I am an older lady thinking about looking for a sizeable, sensible & rideable horse. Draft cross type was suggested to me. I have experience in the(distant) past with TBs, QH, Saddlebreds but haven’t ridden in a few years (my old guy passed away).My daughters horse is available but he is not an old lady ride. Just looking for anyones personal experience with this type of cross or any that are calm in nature.
Thanks
Well, they can be either, as with any cross.
But, in my experience, they are generally pretty chill. They are also, in my experience, a little bit brutish on the ground - just unaware of their size/strength and where the person is, and slow to react to requests.
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My first question for you is, how sizable? Quarter Horses tend to be VERY sensible and rideable, and are sturdy weight carriers, though not necessarily enormously tall.
There’s a reason they’re so popular as backyard, trail and pleasure horses.
If weight carrying ability is a concern, you can find a QH or QH cross above 16 H and correctly conformed that should meet your needs.
All that said, I own a TB/Perch cross that’s 16.2, sturdy, lovely, and anyone past a beginner can ride, and an Irish Sport Horse at 16.1 that’s the same.
ISHs are popular (and therefore expensive) so another Draft cross might fit the bill better.
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Well I’ve had a few. Don’t think that they aren’t sensitive, they are as sensitive as any horse, but perhaps less “reactive” than some light horses. That means that they do “notice” things, but less likely to react negatively… they might put up with more than a light horse might. I like them better than a QH… some QH’s can be pretty reactive. A draft cross is less likely to flip when put in a high stress situation. By adding draft, you get less “fast twitch” muscle, more slow muscle. That means a lot of galloping or fast work is not going to be their forte. And that’s OK if you are looking for a horse who is not a racehorse or three day eventer, or calf roper.
Clyde crosses are fancy, but the clyde feet and feathers can be a PITA. Breed it down to 1/4 Clyde, 3/4 light horse and this is less of an issue. Belgian and Perch are much the same build… stocky. I’ve had all three of these crosses for various purposes, and liked them all. My own preference for the cross is TB, but that is my own weakness.
When the PMU farms were operational, this was an excellent source of very nice draft crosses to raise and train. I went to the sales annually, and bought a couple each year, and really liked them. PMU mares were selected for calm, quiet, agreeable dispositions and good mothering skills. The draft/TB crosses beat the imported WBs at the shows later in life. Highly amusing. I still have a broodmare (now retired) that I bought as a foal. Here is a pic of her 3/4 TB offspring in competition.
But he’s not a horse that just anyone can ride, he’s quite ODD!!! FNJ_2231|333x500
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One thing to consider about a draft cross, and being older, is that draft crosses tend to be wide, which means saddles without narrow twists, and for a lot of people as they get older, that’s really uncomfortable.
I would focus less on the breed/breeding, and more on the horse in front of you. There are sizeable QHs (what does “sizeable” mean? 15h? 16? 17?
TB x Percheron, and TB x Clydesdale, tend to make very nice crosses, and while they tend to be very even-tempered, but it’s not a given. IME these crosses don’t tend to be heavily feathered like their draft side, but more feathers than their TB side.
Good quality QHs crossed with those draft breeds also tend to be quite nice.
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Love the photo of that horse, wow!
I agree with a lot of your post - my preference is a 3/4 TB, 1/4 Draft. You tend to get both brain and bone with that cross. Explains my love for the ISH - the RID part of the cross is lighter than most American drafts so you get more of a sport horse type. Agree about the feathered breeds as well.
The PMU farms are no longer a source, but there are a couple of places I know in or near Amish country in PA that seem to get in a lot of draft crosses for resale.
However, I have been blessed in my life with some truly extraordinary QHs. I’ve only had one squirrely one who was not a beginner ride. He was lovely, but quirky. Most that I’ve know have been really solid citizens.
Beg to differ on “brutish”.
Friend is putting together a Belgian 4 Show Hitch & of the 8 horses he’s trialed, only 1 had any issue using his size.
Granted, these are all adult horses with Big Hitch experience, but at an average height of 19H, any human is puny to them & all have been most courteous on the ground.
I had the pleasure of taking the lines of one put to a cart & the power was there, but I never felt like I might be tested.
OP:
As an older rider, what about DraftX is appealing to you?
It can be a long way down if you go much above 16H.
Consider a Light Draft, like a Friesian.
