Friesians For Sale
When looking for Friesians for sale it may be a little staggering how many dealers there are. There are many European, North American, and South American sellers of Friesian horses. Finding the best one is a combination of finding the most reputable dealers who will have clean and safe facilities for their horses and provide proper basic training and feeding for them as well. This will allow for the horse you purchase to arrive healthy to your facility and also they will have some basic knowledge of how to behave in a stable or under saddle. Some sellers of Friesians will specialize only in certain types of training so it is helpful to be aware of the kinds of training the horse will receive prior to coming to you. Friesians are generally used for traditional Spanish-style riding, for Dressage, for in-hand showing, for pulling carts, and for pleasure. They are not used for horse racing and rarely used as jumping horses, though they can be perfectly acceptable equitation horses. They can also be ridden in Western styles, though again, they are not ideal for fast sports such as barrel racing. The Friesian is a distinctive-looking breed and the way it is built accounts for the types of jobs it is generally used for.
When looking for horses for sale, most of the results will in fact turn out to be racehorses for sale. There are many off-the-track race horses for sale that find themselves in homes of all sorts. These horses, generally thoroughbreds, are usually saddle-broken and relatively young. Most of them are only two or three years old. They are generally inexpensive but have been well cared for throughout their lives so far. If they have very recently been retired from the track, they are usually in top shape and used to rich foods. They make versatile horses for other sports such as equitation, jumping, and dressage. Some can be used as Western style horses. When finding a thoroughbred for sale, make sure that he is sold from a reputable horse dealer. Some retired race horses are unfortunately moved or sold to facilities that do not provide proper care and they often will sell malnourished or abused horses to well-meaning owners. A malnourished horse may not look very skinny, but sometimes malnutrition covers up behavioral issues such as horses that are pushy or difficult to ride. When these horses are fed properly after you have purchased them, they can suddenly become difficult to handle both in-hand or under saddle.
When seeking Friesians, it is often possible to find them marketed as dressage horses. Dressage horses come in all shapes and sizes, however, the most common breeds are warmbloods of all sorts and Spanish-style breeds such as the Friesian. Because Friesian horse conformations include large, muscled necks and thin necks along with powerful hindquarters, they make ideal dressage horses. They have short backs, making them easy to maneuver, and making it easy to collect them for dressage movements. The Spanish walk, a movement which is not a Dressage movement but rather a Spanish-style movement, is something that is easily taught to Friesian horses thanks to their conformation.
In order to find a dressage horse for sale, it is important to search for breeders or dealers who specialize in dressage training and dressage prospects. Because so many of the warmblood breeds are used both for dressage and for other sports such as jumping, equitation, and cross-country, sometimes a good dressage prospect can come from an unexpected location. However, many of the horses that are sold have been ridden under saddle several times and a good breeder or dealer will be able to gauge the relative ease with which a horse could perform dressage movements. Some horses are naturally more inclined to be able to collect their hindquarters underneath of them than others, which often has to do with conformation but also with temperament. It is for this reason that Friesians are so easy to train to perform Dressage movements; their conformation is ideal for collecting the hindquarters and their short, thick necks are also easy to collect. In fact, one of the major problems facing riders of Friesian horses is the prevention of over-collection. The collection comes so easily to a short-necked horse that riders who are not used to dealing with Friesians may overcompensate. Long-necked warmbloods, who have often been bred with Thoroughbred blood, must work much harder to shorten their long necks into a collected frame. The Thoroughbred’s long neck is essential for racing as it allows for aerodynamics and also gives the horse a long windpipe to get fresh air, but in Dressage this long neck is not necessary as the horse do not gallop.
Finding Friesians for sale starts by checking local listings for Friesian horses or Dressage horses for sale. The next step is to check out internet sites. Make sure that you get a chance to ride the horse you would like to buy before you purchase it, preferably at your own riding facility. Make sure the buyer is reputable, and if it is a purebred Friesian, ask to have a copy of their ancestry. Friesians for sale are numerous and ownership of Friesians can be extremely rewarding.