Testimonials

Herb, Drew and I just want to thank you for a great time with Bas last weekend!!! He is one awesome horse and we are thrilled with our purchase. On Sunday, Herb and I were at the barn to say good bye to him and as we were loving on him, I heard Herb say to Bas (as Bas had him head on Herb’s chest) “you’re going to make me ride you, aren’t you??” I thought I was going to fall over – as Herb has made it perfectly clear to me that he wants NOTHING to do with horses!!!! He’s now a convert!! We have found a wonderful dressage trainer 10 minutes away from us who is moving to a new barn that is being built and when we met Lori, Herb asked her about lessons…FOR HIM!!! Herb adores Bas and that, in and off its self, in soooo wonderful and words cannot express my happiness and joy! We will be ordering the saddle package this week.Janna, please know that you have truly changed our lives and we thank you!

Update...
We are planning a Barn Welcome for Bas sometime next month – all our friends/family want to meet him and we thought it was a great idea to meet the people at our new barn and the barn owner LOVED the idea!! Herb’s mom is very excited to meet him, and asked if she could ride him too. Gretchen just turned 70 and how cool to have a horse that she can get on and feel safe!We are just so pleased that Bas is OURS!!!

Update...
Bas arrived and as always... is a star!!  Many, many thanks to you and Julia!!! Bas is the star of the barn! Everyone comments on how gorgeous AND big he is! We finally rode last night! Bas, was of course, wonderful. He takes such great care of me and tolerates all my mistakes! He is just the best! I must tell you that Julia was truly fantastic with me! She was patient and kind and treated me with such respect that I never felt stupid returning to riding! She gave me so much confidence with her words! It was very emotional for me being back in the saddle and Julia’s kindness will never be forgotten! It is amazing to me how much Bas means to our family already! Herb, who made it very clear when we got married, that he was NOT doing horses, is now buying breeches and paddock boots to trail ride on Bas. He never has had the experience of such a grand horse as Bas truly is! You, Julia and Black Sterling Friesians have changed our family’s life, which is rather profound! We cannot express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation enough, Janna. You all have become an extension of our family. We will keep in touch with emails and photos of our successes with Bas and his life in Southern California. I do believe, that in the future, we will be asking you to find us another Friesian. He is such a great guy and still the talk of the barn! We are going to be in Sonoma this weekend and would love to stop by and pick up a BSF sheet for Bas. Again, Many thanks for our awesome guy!

Update...
Bas is developing a wonderful topline and day by day becomes more supple and GORGEOUS! He loves to learn and wants to please SO much. I am hoping to take him to a few local shows (over 50 yrs old classes – walk/trot) in the next month or so. I will let you know how we do! He is still the center of attention for us! The barn is awed by his size and how lovable he is, as well as how he takes care of me!   We are so grateful and thankful that he is ours!! Again, I think of you each time we have a major success and quietly thank you for such a wonderful guy! YOU ROCK!

Update... Just saying a BIG thank you...again, as we celebrate 2 years with our Bas!! We are so in love with him, as is his trainer!! We had a huge barn party for his 10th birthday-carrot cake and all!! He loved being the center of attention!!

With sincere gratitude,
Herb, Colleen and Drew

He is absolutely amazing! Words can't describe how happy I am with him, in fact he's WAY better in every way then I ever would have expected! He's SO sweet and willing and follows me around like a puppy! He loves me and the barn keeper and the other horses at his stable already! He stands for being brushed without being tied, from start to finish!

I'm very happy with Bentley, you must be VERY careful about selecting the horses you buy!

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone I know and maybe get a second friesian from you someday.


Thank you!

Maryanne in Canada

Menno is doing very well, he arrived last Friday to our ranch, quite tired for the long trip, but next day he was perfect. He is very handsome and great guy.
Thank you very much Janna for all it was very nice dealing with you.

Update...
 Menno is doing just fine!!!!
Thank you so much!! we received the most beautiful amazing horse!! We are so excited to have him here. Thanks again!!!!

4 months later...
Hi Janna!! As you can see Menno is the center of attention in the family !! we are so happy to have him here.  He is such a great horse, great with the kids and very easy  to ride. He is completely adapted to the ranch and the other horses. We can't thank you enough for giving us the great pleasure of having him with us.

Beatriz and Jorge in Mexico

He is P-R-E-T-T-Y NICE!!! What an incredible disposition for a stallion – Nobody can believe how absolutely sweet he is. He did not spook at anything new, was great in the cross-ties, LOVED his shower and adored his fresh, juicy apple, which he ate delicately, like a gentleman, after his workout! He has three very nice gaits, and LOTS of potential. Everyone LOVED the leather halter you so kindly sent, but the trainer is making me use an every day leather halter and use the fancy one for shows. He has a BEAUTIFUL body and looks EXTREMELY good under saddle. He is forward, not at all lazy, but also gentle when someone new gets on him. He welcomes you to his stall and seems to love being around people. An all round WONDERFUL horse! Thanks so much for ALL your help, Janna.

WOW, thanks Janna.
Have a GREAT visit to Holland, and remember we need all the good ones. I wish you could have heard the people at the barn today. Anyway, EVERYONE who came in contact with those two horses stopped in their tracks and even the barn manager had to have a picture taken AND the trainer wanted one of her daughter. The students who help the trainer all day, LOVE our Friesians, and two of her students just won Golds at the Summer Games. This trainer has done a remarkable job with Othello – we can’t believe it. She says he is just sooooo intelligent and wants to please. I tell you, Janna, the Friesians will win EVERYONE’S heart!!!! Terry was so thrilled today, to find out Delancy goes all googily and dreamy eyed over loves. So, we wish you a VERY successful search for the BEST - only YOU can do it!!!! Make sure you enjoy a carriage drive as well!!! Kind regards to you BOTH.

EVERYONE at the barn where Delancy is (at the dressage trainer's) LOVES him and they go all googly over him, because he is SO SO loving. He is so jet black, and travels in a beautiful dressage frame. On our day off, we were out visiting Othello (who is now doing all kinds of beautiful movements) and Delancy, and Terry compared him and your Ferrari (in terms of personality) ALL the way home!!!!

Update...
All three horses are at a really big show, all weekend. ALL have had a GREAT show season, with high point score, championships, reserve championships, and seconds (by narrow margins). Scores in the high 60’s AND mid to high 70’s. LOTS of good comments all round, and now they are generating some more interest. It has been worthwhile getting the good trainers, because the horses have shown dramatic changes, and are a credit to the breed. Odey has been doing SO well, she positively LOVES work. I am always wishing, and watching....You have had some WONDERFUL horses lately....
You just keep getting better and better at this.


1 year later...
Wow!
We had a GREAT show. Mainly first and some second ribbons, and two thirds (where Lutke (Delancy) and Othello were competing against each other). Anyway, ALL our Friesians did exceptionaly well - the ONLY Friesians among all the warmbloods. Lutke was Reserve Champion at his level, and Odey narrowly missed Reserve in her level, by .2. Othello beat Lutke in one class where they were first and second among a number of others. This was the Canadian Cup show.
Our Friesians did SO well, they developed spectators, and lots of stall visits, especially for Lutke. Taking Lutke for a walk there was like walking with a 'girl magnet'. Men were enchanted too, and one man stood in front of his stall for the LONGEST time, looking at him.

Update...
... thought I would send you an update on Delancy.

He is off to Hong Kong, leaving for LA next week for the Beijing Olympics.  He is one of the five member Canadian Paralympic Team, having been through all the horse qualifiers during the last several months.

Sheila in Canada

I just wanted to tell you how the boys are doing. They both arrived safe and sound. Dad LOVES Jesse. It is really cute to see my serious analytical Dad snuggle and talk baby with Jesse. I rode Jimte for about two weeks. My dad has been riding both. We have two really good trainers at Covered Bridge Barn. I’m going to be taking ground work lessons while my Dad learns how to ride properly. I can’t wait to start training Jimte to be a vaulting horse. :)  He’ll be a better mover than Buddy and a good size compared to 18.3hh Sadie. By the way my Mom is falling in love with the horses, and she was not a horse person. She just loves how gentle and loving they are with her.Not only are people in love with the Friesians but every one wants my tack! Man that saddle’s comfy. Dad’s tack just arrived yesterday, it’s gorgeous!!!! He’s going to love it. She’s gotten so interested in horses that she is willing to lead the horses, lunge them, feed, and muck for them!!! Miracle of miracles. These big boys have definitely been the show of the barn. Anyone and every one comes over to watch them. More than once I have heard them be called Majestic. I can see how Majestic got his name.

Thanks so much for making my life long dream possible.
Thank you Janna for letting me ride Jimte at Montery, and thank you Julia for teaching me how to drive Jimte. And I’m sure my Dad would give his paragraph or two of thanks if he wasn’t in Colorado. :) Thanks for everything.

Update...
Jimte and Jesse ( both from BSF) are doing great! They seem to be adapting to the weather and the horses around them. I ride Jimte for dressage training two times a week (sometimes three) and my dad rides Jesse once a week.  In spring, I will be doing a show with my trainer in Carmel. My mom has even fallen in love with the horses too and is considering riding! :)

-Holly

Janna,
She really is beautiful and I love her curiosity. I will be riding her before the week is out and I am excited. I can't wait until I get my fence and barn up so I can have her in my backyard where I can go out and see her anytime I want to!

