The Physical Exam Beneath a Heavy Black Coat
A routine wellness check for a Friesian begins with vital signs (temperature, pulse, and respiration at rest) and a stethoscope tour of the heart, lungs, and abdomen for gut sounds. The vet checks eyes for clarity, gums for color and moisture, and lymph nodes under the jaw, then works hands over the body to feel for heat, swelling, or muscle soreness. On a Friesian, the hands matter more than the eyes: the breed's thick black coat and abundant hair hide condition and skin change, so the vet palpates ribs and crest rather than judging the silhouette. The long mane is lifted and parted so the neck skin beneath it can be inspected, since that sheltered strip is rarely seen between formal checks.
Skin Under Mane and Feathers: A Friesian Priority
Friesians grow feathering on their lower legs and a mane that can reach past the shoulder, and a good wellness check treats both as inspection sites rather than decoration. The vet parts the leg feathers to examine pastern and heel skin for crusting, scabs, thickening, or weeping patches, and asks about stamping, rubbing, or biting at the legs. Skin along the crest and under the forelock gets the same attention, because heavy hair traps moisture and debris against the surface. Any areas found are noted by location, since pastern skin trouble on this breed tends to be a recurring management item rather than a one-visit event, and a mapped record shows whether it is gaining or losing ground.
Teeth, Hooves, and Watching the Trot
The dental examination checks a Friesian's teeth for sharp enamel points, uneven wear, loose teeth, and feed packing, with floating or follow-up dental work recommended on what is actually found. Hooves are assessed for balance, wall quality, cracks, and shoe wear, and the vet considers the whole picture of a heavy-bodied horse moving on relatively upright feet. Expect the horse to be walked and trotted in hand, ideally on a firm surface, so the vet can evaluate that characteristic elevated action for evenness: a shortened stride, head nod, or reluctance to move out freely carries information. The vet will also ask about exercise tolerance and recovery, because how a Friesian breathes and settles after work belongs in the wellness picture.
Vaccines, Parasite Review, and Condition Management
The preventive part of a Friesian wellness check confirms vaccination status against the horse's actual exposure (home-kept, showing, or traveling), reviews parasite control using fecal egg counts where the practice uses them, and adjusts the plan rather than repeating it by rote. Body condition gets an honest conversation: Friesians are famously easy keepers, so the vet may discuss forage amounts, grazing management, and exercise if the crest is thickening or fat is padding the ribs. For middle-aged and older horses, bloodwork may be proposed to set baselines or explore unexplained condition changes. Bring your own list of small observations (a new rubbing habit, slower shedding of the winter coat, changes in water intake) because these steer the screening choices.
Making the Findings Useful After the Vet Leaves
The value of a Friesian wellness check compounds when its details survive the day, since this breed's watch items (pastern skin, weight, teeth) are all slow trends rather than sudden events. Get the condition score, dental findings, vaccine record, and skin notes written down, ideally with the locations of any pastern areas marked. A photograph of each leg's skin at the visit gives next year's comparison a fixed reference. Filing the visit summary in your Friesian's KinsLe Pet Passport keeps those records in one packet, so a new veterinarian or a covering vet can see the trend lines instead of starting the story over.