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| Learn About Friesians. Find Your Friesian. Last updated: 07/04/08 We translate from/to Dutch, English, and German. Visit the Translation Services page for a list of readily available PHRYSO articles. |
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Welcome to Friesians
101
.
Yes! We have the answers to your many questions and we hope you will
find the information on this page useful. It will be expanded on
over time.
Please
keep your questions coming as education and promotion of the KFPS Friesian is
our goal, however, due to the amount of e-mail/phone calls we receive and
balancing our freelance contracts and volunteering time we need to
charge for certain services. For customers of Anneke's Friesians we
help as much as possible for free of course. We can assist on a
case-by-case basis or a specific answering service. This page was
created to answer many of your questions.
Various
informational pieces, such as the
Stallion Book,
Mare
Book, and other items, are available and listed on the
Translation Services
page. Click here for details. This will be expanded upon later
in the year with a general information CD Rom. We also offer a
weekly Friesian newsletter subscription.
Click here for details.
Contact us at
frisian@earthlink.net or
AnnekesFriesians@yahoo.com for more details.
Contents in alphabetical order:
ABFP
stands for Aanleg- en Bruikbaarheidstest (Friese) Paarden. IBOP
stands for Individueel Bruikbaarheidsonderzoek (Friese) Paarden. The
ABFP test is currently only available in The Netherlands. It's a
four-and-a-half week training process under saddle and in harness for adult
mares, geldings, and stallions with evaluation points along the way
and a final testing with scores under saddle and in harness for
walk, trot, canter (under saddle only), self carriage/acceptance of
the bit/flexibility, transitions, aptitude as a riding horse,
aptitude as a driving horse, aptitude as a show-driving horse, and a
total score for under-saddle and in-harness. Once a year (around the
end of the year for the upcoming year) people can sign their horses
up for the series of annual ABFP tests as published in the KFPS
studbook magazine Phryso. The results are published regularly in
Phryso as the tests are completed. Afterwards the horse can be inspected for a studbook rating.
Both tests, ABFP and IBOP, are organized and held under the auspices of KFPS. The
IBOP test is a single test that can be done under saddle and in
harness--as a driving horse or show-driving horse--and is performed on
one day, like any other show test. Any combination of tests or just one may be selected. These
are available in the U.S. during inspections as well and probably at
some point with its growing popularity as well as requirement for
certain predicates (see Studbook Ratings)
as a special IBOP day. The cost is much less of
course than a multi-week ABFP. The latter is a great way to have
young horses trained and evaluated and it's mostly all young horses
that participate (priority is given to 3 to 5 year olds), whereas
often the somewhat older horses participate in the IBOP, which needs
to show a level of mastered skill or it's part of earning a
predicate.
Back to contents.
B-Book: just say No!
There
have been quite a few, recent changes in the B-book in Europe as
mandated by the EU. This is my input for the 2/23/08 FHANA AGM.
1. The progress the breed has made over the last three decades bringing it back from the devastating losses incurred throughout the crises years could quickly be lost with improper and unguided breeding. It will result in a decrease of overall quality. We need to think long term instead of short term.
2. The KFPS B-book papers will add to the already widespread confusion, especially if inspections and premies/predicates are awarded and will make the task of education even more urgent and important, made difficult by off all things our own B-book, mandated by of all organizations the European Union and not the Friesian enthusiasts. Since when does the EU know anything about horses or about safeguarding cultural and historic heritage for that matter?
3. The B-book would strengthen the position of improperly-bred-but-purebred Friesians and part-bred Friesians of so-called other registries. What IS the next step? Turn KFPS/FHANA into an IFSHA catch-all? If people choose to improperly breed for short-cuts, compromising the long-term quality of the Friesian, there is a myriad of back-yard breeding "registries" available in the U.S.
4. B-book breeding without the statistics and breeding guidance would increase inbreeding, the chance of birth defects, white markings, etc.
5. The B-book will open up breeding to anyone with a stallion or low-grade mare with ultimately access to the main KFPS book. This adds to confusion, a decrease in quality mingling into the main book, and floods the market. Unsuspecting customers, of which there are many and they are our future!, will be easily misled. It will weaken the market and value for all Friesian owners.
6. Less offspring by approved stallions will not contribute to the reliability percentage of the statistics we all need.
7. KFPS has been the guardian of the breed worldwide since 1879. If we do not set the bar and protect the long-term interests, who will?
Note we are not bound by EU regulations and the B-book is not in the FHANA R&Rs and would need a 90% support with a vote.
