[QUOTE=Donella;3129830]
Next lesson in logic would be to ask the question “why”. Most likely it is not that draft horse dressage riders are inherently uninterested in going further with their horse, or that they are somehow way different from other dressage riders. The likely explanation is that the horse is not capable of doing what is requested at a certain piont…[/QUOTE]
I disagree, I think that is precisely what it is.
LOL, she mentioned this morning that Ollie has a thing for her. Smokey is a total idiot in love with her, but she’s never given him a second look.
I think she has the hots for one of those Lusi studs :winkgrin:.
I never got to meet Savel. I wish I had, she sounds wonderful.
And that not many people are out shopping for drafty dressage prospects! When good riders/breeders get interested and get involved, good dressage horses do turn up.
A quick look at http://www.forresthillfarm.com/page3.html will show you several!
She was gorgeous. One of my most favorite horses every, owned by two of my most favorite people ever. :yes:
[QUOTE=canyonoak;3126783]
<<I’ve seen a girl riding a Shire that is a pinto, everyone says he is a gypsy cob but I asked and he is fully papered.>>
A fully papered Shire??? I have always thought the only allowed colors are black, bay, brown,gray, with roan permissible but not preferred.
Just wondering…[/QUOTE]
probably one who exhibits the sabino gene- common in shires and clydes…
Ok…look, I am not trying to disaude anyone from buying and riding the horse they like. I ride a friesian OK. I breed Hanoverians and I ride a friesian…you don’t have to lecture me about wanting to ride a horse because you really like that breed ect. But I am also away of her conformation and therefor her probable limitations.
The OP asked for opinions on drafts as dressage horses. I took that to mean competative dressage. I gave my opinion and my reasoning for it. I am not saying she shouldnt buy it…I just gave my opinion on what she asked. Thats it…
Ok…look, I am not trying to disaude anyone from buying and riding the horse they like. I ride a friesian OK. I breed Hanoverians and I ride a friesian…you don’t have to lecture me about wanting to ride a horse because you really like that breed ect. But I am also aware of her conformation and therefor her probable limitations.
The OP asked for opinions on drafts as dressage horses. I took that to mean competative dressage. I gave my opinion and my reasoning for it. I am not saying she shouldnt buy it…I just gave my opinion on what she asked. Thats it…
Okay, all the people who doubt that draft crosses can and have made it to FEI need to pay closer attention - I ride one and know of at least 2 others who also compete respectably at FEI at recognized shows. My horse is a Perch cross, one is a Belgium cross and the other is a Hackney cross. All showed PSG/ I1 last year and are schooling Grand Prix (ie. can do a CLEAR and good quality piaffe and passage, and can do ones.)
Both riders of the other horses are friends of mine, so I happen to know that neither one of them has had any soundness issues with their horses (and the Belgium cross is not exactly light!) I know this is purely anecdotal evidence, but it seems like that is all any of us are going on!
Do any of us think that we are going to the Olympics on our crosses? No. However, I don’t think any of us have the funds to buy a sufficiently talented youngster that would be a more definite contender. Plus, we love OUR horses. We all manage to do quite well against some pretty stiff competition - we don’t win much, but there’s a whole lot of warmbloods who don’t either. I will continue to argue that the reason why you don’t see more draft crosses at FEI is because they are mostly bought by amateurs who won’t make it to the upper levels themselves.
P.S. Prospect - if your draft cross is schooling 4th level (which would mean that he is very comfortable with 3rd level work and is maybe playing with the tempis and schooling pirouettes) then you are just one step away from PSG! So come on out and join our ranks so I will have more ammunition in this argument! lol
Can we not all sum this up with the following statement:
IF you can find a draft cross with the right conformation and IF he displays talent for dressage, THEN you could POSSIBLY school him to upper levels.
Same goes for ANY breed, really.
This argument is going nowhere fast.