A Driving friend has 2, 1 full, 1 X (w/App, IIRC) & both are also ridden by her 17yo granddaughter - in both English & Western tack.
The X can jump.
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I own a half TB, half Perch, and she is lovely. Her dam was the Percheron (nice working mare) and her TB sire was very kind (I used to trail ride him), so I’m not sure if it is the cross generally or this cross specifically. But, she’s very large - 18.2 and may continue to grow as she’s turning 6 this year. She’s bigger than either parent.
She is not a wide - she wears a MW Trilogy Verago. Great feet, but her TB sire had good feet too.
She was easy to start but a bit clumsy due to size. She does not need to learn the same thing twice, but she does test me. She’s very very very smart, but not reactive really at all. Very brave - I saw her tree a bear and her cubs.
I am probably going to breed her back TB to get a 3/4. I love her and the only thing I’d change is to make her a bit smaller.
ETA: When I started working with her at 3 she was a bully, but it took very little correct work to get her to respect my space. Also, I love this mare so much it doesn’t matter if I meet my dressage goals with her, she is here to stay!
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I think much depends on what you want today and what you’ll want even 5 years from now as well as it’s overall purpose. I used to have a couple of Clyde X TB mares. Both were out of Clyde mares by the same TB stallion. They were like night and day. Both were lovely, sweet and for me very manageable; but, I acquired the one because her ammy owner was afraid of the more sensitive nature, and at times, big reactions her ‘lighter’ built one had (both were foaled the same year). Neither of these girls were petite. Both had above average gaits but one was a much ‘fancier’ mover, more elastic and thus more difficult for her older rider to sit. I purchased the heavier of the two to be my all rounder and that she was. I had just had a baby and needed something that had a rock solid mind and demeanor, one who didn’t need an entourage. The heavier of the two continued to be an all round pleasure, trail riding, lower level dressage, beginner novice, mounted archery mount for her riders until she died in her mid-20s. She was always one who could be handled by one person, never marish or herd bound and rock solid. The other was put down in her late teens with injuries sustained after being purchased as a ‘rising dressage star’. She was not one who dealt with rehab or being stalled all day for reasons of training or rehab well. Both mares were backed and started in the same program, handle similarly for the first 8 or so years before the one being sold into the dressage home and the other being sold to a family who wanted the all rounder and had a farm with ample turnout. Being a rather petite person, I found (which is the reason I sold both) that having a mount that is size appropriate to be key for me; but, I did keep up with these two because they were both very nice mares imo and I had a special fondness for the heavier one.
So my point is that if you want a draft cross of some derivation, I think you’ll still need to ‘vet’ the mind and training of whomever/whatever you look at but that isn’t to say you can’t find the perfect individual in a draft cross package. Do your homework and be aware that some have physical issues or are prone to physical/genetic issues you may want to avoid.
There is an andalusian/perch cross for sale as a trail mount near me who my son, if he had more time, would love to purchase. The horse is being retired from his dressage career because he struggles with second level but otherwise is sound, big, well handled and has a super personality. Unfortunately, my son who is a very good rider and wants a trail mount, is just too busy with his new job to justify such a purchase right now. The point of bringing this up is that my son is just shy of 6’4" and wants a draft cross for reasons of size. He knows having grown up in a horse family where his mom focuses on dressage that there are occasionally such gems that show up or come available because their ammy owners want to move further in their dressage careers than what their steady eddie first step dressage mount can do. So we have and keep feelers out for those situations because sooner or later the timing will be right. Word of mouth uncovers the majority of these gems, many with lots of good training in place.
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Well, I think people make a lot of assumptions about part drafts that aren’t really born out in the long run.
First of all do not underestimate the impact of the width. Which may not be apparent until the horse is fully mature, and may be a terrible match for your hip joints. I mean like undoable.
Second of all, I have known many, many who end up being unsound pretty early on with ringbone of some sort. Enough that it seems like a real potential problem, And again maybe not so easy to discern in a young horse.
Finally, while they do tend to be fairly chill, once they spook and go, forget trying to stop them. There’s a lot of power in the neck. Also, Depending on what the cross is, they can be quite clunky and difficult for an amateur to get in front of the leg and subsequently balance back for an enjoyable ride.