Breeding Goal
The breeding goal consists of various components that can be subdivided into: 1) exterior and movement, 2) use, and 3) vitality and health. The subcomponents of these components are reflected in the breeding program by selection criteria. The breeding goal below needs to be seen as the description of the breed characteristics, as described in decree 92/353/EEG, pint 3, part b), second hyphen of the addendum. 1. Exterior and movementBreed characteristicsGeneral A horse that by its characteristic front, abundance of hair, black color, and roomy, elevated gaits (knee action) makes a luxurious and proud impression. Head A small, expressive, noble head, in which the eyes are placed far apart. The nose bone is preferably a bit dished. Large nostrils. The jaws are light and the lenght of the opening of the mouth long. The eyes are large and clear. The small, attentive ears point lightly towards eachother. Neck The long neck and pole together form a lightly upwardly bent line. The neck shows much elevation. Hair The Friesian horse has an abundance of hair in the form of mane, tail, and feathers. Color The color of all hair is black. White marking are allowed on the face if they do not exceed 3.2 cm and are not located below the eye line. White markings elsewhere on the body of the horse are not allowed. BuiltGeneral A harmoniously, functionally, evenly, and upwardly built horse with a long forearm and not too heavy in the body. The horse is placed in a rectangle with a ratio between front end, middle section, and hind end is 1:1:1. Head/neck connection a. Pole The pole is long (hand-width) with a flowing connection to the neck. b. The throatlatch The throatlatch has an open underline with room by the throat. Neck The neck is long with good upper musculation, which creates a light curvature. The neck comes high out of the chest and has a flowing connection with the withers. ShoulderThe shoulder is long and sloping (an angle with a horizontal line between 45 and 50 degrees). The angle of the chest has to be minimally 90 degrees. Rib cageThe ribs are long and curved. Withers The high withers flow into the back. BackThe back is strong and muscled (not tight or weak). The back has a flowing connection with the withers and loins. The length of the back is proportionate to the length of the front end and hindquarters. LoinsThe loins are strong (not tight or sunken), broad and muscled, and flow into the croup. CroupThe croup is long (measured between the vertical lines of the point of the hip and seat bone). It is lightly sloping and muscled. Gaskin muscleThe gaskin muscle is long and developed. LegsThe front legs are as seen from the front placed perpendicularly with a hoof width in between. As seen from the side the front leg is perpendicular through the fetock joints. The forearm and the cannon are long. The fetlock joints are oval and dry as seen from the side. The hind legs are straight (parallel) as seen from behind. As seen from the side the angle of the hock is between 145 and 150 degrees. The gaskin is well muscled. The hock is dry, hard, and well developed (broad and deep). The fetlock joints are oval and dry as seen from the side. The pasterns are long and flex. The front pasterns have an angle with the ground from 45 to 50 degrees. The hind pasterns have an angle with the ground of 50 to 55 degrees. The feet are of good size and well formed, even, and befitting the horse. The feet are wider in front than behind. MovementWalkThe walk is roomy and a pure 4-beat. The legs are straight in walk as seen from the front and behind. The hind leg shows bend in the hock and is powerfully and well placed under the body. The hind leg moves the foreleg, which is moved forward with room and lots of freedom in the shoulder. TrotThe trot is a pure 2-beat. The hind leg is powerfully and well placed under the body and shows with that much bend in the hock. The front leg shows knee action and is well placed forward. The trot is characterized by suppleness and a long moment of suspension. The horse shows with that much balance and rises in the front with an elevated neck. As seen from the front and the back the legs need to be straight. CanterThe canter is a pure 3-beat. The canter is roomy with a front leg that reaches forward and the inside leg carrying. The canter is upward and shows a long moment of suspension, lots of suppleness, and balance. 2.UseThe purpose of use of the Friesian horse varies from recreational use to participation at the highest levels of competition sport. The disciplines in which the Friesian horse is used are:
The objective is to improve the aptitude for sport in all uses. Condition for this is that the easy character of the Friesian horse is maintained, which will continue to keep the Friesian horse an exceptional horse for recreational use. The Friesian horse in use is a versatile horse. This does not mean that aptitude for all disciplines has to be present in all horses to the same degree. Within the breeding goal there is room for specialization, without having this lead to breeding different types. The breeding-goal description for exterior and movement are universal for all disciplines of use. The (added) value of the Friesian horse in sport consists of the combination of the following charcteristics - Easy to use and work with - Eager to learn and intelligent - Impressive and elegant - versatile In order to improve the position of the Friesian horse in sport, high demands are placed on the following characteristics, which together determine the aptitude for sport: - Movement - Exterior (built) - Stamina - Character (willing to work and sociable) - Durability - Health Vitality and health: With the breeding of Friesian horses high demands are placed on the following characteristics that together determine vitality and health:
It is
our goal that this page will give you a good basic understanding
of the Friesian breed to help you determine if a Friesian is the
right choice for you and what Friesian to buy.
The
Friesian horse originates from the northern province of The
Netherlands called Friesland. The original and worldwide Friesian
studbook KFPS is located in Drachten, Friesland and is the oldest
Dutch studbook. It has a good 40,000 Friesians registered worldwide
of which some 5,000 are located in the United States. The KFPS has
affiliated studbooks around the globe assisting it with its breed
management. For North America (U.S. and Canada) this is the FHANA,
Friesian Horse Association of North America.
Although the studbook only dates back to 1879 the Friesian itself is
many centuries older with evidence of the Friesian dating back to
the dark ages around the year 1000.
What
is unique about the breed is not just that it looks so uniform with
the black coat, feathers, and flowing mane and tail but that it has
strict standards, stallion testings that only allow approved
stallions to breed, as well as the many statistics and policies that
are gathered, developed, and in place to aid the Friesian
enthusiasts in their breeding and show efforts while improving and
safeguarding the breed. No other registry offers this standard of
quality and service and the proof is that the breed has worked its
way back from near extinction to superior quality and performance
that only continues to improve with today's technologies.
The
Friesian went through several crises and near extinctions but thanks
to its die-hard fans and the unparalleled work of the KFPS studbook
the Friesian horse is now doing better than ever.
