ȠorthƜoods Ƒriesians

News & Updates:

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. I haven'tSire 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

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 a 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 standards set in place by the KFPS as well as following a set of my own personal high 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.

The Farmstead

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. Lisa (owner) has 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, she decided that she 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 (in her spare bathroom) 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!

We do also have a variety of meat-bird that we are raising that is not so common called the Bresse (rhymes with "dress").
It originated in France and is said that this is supposed to be the best-tasting chicken you can eat. Like the Kobe beef of the chicken world.
It's not certain - at this point - that we will consider raising them full time. The plan is to sell out a few to see what the consensus comes back since the finishing process of milk and corn won't be followed as traditionally done for this breed.

NorthWoods Friesians is an active and participating member
in good-standing with the KFPS and FHANA.

Proud supporter of the Fenway Foundation for Friesian Horses:

Contacts & Social Media

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State Highway 4
Sleepy Eye
Minnesota
56085