Yes and no. WBs have been the focus of UL Dressage since the 90s, but not at the level I ride or most ammies, ie second level and below.
And WBs aren’t necessarily easier, some can be quite hot and challenging.
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Right, but I think in a lot of programs since the circuit is so competitive, people want their competitive ammies on WBs. I’ve described some fo my interesting challenges with regard to bringing a saddlebred to warmblood-oriented trainers above.
Yes, some WBs can definitely be quite hot and challenging. Doesn’t change the potential for breed bias or the lack of understanding (or desire or ability) to work with a spicier horse.
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I worked on a Standardbred/Warmblood/Arabian farm for a while (no, SBs were not bred to anything other than SBs) - and helped start the SB youngsters to the jog cart. The training carts had an extra seat on the left side out over the wheel. It was someone’s job to sit there holding the lunge line - the other end of which was clipped to the halter under the bridle of the horse - so that if all hell broke loose you had to jump off and act as an anchor. I kid you not. 
We also took them jogging down the country roads around the farm… SB youngsters who do not know much pacing down the road - some of them are ginormous like a moose… and you are in the cart right at their tails. Plus they are hard to see around without leaning far left or right and the ungainly pacing can make you a bit sea sick. Cue large fuel trick coming over the hill in a blind spot on that gravel road… and excitement ensues! Driving the fine harness ponies around here all these years later is far less stressful IMO. 
So glad that Honey is doing better! 
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That is really clever. Also terrifying. But clever.
My horse was started with a handler on either side and progressed to short jogs but you really have to kind of have a leap of faith from short jogs to real jogging, without that kind of cart. Lots of ASBs drive so presumably most people don’t die (and I’ve only ever seen regular jog carts, not one as you’ve described) but I would imagine most get a lot of turns with an experienced trainer before letting the apprentices or owners at them.
We didn’t get that far because I like riding, but I wanted him to at least have exposure to the cart young in case my body finally gives up the ghost as far as riding is concerned. I have heard, though I’ve no knowledge of how truthful this is, that it is easier to break a young one to the cart then try the initial exposure later.
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My Saddlebred breeder friend used to do a lot of ground driving, but told me her favorite “trick” for hitching a young horse to the cart for the first time was to do it the day after gelding.
.
Also, wrt Saddlebreds and dressage, Chuck Grant, who I believe still holds the US record for number of horses trained to GP (17), trained and showed Saddlebreds and Arabians, among other breeds.
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!!!
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Arthur Konyot also trained many Saddlebreds. In his later years he trained Arthur Godfrey’s ASB show horses.
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Really clever!
Yes - I’ve seen a lot of wonderful saddlebred dressage horses which is why I bought mine. I’m not sure where people got the impression that I didn’t think they made great dressage horses. But this thread is weird and so many statements have been attributed to me that I didn’t write.
What I had decidedly less luck with were dressage trainers.
I stuck it out because I knew that people absolutely had luck and that they could be wonderful mounts, particularly for amateurs, but I will not say that the road was easy, mostly because of people and NOT the horse.
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Glad she’s doing better!
My vets have told us that once they choke they tend to be prone to it from then on. They suggest ALWAYS soaking a choke horse’s feed, no matter how minor the episode. It’s worth asking your team if that may be a good idea - we don’t soak long, just throw a feed scoop of water into the pan a couple minutes before feeding. FWIW, older horses tend to choke easier, and horses who may need their teeth done or have outside pressures to eat fast (ie fed loose with others).
Things to think about!
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Not to derail too far, I had the, we will say experience, of having to jump out of a runaway cart in downtown Dublin. Took a pony cart from the Guinness Storehouse back to the city center and had bad Spidey-Sense the whole ride in. We get to the destination and the driver GOT OUT before we did, which at the time I was none-the-wiser how big a no no that was. I’ll tell you why if you don’t know…
Driver somehow tripped, spooked the pony, pony took off down a cobblestone street at a gallop. It was busy, a Saturday night, and as we are flying past side streets that would tip a cart if the pony decided to turn…or get crashed into by a motorist, and coming up on section scaffolding which would have made a jump impossible…and the street dumped out onto the main drag then the river.