The goal is improvement.
When you
want to breed a mare the goal is always for the foal to be better
than the dam. The great thing about the KFPS/FHANA studbook is
that there are several studbook tools available for your purebred
Friesian breeding efforts: inbreeding percentages, relationship
percentages, linear score sheets, the stats of what the
stallion passes on (exterior, sport, collected linear scores on
offspring/offspring reports, and more), the stallion's lineage,
hereditary and health information, breeding goals, etc. The
information comes from books, the studbook's website, KFPS' monthly magazine Phryso, and its
inserts. I assist in translating much of this information. When surfing the web you may also find a variety of
Friesian related websites with helpful background information. It's a process of studying and putting the puzzle together,
not a matter of pressing one button on a computer.
The KFPS studbook
breeding tools are another reason to
breed and be impressed with the one and only original KFPS
studbook/FHANA registry.
Inbreeding
has to be managed in a closed studbook like KFPS but is also a
useful tool to improve a breed and is not necessarily a bad thing.
It is advised to keep the stallion lines of Ritske, Age, and Tetman
on the dam and sire's papers in mind to promote blood distribution
and prevent possible problems along with a stallion's relationship
percentage to the population, and an inbreeding coefficient of
preferably 5% or under is recommended (this is looking only at the
last 5 generations of what ancestors the match would have in common), although a higher percentage
can have its usefulness for a generation depending on the breeding
goal. Terrific articles have
been written on this topic.
Linear scores.
When you breed you want to
anchor the good qualities of a mare and improve the less desired
traits. A linear score form of the mare in questions is therefore
very important. It is a guideline to objectively look at your mare
if you lack that capability at this time. Keep in mind, however,
that a linear score form is a moment in time and not always a
tell-all and only one piece of the puzzle. Also evaluate your mare
over time against the scores and go to as many inspections as
possible to study stallions' offspring; see what certain matches
produced. In spite of a stallion's stats a certain combination with
your mare may be interesting even if overall his stats may not look
favorable.
Offspring.
When considering a mare for
breeding it is helpful to know if she has a breeding history and
what offspring she has produced out of what combinations. Of course
a breeding-soundness exam is always a good idea. The history can be obtained through a paid
service of the KFPS website and depending on the location of the
horses also through the FHANA website. If you can trace the mare's
and offspring's owners you can also do the legwork by networking.
Stallion qualities.
You want to look for certain
qualities in a stallion to match the search for anchoring good
traits and improving less desirable traits as well as stallions that
can help you achieve your breeding goal of the
performance/conformation goals you have. One of the services
of the KFPS website is to do the search in their studbook-stallion
database for you based on criteria you enter such as linear scores,
exterior values, heigth, and ABFP. Values between 80 and 120 are
given and stallions are then listed that meet the criteria. Of
course you can do this on your own too by hitting the books and
websites and cross referencing. Lots of info on the KFPS site is
free of charge. Specific per-horse info is not always free. Every
stallion also has its own horse data on himself but more important
then, e.g., the stallions height is what height he tends to pass on
in general. Information such as lineage, number of breedings,
breeding values, inspection results of offspring, average scores of
ABFP tests, breeding values for sport aptitude, and the total number
of models/sters/premies/breeding stallions/white produced can all be
researched. The breeding values with linear score charts are an
annual insert to Phryso. Each stallion is also listed in the insert
and online in the Life Totals list, listing the number of studbooks,
sters, models, preferents, prestaties, and breeding stallions
produced by the breeding stallions in question. You may find the
exterior and sport indexes as well as annual breeding reports, and
inspection results on the studbook websites. The offspring reports
are printed annually in the Phryso magazine, online, and included in
the annual KFPS stallion book updates.
Breeding values.
The appreciative breeding
values are indicated by bars. The maximum values are dark
blue/black, the optimum characteristics light blue/grey (color
depends on the volume of the Stallion Insert you are using). For the
maximum characteristics goes that results to the left are
unfavorable. For the optimum characteristics goes that (extreme)
results to either the left or the right are unfavorable: 100 is the
most desired there.
Reliability percentage.
The reliability percentage
is listed with the stallion's graphs. The more
offspring has been produced and inspected the more information is on
file and the more reliable the data is, i.e., the higher the
percentage.
Breeding values versus
linear score charts.
Linear score charts are statistics of what has been produced. The
exterior and sport appreciative values are the expected contribution
of a stallion to the breed. Annually a top 5 is printed in Phryso
per the categories breed type, built, legs, walk, trot, canter,
riding horse, driving horse, show-driving horse, and relationship
percentage in the annual Phryso spring stallion insert.
Inbreeding and relationship
percentages.
An interesting translation from the Phryso magazine on the new
relationship percentage and the inbreeding percentage was printed in
FHANA's The Friesian, the July/Aug 2006 issue. Another good article
in the Jan/Feb 2007 The Friesian issue from the Phryso magazine will
be on birth defects, which will also touch on the relevance and
non-relevance of the inbreeding percentage.
Neonatal
Icterus.
