For the last two mornings I’ve been watching Horse and Country TV (filmed in the UK) on RFDTV. They have had a heavy hunter class on both mornings. The horses are lovely, heavier and quite tall. They don’t look like the WB’s I’ve seen in “regular” jumping or in dressage. I’m just curious what breeds they are?
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For the last two mornings I’ve been watching Horse and Country TV (filmed in the UK) on RFDTV. They have had a heavy hunter class on both mornings. The horses are lovely, heavier and quite tall. They don’t look like the WB’s I’ve seen in “regular” jumping or in dressage. I’m just curious what breeds they are?[/QUOTE]
LOVE THAT!! I tivo it all the time and it’s a blast to watch. We should have divisions like that here :yes:
From http://www.theshowring.co.uk/hunters.php
“The true heavyweight show hunter capable of carrying over 14 stone is a rare commodity today. The quality heavyweight show hunter is the monarch of the ring and the envy of everyone. His trot is not as spectacular as that of the lightweight or middleweight, but is still long and low with little or no knee action. The true heavyweight need not be more than 17hh but should have 9 or 10 inches of bone. Where the blood heavyweight comes into his own is in the gallop. Here he leaves his common brothers floundering behind him.”
I have heard the commentator mention cleveland bays quite often, irish draught(UK)/tb and shire/tb crosses are also popular as well in that division 
Interesting. So its not necessarily a breed, or a preference for a breed, but a type?
If you want to see one in work ask Thomas_1.
I’ve got a heavy hunter. I won’t be hunting him though.
He’s huge. Powerful. Smooth. Will carry weight. Would be laughed out of the show ring and some hunt clubs in the US.
But I’ll tell you plain - when that horse gets going you better hang on. He’ll go over, under or through.
He’s a very sweet and gentle horse but he looks like a medieval war horse.
Sigh… he’d make one hell of a hunt horse. For someone else.
(I’ve seen the same shows and LOVE the heavy hunters!!!)
They are usually “Bitsas” !
David Tatlow’s site; http://www.davidtatlow.com/
More info; http://www.theshowring.co.uk/hunters.php
The horses are ridden by a judge when shown.
They are the horses that started the whole breeding for sport thing in Europe. In the late 1800’s all the rich thrusters wanted horses they could use to hunt and all that was available at that time was the TBs, Natives, or the heavy working horses. The whole thing started in 1884 with the Hunter Improvement Society, which has morphed, over the years, into Sport Horse GB. Bunches of these types were exported to Europe to help in establishing warmbloods. Very early on the HIS had Stallion viewing days, which gave breeders access to the best TB lines through the National stud, which they could cross on their mares. They were also called up for use in wars. They just weren’t called “warmbloods”, nor were the “marketed”.
Just had to laugh at JSWAN’s description of her heavy weight hunter.
I have 3 of those and for a 17 stone guy they are KEEPERS.
Each one would hunt 3 days a week if asked.
And I have NO intention of even going near a show ring with’em and I don’t care.
They come in with the hounds and I love 'em.
Ok - now you are making me cry about selling this horse. I’ve had him since he was a yearling and I think he’s da bomb.
Unfortunately - my days of starting green horses is over. I would love to hunt this horse.
I tell you what - if I said heads up the field would part like the Red Sea when I came through. :D:lol::lol: If my truck ever got stuck I could just hitch him up and pull out the whole rig, you could plant saplings in the divots he leaves behind…
OK, so where is this wonder beast??
How old, how big, how much??
John
Let’s hear it for Clevies!
I have a CB/TB mare who looked more TB until she turned 6. Now she has developed the CB “look”. I have a Perch/CB/TB who is a big girl, not tall, just big. :eek: She has the CB “look” from her withers up, definitely Perch behind!
Lots of CBs and CBx’s in the hunt field, mainly in the VA/MD/PA areas.
My CB/TB mare, whom I have not hunted-yet- ( I need to be legged up as much as she does :lol:) but awhile ago she was separated by a 3’6 gate from her BFF, so she galloped down the hill, cleared it, and found Dutchie. NATURALLY, DH saw it and I didn’t.
CB stallions are definitely the heavy hunter type for the most part.
My CB/TB mare is out of Forest Fellow in BC, and we have friends who stand Treygoyd Journeyman in Round Hill.
Big Mo
We just bought a big guy like this! Mrs. Hotspur has been craving a field hunter and got a line on a wonderful horse out in MD. After a good round of phone calls and email exchanges, she got up a 4:30am a couple of Sundays ago and drove to MD to buy him.