Eileen
As the original OP, I didn’t realize what a can of worms I had opened. I’m new to dressage but have educated myself with the training scale, reiner klimke tapes and the like. If I can figure out how to download a dvd to internet ,you will all see the clinic this shire had with Steffen Peters asst. He was as round and forward as anything else I have seen here for a horse at his age. The trainer didn’t seem to have to use alot of driving aids to get him there. Sure, the canter wasn’t optimum but from what I understand, he had only cantered in his whole life, mounted or not , for 2 mos. I think he may not be a typical draft? Like I said, I’m new to Dressage, and easily impressed I’m sure. Don’t need to go to the Big O. (olympics for you dirty minds). Just have fun and progress on a solid citizen who won’t totally embarass me. From what I hear, the owner is fighting off offers right and left.
Oh, he sounds cute! I think you should get him so we can see pictures 
[B]Can we not all sum this up with the following statement:
IF you can find a draft cross with the right conformation and IF he displays talent for dressage, THEN you could POSSIBLY school him to upper levels.
Same goes for ANY breed, really.
This argument is going nowhere fast[/B]
Agreed,
and to the OP…I would love to see pics of him, he sounds cool.
[QUOTE=frisbee;3129945]
P.S. Prospect - if your draft cross is schooling 4th level (which would mean that he is very comfortable with 3rd level work and is maybe playing with the tempis and schooling pirouettes) then you are just one step away from PSG! So come on out and join our ranks so I will have more ammunition in this argument! lol[/QUOTE]
oh we are working on it - got my gold membership, joined dressage canada and am thinking of converting from eventing to dressage - plan to show a couple nationals this year with my coach - palgrave, cne and we will see - I have to slip them in between the kid’s events.
He really loves the dressage so we will see you around.:winkgrin:
[QUOTE=Equibrit;3129758]
I do not need to PROVE a point if I am expressing an opinion. Just trying to make it a little easier for you 40 watters![/QUOTE]
oh, i thought there should be some point and clarity to an opinion. guess i was wrong! :lol:
edited to add: and obviously it wasn’t easier for us “40 watters,” because your statement still didn’t make sense and really had no relevance to the thread because it pertained to every horse, not just draft horses. that’s the POINT i was trying to make.
color me confused - what is a 40 watter - never heard that before.
A not-very-brightly-burning lightbulb.
oh - I thought is was referring to something else - silly me - and this coming from the wife of an electrician - he will have a good laugh over that one.
Should we take it as an insult or look where it is coming from.
I don’t know, did you figure out yet that you are harming your drafts and draft crosses by riding dressage? I haven’t, so I guess I am weakly lit :lol:.
[QUOTE=Ambrey;3131662]
I don’t know, did you figure out yet that you are harming your drafts and draft crosses by riding dressage? I haven’t, so I guess I am weakly lit :lol:.[/QUOTE]
Well, I guess my gelding and mare must be weakly lit too because they love what they are doing. They are so happy when I ride them - they come when called to go riding, my gelding gets mad when I ride someone else and they both absolutely love their job - maybe then have a serious addiction?
I defy anyone to say we are harming our horses - we take great pains - not to mention expense - to ensure that our training is done properly with professional trainers, they have a great diet, a wonderful home and that they enjoy what they are doing. Since we have had horses doing dressage and eventing not one has come up lame. We had a hano that pulled a suspensory after 1/2 a year of work and she was 8 yrs old.
We are well aware that these guys mature later and that collection work and jumping needs to be introduced later than with lighter breeds. We have a nutritionist that has developed a diet for them that takes into account their breeding, their workload and their feeding requirements.
Not that you need to do all above by any means, but to tell me I am harming my horse by doing dressage when he looks as good as he does, works as well as he does and is as happy as he is just gets my goat.
Probably not a shire. Sounds like some crossbred. He might be registered with some other sporthorse or spotted horse association, but he’s not a reg SHIRE. Shires don’t have pinto spots.
Can a shire do upper level? He looks really fancy and is small for his breed. I hear he is for sale and am really intrigued. He moves better than a lot of Freisians at my barn.
But he’s not a Shire.