Click on the link
below for the Brochure on Neonatal Icterus by Dr. Hein van Haeringen,
Phd, Vet Med., courtesy of Laurie Kasperek: http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~lkaspere/. The FHANA website provides this information on their website. Join us (as a FHANA member) for the FHANA AGM on February 23, 2008 in Lexington KY where Dr. Van Haeringen will be the key-note speaker! Frozen versus Fresh. Another thing to think about is whether you want to use fresh, cooled semen from stallions in the U.S. or frozen semen (a few stallions in the U.S. are only available with frozen) from The Netherlands or even elsewhere. Keep in mind that frozen will be more expensive with higher clinic cost and not every mare is a frozen candidate. Also, there is no live-foal guarantee with frozen and so when the semen is used up without pregnancy as a result then you are out the roughly $3 to $4K in semen, shipment, and clinic cost. Stallion Lines. When possible and with a good match try to vary the stallion lines to promote blood distribution. This refers to the stallions from the Tetman, Age, and Ritske lines, part of the KFPS stallion book. Back to contents. Clinics and Consulting
We are
always happy to answer questions (FAQ posted
on this Friesians 101 page) and do so all the time, no charge of
course unless in-depth research is involved, but have you ever
wanted to attend a Friesian clinic to tap into the world of
Friesians or wanted a consult, where you could ask any question from
breeding to what a Friesian would cost, personality, registries,
care, training, where to find what, etc. but these special days and
educational opportunities are too far away, have inopportune
scheduling or you just don't know where to go? We can also be hired
for horse research and help with negotiations overseas. With 27
years of Friesian KFPS/FHANA experience, breed devotion, and a solid
horse and sales background we will gladly provide you with advice,
tips, information, and appraisals to show you around the Friesian
world. This can be done over the phone or in person. As mentioned we
answer many, many questions free of charge, however, if you need us
to do extensive research on one or a few topics we charge a
reasonable fee. Read more about us on the
About Us,
Herd, and
Friesian Services pages
or contact Anneke at
frisian@earthlink.net for details.
Return to top of the page.
Confusing Terms
"Dutch
registered," "purebred," and more. Or "studbook approved stallion." Turns out it's one of the
American registries that can only hand out watered-down "papers"
and makes up its own regulations without guidance or substance.
It's sad that people are being misled by these loaded marketing
terms with big implications. On top of this confusion we
now deal with multiple "registries" in the United States (see
Registries), people breeding
B-book horses in the United States (see B-book
and Disapproved
Stallions), breeding Dutch stallions to German mares in the
United States, and the EU is forcing KFPS to give FPZV horses and
B-book horses (still
purebred Friesians after all) a place within the registry in
(luckily in separate/marked registers, but it's tricky!). More than
ever it will be important to understand how to read the KFPS papers
so you are fully aware what you are buying.
Dutch registered merely means the horse was born as a KFPS horse with KFPS papers, which it will have for life but
meanwhile the horse could have been reregistered with a different
registry here in the U.S., have wasted offspring that was improperly
bred and not adding to the statistics, and not be in good standing and
registered with the current owner with the KFPS, and therefore no longer eligible for breeding to
approved KFPS studbook stallions as those can only be bred to KFPS/FHANA
mares in good standing. Breeding improperly will quickly destroy the
quality we worked so hard to achieve over the past 30 years. We do
not need to turn the Friesian into another QH, Appaloosa or Morgan
mistake. For stallions the KFPS papers do not mean they are approved
for breeding, meaning that breeding to such a stallion would give
you either a B-book foal out of a KFPS mare or a crossbred or a
Friesian of one of the other registries and none of these papers
have the value the KFPS/FHANA papers have, the horse cannot be
presented at KFPS/FHANA inspections, not to mention that breeding to
such stallions is random without any statistics and proper testing
available. The B-book is the auxiliary KFPS registry for offspring
from B-book mares or by fully registered KFPS/FHANA mares but from a
KFPS stallion without breeding privileges. Read more under
B-book. For the most value and best results based on
statistics and rendering data for the next generation we need to
breed to approved KFPS stallions, that can only be bred to Dutch
KFPS mares and thus the best value is with KFPS/FHANA.
Often confusing are the premie ratings.
Crossbreeders and those standing unapproved stallions like to use
the foal premies to boast about their stallions. These ratings don't
have much meaning once the horse is an adult and should be brought
in for the adult and final studbook rating. Of course they do not
bring them in as they are no longer members of FHANA/KFPS and as
much as they boast about the KFPS Friesian they do not breed
according to KFPS regulations. If it does concern adult horses with
adult ratings then still the owners ride the studbook's coattails
and do not adhere to its standards of which they profit. Also study
the pictures posted. More often than not if you know what you are
looking at the pictures do not portray the horses properly (i.e. not
properly posed, groomed, and showing good form), another sign the
stallions are not the real deal and owned by knowledgeable Friesian
owners.
Another confusing term is "purebred" Friesian.
Purebred simply means the horse's heritage is all Friesian, however,
pay attention to its papers and ask yourself these questions and
compare the answers to your goals. What registry is it with and more
importantly from? What are
therefore its future possibilities and value? What will it contribute to
the Friesian's legacy and future? What can it be bred to?
Are you getting your money's worth as these improperly bred horses
are advertised for the same or not much less. There truly is unequaled value in KFPS/FHANA registration.
Back to index.
Crossbreeding
A few friends own crossbreds and we do not
take this issue personally, however, we do take it seriously and have
an opinion. For starters we believe cross breeders and pure breeders
live in different worlds and look at things from very different view
points. It basically is a difference between breeding for the
short-term (if you're lucky enough to get a nice cross by rolling
the dice) and breeding for the long term with proper tools. Why?
