Ditto for the Barbs (which I have and intend to use for endurance). It’s almost impossible to buy a trained one, but if you’re up to gentling and training from the ground up, they’re fantastic endurance athletes with a high porportion of slow-twitch muscles, lots of bone, deep heartgirth, good feet, short backs, and light build for heat dispersion.
[QUOTE=Louise;2740106]
This is a timely question because we just listed a filly that I was wondering about.
http://fltrainerlist.proboards104.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1192373331
In addition to all the qualities listed, the trainer happened to say that this girl wasn’t all that fast, but that she could go forever. We were thinking jumper or three day, but she is kind of small.
Would a horse like this be something that an endurance rider might be interested in?[/QUOTE]
I am just a wanna be endurance rider as well, but I love that fillies build and look, if only because she could be Banjo’s twin sister, and a grand daughter of Mr.Prospector, as is Banjo…AND she has vaguely Noble in the dams line…just like Banjo…
(If this is her) http://www.pedigreequery.com/even+numbers2
Blew me away when I saw her pedigree…
Banjo can go 15 miles without turning a hair after pasture loafing for a month. It took us 3 hours, but we mostly walked…some trotting, and actually I spent a good amount of time hanging out at the store we rode up to.
I would take this mare in a heartbeat for an endurance prospect…
I will see if I can find some old pics of Banjo so you can see what I mean…
That pedigree is, indeed, hers. I liked it also, especially how close up Mr. Prospector was.
Another thing I noticed is that she is by the same sire (Numerous) that another horse I am familiar with is. Le Numerous is one of the two grand older geldings who retired from the track at 9 or 10 (my memory isn’t the best) this spring with winnings of several hundred thousand dollars, earned the hard way. He was bought by fellow COTHers, donated to FLTAP, and is now in an adoption facility in Nevada, being evaluated for adoption. I know it’s a different sport altogether, but, tough is tough.
TBs can be FANTASTIC at endurance. Mine just did almost three days at yellowhammer. LDs yes, but still, pretty tough country for a flatlander.
When he vets in, they describe him as a freak, as his numbers are so low, even when tired. He would have completed all three days, but his mom let him come in on the first loop of the last day too fast, without his back shoe, and he ended up with a leg cramp that got us pulled. 
Bad, bad rider. He had done so well up to that point.
My training partner’s QH is quite good at LD, but has a terrible time dissapating heat. In fact, he did the first 20 mile loop the first day at YH, but the humidity was too much for him and he took too long to cool down. The vets pronounced him quite fit, and all his signs looked good, he was just too hot. <sigh>
Even my big OTTB has heart rates and cooldown numbers similar to arabians, but he has track jewelry that makes people think twice about trying a horse like that.
My thinking is that he raced on legs like that and with little care, and if he stayed pretty much sound racing, I’m not going to do much to hurt him.
Would I take him to Yellowhammer or to Leatherwood? No. Ground is too uneven, and I’d worry about his ankles. Would I do many of our rides in the SE with good footing – you betcha.
The little NZ guy did great, even on the tough trails at YH – if he’d had a better pilot, we’d have a pioneer award. <sigh. Double sigh> Dumb, dumb, dumb.
I think mostly you see Arabs because that is mostly what you see, if that makes sense. You do take more of a risk with a nontraditional breed, but there is no reason you can’t do the sport with them.
Libby (who has the OTTBs, and a Shagya-hungarian to compete, but no arabian)
[QUOTE=kerri-jo;2741643]
I would also suggest old mustang lines (the warrior horse lines, may be difficult to determine fibre typing of each specific animal) and of course Akhal-Tekes (really cool warrior horses that couldn’t be matched for distance and speed, but expensive and current endurance lines are not yet proven).
then you could always try an Arasier (Arabian x Akhal-Teke)!!![/QUOTE]
Kerri-Jo – thanks for bringing the Akhal-Teke/Arab crosses. Alot of people who know them think they are actually better than the PBs of either breed (if they come out right). One of the USA’s former top endurance rider, Susie Morrill, in Oregon has a breeding program going crossing Arabs & Tekes.
I’ve used my cremello Teke stallion, KINOR on quite a few Arabs as well – you can see some of the results at:
http://community.webshots.com/user/katoneal100
The Teke often adds height and leaness to the Arab and smooths out the trot (Tekes have an unbelievably smooth trot!). Arabs shorten the back and pretty up the head.
