior should always be in accordance with the use they are being put to. Be that for agricultural use on farms, or to impress as a carriage horse showing off its elevated paces. A breed’s general description usually covers, to a more or lesser degree, the fine points of its exterior. But no matter how detailed the description is, there will always be certain characteristics (such as height at withers) that will be measurable whereas others aren’t. The curve of the skull or the quality of movement will always be of a subjective nature. The experience and intuition of jury members will play an important part in the assessment of such characteristics. Therefore the experts cannot and won´t be of the same mind each and every time. Every deviation from breed characteristics is a flaw, but general descriptions usually include a number of flaws to particularly look out for.
It is also possible that certain flaws will lead to a negative overall assessment and even exclusions, no matter how good the horse in question may be. The white sole has already been mentioned, but hereditary abnormalities such as curbs or anomalous teeth may also be deemed inacceptable. Owners who present their animals at inspections will invariably weigh the assessment and reflect on it. In the end, the judges are just humans who will, even unwittingly, always be predisposed to their own preferences when assessing a horse’s good and bad points.
Extensive similarities
When comparing Friesian horses from 1914 to what Friesians look like now in 2014, we can perceive significant differences as well as extensive similarities. The most striking similarities are coat colour, mane, tail and the feathers on the legs. The differences? On the whole, many present-day Friesians have a more expressive head. The neck appears to be longer as well as lighter. There is less depth of the body but the legs that support it are longer. It also seems the barrel has gained in length and the croup is less sloping.
These changes in the Friesian’s exterior can all be attributed to a change in the use of these horses. Horsepower has lost its usability in agriculture. Language-wise we speak of horses pulling the loaded wagons, but in actual fact horses push wagons. Now that the Friesian horse is increasingly used in the sport as a riding horse, it must carry the weight of its rider. For pushing wagons the horse needs to throw its weight onto the forehand, but for riding the horse needs to shift its weight onto its hindquarters. The pushing hind leg must give way to a propelling and carrying hind leg.
Elevated front
Over time it becomes more and more obvious that the elevated front is increasingly valued by the judges when they assess Friesian horses in show driving classes. In order to achieve this nice and open front in show driving, a carrying and propelling hind leg is essential.
Such a change in use will invariably lead to changes in exterior. As people have grown taller over the years, present-day Friesians are also taller. In spite of these changes, the modern Friesian still clearly resembles the Friesian horse from the time of the foundation of the (K)FPS and therefore meets the description of the breed. Friesian horses have a number of common characteristics. A breed is a population of (related) individuals who resemble each other in exterior characteristics and have shown to pass these characteristics on to their offspring. If this definition of a breed will still be applicable in 2114, and our present-day Friesian will still bear a close resemblance to the Friesian horse of 2114, then the KFPS has succeeded in achieving its main task, which is the preservation of the breed characteristics.
As presented in the Oct. 2015 KFPS Newsletter
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