History of the pure Friesian horses Originating from "Equus Robustus" the friesian horse has always been a remarkable horse for the noble class. Its special eyecatching characteristics have been the reasons why noble men choose this horse for their army-leaders as well as a means of showing power and status.   This strong and noble original Friesian horse, adapted for riding long distances with heavy-weight harnassmen was transformed by inbreeding Arabian blood during the 80 years lasting occupation of the Spanish into a lighter even more noble horse with improved characteristics for flexibility, speed and endurance, the more modern techniques of army. The Friesians became the horse for the leaders of army because they were very distinctive, both in colour (black or white), long manes and tails, high knee-action, elegant craning neck and excellent rapidity. The soldiers could distinguish their leader by such eyecatching horse!   In the middle of the 17th century Friesians were even excelling in the new art of Dressage High School, practisised on all respectable Royal Courts. Friesians were less heavy and more flexible with higher movements than other baroc races, like Neopolitane, Danish and Andalusian horses at that time. Friesian stallions were exported to Courts all over Europe in order to improve local horse breeds for saddle and dressage-sport-qualities!   In the same period Frisians developed into the best trotters of the world. Even so, that Friesians also were exported to improve other Trotters, like Orloff, Norfolk, Morgans. That was the first time in Friesian history that these fine horses spread "worldwide". In recent years Friesians are again used for trotting, but even the best ones are 10 seconds slower on short distances than times recorded for friesian trotters in the last century. This shows clearly how the friesian breed regressed in sport-qualities.   Main reasons for this regression is the transformation of Friesian horses into a much heavier and short-legged draft-horse for agricultural use in the period 1910 - 1960. This was necessary for economic and survival reasons.   Since the "modernisation" started, the systematic selection in the direction of a lightfooted lean, longlegged, elegant Friesian horse has created a horse, that at the outside is looking as a much more sportive horse, but the "package" is erroneous, because the genetic inside is still an agricultural horse in many ways (certain bloodlines have been longtime selected for agricultural use). However, a few -mostly extinct- bloodlines, are to a certain degree still present in the Friesian population and especially in these horses we have found reasonable endurance characteristics.   This are the genes we want to use in the Arabo-Friesian Sporthorses Breeding Programm.