I also bred a TB/Teke who has an AMAZING trot – when she is headed home (being ridden by her owner) my Polish Arab, who is no slouch in the trot dept., can’t keep up with her unless she canters! Unfortunatly, she doesn’t have the best feet in the world, but they hold together. I leased this mare back for a year, then bred her to KINOR. The result was “Kadima” who you can see on the Webshots page. She was a yearling in that photo. She was sold last year.
And, although many Arabs & Tekes are hot (as are many TBs) in the case of 90% of the crosses I’ve bred or known, they are amazingly calm & cool-head.
BTW, the first Teke finished the Tevis this year!
As I’ve most likely stated before, I don’t ‘rabidly’ think that Arabs are the only breed.
They are the tried and proven breed for endurance. (This is a totally different statement)
I don’t believe Arabs are used because they are simply a dime a dozen. Price out a top end endurance horse with a solid national or international record some time.
They aren’t as cheap as you’d think. endurance at it’s higher levels is an expensive sport, or it can be, all depending on your season and your pocketbook.
I don’t think it means that other breeds can’t do well, I think above and beyond it’s breed-- it is like any other horse discipline, you need the right horse. Athletic, sound of mind and body, etc.
and we all tend to experience different levels of the sport. Top ten contenders, they invariably ride an arab or arab cross, do they all ride such? - no. But all their horses do have alot in common regardless of breed.
Excellent conformation and build for the sport they are in. And if they don’t-- well they won’t last long anyhow as a rule.
I personally prefer crossbred arabs for endurance, rather then purebred. However that is just my personal preference.
[QUOTE=Louise;2742581]
That pedigree is, indeed, hers. I liked it also, especially how close up Mr. Prospector was.
.[/QUOTE]
Here is Banjo’s pedigree…
http://www.pedigreequery.com/lionardo2
He is small as well…15.1
I’m gonna try it with my 16hh OTTB. I don’t care about the top ten, though. I’m looking to complete with a sound, happy horse. His feet are questionable for the sport, but I’ve got them pretty healthy, and we’ll just have to see.
My neighbor has a 4yo Arabian mare for sale, and she looks perfect for endurance. If I were really serious about the sport, I’d buy her. I’m in it for the enjoyment, and like somebody already said, I have a horse I love and want to see whether he likes the sport I also love.
For those of us who have had the pleasure to ride an Arabian or an Arabian cross at a competetive ride, there is no comparison. I took a little Arabian on a 30 mile ride. She’s not fast, but she was less strenuous to ride than my OTTB and was very smart about her footing and saving her energy going up hills. With more conditioning, she’d get faster. We took it easy because she was barely conditioned for the distance and I didn’t want to hurt her.
It’s not just the build that makes a good distance horse. The brains count, too. If the horse doesn’t have the brains, lets hope his rider does!
[QUOTE=Louise;2742581]
That pedigree is, indeed, hers. I liked it also, especially how close up Mr. Prospector was.
Another thing I noticed is that she is by the same sire (Numerous) that another horse I am familiar with is. Le Numerous is one of the two grand older geldings who retired from the track at 9 or 10 (my memory isn’t the best) this spring with winnings of several hundred thousand dollars, earned the hard way. He was bought by fellow COTHers, donated to FLTAP, and is now in an adoption facility in Nevada, being evaluated for adoption. I know it’s a different sport altogether, but, tough is tough.[/QUOTE]
Here is a pic of Banjo right off the van as 3 year old . I thought they sent me a skinny yearling.
Kysteke, I have sent you a pm…
thanks!
A friend of mine rode a 16.2 QH/draft cross and he’s a BIG guy (horse and rider). He was competitive at 25 and 50’s and I think 75’s but it was hard work to keep the horse fit and as someone said
For the chunky built horses it really is heat that is the enemy.
The heat really was an issue.
If you just want to do it to ride your own ride and not win or TT or BC then pretty much any horse, if sound and worked and conditioned right can do 25 and 50’s, maybe even 75’s. I think 100’s time would be your enemy and at that level the horse has to have the ‘heart’ to be an endurance horse JMHO
