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• 11/4/2022:
Short days and longer nights are coming up on us fast. What used to be daylight lasting into 9 or 10 pm is now at almost complete darkness at 6:30 pm. This makes getting any outside work done difficult as not only are we losing light, but comfortable working temperatures. While cooler temperatures are fine, coupled with a decline in the humidity and wind makes for more skin-biting cold. Just the beauty of living in the northern hemisphere. The last week or so, we've been blessed with a few warmer days on a weekend that were taken full advantage of. Snow fences were put up, horse trailer cleaned and stored, final trim painting on the house, closing up pastures, and the vinyl curtains were hung up on the north-facing doors that the horses uses to go in/out to hopefully cut back on some of the extremely harsh cold wind that can blow through them. They're now confined to the main bottom pasture/pen to give the pastures a break. It was an extremely hot and dry summer again this year so it needs a long rest. On the list yet is to finish winterizing the chicken coop so they will continue laying well into winter, putting up more heavy duty sheet plastic and lath on the exposed outside north/NW windows and basement door, one more 100' snow fence to put up, mow down manure piles in the pasture as well as aerate then change out the mower deck to the snow-blower, and clean the garage so I can get the vehicles back inside. Work is never done but I wouldn't change it for anything.

• 10/5/2022:
Early this week, Metske fan Nicomen attended her first keuring (Dutch for “examination” or “inspection”) at the Heartland Equestrian Center in Custer, WI. As first timers, we didn’t want to set our expectations too high to end up in disappointment. But keeping it in our true fashion, we decided to jump into the deep end and give it our best effort. And although Metske didn’t show as well as she could have, she still came out with a 3rd premium and we still couldn’t be prouder (better than nothing). Not too bad for a couple of rookies! And who can blame her - after spending nearly 12 hours in a trailer, then 2 days in a stall plus all the excitement of the atmosphere, lots of other new horses around, and that she’s not typically stalled or confined for long periods of time, she had every right to be a little sassy. But finally seeing my first purebred Friesian, Metske, trot around the ring like I’ve seen in so many pictures and videos was truly a milestone achievement that I never thought possible in all the 20+ years I’ve admired this breed. It took a little while to get there, but I made it. With some feedback from the judges and keuring prep training in the works for next year, we’re confident this filly holds a lot of potential and motivated to give it a go again next year. She’s growing into a very (tall) stunning mare and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

• 9/15/2022:
Pop on over to our In-Utero page for some super exciting news!

• 6/28/2022:
This past weekend was an exciting one indeed. I drove Elsa over to the vet's home as her barn serves as the 'equine care facility' for the clinic that is otherwise located in town. With a little luck and expert timing, I'm hoping Elsa will be expecting her FIRST foal next May. Sire has yet to be disclosed ;]
We also had our special 4-H visitor out to work with Metske. She will be using her in the Showmanship class at her county fair this year. I have a feeling we may shake things up a little bit as our plans are for her to wear the customary white clothing to show her. We are super excited as fair time draws near!

• 6/20/2022:
It's been all-hands-on-deck with how busy spring has been! From getting the gardens set up, putting in new trees and flowers, mending fences, yard upkeep, getting Elsa ready to be bred, raising baby chicks, and caring for all the animals - each new day is spent maximizing the amount of work that can be done thanks to the added hours of daylight. "Luckily" .. the temps have soared over the last few days, making working outside a little diffult. Instead, I opt for a little more indoor housework and take the opportunity have enjoy some added down time than I usually do. We all need a break one in a while! ;)

• 5/2/2022:
Goodness, gracious - what a spring! Aside from all the wind and rain, it's finally starting to warm up! The pastures will need to be grown and mowed at least twice before the horses are allowed out on them. A little bit of fencing work still needs to be completed as well. Our chicks have steadily been growing and there's a few more sets yet to arrive. Then we will play the waiting game until they begin laying and the others are old enough to be harvested. Keeping busy is what I do best! ;]

• 3/8/2022:
My chick orders are officially complete, with the final round being purchased from a very unique and specialty farm in Texas called Sky Girl Farm. I started following this farm on social media a few years ago because I was so intrigued by the unique birds and egg colors she had! Finally, I'm able to purchase several of these beauties to be some eye candy for the farm.