Update...
Thanks so much, once again, for all your help. Black Sterling Friesians go above and beyond to make sure all worries are taken care of. Your friendliness doesn't end with the sale!! Merlot is doing great.  Jerry is the most amazed at how gentle Merlot is. As big as she is she is so elegant and lady like. She gets along with all the mares in the pasture. Everyone just loves her at the barn. I hope they like Neo (Nanne) as much!!   Thanks Again,

Update...I  fit the western the western tack on Merlot.   Merlot did very well....she did so well that I think that it won't take much to make her a really good trail horse and she is discovering she likes all the attention she is getting from people as well. Neo (Nanne) was the talk of the barn today. Everybody was coming in to see him. He is more dramatic than Merlot because of all his hair. They are alike but different as well.
I still feel as if I am living in a dream world.

 ...we are looking forward to our camping trip (with the horses). I am guessing that the two of them are going to attract so much attention that it will be difficult to get any real trail riding done! They are the celebrities of the barn and I have had more than one person tell me that having them around and watching them at liberty or being ridden is giving them Friesian envy. I think we got two great horses!

Lynn in Ohio  

I cant get over how excited my husband Jerry is. He checks your sale page 50 times a day waiting for the sale pending to go up on nanne as well. He is already looking in the area to see if there is anyone that could give him lessons. He says he isn't going to go crazy, he just wants to know the basics (dressage) in what these guys are trained. He doesn't want such great training to be let go to waste by our not using it some. I am going to look for someone to teach me to drive. This place we will be moving into has been a lifelong dream for me. Even before I bought these horses I have already been working with an iron gate guy for about 3 weeks and my gate will have Dream Gait Acres on it as well as the silhouette of 2 friesians, one on each gate facing in. Even as I had this done, I still wasn't sure if and when I would find my dream horses. I guess they sort of found me didn't they lol. I have been looking at everything Friesian related I can find on the web. First and foremost when you get back from your show I do want to talk to you about tack and get that ordered. I want it here when they get here so that I wont have to use something not made for them specifically. I think Neo (Nanne) is just the most handsome fella. PS: I meant to tell you that those western saddles are really comfortable! The girl that rode Merlot just loved it. She said the saddle was sweet. That's 25 yr old for nice lol. She asked me what kind of saddle it was and I told her it was a black sterling Friesian saddle.
Update... First show:Neo (Nanne)  did very well. He was a complete gentleman all day long. There were two other friesians at the show. I only saw one of them in a class. He was nice looking but did not have near the presence that Neo does. He is downright noble in the way that he carries himself. I was really proud of him. It was the first time that Jerry got to see Terry ride Neo. He said it gave him chills to watch Terry and Neo and it was almost more fun to watch him being shown that it was to ride him. He cant see him when he is on him and he is such a pleasure to watch. Neo is really turning into a fine example of the Friesian breed. He is amazingly taken with the whole show atmosphere and loves all the attention. A wonderful ambassador for the breed. Certainly the talk of the show.
Lynn in Ohio

Janna,

Just wanted to let you know that Tulip arrived here safe and well this
morning at about 7:45 am.  She does not quite know what to think of the
mules I think!  Gary said she ate and drank and all the other necessary things all along the way and she looks in great shape. 

Update...
Ms. Tulip is doing just fine. Adjusting to our Montana weather.  We've had some nights were its down to 40 degrees already.  She has met some of the mules and is enjoying acres of grass too. She is a sweetheart.  Eric has fallen in love with her too!

Tulip is doing great and I love her dearly.

 Thanks again.  

Jane in montana

Janna,
you are such a sweetheart.. thank you so much.. this has made my night.
I could scream I am so happy...!!!!! I am ever so thankful that I  received the most beautiful amazing horse ever.

Update...
I cannot say enough. He arrived as beautiful as I expected.
He walked of the trailer and stood next to me like a gentleman...I kissed his nose
and knew I made the right decision.
He is spectacular, as you described. The guys took very good care of him
on the trailer. They  said he was especially polite. I saw that right away.  He is quite gorgeous and the perfect size for me. That forelock and mane are  to die for.. Tomorrow I will get to the barn bright and early to greet my beautiful new man.

Janna, thank you so much... I love the saddle too. Everything was just as you described...

You cannot imagine how much I respect the honesty and integrity you demonstrated to me. The horse is magnificent. I rode him over the weekend... and WOW...I washed and conditioned his tail the other day and picked it apart piece by piece... its about 2 feet wide... hahahahahah.  I am so glad I made the decision on him... I felt it was right.

2 months later...
Just a reminder to tell you… I am so in love with this horse…

4 months later...
Lovin' this boy!!!! We had such a nice lesson today... My husband is crazy about him too...