Because people can, are curious, and it makes money. In breeding
nothing is more important than knowledge and a long-term vision. So
why not? I do not subscribe to crossbreeding for various
reasons. The Friesian gene is recessive, which makes it unlikely
that the crossbred foal will have the desired Friesian traits.
Many examples abound and can easily be found on the internet. Crossbreeding
is random at best due to the Friesian's recessive gene, with many specimen you wonder what
you are looking at, it does not reflect well on the Friesian
parent (often from conformation flaws or non-matching features from
the non-Friesian parent), and it confuses the public. We already
have too many haphazardly bred horses in the world and don't need
any more.
If a Friesian is what you want you
will not be satisfied with a crossbred and you are better off
putting the money towards a purebred right from the start. Someone
with a Friesian/..... cross once said that those are their two
favorite breeds and that was the reason for the cross purchase; the
horse is neither. Moreover,
if breeding is your objective you need to start with quality,
purebred material and not a crossbred of which the offspring will be
even more random not to mention that if a different look or quality
is appealing then why not switch to a different breed. After all,
isn't that why we have breeds.
We believe that crossbreeding devalues a breed
and recognizing them within a pure registry devalues that registry
by clouding the waters. Check for examples with other breeds. Most
crosses are created with irresponsible breeding based on guesswork
and not stats and breeding policies & goals. If you take a close
look at the average crossbreeding website and know what you're
looking at you they do not do any of the breeds justice. Taking pride in a breed and setting
the bar high is important. Someone said to look at the crosses'
personalities and how wonderfully Friesian they are. That still does
not take away any of my arguments and by properly breeding in the
first place you can breed for temperament. Personally I would never
want my name or my colt's name on a crossbred or improperly bred
Friesian.
We have been involved with the
Friesians since 1981 and by experiencing the Friesian from this
early, precarious stage we admit to being prone to promoting
and defending the
purebred Dutch Friesian. We realize there is a market for
crossbreeding because a Friesian is not in everyone's (immediate)
reach (we too have had to work very hard and sacrifice to have my
horses), it's human nature to experiment, and a stallion makes for
good business (read: money) in our free market, however, we wish the crossbreeders--breeders
with non-KFPS approved stallions--would not ride on the KFPS/FHANA Friesians' coattails by using
misleading information, calling everything "registered" without
explanation, calling the horse a Friesian cross or
Friesian derivative again profiting from the name "Friesian," and boasting about
the Friesian's history without honoring it. I believe in a free market and anyone has the right to breed (after
all, who can blame someone for taking in a stud fee if someone else
wants to take a shortcut or gamble, it takes a lot to be able to
refuse that money) but we also believe in my freedom
of speech as well as in education; to inform people without
misleading information. There is a
responsibility to educate and realize that the very reason we have
beautiful Friesians to enjoy is by properly managing the breed.
Examples of bad management of breeds abound. All of this in all actuality is another
case for why to go purebred: the Friesian is unequaled and there is
no substitute or shortcut.
We would like to repeat that we do not take this
personally, we love all horses, and get along with people of all opinions, however,
we
stand by what we have set out here and am adamant about breeding
within the KFPS registry according to their rules and regs.
As a purist we simply do not agree with crossbreeding but will also
always work for friendly and open communication.
Back to contents.
Conversions
For
currency conversion
click here.
For
height
conversion click here.
Back to contents.
Currency Conversion
Here is a great link to make conversion to and from
dollars and euros a snap. Keep in mind this is the
average daily exchange rate. Banks always make money on the flow,
whichever way it goes: you will get fewer euros for your dollar
sending dollars out abroad and you get fewer dollars for your euros
when you send them to the States. That is the buy and sell rate and
this also changes throughout the day but this average is a good
guideline. Contact your bank for more details.
Get the latest exchange rate by clicking here.
Back to contents.
Data Collection
It is
important when you have a horse die, experience a serieus illness or
have a foal either aborted or born
with a defect to report this with information on lineage and the
case (vet report) along with any solutions that may have solved the
case to both the FHANA and KFPS. Surprisingly not many people do and
this slows down research and the subsequent solutions. We are
happy to answer questions and share knowledge (certain time
restrictions apply). If we don't have an
answer we will do our utmost to find it, in cooperation with a vast
network both in the U.S. and The Netherlands. We also help with
studbook communications and try to come up with helpful data
collection. We keep track of people's suggestions for the FHANA
board, pass along health information to the KFPS/FHANA, and keep
tabs on misleading Friesian information on the
Internet. The goal is to have this brought to light and hopefully
corrected to protect unsuspecting customers. Do you have suggestions
or questions regarding this list? E-mail us at
frisian@earthlink.net.
Back to Registries index.
Data For A
Healthy Breed
Some people claim they are
here "for the horse," for diversity, health, and performance. The KFPS/FHANA is the only studbook that gathers and researches all data
necessary for a flourishing breed--on an international, inclusive,
scientific, and unparalleled historic level--and makes that easily accessible to
the Friesian owner. Such data includes: sport performance, traits
passed on, awards won, mare lines, stallion tests and scores, birth
defects, health
issues, genetic markers, scoring, with cross reference options, and tracking
systems. This depth, experience, and variety cannot be beaten,
recreated or duplicated. The KFPS Breeding Council is in charge of
the research projects. Send your feedback through
www.fhana.com and
www.kfps.nl. Project status
and updates may be found on the KFPS website.
