by Kathryn Kincannon
Dear Alpha Mare,
I know very little about Friesians. However, when I saw my first one it took my breath away. I’m wondering what you can tell me about owning and working with this breed. I have heard them referred to as “gentle giants,” which I love. I know they are often driven, ridden English, and kept stabled. Can they be ridden Western, kept out in pasture, and used as a general mountain/trail horse?
Déjà vu! This letter could have so easily been written by me just a few short years ago! Much like the woman who wrote this letter, once I saw my first Friesians galloping across a lush field in Oregon over 25 years ago, their grace and beauty, nobility and magnificent presence – all easily swept me off my feet.
I was so starry-eyed and enamoured from that day forward that for years I projected onto them every horse fantasy imaginable and would have argued with anyone that there was no more perfect breed than the Friesian (and indeed did just that in my first encounter with Chris, my husband, which we still chuckle over to this day!).
But, then I began to know horses for who they really are rather than what I imagined them to be – and that changed everything.
Chris and I see and work with hundreds of horses of each year, and I have personally worked with many Friesians (an honour indeed). The reality versus the illusion of these incredible horses is both sobering and enlightening. Thus, my answer to this question today is radically different than the waxing poetic I would have spouted years ago, and has spurred me to share in this column my own learning curve in developing valuable “horse sense.”
When it comes to sizing up a horse, I have learned to operate on two levels: “Pretty is as pretty does,” and “To know them is to love them.” Note the emphasis on “knowing.”
Their life experiences will lead them to be “Yes,” “No” or “Maybe” horses. And until you have experienced first-hand the good, bad, and the ugly of their daily living, you won’t know how to coax a “maybe” horse into a “yes” horse, or accept the challenge of breaking down the barriers of a shut-down, resentful, or angry “no” horse.
As for love? It hasn’t really entered the picture yet. Infatuation based on wishful thinking is more likely. And all of us know that wishful thinking can so easily lead to a broken heart.
Just like humans, horses are individuals with a mind and a will of their own, constantly in flux, and molded by both nature and nurture. What with the crossing of bloodlines between the hot, cold, and warm-blooded breeds, there are no set categories for horse “types” any longer.
Horses bred to pull carriages are winning in dressage. Horses bred to race are standing in harness. Horses normally ridden English are cleaning up on the reining circuit. Horses bred to chase cows are, well, chasing cows.
You can find Quarter Horses bred hotter than a pistol, appendix Quarter Horses beating Thoroughbreds on the track, Mustangs that stand and plant like Percherons, and Shires flying over fences.
Arabs still have endurance, but they come in all shapes and sizes, and there are Sport Horses who excel at any discipline and others who won’t come near a trot pole.
On top of that, many breeds can now be found in both “old style” (bigger, broader, carriage-type with more coldblood personalities) and “new style” (leaner, more refined and of a hotter temperament), including, yes, Friesians.
As a warmblooded Baroque breed, the Friesian temperament can go both ways. That is, anything’s possible. They can just as easily wig out over a new object in the arena as develop a standoffish, hard eye to a stranger who doesn’t speak horse, which makes them a bit tricky.
I have found, however, that they tend to internalize, and are more likely to develop an ulcer than throw a temper tantrum. Of the Friesians I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, some are daintier than a ballerina (with delicate minds to match) and others are big, bold Sumo wrestlers whose stoic stance says, “Make me!”
This brings me to “gentle giants.” A quick story: A petite woman at a clinic in Pennsylvania brought a 17-hand Belgian mare to participate with as she said the horse was “good and kind and gave her confidence.”
During an exercise leading their horses around an array of cones, this Belgian fixated on hay bales in the far corner of the arena and, slow and steady, made a bee-line directly to the hay … dragging the woman with her.
There was no “attitude,” indeed no malice whatsoever. But, she wanted to eat, and she did just that – feasting until she had her fill. She was then easily led, docile as could be, back to the group. “Gentle giant” is just the tip of the iceberg.
As far as pastures versus barns, I have found horses love to be horses much more than being fussed over, regardless of the breed. Any horse will go ga-ga over life in a huge pasture, as long as there is some kind of shelter for weather.
My Thoroughbred gelding Razz who knew only racetracks, stalls, and indoor arenas has matured into a princely, level-headed trailblazer after a year of living on 180 acres of wide-open pasture. He matured and became both dependable and sensible (what a concept for a Thoroughbred!).
And, as for English or Western, they could care less what kind of costume they wear, as long as the rider has a good seat and hands.
In closing, be it a magnificently noble Friesian, a graceful and flashy Arab, or a sensitive and sleek Thoroughbred, a horse of any breed and any gender can run the gamut in temperament – from playful to aggressive, pushy to skittish, intrusive to standoffish, curious to pouty. They are just looking to you to determine which one they will be.
The more fluent you are in their language, the easier it will be to bring out their kind, soft, willing natures – and that’s what really counts.
Your success with any horse is to learn not to stereotype them, but to instead take each one as the unique personality it is and adjust yourself accordingly.
Kathryn
Kathryn travels extensively with her husband, Chris Irwin, as a trainer and coach conducting clinics and “Train the Trainer” sessions throughout North America.
They are currently developing Riversong Ranch Equestrian Retreat on the shores of the McLeod River just west of Edmonton.
If you have a question that you’d like Kathryn to answer in a future column, please email her at alphamare@telus.net
