The Friesian horse is the product of a carefully monitored breeding system that routinely evaluates and grades all registered horses. The registry encourages breeding for an ideal Friesian horse. The studbook registry for the Friesian horse was established in 1879 in the Netherlands. To this day, the vast majority of the world’s Friesian horses are registered with the original Dutch registry, Het Friesch Paarden Stamboek (The Friesian Horse Studbook) which is also referred to by its initials, FPS. Photo credit Megan Noecker

However within the last decades an additional registry has been established by a group of Friesian owners in Germany.

Although the two registries are similar in some ways, they are not identical. Horses cannot be dual-registered and are sometimes not transferable from one registry to the other.

FHANA, the Friesian Horse Association of North America, is affiliated with the original Dutch registry and provides services to members on this continent and coordinates between North American Friesian owners and the FPS registry in the Netherlands. Judges come from the Netherlands each fall to evaluate Friesians on this continent. FHS, the Friesian Horse Society, is affiliated with the FPZV, the German registry, and facilitates similar services for its members. 

The Friesian Horse Studbook is one of the most carefully controlled registries in the world. Crossbreeding is not endorsed by the registry. Only the offspring of Approved Stallions can be entered into the main Studbook registers.  

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