With the advent of more Iberian breeds, aztecas, good moving quarter horses available because we have better communication on the Internet for horse shopping… all of these breeds have been bred specifically for riding. Drafts have been bred specifically for pulling. There is a difference. I’m not saying I haven’t seen nice draft crosses, I have. But I no longer seek them out for my students. There are other alternatives that I think are better. Personally I would steer away from draft crosses unless you’re a real heavy weight type human and you needed them to carry safely.
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TB/draft crosses can turn out anywhere from a heavy hunter to a plow horse. Clydesdale Percheron and Shire all give different qualities. If you are lucky you get TB athleticism with more bone and a quieter mind. But you can also get draft power and TB reactiveness and draft stubbornness. Drafts will use their size against you and your fences.
Obviously other light horse breeds will contribute different things to the mix.
If you haven’t been on a horse in a few years honestly I’d recommend some refresher riding lessons first. If you are rusty, nervous, or have lost skills, buying a horse before you are back up to speed is a recipe for disaster. I’ve seen it happen enough. The rider gets into tangkes with the horse, creates bad habits or issues, that never get solved. Even quits riding.
So I’d say go pick up some refresher lessons, and once you feel comfortable riding independently look at what’s out there. Around here we also have Halflinger and Fjord which are basically small draft horses.
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Also - to note, I’m a 6’ tall woman with a short torso and much longer legs, so it may be why I am partial to them 
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I get that they’re size might be a good fit for you. Just absolutely do not assume anything about their temperament.
And beware “Clunk-factor” and ringbone.
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Thanks so much for all of your replies. You’ve reminded me of more traits of drafts than I had thought of. Sizeable (to me) means over 16H. My daughter’s gelding is 17.2. I really just want to do ring work with occasional small jump and maybe learn some basic dressage on an animal that might be slower to react or less spooky. Time is not on my side, so thinking a draft cross, which I hadn’t even considered, was suggested.
You have all brought up some good points.
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Ringbone is nearly always either a trim issue (which is a real problem in general, and it’s worse in some areas than others), or a concussion issue (like too much work on too-hard surfaces).
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A good friend of mine bought a draft cross for her mother to ride on trails (mother is an experienced, but getting older woman). He was advertised as pretty much bombproof did not settle in that way. He turned out to be way more than her mom could handle, and the height factor turned into a falling concern. I don’t think mom rode the horse without daughter leading her. and his width was definitely not ideal for her comfort either as others have said. He also strained some tendons trail riding as well and had to be on stall rest for quite some time early on. He is a fun guy, but still gives my friend a run for her money and he is at a barn with great turnout so its not like he’s cooped up in a stall day in and day out. They had a really hard time coming to terms that he didn’t end up as advertised.
I briefly met another woman that chose a draft cross for the same reasons you’re considering and he ended up being too much for her to handle and had a bunch of medical things as well.
Personally, I rode a TBXPercheron cross for a few years and he ended up needing to be retired in his early teens to due some pretty advanced arthritis I think in all 4 legs.
With all that said, I have a fjord and find him to be a wonderful mount both size and temperament wise! He is still extra wide though!
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Given increasing years, my preferred height of horse has decreased! Being able to groom and tack up without standing on tip toes is very helpful.
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I have a TB/Clyde cross. She’s big, wide, magnificent and has a great head on her shoulders. She is quite athletic and sometimes shows it in less than desirable ways.
On the flip side, she can be stubborn and reactive. She need a light touch and to be convinced that she wants to work with you or she can say no in some very strong ways. When I first started riding her, after about 15 minutes she’d refuse to move. If you asked to move on she’d squeal, buck and then try to rub you off on a tree. We fixed that problem and she’s been my hunt horse for several years but she is not for everyone.
whatever draft cross you might find, be sure to have the purchase contingent on a negative PSSM test
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Can vouch for this! Clyde/paint I evented, who was otherwise a kick along ride, was basically unstoppable on the occasion he’d get a bug up his butt and bolt. Luckily he wasn’t particularly fast and was particularly lazy so he would keep going far because you were pretty much just along for the ride.
I worked with two different 3/4 TB 1/4 Percheron youngsters. Mare looked like a slightly course Alla Czar baby with sweeping, hunter movement. Gelding was more athletic but from shoulder forward looked almost 100% draft, giant Percheron head and had more dressage type movement.
It sounds like you can just look for a nice horse with this skillset already in place and disregard the candidates breeding!
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