history of the friesian horse
"Geschiedenis van het Friese Paard"
It's very well-known that the Friesian horse originated in Friesland - as it is the only native breed of the Netherlands.
Friesland itself is an old, ancient country rich in history, dating back to 500 B.C. when people first settled along the coast of what is now known as the North Sea. It is one of twelve provinces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands situated in the northwest of Europe. The people were tradesmen, seafarers, farmers and horse breeders. Before the Vikings also took to the seas (800 -1000 A.D.), they were the great seaborne traders. They sailed the Friesian Sea, the bordering rivers and the adjacent seas. The gradual rising of the sea, caused by the melting of the ice on the poles together with the sinking of the earth, forced the Frisians to built mounds, on which they could build their houses and safeguard themselves against floods which came ever higher. One thousand of these mounds are known. |
B.C. is the abbreviation of "Before Christ." However, A.D. is not the abbreviation for "After death." AD stands for Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord.”
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Most towns and villages along the coast were built on them. Around the year when the territory of the Frisians was restricted to the North of the Netherlands and neighboring Germany, sea-walls kept the land free from the continually higher floods.
Labouchere (1927) found bones of larger and smaller horses in the Friesian mounds. From the types Equus occidentalis (western horse) and Equus caballus germanicus (German horse/European forest horse) he forms the Equus robustus. |
Armored knights found this horse very desirable as a destrier or charger, having the strength to carry great weights of knights in armor into battle and still maneuver quickly.
Around 150 A.D., Roman historians wrote about Friesian horsemen who served in the Roman Legions such as the Equites Singulares or "personal body guards" of Emperor Nero 54-68 A.D. And in Britannia near Hadrian’s Wall (122 A.D.), between Scotland and England. The Romans were among the first to acknowledge the Friesian as a powerful, working horse. Despite being ugly in their eyes, the strength, docility and endurance was proven when they were said to have carried the Teutonic knights to the Middle East during the Crusades (1095 A.D. – 1271 A.D.). |
In the 11th century, during the Battle of Hastings on October 14th 1066, Willem de Veroveraar (Willem the Conquerer) used horses which strongly resembled Friesian stallions. From this period, there are many illustrations of knights riding Friesian-looking horses. The legendary Bayeux Tapestry made of this event depicts Willem seated on what could be an early Friesian horse.
The Friesian was also traded on the markets in Germany in the 13th century, which has been handed down in old scripts. Breeding was then mainly in the hands of monks. Since Friesland belonged to the diocese of Münster at the time, it is not surprising that these horses were sold in Germany. |
The “first” written evidence of use of the name ‘Friesian horse’ was in an announcement in 1544. That German Elector Johann Friedrich von Sachsen came to the Reichstag in Spiers riding a Friesian stallion. Three years later, he rode the same stallion in the Battle of Muhlberg and was recognized from afar by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Historian Ann Hyland wrote of the Friesian breed: “The Emperor Charles (reigned 1516-56) continued Spanish expansion into the Netherlands, which had its Frisian warhorse, noted by Vegetius (Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus) .. |
.. and used on the continent and in Britain in Roman times. Like the Andalusian, the Frisian bred true to type. Even with infusions of Spanish blood during the sixteenth century, it retained its indigenous characteristics, taking the best from both breeds
The Frisian is mentioned in 16th and 17th century works…a courageous horse eminently suited for war, lacking the volatility of some breeds or the phlegm of very heavy ones. Generally black, the Frisian was around 15hh with strong, cobby conformation, but with a deal more elegance and quality. The noted gait was a smooth trot coming from powerful quarters. Nowadays, though, breed definition is retained, the size has markedly increased, as has that of most breeds due to improved rearing and dietary methods.” |
During the 17th century, the Friesian horse, as well as Spanish breeds, was well represented at the various riding schools where the “Haute Ecole” of equitation was practiced. At the time, the Friesian horse was not only a favorite horse for the “Haute Ecole”, it was also a desirable carriage horse.
As early as 1625, Friesian horses were being imported into New Amsterdam which would later be known as New York City in the United States of America. The Dutch founded New Amsterdam in the region they discovered in 1609, but they had to abandon it to the English in 1664, when the name was changed to New York. Advertisements in the papers in 1795 -1796 (5/20/1795 and 11/6/1796) offer "trotters" of Dutch descent. These must have been Friesian horses. |
I made very conscious efforts to list or link all resources. It's extremely difficult to find 100% correct info on a very specific topic, especially going far back in history and when your primary language is English, not Dutch. I did my best to double-check and verify all the information I collected. If you find any errors or have more info to add, please let me know through the Contact page.