• 2/23/2022:
It's going to be a busy spring! I added 9 more (unplanned) to the list of chickens headed to the farm. These birds are a special meat variety with origins in France called the (American) Bresse (rhymes with 'bless'). They are supposed to be the best tasting chicken you will ever eat and have a very unique raising strategy. And I keep saying I need to downsize .. You can read more about them HERE.

• 2/15/2022:
It's official! All of our bred and registered KFPS horses will now come with the *reserved* suffix "fan de NorthWoods" which simply translates to "of the NorthWoods." All of our FHH registered horses will also be given the suffix.

Our next set of chickens have been ordered! We have an "egg-cellent" flock of chicks expected in the beginning of May: 3 Welsummers, 3 French Black Copper Marans, 3 Black Ameraucana, and 6 Easter Eggers. One more order left, and these are going to be some super special, unique set of birds. Check out the rest of the cool chicks headed our way under 'The Homestead' -> 'The Hen House'!

"I take extraordinary measures to produce extraordinary Friesian horses." - L. Domeier of NorthWoods Friesians, 2020

Welcome to the home of NorthWoods Friesians - a modest yet highly meticulous breeding program for purebred KFPS Friesians & Friesian Heritage horses of exceptional quality and elegant refinement. Our home is set in the rustic, north star state of Minnesota.
I strongly believe in quality over quantity. The few horses born at NWF each year receive valuable, individualized attention to begin building up the crucial, strong foundation a young horse needs to make them successful - no matter where the next road in life leads them.

Guided by a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a solid, working background in animal (swine) reproduction, genetic and breeding values, and animal management and husbandry, my breeding program places a strong emphasis on proven genetics, health, and pedigree.
The ultimate objective being a Friesian horse with robust health, longevity, correct conformation, temperament, willingness, movement, and an aptitude for sport. This mission is rooted at the forefront of the plan by adhering to the rigorous standards set in place by the KFPS as well as a set of my own personal standards - so you can feel especially confident buying from NWF.

And due to the growing demand, I have chosen to include the occasional Friesian cross into my program so that I can provide more people with the opportunity to own one of these amazing horses - even if it's not a 100% purebred. These crosses' standards are just as rigorous and thoughtful as my purebreds along with the resemblance of the Friesian racial type (black coat, feathering, minimal white, etc.).
So, whether you are looking for your next perfect partner on the trail or your shining star in the show ring, consider finding your "true North" at NorthWoods Friesians.

Keurings, inbreeding coefficients, kinship, health concerns, predicates, IBOPs .. all this can all seem overwhelming to someone unfamiliar to the breed. But rest assured, it's not as confusing as you might expect. And there are many people, like myself, that are more than willing to help you understand and guide you through the process.
I've included several pages of additional information to help making understanding the world of Friesians a little less complicated. Most pages are easy reading but include highly-detailed, important info to help guide you in the right direction when it comes to learning about Friesians.

I've also included several great resources, links to tack shops, a Dutch-name database, and more. Because it's not only about breeding and selling horses, it's also about helping, educating, and sharing information and experiences about this beloved breed - the Friesian Horse.

T h e F a r m s t e a d

Our farm also produces a variety of garden vegetables and berries during the growing season of May to October. From tomatoes and pumpkins, to blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, onions to asparagus, and more. We have two large gardens with ample room for planting.
As our perennial plants grow larger and more established, we look to be able to offer our produce for sale as fresh, in baked goods (breads, muffins, cookies), canned (salsa, spaghetti sauces, etc), or at our local farmers' markets.

In addition to our amazing horses and garden, is our small but mighty (and rather eclectic flock) of chickens. We've spent an embarrassing amount of time toiling over which breeds to get for the farm. Why so? After seeing some beautiful egg rainbow colors on Instagram, we decided that we wanted to surprise customers with that same stunning assortment. You won't find any standard full carton of white or brown eggs here!
Various shades of blues, greens, browns, creams, and heavy-bloomed eggs which can appear in pinks or purples are in our line-up. Some of the breeds we have are well-known while our more unique varieties were purchased from small, specialty breeders - usually with egg color in mind.

Almost all of our laying hens were purchased as chicks and hand-raised by Lisa until they were old enough to be moved to the outside coop. This daily care and handling has made the flock much more friendly and easy to work with.
We may consider selling fertilized hatching eggs in the future if our flock shows a lot of promise!

Proud supporter of the Fenway Foundation for Friesian Horses and these additional charities: