Questions with Ebony Park
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YOUR HORSE AND FRIESIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH THE EBONY PARK TEAM Your Top 60 Questions on Friesians and Horses in General... Answered Table of Contents “A Pony is a childhood dream, a horse is an adultood teasure” -- Rebecca Carrol Chapter One - General Questions for Ebony Park - Page 4 1. What do each of you love most about Friesians? - Page 4 2. Who is you favorite Friesian of all time and why? If you could pick one foal that you have bred to keep who would it be and why? - Page 4 3. How do you decide of all the colts who are born, who stays as a colt and who gets gelded? - Page 4 4. Is there any breeder who will actually let you have a ride on a Friesian? - Page 5 5. What time do you get up in the morning? - Page 5 6. How did you start breeding Friesians? Did you start with mares, stallions or both? And how many did you start with? - Page 5 7. Is it always about the riding? - Page 5 8. Are you always on the look out for new horses from Europe or are you focussing on your current team? - Page 5 9. I was told by another Friesian owner that is was best to get my Friesian Sporthorse gelded standing, and to have him put on antibiotics until the incision in fully drained. Is this fact or fiction? - Page 6 10. How much did it cost to import your horses, and what did it involve... what was the quarantine like, where was the quarantine base - in melbourne or somewhere else? - Page 6 11. Why did you call it Ebony Park? - Page 7 Chapter Two - Training Friesians - Page 7 12. What training method do you use, to achieve the high knee action and forwardness? - Page 7 13. Hi, I have a Friesian warmblood and he gets a bit narky when he's eating ... so is this 'normal' behaviour? - Page 7 14. 14. What age should we start to lightly work (eg. walk and trot) Friesians under saddle and for how long at a time to begin with? - Page 8 15. Do you long rein your breakers or just start them on/from the lunge line? - Page 8 16. Is there anything in particular that you do differently when it comes to training a Friesian / Friesian-x for dressage than say, a warmblood/thoroughbred/other breed? - Page 8 17. Do you have any advice on handling my young colt? - Page 8 PAGE 1 YOUR HORSE AND FRIESIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH THE EBONY PARK TEAM 18. Just reading here that you don't really do any hands on work until 3 years old? What happens if you start earlier with light work? - Page 9 19. My stallion has that typical friesian/baroque head/neck set... how do you encourage them to work long and low when being ridden?? - Page 9 20. Dealing with the friesian high head carriage... I have a part bred but very much with the short high neck carriage. Do you recommend any additional exercises to help with this? - Page 9 Chapter Three - Friesian Questions - Page 10 21. So, I've been very very lucky to have the chance to do my work experience with you in the coming month. I was just wondering what sort of jobs I'll be required to do? - Page 10 22. Is it common to get stifle lock in young Friesians? Does this disappear with age and how can it be treated? - Page 10 23. I believe Friesians 'bond' with their person, who do you cope/overcome any jealousy when one of them sees you with playing/working/cuddling another 4-legged? - Page 11 24. When I was in Canada it was really common for stables in Summer to keep their horses inside during the day and only let them out to graze at night (Canadians are funny about heat). Since Friesians being from a colder climate is this something you do? Do they go nuts with the heat in Summer? Or do they acclimatize to our environment nicely? - Page 11 25. Do Friesians have a similar lifespan to other horses? - Page 12 26. Do you shoe your horses? - Page 12 Chapter Four - Breeding Friesians - Page 13 27. Can you guys let me know how well your stallions go over a Dutch Warmblood??? Also any info on what the crossed foals are like, do they keep the Friesian movement? - Page 13 28. I was wondering how much you usually charge for a breeding, just so I could get an average and decide the price when the time comes? :) And also, do you allow your stallions to breed with other breeds of horses? - Page 14 29. If I decided I wanted one of your stallions to be the daddy to a foal with my (soon to