The Friesian Keuring – Judging the Trot

My take: I will just go ahead and say it. I think the trot is the most misunderstood thing about judging a Friesian horse at an American inspection. Nothing is criticized more in a judge or upsets an owner more than the perceived score for a horse, based solely on what people “think” is a good trot.

When people think of the Friesian horse they often think of the high head carriage and elevated, lovely front knee action. This seems to translate (in some people’s minds) as the thing that defines the breed and thus the thing most important to the judges during the inspection. But, in truth, this is not really the case. The walk holds just as much importance in scoring as the trot (and a good walk can be quite difficult to achieve) and when judges look at the trot, the knee action is only one piece of the puzzle. According to “An Introduction to Judging a Friesian Horse”, 2007 p. 17 (this book is available for purchase from the KFPS)

Desired in the trot:
The trot is a distinctively 2 beat gait. The hind leg is placed powerfully and well beneath the horse’s body and in doing so displays a great deal of flexion at the hock. The foreleg displays knee action and is extended far to the front. The trot is characterized by suppleness and a long movement of suspension. The horse also displays a high level of balance with a rise at the forequarters accompanied by a lifting of the neck When viewed from the back or the front the legs must be parallel with one another.

Undesired in the trot:
Short, choppy movements in the forelegs. Insufficient flexibility at the shoulder.Lack of cadence. Lack of impulsion in the hindquarters [causing movement to depend] too much on the forehand. Too little balance. Carriage insufficiently elevated. Melancholy impression. Narrow or wide [stance]. Fast cadence [with a] single tempo. Choppy [movement] with no elasticity. No powerful impulsion.

In my experience, I have seen many people in America (especially the mid and southeast, where I live) train their horses with overchecks, side checks, hobbles, stretchers, etc. in an attempt to bring up the head and knees. This training can actually prevent the horse from developing the hindquarter strength required to build the balance, suppleness, power and impulsion needed to move the horse forward with ease. In the Netherlands (and obviously, with many skilled trainers in the US) the trainers work on techniques to slowly build strength and balance in the hindquarters and topline, often allowing the horse to stretch its neck and use its rear. Over time the hindquarters become strong and as the horse begins to use its rear, the front often comes up on its own.

In 2007 the KFPS changed the way the trot is judged. It previously was judged on ”expression” and “rhythm”. Now, the metrics are as follows:

Room of the trot: Room in the trot [runs the spectrum between] “short” and “roomy”. The definition is the distance between two prints of the hind legs. It therefore concerns a horizontal movement.

Power of the trot: The power of the trot [runs the spectrum between] “weak” and “powerful”. The definition is the degree of take-off from the hind leg and the power with which the hind leg is placed under the [body].

Balance: Balance [runs the spectrum between] “little” and “much”. The definition of balance is the degree to which the horse moves with self carriage and even steps.

Suppleness: Suppleness [runs the spectrum between] “little” and “much”. The definition is the capability to let movement flow elastically through the body.

… The horse has to bring its hind quarters under its body weight so it can lift itself. [The horse] has to “sit”. This makes the movement of the forehand roomier and more free and the horse becomes lighter in the hand. The horse has to move rhythmically and not rushed.

- “An Introduction to Judging a Friesian Horse”, 2007, p. 48.

Feitse 293

Here is a wonderful picture of the famous preferent stallion Feitse 293 taken from his owner’s website at: http://www.hhtoonen.nl/. Feitse, now deceased, was known for his movement. I love this picture because it shows some amazing things in his trot. A terrific example of what the KFPS describes as desired movement where:  ”The hind leg is placed powerfully and well beneath the horse’s body and in doing so displays a great deal of flexion at the hock. The foreleg displays knee action and is extended far to the front.”

Well, it does not get much better than Feitse. But below I have a couple of more “regular” horses to show on video. One is a mare we once had who happens to have a nice trot which shows good impulsion, suspension, and balance. And good power too. She passed away before she was judged at the keuring and we still cry about it. But I digress…. I also show one of the mares who has been used as a guinea pig in the demo videos in this series. Both have nice movement.

“REGULAR” horses with nice trots – showing impulsion, balance, power, suppleness:

JUDGING THE TROT AT A KEURING – TWO DIFFERENT MARES. Make high resolution and full screen for best results.

Jeannine Everhart, the author, is citing information from the KFPS text “An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, available for purchase from the KFPS. She has been attending inspections with her horses since 1998 and attended a week long intensive judging clinic/class in the Netherlands during the summer of 2009. Jeannine and her family run Tanbark Acres, a small Friesian breeding operation.