She spent 3 days there with a ride each day and he’s here with us now. Mojo is a 7 yr. old grey gelding, 1/2 Irish Draft, 1/4 TB, 1/4 Percheron. He’s 17.2 and is a very, very big guy who has hunted the past 2 seasons with Potomac, is schooling 2nd. level dressage, and has shown a little.
We’ve just had him a week and he is wonderful. He will hunt tomorrow with Metamora and we expect this to be the start of something great.
from my booklearning days, the heavy hunter is a type, and from what I recall a mix of Cleveland Bays, Irish Draughts and TB, not exactly in this combination…
Like the prized Eventers, 7/8th TB, 1/8th Irish Draught…
Hunted my 16.3 CB/TB cross his first full season this year…well, at least til the snow finished off the season. At 16.3, 1550 lbs with 10" bone, he is definitely a ‘heavy hunter’. But he’s also clever, quiet and can go all day. I thought I might sell him but my husband forbid it – he says he is my life insurance policy out hunting. That Cleveland Bay/TB cross gives you an athletic, handsome horse bred to hunt.
heres a lovely one by Skippy
Heres a fantastic one he is by Skippy an ID
http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/#!/photo.php?pid=30476041&id=1226653575
when I see him I goes :eek: cuz hes sooo beautiful.
[QUOTE=leslie645;4768997]
Heres a fantastic one he is by Skippy an ID
http://www.facebook.com/find-friends/#!/photo.php?pid=30476041&id=1226653575
when I see him I goes :eek: cuz hes sooo beautiful.[/QUOTE]
WOW, that is some horse. I want one.
I, too hunt a Cleveland Bay/TB cross and you can see pics of him carrying hounds across the river on the Bull Run Hunt website in Chris Allen’s photos from this year’s Huntsmen’s Hunt. Can’t beat this cross for hunting, and the super-eventer Mazetto is the ultimate example of what you get when you tip the percentages toward the Thoroughbred.
I would think the ultimate “heavy hunter” might be the purebred Cleveland Bay.
LOL beanie&boomer,
I was trying to figure out how to post your pics!
Love them!
Carol, Contention (CB/TB) and Lilly (Perch/CB/?)
PS-Do you know the CBx on Dunkalk Sport Horse’s site? As in who is she/he out of? Just curious.
Irish Draughts
People get confused because someone has a very nice draft cross that might look like an Irish Draught…and they felt very lucky to find the right horses for the job of heavy weight hunter…but they are a minority of all the heavy draft cosses. Irish Draughts are not Irish drafts. The Irish Draught is a breed not a type like Irish Hunters. You can find heavy draft crosses who LOOK like a good Irish Draught and who train and work like an Irish Draught. Where you usually find the difference is endurance, fast footedness, and soundness, the ability to gallop and jump with the “5th leg” to keep you safe jumping in all terrain. If you find that in any horse that is what you need but the Irish Draught has been selected for the traits of a good field hunter.
A masters horse
http://www.breezyhollow.com/html/dandelion.html
another Masters horse http://www.irishdraught.com/horses/profile.php?unid=3322
http://www.horsequest.co.uk/2/horses-for-sale/5/cobs/166/cobs-show-cobs
Many legends in heavyweight show cobs are purebred Irish Draughts as the size range for Irish Draughts comes in at the top limit for show cobs and now the new maxi-cobs too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVR4xm3j2HQ
Many Irish Draught and crosses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aaenw-YT8GA&feature=related
Looks like a Cleveland Bay could be a Draught.
Several Irish Draughts of heavyweight type in Ireland
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/horses/1227279
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/horses/1147933
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/horses/1222451
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/horses/888574
And no they are not that expensive especially in this financial climate, many very nice adult as out there looking for jobs. PatO
the excavator
pictured in my profile Lucas is “over the bridge” now
Lucas was a TWHxCLYDE cross with an enormous trot and an extra gear or two.
about ten years of hunting and never lost a shoe
feet that would accomodate nails just a size or two down from rail spikes.
like many he would pull hard through the first run.
I still seem immune to lower back pain issues [after the first season]
but if you were galloping along behind him you needed to be close or way back
the 5 pound dirt clods he put in the air gave him the nick name
his replacement on the right
http://www.pbase.com/lesliegra/image/103789742
weight tapes are too short
Our is out of Canada by truck.
Not as fancy as these others, but she does the job pretty well.
I’m looking for exactly this sort of horse, maybe an older guy looking to step down. I love the personality, hunted several on multiple visits to Ireland and GB. We’ve been in the market for a second horse for me to play with when I need a break from my green beans and for the husband to walk on the trails with. sigh
It seems they are always soooooo well loved.
