Friesian Warmblood Horses in Australia
A Friesian Warmblood is a horse that has 25% Friesian or more in its genetics, and the balance of the horse can be any other breed: an Australian Stock Horse, a Percheron, an Arabian, a Thoroughbred, or a combination of several. They can be any colour and there is no height restriction, which is the first thing that separates them from a purebred Friesian. What the Friesian side brings is the eye-catching presence and that wonderfully kind and lovable disposition that just wants to be in your pocket, and what the other side brings depends on the breed: the height, the bone, the athleticism, the colour, or a hardiness that suits our conditions. Bred carefully, from a mare and a stallion who are both good examples of their breed and are conformationally correct, you get a very versatile horse that is engaging and easy to train, and one that usually costs less than a purebred Friesian of the same age and training.
We have been carefully sourcing our broodmares since 2016 and commenced breeding Friesian Warmbloods in 2022. We are members of the Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse Society, the Australian Friesian Horse Society, the Arabian Society of Australia and the KFPS, which is the Dutch studbook.
Friesian Warmblood or purebred Friesian,
what the difference means for you
Colour and height
A purebred Friesian is black, because that is the studbook standard. A Friesian Warmblood can be any colour at all, so a buckskin, a bay, a chestnut or a black horse can all be Friesian Warmbloods. There is no height restriction on a Warmblood either, so the cross can be bred to suit a taller rider or a smaller one.
Percentage
Percentage is where most buyers get confused. A Friesian Warmblood mare put to a purebred Friesian stallion produces a foal that climbs closer to purebred type, so our Louie is 75% Friesian and her foals to a purebred are 87.5% Friesian and look just like a purebred Friesian. Our Hazel is 85% Friesian. The higher the percentage, the closer the horse is to the purebred type, and the price climbs with it.
Hybrid vigour
Hybrid vigour is the tendency of a cross to show qualities superior to those of both parents, so hybrids are often stronger, healthier and more fertile than their purebred parents. It is one of the real advantages of a well-planned cross and it is worth understanding before you decide between the two.
How the two compare to ride
From a ridden perspective, the feel and movement between a purebred Friesian and a well bred Friesian Warmblood are very similar. I have an older gelding who is 50% Friesian and 50% Australian Stock Horse, and his trot and canter are much more elevated than the Australian Stock Horse side I am more used to. My 87.5% Friesian Hubie has the exact same big expressive movement in the trot and canter as his purebred father Henrik OP.
Which one suits you
A purebred is your horse if you want the pure article, the black horse with the Dutch studbook behind it, and you have the budget for it. A Friesian Warmblood is your horse if you want the Friesian temperament and presence in a horse that is versatile across disciplines, that comes in the colour and the height you are after, and that sits at a price a good deal easier to reach. Our Friesian horse price guide sets out what both cost in Australia at the moment, with the purebred and the Warmblood figures separated.
What a Friesian Warmblood is like to own
The temperament is the reason most people come looking for one. They are by nature a very engaging horse, they want to be with you, and that makes them incredibly easy to train. It is also why they make such good riding and companion horses as well as good competition horses, and Friesian Warmbloods do well across a wide range of disciplines.
One thing to know before you buy is that Friesians are the perpetually hungry horse, so managing their weight and their diet is part of owning one, and so is teaching them their manners around being fed. None of it is difficult, it just has to be done consistently.
The other thing we say to every buyer is that so long as all their physical and emotional needs are being met, horses do not need to be competitively ridden to be a happy horse. That is a very humanised ideal. You are allowed to own a horse and ride it as much or as little as you find fulfilling, and your horse will be happy with that.
How we breed our Friesian Warmbloods
We started planning and sourcing our quality Friesian Warmblood mares in 2017, when my mother Julie Taylor purchased an imported in utero Friesian colt stallion, Henrik OP, who is by Eise 489 Sport Elite AAA out of Tsjarda v.d. Maria Louise Hoeve imp ster, imported from the Netherlands. We needed to wait for Henrik OP to turn four before breeding could commence.
We started breeding Friesian Warmbloods in 2022, and we breed for a kind temperament, correct conformation and elegance. Conformation and temperament are the two things we will not compromise on, because poor conformation affects a horse’s ability to have a long and robust life and if a mare with poor conformation is bred, it often gets passed on. Horses with poor conformation or temperament should not ever be bred from.
Our broodmare band is built to climb the Friesian percentage. Foxy, our foundation Warmblood mare, is 50% Friesian and 50% Thoroughbred, and she produces very Friesian-type foals to a pure Friesian. Her daughter Louie is 75% Friesian and is our best Warmblood mare because she produces our highest percentage foals and she is an exceptional type. Louie’s Hubie is here as proof of the type of horse that she produces. Hazel Ze van Merindah is 85% Friesian with her first foal due and joins the breeding program in 2026. We also have Arabec Calamity Jane, a Perlino Arabian crossed with a Quarter Pony and registered as an Arabian Derivative, who we bought for temperament, type and colour. You can meet the whole broodmare band and our stallion on our mares and stud page.
