Friesians are tall, dark and very, very handsome. They are also versatile, kind and surprisingly “down to earth.”

Friesians, the “Black Pearls” of the equine world are, like all pearls, perfectly at home in the water. Take care when fording rivers or streams atop these luminous steeds or you might just go for an unplanned swim! The Friesians’ affinity for water dates back to the breed’s birthplace in the Netherland’s Frisian Islands, an archipelago a few kilometers off the coastlines of Holland, Germany and Denmark. During low tide, the short distance between the mainland and islands can be traversed on foot or horseback via muddy strips of land that arise from beneath the ebbing sea.

The Friesian’s predilection for getting wet was exploited as far back as the Roman Empire, when the Equites Romani rode the dramatic midnight colored mounts through water as well as on land, the horses’ long flowing manes, tails and forelocks flying like war flags. The precursors to the Friesians, with their glossy, pitch black coats, are thought to date back two or even three thousand years to a cold-blooded native forest horse, Equus Robustus, that once roamed Northern Europe. Though the modern Friesian is considered warm-blooded due to its temperament, the nomenclature aptly describes the impressive stature and draft horse characteristics still dominant in the breed today.

Fossil evidence of the Friesian’s early ancestors were discovered in the Fries area of Holland, a grassy northern province from which the name “Frisian” originates. Many of the original horse breeders in the area also raised Holstein Friesian cattle, using the added “e” for the cattle designation. Eventually, they adopted that particular spelling for their horse stock as well. The simpler spelling, “Frisian” is often used in other contexts, but both spellings are acceptable and have been used interchangeably.

Photographs by Cally Matherly

To read the rest of the story on “The Legacy of A Midnight Colored Mount”, look out for COWGIRL’s new Oct/Nov 2013 issue hitting the newsstands September 17th.