The once mighty war horse of the knights. This proud ancient breed is the only horse in the world that has been pure since the 17th century. It came from a little province in the Netherlands, not much larger than the Phoenix area. Originally descended from the European Equus Robustus, it was perfected with Andalusian blood from Spain. They were the mighty warhorses of the European knights. This breed  has stood the test of time through the rise and fall of empires! After the middle ages, the Friesian horse was mostly used by farmers because of its strength and willingness to work. In the 1800's it became status symbol used to draw carriages, because of its impressive appearance, and amazing movement. The breed flourished. Then the age of motorization arrived and rendered the breed almost extinct. Cars and tractors were more efficient than horses. The business of stallion holder was a money loosing operation. Finally only three pure bred approved stallions remained. In the nick of time, in 1897, the Friesian horse studbook was called into life by a couple of insightful lovers of the breed, which saved this magnificent horse from extinction. Strict guidelines and goals were established to insure pureness and excellence of the breed. Today the FPS, the Friesian horse Studbook, is still the only registry for Friesian horses worldwide. They still approve only the best horses for breeding. The Friesian horse association of North America (FHANA) is the approved daughter organization of the FPS.   They can now be seen performing at top levels of riding and driving disciplines. The  Friesian is steadily gaining popularity around the world!