Every horse we breed learns to be safe to handle including for the farrier, to lead and to tie up, and to load and travel on a float, so they are ready to go anywhere with you.
What our Friesian Warmbloods cost
These are our price guides for Friesian Warmblood horses, and they are the range rather than a figure against any one horse. What a horse sells for inside that range depends on its breeding, its conformation and movement, and how much training is already in it.
Unbroken,
50% to 75% Friesian
$16,500
Unbroken,
85% Friesian and above
$19,800
Started and in progressed training
$24,000+
and upwards depending on the training stage
A deposit of $1,000 holds a horse. Breaking in with our preferred horse breaker is $3,500 plus GST, which is $3,850.
The horses we have available at the moment are listed on our Friesian horses for sale page. Our price guide sets out what the wider Australian market looks like for both purebred Friesians and Friesian Warmbloods.
Getting your horse home
Most of our enquiries come from outside Queensland, and that is routine for us. We recommend a transporter and let you book them, or we book on your behalf and invoice you. Horses are not flown domestically in Australia, only for export, so every horse travels by road, and as a guide Queensland to Victoria takes about three days. There is a state by state guide to times and costs on our Friesian horse transport page.
We require you to come and see the horse before you buy. It is often the only way for us to know whether the horse and the rider suit each other, and getting that wrong risks the rider being hurt and risks the horse being sold on into the wrong hands, so it is not something we will skip.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Common questions
What is a Friesian Warmblood?
A Friesian Warmblood is a horse with 25% Friesian or more in its genetics, and the balance can be any other breed, such as an Australian Stock Horse, a Percheron, an Arabian or a Thoroughbred. They can be any colour and there is no height restriction. The Australian Friesian Warmblood Horse Society keeps the breed register, and a valid breeding certificate from the Friesian side of the bloodline has to be included to register a horse. When you buy one you should receive the beige Certificate of Registration and the AFWHS Transfer of Ownership form, with the appropriate sections of both completed by the seller. The purchaser must be a member of the AFWHS to transfer ownership.
How is a Friesian Warmblood different from a purebred Friesian?
A purebred Friesian is black to the studbook standard, while a Friesian Warmblood can be any colour and any height. A Warmblood also carries hybrid vigour, which is the tendency of a cross to be stronger, healthier and more fertile than either purebred parent, and it usually costs less than a purebred of the same age and training. When quality breeding horses are used, the higher the Friesian percentage, the closer the horse is to purebred type.
What does a Friesian Warmblood feel like to ride compared with a purebred?
From a ridden perspective the feel and movement between a purebred Friesian and a well bred Friesian Warmblood are very similar. Our older 50% Friesian and 50% Australian Stock Horse gelding has a trot and canter far more elevated than his Australian Stock Horse side would suggest, and our 87.5% Friesian Hubie has the same big expressive movement in the trot and canter as his purebred father Henrik OP.
What is the Friesian Warmblood temperament like?
Friesian Warmbloods are kind and lovable and want to be in your pocket, which makes them very easy to train and good company as well as good riding horses. The one thing to plan for is that Friesians are perpetually hungry, so their weight, their diet and their manners around being fed all need managing.
Is a Friesian Warmblood suitable for a first-time owner?
Whether a Warmblood suits a first-time owner depends on the individual horse and the person, which is why we ask every buyer to come and view the horse before buying. The temperament of these horses is very much in a first-time owner’s favour, though a young horse that is not yet started under saddle needs an experienced person or a good trainer working alongside you. We do offer a training program for people who need to increase their horse handling skill set, this is strictly for people who have paid a deposit on one of our horses and does come at additional cost, which will be discussed and agreed upon during the purchasing process with the horse.
How much does a Friesian Warmblood cost in Australia?
A good quality Friesian Warmblood weanling can start from about $10,000 with as low as 25% Friesian bloodline, and with a higher percentage, ongoing training and competition results a Friesian Warmblood can sell upwards of $30,000. Price moves with the percentage, the quality of the mare and stallion, the training and how the horse is going under saddle. Our own price bands are on this page, and we give you the price for an individual horse when you ring.
Can you send a Friesian Warmblood interstate?
Yes. We recommend a transporter for you to book, or we book on your behalf and invoice you. Every horse travels by road, because horses are not flown domestically in Australia, and as a guide Queensland to Victoria takes about three days, New South Wales up to two days, and Western Australia five to six days. You need to be there to receive the horse and settle it in.
