Anyone out there breeding ASBs for sport versus saddleseat?
Since there are very few Saddlebred Sport mares, let alone stallions; and there are very few Saddlebreds being bred periodā¦
What are the Sport differences you are looking for vs. the Saddle Seat, in build, movement, temperament?
Finding a prospect with those traits is much easier than finding a breeder of āSportā Saddlebreds.
Just as there are many WB who are not āpurpose-bredā hunters, yet manage to become winning hunters nonetheless.
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I actually would love a āwash outā of the saddleseat world. But it seems like they send them to the Amish or the auction rather than market them to the sporthorse world.
I am searching for something that is a bit shorter/thicker in the neck, shorter/stronger in the loins, movement ā less knee/hock action, temperament ā mostly just exposure to the world, not super snorty or bulgy eyeballs. So essentially a terrible saddleseat horse! 
Wish there were more ASB breeders specifically for sport, but there are certainly a few places to look for ASBs that have been started in sport, or having a career changeā¦bonus that they are often very affordability pricedā¦many are truly diamonds in the rough if you have a good eye.
A few Saddlebreds have recently come up on the Facebook site Dressage Horses for Sale - Weanings to GPā¦including this lovely guy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-HzxHQGxG8A
There are also a few Saddlebred sport horse groups on Facebook with some nice prospects that come up.
Saddlebred Hunters & Western Horses For Sale, also a Facebook groupā¦scroll down to the 3 yr old black gelding videoā¦ drool worthy.
Also, a half dozen young (most 4ish), lovely, started ASBs were just posted on Facebook heading for auction Friday night in New York, another group to be posted later heading for auction in PA. P.M. me if you would like more info.
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cb06 wow that is a great find! Lovely ASB with a very good canter, I bet he would be great fun to train. If they have a good brain and not been screwed up ASBs can be very nice dressage horses.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/585449568132459?view=permalink&id=1019855508025194&ref=content_filter
The 3 yr old black gelding on facebook.
āAmerican Saddlebred and Half-ASB Sporthorsesā is a Facebook page to check out.
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Definitely check out the Facebook Group as Iāve seen some nice ones posted. My three guys are all ASB/Draft crosses and I adore them.
Here are a couple more.
https://www.saddlebredrescue.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=76&Itemid=2
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I have joined all those facebook groups, definitely lots of good resources! That 3yo black gelding is lovely ā might have to follow up with that.
Buying at auction ā are there ābetterā times to go to the auction to find a diamond in the rough?
I know little about the ASB world. That said, I have a friend who breeds 5 gaited horses. She says that the 5 gaited lines are actually better for sport horse breeding. She is radical - her horses get turnout and get to be horses. Iāve seen some of her horses and they are nice. One gelding I would have sworn was a WBx, but she bred him, soā¦
That gelding has the perfect build and movement for dressage. Weāll never know if he could do it, though. Heās too good at his day job.
I donāt know if any of this is helpful, but there it is.
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Yes, Dressagelvr, I also think some of the 5-gaited lines are the better sporthorses because they tend to be bigger/more substantial and have the hindquarters with power and sit. That said, it is also important to always look at the walk and canter. The young black ASB in the video I posted earlier has an especially lovely canter. And worth noting, a good ASB sporthorse prospect can ALSO be a very good show ring prospectā¦they are not necessarily ārejectsāā¦in any way.
Fizzy, if you are interested in looking into some of the auction horses I STRONGLY encourage you to contact someone in TAS (Team American Saddlebred) who will have eye-on-the-ground and may know more info about the horses. PM me if you want names. Many of the auction horses are great finds, but as with anything in the horse world, there are exceptions and no guarantees and it is best to arm yourself with whatever information you can get.
Every time someone brings up the topic of Saddlebreds as sport horses, I remember this youtube video I saw five or six years ago. If I had been closer, I would have investigated this horse even though he is too big for me (and I was not actively looking at that time). I was so intrigued by this āfield findā and thought he would make a lovely sport horse. The video is still there; I wonder what happened to the horse.
Dewey ā that is exactly the horse I am looking for!! This is why I like the ASBs, they can be just lovely sporthorses!
Go to New Holland PA sale tonight, or to Romulus NY, whichever is closer. you may find what you want, and have the double benefit to the horse of keeping the critter out of Amish buggy shafts.
When it comes to New Holland and Saddlebreds, Saddlebred Rescue are the folks to talk to. I know from reading their site from time to time that they will keep an eye out for sport horse types if you ask them to. And, theyāve had a couple of horses up for adoption who I thought would be great sport horse candidates. Top notch folks.
I do bred Saddlebred for sport horse
Yes me !! I do bred Saddlebred for saddleseat in the past, but here in Canada there is almost no market for saddleseat horses. SO I have changed my plans and now train them as sport horse since a yearā¦ I take dressage lesson every week to learn how to train them right and I would like to show them in dressage next year !!! The only thing dressage peoples and my coach said is that they are a bit small in height and not enough bones. So Iām thinking to bred them with draft or Friesian or WB to have them bigger. I already have few cross with Saddlebred and they are amazing !! They seem to have Saddlebred brain and work ethic with more size and calm temperamentā¦ I would like to show to peoples how Saddlebred or Saddlebred cross are fantastic !!
As others have saidā¦ donāt discount the ones bred for saddleseat or who are currently being trained for saddleseat.
This guy was such fun when he would relax.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c134/Stalknndashadows/saddlebred_zps74hrehau.jpg
[QUOTE=fizzyfuzzybuzzy;8282927]
Dewey ā that is exactly the horse I am looking for!! This is why I like the ASBs, they can be just lovely sporthorses![/QUOTE]
Too bad I showed you the video five years too lateā¦ :sigh:
Saddlebred92 ā I love to crosses as well! I love a good ASB/draft cross (Georgian Grande). It seems most breeders go for ASB/Friesian crosses, but I really am more drawn to the ASBs crossed with Clydes, Perches, Belgians. They do tend to be too small in stature and bone, but there are quite a few that Iāve seen in the 16.2-17h range that would be great sporthorses. But they seem to be the exception, not the rule.
And donāt get me wrong, I am completely open to the SS bred/trained. Especially the youngsters that wash out at 3-5 years old. Iām just not near any of the auctions where they end up. And I have no contacts in that world to get them direct. Iād love to get them directly from the farms so the poor kids donāt have to go through the public sale experience and exposure to strangles, etc.