Back to
index.
Disapproved Stallions
Still Breeding
Unfortunately when KFPS stallions are disapproved on offspring (for
good reasons) they are frequently purchased and put up at stud by
other registries, and now even by other FHANA members! Examples in the USA are Krist 358
(disapproved per 2003), Yk 339 (disapproved per 2000), Jorrit 363
(disapproved per 2005), and Rintse 386 (disapproved per 2007).
After the KFPS/FPZV talks the wait is on for information on
approval/disapproval and German versus Dutch stallions and what to
pay attention to when reading a Friesian's KFPS papers. Read more
under B-Book, Papers,
Stallions by
Stam, and Confusing Terms.
Back to contents.
Disciplines & Uses
The Friesian is a
versatile horse because of its intelligence and gentle nature
combined with lots of flash and power. Some examples of successful
uses are in the dressage arena, in harness, marathon driving,
saddle seat, sidesaddle, trail, western pleasure, parades, horse
fair demos, circus, theater, in the movies (even in a Jack In
The Box commercial!), and even hunts. To decide if a Friesian is right for your
plans you have to keep their background and type in mind. Their
timeline took them from forest horse to work horse, knight's horse,
high-school dressage horse, fancy harness horse and racing trotter,
back to work horse, and now back to where they shine: fancy
performance and show. If you are looking for an endurance horse, a
jumper, a barrel racer or ranch worker, a Friesian is not the best
choice but if you are looking for a show-stopping saddle and harness
horse and a true friend you have come to the right breed.
Back to contents.
Disclaimer
We do
our utmost to provide you with accurate information.
We know the breed facts and lingo and provide
factual information and technical details without the marketing
confusion and often seen, intentional or not, false advertising.
We only support and promote the KFPS/FHANA
Friesian according to the organizations' rules and regulations. Of
course we love all Friesians and all horses for that matter,
regardless of their registry, however, we do not believe in or
support any other registry other than KFPS/FHANA as
that is breeding outside the original breed and studbook,
which has never proven beneficial to any breed. We encourage everyone as always to
research this breed like you would anything else and make up your
own mind, deciding what is right for you. We do not accept responsibility for misprints. Misprints
and no longer up-to-date information will be corrected a.s.a.p. upon
becoming aware of the item.
Read about our business on the About Us
page by clicking here. Anneke van den IJssel and
Anneke's Friesians do not accept liability for outside/third
party sales
transactions.
All sales are final. This site is
the creation of webmistress
Anneke van den IJssel and inherently is a work in progress. E-mail me us
frisian@earthlink.net
or AnnekesFriesians@yahoo.com
with feedback. Copyright © 2005-2008 Anneke's Friesians. All rights reserved. Information
is subject to change. Usage/copying without express written request and permission is
prohibited. Back to contents.
Dressage Information
Often people inquire about the levels of
dressage in Europe and how they translate to the U.S. system. Here it is,
along with the point system and where to find the U.S. dressage
tests online for free. After 4th level there are four international
levels of dressage: Prix Saint Georges, Intermediaire I,
Intermediaire II, and Grand Prix. Grand Prix is the Olympic level
and includes three tests: Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special, Musical
Kur (starting at Z1 level).
Sources for info below:
http://www.nawpn.org/termsabbrevs.htm
and www.horses.nl.
ZZ - just below and prepartion for Prix St.George. There are two levels: Licht (light) and Zwaar (heavy, advanced). Z - 3rd/4th Level - minimum age 5 years; collected walk, travers, half pass, simple changes and flying changes (10 winning points needed to advance, 20 winning points must advance). There are two levels: Z1 and Z2. M - 2nd/3rd Level - minimum age 5 years; shoulder-in, collected trot and canter, extended gaits and counter canter (10 winning points needed to advance, 20 winning points must advance). There are two levels: M1 and M2. L - 1st/2nd Level - minimum age 3 years; medium trot and canter, leg yield (10 winning points needed to advance, 20 winning points must advance). Since April 2001 there are two levels: L1 and L2. B - Tr./1st Level - minimum age 3 years; working gaits. Dressage Winning Point System 156-168 / 60-65% = 1 winning point. 169-181 / 66-70% = 2 winning points. 182 and up / 71 +% = 3 winning points. 10 winning points are needed to advance to the next level. Introductory Tests A & B: http://www.usdf.org/Store/TestFormatForWeb.pdf Training through 4th Level Tests: www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/dressage/2003-dressage-tests.pdf Back to contents. Dutch Dictionary
Click here for the Friesian horse term
dictionary for sale.
We will be
happy to translate the most commonly encountered Dutch words under this heading, found both in the Friesian
and KWPN world, however, with what is available online we
believe it's much easier and to the point if you simply e-mail us
the word or phrase(s). We will be happy to help you with
translations; simple items are always for free but of course if it
is or becomes voluminous we will need to charge.
E-mail us by clicking here. We are experienced in translating,
specialized in equine (Friesian) translations.
Back to contents.
Friesian Questions
Yes!
