Well, we’re at war, so that’s why I need a war horse!

Jun 24 2007

My title today is as good an explanation as any for the desire of many Americans to breed Friesians to freakin’ anything. Appaloosas, Clydesdales, sheep…it’s all better with a little black hairy war horse added!

The creature on the left, which I am ashamed to say was apparently bred and is offered for sale in my own home town, is Friesian and Clydesdale. Check out those ears. They are really something special. They look like a stripper’s boobs with the tassels hanging off of them.

Say, backyard Friesian-cross breeder? Usually when horses are offered for sale, we make an attempt to, like, catch them and clip them and stand them up so people can see what they look like and stuff. And you want $3500 for this animal? For that, I can go pick up five OTTB’s that actually are sporthorse prospects.


You just know you’re in for some entertainment when you read that a horse’s name is Prince Valiant of Cashmere. This is a Friesian/Saddlebred cross. Why you ask? Well hell, why not? We seem to have managed to breed out any elegance normally associated with the ASB, while maintaining the high set neck and facial shape. However, the ass end doesn’t look like either a Friesian or a Saddlebred (except for the tail ) so I can only assume there was a helping of Low Quality Ranch Horse in there as well. But hey, who cares? He’s spotted! And flashy! And we don’t know WTF we are doing anyway. Hell, you’re lucky we didn’t breed him to a camel – we’ve got those too. Prince Valiant can be yours for the low, low price of only $9000. Don’t all run for your checkbooks at once!

Just to show that I don’t think all Friesian crosses are a bad thing, here is a Friesian-Lusitano cross. Hooray! Two breeds that make sense together and whose conformational qualities complement each other.
This is a good looking horse who is put together to be pretty athletic, and looks like he might actually be able to perform a sport (hence the term SPORT horse). The irony is, he’s half the price of the spotted horror above.

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5 comments to “Well, we’re at war, so that’s why I need a war horse!”

  1. Upupaepops says:
    June 24, 2007 at 2:39 pm

    the dark horse is a nice fellow and does look like he has reach and sit.

    Pity that they people who really need to see and understand this are not likely too.

    And pity that there are a lot of people buying into the fad flavor of the season. I am seeing them decked out at the shows standing about between classes with matching everything.

    I am sure the tack stores love seeing them come thru the door.

       0 likes

  2. Jennifer Walker says:
    July 20, 2007 at 4:39 pm

    Shut up, that spotted thing is NOT $9000!! IS it??? Where the hell are its legs??

       3 likes

  3. Jax says:
    July 23, 2007 at 11:17 pm

    whats really weird is, as far as I can see from their webpage, all the other horses (and the camels!) the people with the fugly paint have are gorgeous! Hate to think what they’d sell THEM for…

       0 likes

  4. wolfgang says:
    August 15, 2007 at 2:10 pm

    QUALITY FRIESIAN SPORTHORSES

    These two farms have the nicest Friesian Sporthorse stallions I’ve ever seen:
    Hidden Promise Sporthorses http://nicopintostallion.com/nico.htm and
    River Oaks Farm: http://www.riveroaksfarm.net/Stallions.html

    You can also learn more about the Friesian Sporthorse by visiting http://www.fshr.org

    Earlier this year the white Friesian cross stallion Nero set the breeding world buzzing when he appeared at Equitana. That story is here http://www.eurodressage.com/news/focus/foc_nero.html Another interesting website for Friesian crosses http://www.barockpinto.com (click on “Deckhengste”, the site unfortunately is not in English). Of course there are also many more examples to be found using google, but these links will give a start for someone interested in learning more about the breed.

       0 likes

  5. blckhrsqstrn says:
    April 4, 2010 at 9:01 pm

    check out
    http://www.abacusfarms.com
    they hold the record for more horses they bred being sold and heading out of the country as the best examples of the cross breeding industry, and stood ULRIK, until his death, and UNO, and Fabian, who was sold.
    Incredible looking crosses- brilliant moving animals.
    Nothing like the best, it alowed people to use their good mares and or ours and breed for a horses with temperment and better bone and movement and up hill carriage and with as little genetic problems as possible.
    they crossed their stallions with, andalusian , saddlebreds, arabs, warmblood mares of approved stock, tbs, morgans, and working qh stock with great babies hitting the straw.

       0 likes

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