My ex looked at me as I was taking in all the ways we were going to be killed or maimed and jumping seemed to be the best option. I ended up with a banged up knee, but it was just bad bruising thankfully.
Thankfully the pony got stopped at the end of the street before the big road getting a cart wheel stuck on a pylon and a Volkswagen on each side. I wouldn’t have dealt well seeing him get hit by a double decker bus.
My fjord was broke to drive when I got him and I did overcome my…reluctance with driving. I will say that the fjord demeanor helped with that. A lot! I have a very healthy awareness of how bad things can go driving I’ll tell you that much.
Carry on!
@AdultEmmy - I hope Honey is feeling better soon!!
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That is terrifying - I’m glad you guys (and the pony) are ok!
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Agree with the other thoughts … I would soak/wet her feed going forward. It’s easy. It works.
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This is what I have always heard about choke. After a horse chokes, there is often inflammation in the throat, and wetting and soaking food is important to avoid additional episodes.
Like you said earlier… it’s standard practice at many barns to just go ahead and wet all pelleted food, regardless of whether or not horses have choke issues, as it does potentially help prevent it. I wet all meals for the horses I keep at home for this reason.
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Yep, I’ll fourth or fifth this.
I’m a huge fan of soaking feeds, for everyone.
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Exactly. There is no down side to it. And any hydration you give to a horse is ALWAYS a win.
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Honey was fine last night but is doing it again today. We are waiting to hear from the vet. My trainer is confused because she’s not swallowing or taking anything down, but then within minutes will take water seemingly fine.
I’ll keep you posted.
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jingles for Honey.
The not swallowing sounds odd.
What is she doing? Standing outstretched coughing? Could the tubing that I imagine they did to break up the choke have damaged something so she is more than just sore-throated? Is she sort of playing with her back teeth with her tongue? Or just taking food in her mouth and holding it?
They didn’t tube her yesterday. She got past it on her own and was eating and drinking normally every time they checked on her.
I’m not sure exactly what she is doing. I’m told she’s just reluctant to eat/drink and has a bit of a light cough. Yesterday my trainer noticed bubbles at her mouth, which is what prompted her to call me. But I’m not sure if she’s stretching. Vet will be out in a bit and we will tube her. Maybe I’ll need to have her scoped. I’m not sure.
Trainer says she’s not stressed out or anything, seems otherwise normal, but that this is weird. And knowing honey, not eating is very concerning to me.
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Oh but yes, apparently she’ll put food in her mouth and then drop it.
Sorry I do this on my phone so I can’t always look up to see questions if I forgot them.
You did say that, I’m sorry - brain dead! 
That doesn’t sound like a normal episode of choke to me. YMMV, but every choking horse that I’ve had (not a huge sample size, but more than one in my lifetime before I started soaking everyone) seems very distressed and coughing a lot, kind of stretching out their neck like they can’t get the lump through. You can usually feel a lump in the neck where the feed has gotten stuck. It’s not that they are reluctant to eat, it’s more like something is stuck and you need to fix it right now.
I’m trying to think if I ever experienced bubbles. Maybe twice - once when a vet over-sedated an elderly horse and his heavy breathing and drooling created bubbles, and once when the horses got into some clover but they didn’t seem to care about it, just created some drooling and bubbles.
The chokers had goop because they had feed in their mouths, and the blockage and coughing kind of created goop rather than anything I would describe as bubbles. And feed coming out of the nose. But maybe that’s just a description difference.
This is definitely what horses I have known who are having pain will do. Chokers don’t usually (again, not all chokers, just the ones in my experience) show any interest in food at all because they are so distressed, but I have had horses who are colicking do that.
And no worries - it is SO hard to respond on the phone
