I consider myself an esthete. This means that I love form and function when they are combined admirably. Thus, I enjoy viewing, in order, women, cars, guns, horses, and dogs.

I thought I'd introduce you to a breed of magnificent horses.

These horses were originally bred as "war horses" in the days of knights and armor.

As armor got heavier, bigger horses were needed and the Friesian almost became extinct.

They are back and are some of the most beautiful horses in stature as well as gait.

What gorgeous animals!! You don't need to be a horse lover to admire them.

Their manes and tails are among the longest seen and you'll notice that when performing on grass, their hoofs do not kick up a divot, as they land flat footed.

These horses are native to the Netherlands.

Have your audio on.

Http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Y5XJbSqwriM?rel=0

Trust me, you'll enjoy this.

John

__________________
- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Friesians are beautiful horses. The pure Friesians have been tightly inbred and this has caused some suspected genetic disorders.

__________________
A gun has no brain.. use yours

Wow! I bet one of those costs almost as much as a RM

__________________
Some collect art; I shoot it!

That would be one expensive RM. A show quality Friesian form the “Nemo 51” bloodline can fetch upwards of 50K.

__________________
A gun has no brain.. use yours

john, wonderful clip , i enjoyed . tx
mike

Beautiful Animals.My Sister in Law used to raise Morgans so I know how expensive They can be.
The funny thing is how something so big can be afraid of it's Own shadow.

Why are the horses legs moving differently when they are by themselves vs when "people" are on them/in the buggy? Seems like they move more naturally when the are by themselves.

Have you seen gun prices lately?

"There's something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man". Not an original statement but very true.

Beautiful, just beautiful. I put them right up there with the Andalusian.

__________________
Slim, U.S. Army, Ret.

Fresians are nice, but clunky. If you want that same regal look, go for an Andalusian/Lusitano (the difference is basically color). I have a black PRE Andalusian (Machista Torndado). Very smooth to ride (you can sit to the trot) and very powerful.... but not fast (all that knee action). While he was a stud, we bred a T-bred to him three times. The cross is called an "Iberian". You get the the regal movement of the Andalusian and the athletic ability of the T-bred. You also get size. All three are 16.2 hands.

In the movie Zorro, they substituted a Fresian for the Andalusian because it is a much slower and colder blood.

Here is Tornado's sire. Pronounced FAY OOH DAHL Blue Moon Ranch - P.R.E. Stallion: Feudal VIII

Outstanding, thanks for the post.
My favorite will always be the Lipizzaner Stallions.
Saw their performance when I was very young and had many an occasion to interact while making deliveries to their winter HQ in south Dade.

Magnificent. Thank you.

Beautiful! Never "owned" a horse, but I've cared for several. Always wanted a Belgian. Had a chance to drive one hooked to a rock sled. It was harder than it looked.
I love the way they smell......I've nibbled on their sweet feed when they weren't looking.

Outstanding video, thank you for sharing!

__________________
NULLI SECUNDUS

Beautiful video and magnificent animals.

The mention of Belgians reminded me: I haven't been to the Kentucky Horse Park in over 25 years, but when my wife and I were there they had what they called "mammoth mules"--crosses between a jack and a Belgian mare. The most beautiful mules I have ever seen. Buckskin, wonderful faces, and standing upwards of seventeen hands.

__________________
Oh well, what the hell.

The two biggest mules I have ever seen belonged to my uncle. The mules were named Abraham and Moses. My uncle used to say that Abraham would lead the way and Moses would part the ground.

The following year my uncle bought a used tractor, the first tractor that the farm had seen, and Abraham and Moses were retired to pasture.

The photo were taken in the 1956. My uncle is the guy behind the plow. He stood 6’2” and shows how large those animals were. I’m the little kid standing in front of those mules.

__________________
A gun has no brain.. use yours

John: Thanks for this thread. It brings back many memories for me as I raised, trained, competed on, and showed Morgan horses for 15 years. I said many times that if I didn't hit on the Morgan Breed first I would have done the same with the Fresians. An astute observers pointed out here that their gate is altered with a rider. Most show breeds are now in that category as the trainers and shoers learn just what to tweak to get a modified gait. This is being done to be more "Showy" in the ring therefore winning more ribbons and then getting bigger and bigger fees for foals and stud service. More's the pity that we can't leave nature to do what it does best in the design of great horses. I can guarantee anyone wanting to ride a long distance on a show horse that they WILL learn to post before the day is over or their back will never be the same..........

I rode in long distance competive trail riding. I was a Nevada Cowboy and was determined to ride a western style saddle. I quickly learned that those English and Australian designed trail saddles built with a hint of jumping saddle cut and knee roll were the way to go. ............

Those are beautiful animals, but they would need an acre to turn around. A cow would die laffin' when they got their legs tangled up tryin' to cut her out of the herd.

I'll stick with old quarter horse cuttin' ponies.
After that old hand picks out the critter he wants, he grabs that saddle horn with one hand, puts his reinin' hand on the pony's neck and hangs on. He's ridin' with a slack rein, and the horse is on it's own. There's other fellers there to keep the critter tryin' toget back in the herd.
I can tell you that you better be screwed down tight when the pony goes to work or your gonna wind up on your head in the dirt right quick.

__________________
Eccentric old coot

It beats any of those fancy amusement park rides. Although, I've never been dislodged and thrown from an amusement ride.

__________________
A gun has no brain.. use yours

Beautiful creatures, and interesting how we've bred certain strains for specialized work. I've never owned one, but I've been around and cared for a few. My sister rides, and she's owned everything from a big 17-hand Canadian to her current young Morgan trainee. My favorite, and the smartest cayuse I've ever met, is her BLM mustang, captured wild and quickly and easily trained to be a wonderful mount for everyone from little kids to little old ladies. He's a gem.