The Friesian Keuring – Judging the Walk

When inspecting a horse for the KFPS inspection, two of the three gaits are inspected: the walk and the trot. Stallions who are attempting to become approved as breeding stallions may have the canter inspected as well, but foals and mares are looked at (presently) for the walk and trot only. These are judged while the horse is in hand being led/exercised by a runner while a second runner (“the whip”) encourages the horse to move on.

My take: A good runner/whip can make a big difference. The ones who are experienced will know how to best present your horse. I encourage you to use a professional or experienced runner and whip, especially with an adult horse.

The Friesian horse has an impressive trot and many people seem to ignore the importance of the walk and focus on the trot. I personally believe this is a big mistake. Judges will look quite carefully at the walk and they are looking at it many times – when the horse enters the ring (the judges are looking for correctnesss in the stride and how correct the legs are), when the horse starts walking after being judged on conformation (the judges watch the horse move away, looking from behind for correctness. Then they judge the movement itself), and finally as the horse is walking back to the center of the ring after the trot has been done.

The walk is a gait that is very difficult to change or correct via training. Any gait can be improved upon, but the walk is an especially tough one. So, a judge may use this gait as a more realistic metric of how the horse innately moves without benefit of training discipline and aids. An Inspector told me last year that he makes most of his determination of movement and a horse’s abilities to move based on the walk.

My take: When training your horse, never neglect the walk. The horse needs to have a powerful yet relaxed walk. It may take months – especially for a young horse – to improve its walk.

The judges evaluate the walk based on three criteria, and in this order of importance (“An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, 2007, p. 17. Available for purchase from the KFPS):

“The walk is a long reaching distinctively 4 beat gait. As seen from the front and back, the legs are parallel with each other. The hind leg displays flexion at the hock and is placed powerfully and far enough beneath the body. The hind leg is pushing away the foreleg, which is nicely extended with plenty of flexibility at the shoulder.”

From page 45:

“Evaluated are, in order of importance:

• Correctness of the walk
• Length of the walk
• Expression of the walk”

“Correctness” indicates a regular, lateral gait where the footfall is straight. “Length” is somewhat self-explanatory. “Expression” is indicated by the degree of bend in the hock and the degree to which the horse brings the hind legs under the body (“An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, 2007, p. 46). The walk should be active – marching of the back legs. Not weak – dragging of the back legs. You should practice walking with your horse, and in various circumstances. Horses will tighten up and shorten their strides when stressed, so often a horse at a keuring becomes excited and does not show the walk well. The horse needs to be energetic, yet calm and purposeful in its movement.

Update: Someone pointed out to me that a “too roomy” or “too long” walk can be bad too. This was a very good point. So here is what the Judging text has to say about what is NOT desired in the walk:

“Undesired in the walk:

• If the hind leg is brought forward at the same time or almost at the same time as the front leg of the same side, we speak of [pacing]. Often this way of moving goes together with an extremely large overstep. It is frequently seen in weak horses or horses that are ridden in a forced manner. Very undesirable. Therefore
• The walk should not be short but also not too roomy. If the walk is very roomy the horse will often twist its hindquarters and the power is lacking”

- An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse, 2007 p. 47.

Once again, here are my mares being used as guinea pigs for demonstration purposes.

YOU SHOULD MAXIMIZE THE VIDEO TO FULL SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE THE DETAIL.

Jeannine Everhart, the author, is citing information from the KFPS text “An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, available for purchase from the KFPS. She has been attending inspections with her horses since 1998 and attended a week long intensive judging clinic/class in the Netherlands during the summer of 2009. Jeannine and her family run Tanbark Acres, a small Friesian breeding operation.

The Friesian Keuring – Judging Conformation

Conformation is really not the “beauty” of the horse (of course!) Conformation has to do with the question “is this horse put together in a way that will enable it to be effectively used for its intended purpose”. The conformation of a draft horse that pulls a plow might be perfect for plow pulling, but horrible for reining in loose cattle. And a reining horse might be built perfectly for that task, but completely wrong for jumping over 6 foot fences. And so on.

Since the purpose of the Friesian horse has changed over the decades, so too has what is deemed “good” conformation. For example, when the stallion Naen (born in 1976) was first approved, the Friesian horse was primarily a pulling/harness horse. It is desirable for these horses to have shorter front legs, a steeper croup, lower head carriage, shorter neck, etc. Why? So they could effectively pull weight. Naen’s scores were not particularly high and the judges felt “his belly was too far off the ground” (read “legs too long”).  Naen has since become a preferent stallion due to the high scores of his descendants. He is considered one of the “fathers” of the modern, riding type of Friesian. Naen’s genetics did not change – the breeding goals of the KFPS did.

