There is no doubt that the Iberian horse holds a special place in the general public’s psyche when it comes
to
the
romantic equine ideal. With thousands of years of genetic isolation and painstaking breeding practices
behind them, our horses are held in high esteem worldwide, and are frequently the subjects of fine art photography,
paintings, sculpture, and film. Open virtually any equine calendar, and you will find Iberian horses. Look to any equestrian
statue, from the ancient era of Roman Emperors to modern day American and European war heros, and you will find the
likeness of an Iberian horse in all it’s rounded, stately glory.
However, one other breed rivals the Iberian horse in the art department; the magnificent Friesian horse. Hailing from a
region within the Netherlands called Friesland, the Friesian is one of the most popular and abundant Baroque horses in the
US and Europe. They are a common sight throughout the Netherlands and neighboring countries, such as Germany.
The Friesian was developed during the Middle Ages. Through selective breeding of native forest horses, Shire horses from
Great Britain (which were in high demand at the time as Knights’ horses), and Iberian horses, which were crossed to heavy
war horses during the Crusades, the Friesian was born. Today, the studbooks are all closed, and the horses are one of the
purest breeds in existence today.
Built like a light, relatively agile draft horse, the Friesian was later fine tuned to be an elegant, solid black carriage horse,
but today is right at home in dressage courts, saddle horse shows, and renaissance faires. Known also for their stately good
looks, generous spirits, and kind demeanors, it should come as no surprise that perhaps one of the greatest Iberian crosses
to ever exist in the world is the Friesian and Andalusian cross; The Warlander.
Warlanders may be registered Half Andalusian with IALHA, part Friesian with the various Friesian associations, or as
actual Warlanders with the International Warlander Society & Registry. Provided that each parent is of excellent quality and
complimentary to one another, the cross can yield spectacular results.
Warlanders are most commonly bred as F1 crosses, or first generation crosses. Because of varying breed type, later
generations often become inconsistent in their production, passing on unbalanced numbers of traits from one breed or
the other, but some breeders are tackling this challenge with gusto. Warlanders are one of the most sought after and valued
Iberian (or Friesian crosses, for that matter) because of their adaptability to such a wide variety of disciplines, and of course,
their astonishing good looks, flashy motion, and outstanding character.
High quality Warlanders have strong, upright necks, which are well-set upon a laid back shoulder. They have longer backs
than purebred Iberians, and variable facial characteristics which tend to reflect one parent or the other. They typically have
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