Sakura,
I came to the Irish Draught from arabians. My one “leftover” horse is my purebred arabian gelding I’ve had since his birth. I love a good working arabian, and I think your mares are excellent examples of the breed. The RIDxarabians I’ve seen tend to be coarse and thick, with little arabian refinement. I feel the IDSHxarabian would be more the end result you are trying to achieve. I highly recommend Clover Cliste (gortmore’s stallion) to you to look at for your mares. I have met him in person, and loved everything he had to offer. If you are solidly committed to the RID cross, look for a smaller, more refined stallion…like Harkaway Lionhawk or Winmauer Sargent Pepper.
Regarding Macha Breeze…
When I purchased Mac, I was told horror stories about how difficult he was to handle, and how awful his temperament was. I was even called by someone just to warn me about his temperament, someone who still has not met him in person, days before I was to go meet him…although how they found out I was intending to look at him was beyond me.
When I arrived to see him, I saw a lonely horse, one who was starved for a loving touch and basic attention. For the better part of 3 years, he had had his basic needs attended to, but never any love. The other stallion always got to be in a stall at night, handled daily, be worked, go to shows. Never Mac. In all fairness, it’s because of the messy divorce, and the fact that Mac was the wife’s and he was at the husband’s place where the wife wasn’t allowed to be. But the fact remains that he was emotionally neglected when I saw him.
The day I met him, he had a 2’ long mane that was nothing but dreadlocks, his tail was one solid dredlock, and the dirt was at least an inch thick on his skin. The husband nor his trainer would handle the horse for me that day, so another handler was hired by the wife. He seemed so happy to finally be getting some attention, and shoved his head into the halter to leave his paddock. He went to the barn attached to a human in a golfcart, following the golfcart like a champ, never looking around, just focusing on his job.
He handled everything we threw at him that day with dignity and grace. Lunging, flexing, vet exams, everything. He never put a foot wrong, laid his ears back, or showed anything then sheer joy at having attention paid to him.
The day we hauled him home, the clip on the trailer tie broke while in transit. When we stopped for gas, and I opened the door to give him a quick drink. I was suprised to see his head out the back door of the trailer. He thought it was time to exit, so he hopped off before I realized his intent, looked around at all the cars at the busy station, and loaded himself back on the trailer. He knew it wasn’t right, so he corrected it himself. No muss, no fuss, just went about his business.
He was like that for me every day I owned him. He knew he was loved.
I could tell you countless stories how this “bad” stallion loved my family in return.
There was one time I was schooling him in a paddock at our house, and unknown to me, my daughter (3 at the time) ran out to watch. Just as we were galloping by her, she stuck her head and half her body through the fence. I didn’t realize what was going on until Mac slid to a halt, just about dumping me in the process. He nuzzled her head as I re-arranged myself in the saddle and told her to go back inside the house.
He always loved to give my daughter “pony” rides, and loved to get full head hugs and kisses from her. He would lower his head to her height to recieve them. He taught my 12 year old nephew how to ride this past summer. Search youtube for Macha Breeze and Tony to see the video. Big bad stallion indeed. 
I think the best part was seeing him learn how to collect like a gentleman, and that getting in the trailer was not just for breeding. He had never been taught proper manners by his collection handlers, they allowed him to do whatever HE wanted and they allowed him to bully, push, and use his weight to achieve what he wanted to do. It took him being pulled away from the dummy twice to get what he was supposed to act like. After that, he was always a gentleman, and collected with female handlers with just a chain over his nose.
From the beginning, I never had to do more then growl at him to correct his behavior. Within the first few months of owning him, he knew my rules, and didn’t mind following them. He knew I’d be fair and just in my punishment of his incorrect actions, and would go on loving him after the moment passed.
The best compliment I ever received was at a show. I was hosing Mac down in the wash rack after XC, and a lady and her mare came and tied up right in front of him. The lady was talking to her mare, saying things like “You hussy, couldn’t you wait a week to come into heat? You were awful out there today.” The mare squatted and peed right in his face, and he never even acknowledged her. The lady said to me as we were leaving “what a well mannered gelding” and looked like her eyes would bug out of her head when I corrected her.
In my opinion, his temperament speaks for it’s self. To have the worst of starts, through improper handling and training, then to be emotionally neglected for years, and to come out the most loving, trusting, “got your back” horse I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Selling him was not a decision I made lightly. I miss him greatly.
As for his foals, I’ve seen photos of most of the 23 he currently has on the ground. I’ve met 8 in person. I bred one myself. I don’t agree with the generalizations of Coppers mom, but everyone is entitled to thier opinions. Thank God we live in America where we are free to express these opinions in a public forum like COTH.
I’m also not looking for a prelim and up horse like Coppers mom seems to be wanting. I’m looking for a family member who will pack my ammy butt around and keep me safe while I’m doing it. One who will live in my backyard and enjoy doing whatever I throw at them…from trail riding, to herding the neighbors cows back to thier pastures when they escape, to keeping me safe on the cross country course. All of Mac’s babies I’ve met have the temperament to do that and beyond.