The general breed characteristics (“type”) have remained fairly consistent. From the KFPS manual “An introduction to Judging a Friesian Horse” (available for purchase from the KFPS), 2007, page 12:

General: a horse that by its characteristic front, ample hair, the black color and roomy and elevated gaits … makes a luxurious and proud impression

Head: a small, striking, noble head with wide eyes. The nose bone is preferably somewhat dished. Large nostrils. The jaws are light and the opening of the mouth is long. The eyes are large and clear.  The small, attentive ears lightly tip together.

Neck: The long poll and neck together form a lightly upward bent line. The neck shows much elevation.

Hair: … ample hair reflected in its mane and tail, and on its legs (feathers)

Color: the color of the coat and hair is jet black. White markings on the face are allowed if they are no longer than 3.2 cm and are not located below the eye line.White markings elsewhere on the body of the horse are not allowed.

The build/frame requirements have changed some over time. In general, the KFPS desires

“A harmoniously functionally, proportionally and upwardly built horse with a long forearm and not too heavy in the body. The horse stands in a rectangle with the forehand, mid section and hind quarters proportioned 1:1:1″

In particular, the judges start with the head, looking at the length of the poll, the transition to the neck, the roominess of the throatlatch (too heavy and the horse cannot bend to the bit) and the connection at the withers. The neck should flow to the withers, have good muscling, and come high out of the chest. To allow “reach” with the front legs (thus producing a “roomy” movement which is comfortable for a rider), the shoulder should be sloped (“at an angle with the horizontal line between 45 and 50 degrees”), and the forearm should be nice and long.

The back should be strong and muscular – not too tight and not too weak. Often I hear the judges comment on a weak back… too much of a “dip” in the topline. Obviously a weak or sway back is a detriment to properly carrying a rider.

The loins should be broad, muscular and strong, transitioning to a long croup which slopes lightly and is muscular.

The legs should be straight with a long forearm and canon. The joints need to be “dry” (not swollen) and hard. The feet are large enough for good support and wider in the front than behind.

Overall, the “Introduction to Judging a Friesian Horse” (2007, p 14) states that the Friesian horse should be:

A harmoniously, proportionately and upwardly built horse with a noble head with bright, intelligent eyes. Small, attentive ears that lightly tip towards each other. A long and lightly curved neck. A sufficiantly strong back, ending in a long croup that should not be too sloping.

A powerful, sufficiently long and sloping shoulder. Sufficiently long ribs that are arched. Strong legs and feet, a well developed forearm and a correct stance. Easy, square, elegant and elevated gaits that are emphasized by sufficient feathering, good mane, and a nice long tail. In short, a luxurious horse that makes a proud impression, full of energy and willingness to work with an honest disposition. The color is preferably jet black.

In my personal experience, the conformation issues I hear most cited at inspections are (a) weak back and (b) built too downhill (i.e., front legs too short). Most Friesian horses are indeed built downhill, so the judges expect that and instead of horribly penalizing a downhill horse, they reward an uphill horse.

The weak back is something they also seem to have a concern about. Although Training will not change a horse’s leg length, a weak back can be positively affected through proper training which relax the neck and strengthens the back. And improper training can weaken the back!

I have made a short video of two of my horses at their inspections. One horse is more of a harness type. The other more of a riding/modern type. Neither is perfect, which is one reason I selected them. Another reason is that, of course, I just happened to have video and their keuring scores handy. I’ll use these two horses in my articles to show the differences. This is for educational purposes, so try to not pick on my old mares too much…

YOU SHOULD MAXIMIZE THE VIDEO TO FULL SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE THE DETAIL.

Jeannine Everhart, the author, is citing information from the KFPS text “An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, available for purchase from the KFPS. She has been attending inspections with her horses since 1998 and attended a week long intensive judging clinic/class in the Netherlands during the summer of 2009. Jeannine and her family run Tanbark Acres, a small Friesian breeding operation.

The Friesian Keuring – What is it?

This autumn, inspectors, judges and runners from the Netherlands will fly to North America to inspect our horses in this annual event. For those of us in the Friesian world, this is a significant time for our horses (especially the adult horses) and for Friesian lovers everywhere it is a great time to come out and see lots of Friesians in one place.

So, what is an inspection (Dutch word – “keuring”), and what do the judges look for?

The Dutch word “keuring” is not just for horses. It is used when fine materials – such as gold, silver, diamonds – are inspected and rated. Think of a diamond rated for clarity or other traits and then given a score. All are diamonds – but some are rated as “more perfect” diamonds according to whatever rules there are that make a diamond “the perfect diamond”.

And so it is with the horses. The judges inspect each horse individually against the breeding standard for what a Friesian horse is, ideally. The horse is judged in numerous detailed categories for conformation and movement. The Keuring is NOT a horse show. It is an inspection and the results of the inspection will be recorded on the horse’s papers and be with him/her for the rest of his/her life.

A note about the judges: The Dutch judges are highly trained and inspect hundreds of horses each year. The inspection team will consist of a group of judges (called a “jury”), led by a senior (“class A”) judge known as an “Inspector”. There are only a handful of inspectors in the world and these have passed numerous tests and apprenticed as a judge for at least 7 years. Inspectors are accompanied by at least one lower level judge (a “class B” judge) whose scores are also factored into the final scoring. Sometimes there is a third judge (a “class C”) who also has input into the scoring, but whose scores themselves are not factored in. The judges/inspectors themselves are peer reviewed and their results are analyzed via computer for the quality and consistency of their judging. If any judge is deemed to be a poor judge, inconsistent, or one showing favoritism, s/he will have the judging privileges revoked by registry.

These scores are recorded in a detailed “linear score sheet” (see an example) and culminate with a score from 3 (lowest) to 9 (highest) in these major categories:

1. Type: How does this horse compare with the ideal Friesian “type” that the registry is looking for nowadays? Type includes things like expression, length of head, shape of the eyes, length of the mouth, length and shape of the poll, elevation of the neck, color, markings and coat. These characteristics, obviously, deal with how the horse looks.
2. Frame/Build: These characteristics deal with how a horse is built and whether or not that build will serve the horse in doing what the registry wishes for the horse to be capable of doing. These breeding goals have changed over the years as the Friesian goals changed from usefulness as a riding horse, then farm horse, then carriage horse and now back to riding horse. The items which factor into the “Frame” category include the heaviness of the throatlatch and length of the poll (allowing the horse’s head to give to the bit), the sloping of the shoulder (allowing the horse free movement of the front legs), the shape of the rib cage (allowing for good airflow and bending), the strength and height of the withers and connection of the neck to the back (allowing for proper position of a saddle and placement of a rider), the strength and length of the back (again, allowing proper position and carriage of a rider), the length and shape of the loins, croup and gaskin muscle (allowing the horse freedom of movement and power in the rear so the horse can reach under and propel himself properly).
3. Quality of the legs and feet: The inspectors are looking at the shape and angle of the hooves and the overall shape, straightness, and health (musculature, “hardness” vs swelling) of the legs. In a nutshell, the horse needs to have good quality, healthy legs and feet or it will not be able to move properly. Swollen hocks and misshapen hooves are not allowed.
4. Walk: The walk should be regular (four regular beats), long stride, relaxed, straight, with the hind leg “pushing” the front leg. Not too narrow, not too wide. The rear legs should come under the horse and the walk should show activity and “power” as evidenced by the horse stepping with purpose (not “dragging” its hind legs).
5. Trot: The trot must be regular, with a distinctive 2 beat gait. Again, the hind legs should reach up under the horse powerfully and display a good deal of flex at the hock. The front legs should display knee action and extend well (“reach”) in the front. The trot should be supple, long and show suspension yet balance.

As a general rule of thumb, these scores are weight averaged (conformation is counted towards 40% of the score while movement is counted as 60% of the score) and if the total is around the following, the horse gets the associated score below:

• Less than 6: not in the studbook
• approx 6: included in the studbook, no premium
• 6 to 7: 3rd premium
• approx 7: 2nd premium star
• 7.5 or more: 1st premium star

It is extremely difficult for a horse to achieve a star (Dutch “ster”) rating. On average only about 1 out of every 5 adult horses will achieve this.

These are general guidelines. Foals are rated slightly differently, as are stallions. Also, mares can actually achieve scores higher than 1st premie star in some cases. Horses can also be judged in a performance test.

I will address these topics in upcoming posts over this next week.

Jeannine, the author, is citing information from the KFPS text “An Introduction to Judging the Friesian Horse”, available for purchase from the KFPS. She has been attending inspections with her horses since 1998 and attended a week long intensive judging clinic/class in the Netherlands during the summer of 2009.

Wikke after a month of training

Cori’s 2nd foal Wikke (father Heinse 354) went off to training last month and yesterday we visited him.

Wikke (owned by Sara Andrew) is still a very young fellow having just turned 3years old two months before this video. Training is going slowly but well as he adjusts and gets balance. He is a lovely, willing boy.

Wikke is at Dragstra Stables in NC for training. Once a horse is fit, used to a bit, etc., the Dragstras generally like to start a horse in harness to build strength. Wikke seems to be having some pain in his hip (started before training in fact), so the Dragstras are going very slowly with him and started him under saddle instead. In the video he is just starting to get fit and hasn’t even been shod yet since he is in light work. We hope harness training can begin next week after the chiropractor comes. Nothing strengthens and helps balance a horse like harness training.

Wikke will go to the keuring October 4 2010 in Lexington, VA.

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