Dear LFS Prospects and Fellow Riders,
Friesian Greetings from the Netherlands!
Congratulations on seriously considering the ownership of fantastic Friesian(s) from our stables. At Frysk-Andaluz, We thank you for your confidence and we do wish you all the happiness, health and pleasure with this beautiful breed.
You may find below a short manual with basic information about training, feeding and taking special care of a Friesian horse moving to Lebanon or anywhere else in the Middle-East.
- When your horse arrives, he needs time to get used to his new environment. Please put him in a stable where he can see other horses. Don’t keep him alone as that will put him under significant stress. Make sure you give him enough hay and grant him enough time to recover from his journey. On the first day, you can hand-walk him or let him run free on a fenced meadow. A few days later, you can lunge him with a saddle and bridle until he is totally relaxed. Once relaxed and ready, you can ride your horse. You will need somebody to hold the horse the first time you get on. Don’t jump in the saddle, sit in carefully and softly and allow your horse enough time to feel your smooth readiness to ride.
- Friesians are trained as many times as their age. A 3- year old horse can train 3 times a week, a 4-year old can train 4 times a week, and a 5-year old can train 5 times a week. They are fully grown when they are 6 years old; however, excessive training harms your Friesian horse even when fully mature. Your Friesian’s health and correct fitness must remain your top priorities.
- Our climate in Holland is not very warm (-5 till +- 20 degrees), in fairly warm countries, take more care of your horses until they get smoothly accustomed to their new environment. Friesians are not to be trained in excessively hot weather while exposed to the direct heat of the sun. The sun will burn their skin, make them look brown and will also overheat them. They definitely need their shelters in the shadow during hot weather conditions.
- In The Netherlands, our horses are used to wearing their blankets in Winter. If your Friesian arrives in a cold winter time, make sure you cover him with a warm blanket.
- Our horses are used to a straw bed in the stable and we are aware that a straw bed in the stable is not always available in certain countries; therefore, be very cautious and use the appropriate material that can best replace straw beds. Eating the bedding of the stable, can seriously lead to colic cases. The same applies to grazing in the field: keep a close eye on what your Friesian is consuming to avoid digestive issues.
- Our horses are used to eating a minimum of 3 times a day when they are in the stable. We usually feed them pellets and (wet) hay. Please note that when your horse arrives, you have to feed him a minimum of 3 times a day, otherwise sudden diet/feeding routines changes can severely harm your Friesians.
- Most Friesians have long manes and a thick tail and we recommend you maintain those special characteristics through paying enough attention to grooming. We always braid the manes, and every week, we make new braids. Don’t brush the braids very often and use a good detangler every time you get the braids out. We wash the manes and tail +/- every month with a good shampoo and a special conditioner.
- Friesians have beautiful socks or feathers but they always need a bit of attention. Keep the socks as dry as possible and brush them daily. Friesians are sensitive to mites; you cannot easily locate them but you can feel some scabs in the socks, or see some spots without any hair on the legs. If you think your Friesian has mites treat him immediately!! When you don’t get rid of the mites so urgently, things will get worse and you end up with open wounds. Legs will become swollen and your horse will need Antibiotics and immediate veterinary intervention.
- Treating the mites is pretty simple: Wash the socks and the whole horse with Bye-Mite or Sebacil (you can buy it at your local vet). Put a bit of Bye-mite in a bucket of warm water and soak the horse carefully while watching out for the eyes! Keep the solution, don’t wash it off, just keep the horse wet. In winter time you can put a fleece blanket on the horse after washing him with bye-mite; the horse could get cold otherwise.
- There are a few more important things to know about the Friesian horse: Friesians have a very high level of pain tolerance; they don’t show symptoms of minor or medium pain. Call your veterinarian so urgently when you detect any suspicious symptoms or behaviors, never wait or postpone medical assistance with a Friesian. Please act quickly and responsibly and avoid taking any risks whatsoever.
In cases of castration or any knee-related problems, please refer to us or your contact at Lebanon Friesian Society for assistance. LFS works very closely with a team of sepcialized horse vets and professional farriers who can always help with the right advice. We want to thank you for reading this manual, for any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Your Friesian Stables Team
Charissa, Hannah, Kees and Richard.