How to Buy and Own a Friesian

Pricing: The price for a Friesian will not change for a show to non-showing horse. It depends on the bloodline and purity of the breed. Also note that there were only 5 Stallions in the world in 1970 and it hasn't improved too much right now in 2006 there are only 14 stallions that are qualified to breed with mares. But in 2000 the number went up to 2,000 Friesians in the U.S.. Even though the popularity of Friesians have grown over the last several years Friesians are still considered an endangered species which is one of the reasons the price is so much higher than most horses.

Weanlings to 1 year olds: $7,000-12,000
Colt or filly 2-3 years olds: $9,000-19,000
Geldings/Stallions undersaddle 3+yrs: $12,000-28,000
Stallions Under saddle 3+ years: $17,000-30,000
Star Geldings: $18,00-26,000
Mares 3+ years: $14,000-23,000
Star Mares: $25,000-40,000
Preferant Mares no quotes, very rarely for sale, would depend on age
Model Mares: $40,000-100,000
Qualified Stallions: $200,000-600,000
Approved Stallions (qualified on offspring) $300,000-600,000

Breeders: Choosing a qualified breeder can be a tricky business. There are a lot of people out there who say they have "registered" Friesians that are purebred but that is not always the case. Always be aware that if a Friesian has any white on its hide quarters or legs it is not a purebred Friesian. The only white allowed is a Star on the center of the head. And that is only allowed for Mares or Geldings. Registered and qualified Stallions are not allowed any white marks on them at all. If they do have white on them and the breeder tells you he is a registered or qualified stallion the breeder is lying. Stallions have to be invited to a 50 day stallion test, if it has a white mark they will not be invited. Also try and get a breeder that doesn't produce a lot of foals. The reason being is that when breeders do that it usually is harmful to the mare. And they are probably not taking very good care of her. A good breeder will not over breed their mare and it's heathier for the foals.

Equipment and Care: Of course this isn't just for Friesian's. All horses need the basic:. saddle, bridle, halter, bit, brushes, hooves picks, saddle soap, treats, hay, oats, shampoo and conditioner for their coats. Also note that Friesian's have very beautiful mane and tail and that to keep it up it needs to be brushed at least weekly if not daily as to keep it healthy. Its also looked down upon to cut a Friesian's tail or mane. Trimmings are ok but to crop either a tail or mane on a Friesian is losing one of its most beautiful assets. This goes for all horses too: wash them or at least spray them down after you ride them. It gets really sweaty under that saddle and it makes the horse feel good to get cooled down after a nice long ride. I would bathe a horse once to three times a week but it shouldn't need more than that unless where you live is very dusty.

Training: Now this really depends all on the owner or rider and how experienced you are. If you are an experienced rider you could probably purchase a newly broken Friesian and do the rest of the training yourself. If your really experienced you could get a filly or colt who has no training at all and train him yourself. Its a really nice way to get a horse if you have the time and the knowledge to do it right. And it can be a very good way to bond with your horse. But for those who have little or almost no experience on riding getting a fully trained horse is really the only way to go. The horse will know what's it doing and can help you to become a better rider. But remember that it is just an animal and has been taught what to do. But also keep in mind that some horses like to take advantage of riders who don't really know what they're doing so never purchase a horse without you riding it yourself. Even if you've only ridden a couple of times. Get a feel for the horse before you buy it, you can learn a lot about a horses's personality from taking it a couple of times around the arena. Also Friesian's are very intelligent horses. Which means they can use their wit against an unknowing rider. It's very important to establish who is the boss. Do not let a horse take advantage of your lack of skills on riding. You are still the one in the saddle and the one in charge. The average weight of a Friesian is 1300 pounds or more depending on gender, you need to let them know from the very begining that they can not walk all over you. I don't mean to sound like these horses are trouble makers its just a warning on all horses for new riders. Make sure to get a good tempered sweet horse, it will really make all the difference.

Quick Note: All purebred Friesian horses are registered under the Friesian Stamboek (FPS) system, which is managed by the Dutch government. Dutch inspectors travel all over the world each year making assessments of the Friesian horses. All changes in pedigree are registered with the central office in the Netherlands. Each fall, the inspectors come to the United States.

Links: I got all of my information from these links and I added some that I thought might be helpful to check out to get you started.

www.horseweb.com
http://www.HorseSecrets.org
http://www.friesianfocus.com
www.blacksterlingfriesians.com
http://www.dread.net/~steele
http://www.signaturefriesians.com
http://www.nohoof-nohorse.com
http://www.usfriesianreferral.com/bloodlines.htm
http://buyfriesians.com