Today I took a call from a man from New York. His first words to me where WHY are you cross breeding? FHANA people take great dislike to this and have actually threatened me. I told him that I will never crossbreed my purebred Friesian mares but with Raven there is a very good reason for crossing him with other breeds. We are always looking to improve on a mare. Friesian crosses are wonderful horses. A purebred Friesian is never going to make a good jumper. They are just too big boned and heavy but a Friesian crossed with a lighter boned horse such as a TB or Arabian can make a wonderful jumper, hunter, and eventer. The cross has the good mind of the Friesian, but is athletic enough for combined training. Combined training is very hard on a horse and it is unusual to find one still competing into their teens but the Friesian cross holds up better than a purebred because of the heavier bone and their more relaxed attitude. Raven babies are just not nervous horses and love working, traveling and meeting people. Isn't this a real reason to cross Raven with other breeds?
In conclusion we like FHANA, and they definitely have a place in the horse world. All of my purebred Friesian mares are Dutch registered and belong to FHANA as do I but we also believe there is a real place in our world for the wonderful Friesian cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment