Domaine du cloitre Saint Christophe

Horse riding in France...Frisian Horses in the Lorraine!


First question we always get: "Can we ride  horses here?" Yes, of course you can!
Frisians are incredibly sweet and tame.
We give riding lessons to everyone, wether you' re young, older, experienced  or not.
And beautiful rides outside in our woods or along endless fields. Such beauty!
We have a few horses meant for these rides, they are extra trustfull and easy to ride.
(For more information about  riding click "To do or to relax".)
 We would like to give you some information ( and pictures) about this beautiful race: The Frisian horse.



The Frisian Horse:

"There she is: proud, strong,royal, intelligent, beautiful. As if she is aware of her ancestors and the centuries her race has lived for.As if she is conscious about all hearts that she reaches." Those are the first words on the site of the KFPS, the organization that treasures the Friesian horse worldwide. Their words are completely true, . These horses truly have a heart made of gold. They are extremely nice and one can feel a deep contact with them when you get to know them. They are intense, sensitve too, faithful and a true friend. As we say  in French: "le Frison un ami pour la vie", “A Frisian horse is a friend for life! “ They are also very impressive , kind of mystic, and pure beauties. Thatis why they are so often used in  movies. Many emails we get  start with the following: “Since I was young I have been dreaming to have Frisian horse myself”. A dream horse truly and the horse of your dreams. And that is what they are for us.! 



 
The interest in the Frisian horse has exploded in recent decades. As a result, the breed now has a population of 60,000 registered horses!. More and more horse lovers are impressed by their regal bearing, their suitability for both recreational and professional equestrian sports, and their friendly character.  

The Frisian horse is the only horse breed native to the Netherlands, where he has been known since as far back as the 13th century.. Typical of these Black Pearls are the front, the majestic manes and feathering of the lower legs, the  black color and the spacious, powerful elevated gaits. The harmonious build and the noble head, set on a lightly arched neck, complete the aristocratic and fiery appearance.

The Frisian horse has increasingly developed itself as a sports horse over the past decades, in so doing in fact returning to its origins before the agricultural interlude. But finally the most important characteristic of a Frisian horse is her character, she is a friend, a horse really close to us and really “part of the family”. For all of us and also many of our clients who keep writing us often ,how happy they are with their Frisian friend!

our first horse Jilles....                                                                                    What? ...horse riding lessons?
We breed them and in spring  we enjoy many new born foals..too sweet!

The Frisian horse: some history
These horses are immensely popular and often used in various branches of equestrian sport. Both as a riding horse and as a driving and harness horse the Friesian can deliver great performances. As ancient texts testify the Friesian has served humankind for many a century. At the start of the Christian era, the Friesian was used in battle and Friesian troops were documented in Britannia. In the 4th century, English writer Anthony Dent wrote about the presence of Friesian troops at Carlisle. They had their own horses. Both cases probably involve Friesian mercenaries mounted on Friesian stallions. Anthony Dent and other writers indicate that the Friesian horse is the ancestor of both the British Shire breed and the Fell pony. Use of the Friesian horse, however, became increasingly limited to the current Dutch province of Friesland over the 18th and 19th centuries. Towards the end of the 19th century, the presence of the Friesian horse in the countryside of Friesland became mostly an expression of the owner’s wealth, with the breed used mostly just to bring the upper-class farmers to church. Farmers finally switched over to the heavier breeds or crossed the Friesian horse with these breeds. This proved almost fatal for the Friesian breed.

In 1913, there were only three older studbook stallions available for breeding. Fortunately in Friesland there were people who wanted to save the native Friesian horse breed from extinction. They breathed new life into the breeding, by implementing a well-considered strategy for buying and rearing the still-existing, qualitatively good, purebred colts. The strategy succeeded, and the Friesian was saved from disaster.
Next to its fantastic exterior, the Friesian horse’s character is marked by friendliness, intelligence, adaptability and an enormous willingness to work.  It is this character especially that has drawn people, throughout history, to be willing to go through fire for the breed.

Once a year in January there is a very big happening for Frisian horse- lovers all over the world at the famous “Hengstenkeuring” in Leeuwarden, where in 2014 our beautiful Mewes 438 became vice champion !


Bernard a Barock Pinto and Tabe as Frisian approved by the Barock Pinto Studbook.....  and Mewes Vice Champ!

Did horses fly?..Mewes 438 becoming Vice Champion in Leeuwarden.

Here at Saint Christophe
they are all around, these beautiful, impressive and friendly horses!

You can also have a look at our other web- site: www.frisonline.fr