Lynne in NY

Burma made it here (Canada) safe and sound.  We absolutely LOVE him.  My daughter is in 7th heaven and spends every moment she can with him.   He is truly her dream horse.   He is so very calm and affectionate and Stephanie just can't get enough of him.  My little niece was visiting from Ohio and she got on and rode him as well, she didn't want to get off. My daughter's dressage coach thinks he is the perfect horse for her with his calm nature, he is a real confidence builder and will be the best thing ever for my daughter.   Thanks for all you help with Burma, we truly love him. 

Update 2 years later...
We purchased a beautiful Frisian from you 2 years ago, Burma. He has been the best thing that ever happened to my daughter Stephanie. He has truly been her dream horse!  Burma has been a dream.  Stephanie takes him on long trail rides weekly and he adores them. She even rides him side saddle sometimes ( see photo). He has truly been her dream horse. His mane is extremely long and beautiful and she spends more money on products for his mane and tail than on herself..haha

  Sandi in Canada

Update from Burma's New Owner....

Hi Janna, That is so kind of you to reply to my email. It is heartwarming to know of such compassionate people in the horse world...... you certainly know how to choose them. I feel incredibly fortunate to own such a kind, beautiful and amazing horse. In the past I have owned a thoroughbred and a German warmblood and although I was very fond of them and devastated when they reached the end of their lives, my favorite is the Friesian. What a guy! Thank you for your reply, it is certainly very helpful. Happy trails, Shelagh

Hi Janna, I went to see Jibbe(Prada) yesterday and took the kids, nanny and dogs! The kids got to ride him, and LOVED him! They are all asking if we can go again – Frankie is so nice. My birthday is coming up soon and I have your tack on my wish list, because it makes so much sense and I love it in any case. Great to get your daughter there – we would love to get lessons. We LOVE Jibbe he is just so cool and wonderful – as I am Dutch I have known about Friesians my whole life! ….it is great to have that little piece of NL right here. I love your place as it is so easy to get to, but also is so calm and protected, not 25 others riding at the same time either! I can see we will end up with more of them right now. – he is such a sweetheart! It is funny as I was reading some of the references on your website and had to giggle as it sounded everyone had bought my horse! (In other words, you must be the best as everyone says THEY had the best experience and THEY got the BEST horse!).

Update.....
I have to tell you I drove home (from the barn) with a SMILE on my face the whole way! HE IS WONDERFUL! I can’t believe I am so lucky to actually deserve him……..Can’t wait till next time! I am VERY HAPPY with him!

Update...
You and Julia really are…..no matter how busy you are, you always have time to “chat” and be friendly! I have been part of so many barns where that was totally different! I appreciate all you do for Jibbe {Prada} (and me)!
Call me crazy, but I might buy another Friesian….  I think you have a wonderful set up and can’t wait to be there more to enjoy my wonderful horse, Jibbe – he is the cutest….(although I have to admit, your horse Sterling was sooo cute today – what a wonderful “example” of a Friesian!).

I wish you, your husband and Julia all the best of luck at the show! I can only imagine you will turn heads and your horses will turn out fantastic!

 Marielle

We picked up Nirvana yesterday late afternoon. What a gorgeous boy! He is even more beautiful than expected and just moves on air, great push from behind. I hope to ride him tomorrow. I really think we made a great decision!!Thanks for everything! It really Is always a pleasure working with you. We appreciate your dedication and devotion to your clients and the Friesian breed.
Thanks,Andrea, trainer
Pine Feather Farms in Mass

Update...
Nirvana is awesome and very powerful, I am practicing two tests with Kosmo for a dressage show - Nirvana is going to our local Friesian show in 3 weeks ( open to all breeds).

Micaela in Mass 

Hi Janna,

I just wanted to let you know that I had a fabulous ride on Tinus. He is such a sweetheart. I love that you turn him out with the other geldings:) Thanks a million!

Update...
I first of all wanted to let you know that Tinus is settling in great here in So Cal. He is the new barn favorite - and has a steady stream of visitors wanting to pet him and feed him. Thanks for bringing him into my life! Thank you so much!!

Kajsa

Hi Janna,

I wanted to let you know that Whitney arrived safe and sound.  Stan said she was perfect and calm the whole trip. Stan (your hauler) is very good, and personable also.  I was surprised at how tall she is, her head amost reaches the top of the shade covering of the pen we put her into.  She is as far south in California as she could be, about 1 mile from the border, in the Tijuana River Valley.  The climate is nice due to the ocean breezes, there are many miles of trails, and we can take her to walk on the beach directly from the farm.

I appreciate how everything fell into place so quickly,  everything felt and feels right.  She is a great horse. 

Thanks again!

Bob