be possibly) Standardbred mare, would this be ok? Who would be the better stallion to cover with? Why? - Page 14 30. What would you think a foal bred out of one of your Friesian stallions to a full australian stock horse mare would turn out?? - Page 15 31. Have you ever bred a Friesian to an appy? - Page 15 32. I’m wondering as Im in QLD do you ship fresh, frozen or both? - Page 15 33. What are they liked when crossed with a thoroughbred? - Page 15 34. What age is recommended for maiden mares to have their first foal? - Page 16 35. What colour foal would you get if you put a friesian over a palomino? And have you ever done a Friesian x Arab/QH mix? - Page 16 36. Are you planning any pony crosses? - Page 16 37. Have you ever done ET? /or will you ever in the future? - Page 16 38. Are there any indicators regarding personality types that are passed on through breeding to focus on besides just looking at conformation strengths and weaknesses? - Page 16 39. How do you train you stallions to collect for AI and what do they wear, halters, bridles, rearing bits etc? - Page 16 40. Do you AI yourself or get a vet to do it? - Page 17 PAGE 2 YOUR HORSE AND FRIESIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH THE EBONY PARK TEAM Chapter Five - Riding Friesians - Page 18 41. What is the recommended dressage saddle for Friesians - are they easy to fit? Also do you compete in the same saddles? And what sized bridles do you use? - Page 18 42. When riding, do you have to pay attention not to flex the jaw too much so you don't block air? - Page 18 43. Bits? - Page 18 44. Do you work all your competing horses daily or just 3-4 times a week? Do you exercise your mares when they are in foal or just let them relish their pregnant glow ;) - Page 19 45. Is a Friesian different to ride opposed to other horses? - Page 19 46. One of my major riding problems is my sitting trot. I have an illness which prevents me from riding months at a time and I really struggle with holding my seat. Do you guys have any special exercises to keep your back supple?? - Page 19 Chapter Six - Grooming Friesians - Page 20 47. To achieve a fully black Friesian, besides rugging, is there any other way to do this? - Page 20 48. How do you get your Friesians looking as stunning as you do, and how do you get their manes and tails so long?! - Page 20 49. Are there different types of plaiting for different breeds? - Page 21 50. What do you recommend for mane growth? - Page 21 51. Talking of manes... how do you look after them? - Page 22 52. How do you deal with sunbleaching when they are in show work - and do you clip them? - Page 22 53. Do you stable them under lights to help with the coats, or just rugs? - Page 22 54. Now the weather is cooling down what feed are you using and what rugs? - Page 22 Chapter Seven - Feeding Friesians - Page 23 55. What do you feed to keep your boys looking spectacular? Any special requirements? - Page 23 56. What feed do you have your Friesians on as I believe you have to watch their protein intake? - Page 23 57. What supplement feed does a weanling/yearling need in addition to roughage? - Page 24 58.Is there any horse feed/supplement that you use or know about that is good for enhancing black Friesian coats?? - Page 24 Chapter Seven - Friesian Regulations for the Friesian Breed - Page 25 59. When it comes to results in a Keuring, could you please explain how the different rankings are achieved eg ster mare, crown mare, how many second or first premies to jump to the next level? - Page 25 60.At a Keuring, can you onlydo an IBOP test and no running, or is it recommended to do both to get a better score? - Page 25 PAGE 3 YOUR HORSE AND FRIESIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH THE EBONY PARK TEAM Chapter One - General Questions for Ebony Park “Tere is no secret so close as tat between a rider and his horse” -- Robert Smit Surtes 1. What do each of you love most about Friesians?? :) Tash - Their raw power!!! They are so beautiful, huge and powerful and they can carry you everywhere!!!!! :):) they make you feel like a princess every time you ride!!! :) Danielle - their temperament, mane, and they are pretty. Loes - THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!! ... and I am a Friesian girl!!! Go FRIESIANS!!! :):) Kate - Their presence and they are really easy to handle and sooooo friendly!!!!! :) 2.