We have the answers to your many questions and please do keep them
coming as education about and promotion of the KFPS Friesian is
our goal, however, due to the amount of e-mail we receive and the
subsequent time restraints we need to charge for service beyond the
information below. For customers of Anneke's Friesians we help as
much as possible for free of course. We can assist on a case-by-case
basis or by subscribing to the newsletter or a specific answering
service. Various
informational pieces, such as the
Stallion Book,
Mare
Book, and other items, are available and listed on the
Translation Services
page. Click here for details. This will be expanded upon later
in the year with a general information CD Rom. Contact us at
frisian@earthlink.net or
AnnekesFriesians@yahoo.com for more details.
Back to contents.
Frisian National Anthem
It Frysk Folksliet/the Frisian national Anthem.
Source:
Boerebrulloft website. Frysk bloed tsjoch op! wol no ris brūze en siede, En būnzje troch śs ieren om! Flean op! Wy sjonge it bźste lān fan d'ierde, It Fryske lān fol eare en rom. Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Hoe ek fan oermacht, need en see betrutsen, Oerālde, leave Fryske grūn, Nea waard dy fźste, taaie bān ferbrutsen, Dy't Friezen oan har lān ferbūn. Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Fan būgjen frjemd, bleau by 't āld folk yn eare Syn namme en taal, syn frije sin; Syn wurd wie wet; rjocht, sljocht en trou syn leare, En twang, fan wa ek, stie it tsjin. Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Trochloftich folk fan dizze ālde namme, Wźs jimmer op dy ālders grut! Bliuw ivich fan dy grize, hege stamme In grien, in krźftich bloeiend leat! Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Klink dan en daverje fier yn it rūn Dyn ālde eare, o Fryske grūn! Click here for a soundbite of the Frisian Anthem Back to contents. Full Paper / Full Mare line
This can be confusing and means two different
things for youngsters and adults (the latter 3 years and older). A
full paper as a youngster means that the bottom line or the mare
line (dam of the dam, etc.) has all predicates such as ster, model,
etc. and these mares thus show a continuum of quality above studbook
(Stb). It can even pertain to a foalbook (Vb) mare that went
preferent on offspring. Sometimes mares will stay foalbook due to
injury, not due to lack of quality and that quality will be passed
on. Breeding enough high-quality foals is a nice way of filling in
the gap but of course easier said than done. Once a horse is 3 years
or older and it has had the chance to be shown for the adult registry a
full paper without a predicate of its own really has to be called
"full mare line," so it's clear that the horse may have a full mare
line on the paper but that the horse itself does not have a
predicate and is either still foalbook, perhaps remains foalbook or
maybe made studbook but no predicate. That may still happen, but it currently doesn't. This is
an important distinction that is often not made and can be
misleading.
Also, a foal premie loses its appeal once the
horse is adult. It's an indication of potential and a reward for a
moment in time but what will ultimately matter is its adult rating
and potential with the studbook as that is the status quo of how the
horse turned out. Having said that, a mare that is studbook or
foalbook as mentioned may very well pass on her lineage and by
producing 4 predicate offspring can become preferent on offspring
still closing the gap. As always it's you need to think of the
overall pictures, the horse itself, and the purpose you buy it for.
Back to contents.
Height Conversion
Friesians have been officially measured since
1863. Horse height below in centimeters, inches, and hands.
Friesians are measured just above the withers at the first
vertebrae in front. 1 inch - 2.54 cm, centimeters x .3937 = inches.
Source: 2004 FHANA directory. There are minimum heights but no
maximum heights although it is preferred that the horses do not grow
too tall and don't keep increasing over 17 hands. Friesians grow,
more and more slowly as they age, through about age 6 to 7. Most of
the growth occurs through age 4. Most Friesians are measured at age
3; upon entry into the studbook. KFPS studbook stallions are
re-measured preceding the fifth breeding season. On average you can add about 3
centimeters 1 1/4 inch to get to the adult height, sometimes even
more. Friesians mature later than the average American breeds, just
like with the European warmbloods. The average starting age for
starting them in harness is 2 1/2 to 3 1/2, under saddle 3 to 3 1/2,
focusing on stretching and balance with a light work load. Of course
you can ground work and play with them before that but no heavy
longing: that is hard on the joints!
Policies regarding hereditary defects, 6/18/07.
See also on the news page the Breeding Council's September 2007
update.KFPS has been working hard the past years to address the issue of hereditary defects in the horse population. First an inventory has been made of the problem and then it was looked at how effective policies would have to be formulated. To begin with the emphasis is on water on the brain and dwarfism. Regularly articles have been published in Phryso about the issue. Here is an overview of the matter. Origin Literature shows that we can assume the hereditary defects are as old as the studbook itself. In the Stallion Book various stallions from the early years are mentioned that were carriers of dwarfism. The origins of water on the brain is less clear. The defects have always been, be it dormant, present in the population, but have increased in numbers because a number of very influential stallions were carriers. For the passing on of dwarfism the preferent stallion Ritske 202 has most likely played a big role. For the gene for water on the brain it was especially the (also preferent) stallions Wessel 237 (Ritske dam) and Oege 267, through Wessels sire Jarich 226. All three of the latter stallions were by the way most likely both carriers of the gene for water on the brain and dwarfism. Inventory Indicating which of the current stallions are carriers is seriously hampered because its estimated that less than 10% of the foals with defects is reported to the studbook by the breeders. To illustrate this: in 2005 and 2006 combined, e.g., only 3 foals with dwarfism were reported to KFPS. In spite of that, based on the (limited amount of) information KFPS has, an estimation has been made of the size of the problem. The estimate is that per year about 30 foals with dwarfism are born and about 50 foals with water on the brain. Of the foals with water on the brain only part is carried full term by the way. It is known that many foals with water on the brain are aborted early. The inventory has moreover rendered the estimate that the frequency with which the deviating genes occur is increasing. It is estimated that of the current studbook stallions 12 are carrier of the gene for dwarfism and 16 are carrier of the gene for water on the brain. It is emphasized that this is an estimate. Single recessive It has been determined from stam/mareline research that the characteristic is passed on as a socalled singular recessive characteristic. This means that both water on the brain and dwarfism are cause by one gene pair. It does concern two different gene pairs however. With such characteristics there are three variants: free animals (AA), carriers (Aa), and patients (aa). Carriers have a normal gen and a deviating gene, and pass this deviating gene on to 50% of the offspring but do not show any symptoms of the deviation themselves. A combination of two carriers results in 1 of 4 cases in a patient. If both sire and dams sire are a carrier then the chance is 1 in 8 and if the sire and the grand dams sire are both a carrier then the chance is 1 in 16 for a defective foal. DNA test The KFPS has concluded from the inventory that combating the problem needs to receive the highest priority. Given that both characteristics are determined by one gene pair it is possible to develop a DNA test. With a DNA test it can be reliably determined which horses (especially stallions) are carriers. For the development of a test DNA material is needed from patients, so from dwarf foals and foals with water on the brain. The KFPS called in help for this from all veterinarians in The Netherlands. Meanwhile an attempt has already been made to develop a DNA test for dwarfism (there already is enough material available for this), but unfortunately not yet with result. Now that a new, better analyzing technique is becoming available (SNP technique) it can be expected that rather soon a test for both defects will become available. Policies Developing policies is not as simple as it may seem at first sight. The first objective is to prevent defective foals from being born. This can be done by preventing combinations with high risk. The most simple way would be to disapprove all carrier stallions. KFPS is, however, of the opinion that this is not desirable. Not only would this mean that a number of very valuable stallions could be lost for breeding but also the gene pool would again be diminished with an extra increase in inbreeding as a result. KFPS is of the opinion that carrier stallions have to be maintained for breeding. Moreover young carrier stallions have to, if they possess extra qualities, continue to be eligible for approval. If we do not do this then 1 in 3 young stallions will based on the DNA test not be eligible right off the bat. Of course the evaluation report will, in case of approval, include if a stallion is a carrier so that risky combinations can be prevented. To this end there will be two possibilities in the future: 1. evaluation if there are carrier stallions in the dam line of the dam and 2. a DNA test can be performed on the mare. By setting higher demands for carriers when inspecting young stallions the number of carriers and with that the gene frequency of the deviating genes will ultimately diminish in the population. This is next to preventing defective foals a second objective. Transitional measure As long as there is no DNA test available, it will be impossible for KFPS to publish a list of carriers as a consequence of the minimal announcement of defective foals by the members. The chance that, based on the current information, stallions would be incorrectly singled out as a carrier or that based on such a list stallions would be incorrectly listed as a non carrier, is too big. To still minimize the number of defective foals as much as possible up to the moment that a DNA test becomes available, a meeting took place between the KFPS breeding council and the board of the VFH (stallion owners/managers). At this meeting it was agreed that the stallion owners/managers will take care of making as few as possible risky combinations. At the end of this year KFPS will review to which degree this is an effective approach and will adjust the policies accordingly. Conclusion KFPS realizes that by taking both defects out of the taboo atmosphere the discussion is open to all. This is inevitable. KFPS is, however, of the opinion that there absolutely no reason for panic. The number of defective foals is relatively limited. Morover it genetically concerns a relatively simple problem. With the progress of the techniques and the policies based on that both defects can therefore quickly become a problem of the past. The policies are therefore exactly and especially focused on preventing damage caused by side effects (breeding-technically taking valuable horses out, diminishing the gene pool). After all, the remedy cannot be worse than the problem. For more information: Phryso June 2006, pg. 42 and on. (This was translated by Anneke and published in The Friesian Jan/Feb 2007). Source: KFPS website. Back to contents. How To Recognize KFPS-Approved Breeding Stallions
Click here for (ordering) information for the
English version of the KFPS stallion book, annual stallion insert,
breeding tips & offspring reports.
Here
is the alphabetical listing of KFPS approved breeding stallions
currently available for breeding with the country abbreviation of
where they are located. Details of the stallions standing in the
U.S. are listed below as well as information on how to recognize
KFPS approved breeding stallions.
Newly
approved for their first breeding season in 2008. On 11/14/07:
Maurits 437 (Ulbert 390 x Ulke
338), Mewes 438 (Teeuwis 389 x Oege), Meinse 439 (Heinse 354 x
Dirk), Maeije 440 (Beart 411 x Goffert 369), and Maurus 441 (Tsjalke 397
x Krist 358). On 2/28/08 in CA: Michiel 442 (Tsjerk x Leffert). And
on 4/12/08: Tjalf 443 (Heinse x Tjimme), Norbert 444 (Tsjerk x
Hearke), and Olgert 445 (Ulke x Atse).
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