Can Heavyweight Hunters Be Light in the Bridle?

[RPM]

I started to ask this on the Off Course forum then figured it would be better to post here.

This is a purely hypothetical question because I am not (sadly) in the market for a hunter. But I have just fallen in love with an Irish Draught “up to weight” hunter online. He is gorgeous but his forehand looks like he would pull like a tank.

I have ridden some warmbloods but never an Irish Draught (he is not an Irish Sporthorse!) or any draft cross. I believe one might be a good temperament for me, so I am interested in learning more.

But can they be light in the bridle?

This isn’t a dumb question; I’m just ignorant about this!

[Beverley]

Sure, they can be light in the bridle, and a tb can be heavy in the bridle, it just depends on training, and remembering that a horse will be as light or as heavy as he needs to be to respond to light hands, or defend himself from heavy hands.

I’ve personally hunted a tb/percheron that was as light as can be, and a morgan/percheron that was not so light. The former was a well made hunter and eventer, the latter was a pretty green mare, and though I only rode her the one time, I can’t say she couldn’t have become light as a feather if she got the training and mileage.

[RPM]

Thank you, Beverley!

[SuzieQNutter]

I agree with above. Bei g light in the bridle has nothing to do with conformation, it has to do with training.

[RPM]

Thanks.

[tangledweb]

Just because I happen to like this picture, here is my current ID hunter:
https://goo.gl/photos/W9UntMA9Ff5WWWWe9

[RPM]

What a lovely pair!

[Bogie]

A lot depends on how the horse is put together and trained. My Clyde/TB mare is a big girl but not heavy in the bridle. But my TB is built more uphill and is very light on his feet.

https://equineink.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/zelda-hunt.jpg

[AdAblurr02]

Of course an Irish Draught can be light in the bridle! They are among the most intelligent and trainable horses I have ever worked with - super eager to please and VERY biddable when treated fairly. Most of ours do not ride well at all when the rider is ham-handed and hanging on their mouth. The lighter the rider, the lighter the horse.

[JSwan]

It’s about training.

I love Irish horses. Wish I had a barn full of them. They’re like Pringles. You can’t have just one.

[eventerchick517]

The only ID that I have been fortunate enough to ride was delightfully light and responsive in the bridle. He had a VERY strong sense of right and wrong, he would try his hardest as long as you were fair to him. But as soon as you were tactless all bets were off. Unfortunately for various reasons(that were man made) he was unsafe for hunting. But I’m sure he would’ve been a gem!

[Cindyg]

Well, I will say this – my heavy Fjord is built for pulling and rolling forward. I have not yet mastered getting him light on the forehand, but I am working on it. It is going to be harder for him than it was for my previous horse who was an Andalusian and built for bullfighting.

The trick is in the hind quarters, the physical conditioning, and avoiding pulling/pushing matches. The heaviness is not in the mouth. His entire front end is literally HEAVY. He has to learn to rock it back, and it’s not going to be easy for him.

Ask me next year how I’m doing. (Or come over to Life with Oden and watch our progress.)

[GoneAway]

Agreed it’s about training, and also to some extent conformation and temperament. I had a green ID mare who was a tank in the ring, but would hunt in a regular full cheek snaffle and was an absolute delight out in the field.

[RPM]

You two look wonderful together, Bogie.

Oden is a darling, Cindyg!

[Willesdon]

Just because they are very pretty, a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVR4xm3j2HQ to the final of a heavy weight class at the Horse of the Year show. The winner, Book of Kells was sixth into the ring.

[partlycloudy]

Absolutely! I am riding a full belgian right now and he has a light foamy mouth in an eggbut snaffle. Like others have said, its all about how they are ridden.

[TimelyImpulse]

[QUOTE=JSwan;7993444]
It’s about training.

I love Irish horses. Wish I had a barn full of them. They’re like Pringles. You can’t have just one.[/QUOTE]

Definitely the training- I was super fortunate to hunt JSwan’s draft cross Opie, and he was amazingly light. She really puts a super dressage foundation on her horses, and it really makes a difference out hunting. The first time I rode her Irish horse in the ring and jumped him, I couldn’t tell I wasn’t on an athletic TB-- he was just smoother and easier. ;-). I only rode him in from a hunt while she stayed back with a fallen rider, but he was also very light and responsive-- although I did break my left butt cheek while mounting from the ground. An Irish 17.2 is everyone else’s 19.2H.

When I grow up, I’m going to get me an Irish horse of my own.

[RPM]

[QUOTE=Willesdon;7995364]
Just because they are very pretty, a link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVR4xm3j2HQ to the final of a heavy weight class at the Horse of the Year show. The winner, Book of Kells was sixth into the ring.[/QUOTE]

They are magnificant!

The guy in the top hat on the bay is pretty cool too.

[zaparaquah]

I would have to agree with all that has been said. I’m currently riding a big Friesian X Percheron mare, and I’ve found that she’s incredibly light to the hand and seat. She’s more apt to get behind the bit than to pull. That said though, I think the bigger ones can be a little tougher to handle, just because there’s more horse to move around and they don’t always have the same agility as a lighter horse.

[rjr]

I have not found draft crosses to be particularly heavy in the hands, or pullers. Fjords (as a generallization) YES. Draft crosses can be anywhere in the spectrum depending on the individual. They generally respond in a more downward way to pressure, and you will rarely see them above the bit, head tossing, or overly reactive. But many of them have soft mouths and can be quite responsive to rein aids, while others can pull like a steam engine :).