I’m obsessed with good legs and hooves. So many of the saddlebreds I see have great legs and hooves, but the rest of their conformation is so…different… that I wonder how they would go in the hunt field. Surely they were used for generations for that purpose in the past?
Anybody riding one for hunting?
A friend of mine has one. He’s a hunting/jumping machine. His favorite thing in the WORLD is hunting.
We have several Arabs in our field too. 
A good chunk of the lesson horses at the farm where I grew up were retired ASB show horses. They were used for hunt seat lessons, and were all great jumpers. they stayed sound well into old age & were great for galloping on the trail & jumping over stone walls, etc.
I can’t speak for fox hunting, but imagine they would be great. We went on pretend hunts (gallop over the country side & then look for a stuffed fox.) it was all good
I hunted a saddlebred. Great hooves, legs and lungs. And NEVER wanted to touch a rail when jumping.
I sure miss him.
Jean Mutrux hunts a Saddlebred with Bridlespur. She is lovely. I had a Saddlebred before I got into hunting but I would not have hesitated to try him in the field if I still had him.
I have a soft spot for a nice Georgian Grande, too.
[QUOTE=jawa;7226576]
I hunted a saddlebred. Great hooves, legs and lungs. And NEVER wanted to touch a rail when jumping.
I sure miss him.[/QUOTE]
Pictures?!
Tom Neese who hunts with the Bridlespur Hunt Club in Missouri has hunted Saddlebreds and currently hunts a Dutch Harness Horse. I’ll ask him to come here and comment.
I’ve hunted two Saddlebreds, both mares, and evented one of them .Loved them both- great jumpers, wonderful dispositions, easy to control and very game. I’m presently hunting an imported KWPN Tuigpaard mare(Dutch harness Horse) who was a Reserve Natl Champion harness mare in the Netherlands and who my wife showed to 2012 United States Hunter Jumper Assoc Zone 7 High Adult Horse Of The Year. Wish I knew how to post photos here.
Tom N
Susie Santana ASB
http://https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=141926925706&set=a.10150277456135707.520759.660025706&type=3&theater
Kings Lady In Black ASBhttp://https://www.facebook.com/tmneese/media_set?set=a.10150277456135707.520759.660025706&type=3
The Safecracker ASB/Arab cross
OH, should have also mentioned since you’re into tough feet- hunted an ASB/Arab cross and an ASB/DHH/Arab cross both hunted barefoot over rocky terrain
Tom N
A little photo linking help for Tom
Kings Lady In Black, Saddlebred
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/2655_141926925706_5698825_n.jpg
Susie Santana, Saddlebred
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/2661_151008930706_7799872_n.jpg
The Safecracker, Arabian/Saddlebred
http://youtu.be/GJQgti-574I
Dutch Devine, Arabian/Saddlebred/Dutch Harness Horse
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/163399_10150366157160707_4307506_n.jpg
http://youtu.be/KVxI-gFHuqY
Ugone, Dutch Harness Horse
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1383207_10151812508797949_1942076369_n.jpg
http://youtu.be/DOgylxc8Tjg
http://youtu.be/gQLkDv4UjQQ
Hopefully those links work for everyone! Let me know if they don’t.
Thank you, those are interesting to see. It also begs the question, probably not here, why Saddlebreds are not used more in eventing? Seem to have a really good attitude.
Fashion. And when people look at show saddlebreds and how they move and react, the impression is very far from a hunt horse.
This is a video from the ASHA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I1I51sn9s3A
[QUOTE=vineyridge;7227627]
Fashion. And when people look at show saddlebreds and how they move and react, the impression is very far from a hunt horse.[/QUOTE]
I’m gonna start calling them Confederate Sport Horses or Kentucky Warmbloods so they’ll be more accepted
No Saddlebreds in my hunt but I routinely trail ride with two friends and their Saddlebreds. They are terrific geldings. One of them will chase/herd cattle as well as any Foundation Quarter horse.
As a sidenote back in the early 80’s I visited with Jan Dickenson at her farm next to a barn where I was riding in Virginia. She was retired-career military, wrote a book or two and an avid fox hunter at an earlier time. At this point in her life she was investing herself in the dressage world but could not afford to import a Warmblood from Europe. Her solution, she used Saddlebreds that suited the way of going she needed. They had the neck set, strong shoulders, short back and athleticism she wanted without the price tag. I thought that was very cool.
So, I’ve heard that saddlebreds could be very iffy in their jumping ability (and possibly dangerous) due to their gaitedness and thus, the potential for their legs to get “tangled” in the jumping process, especially in XC or trapping foxhunting country.
Thoughts?
Not all SB are gaited. Also they are 5 gaited, so also trot and canter.
I’ll see if I can post photos in a bit.
Yep, Saddlebreds are (ideally) NOT naturally gaited and are actually trained to do the two extra gaits (slow gait and rack). We want a BIG, booming trot and too much lateralness tends to ruin their ability to separate gaits and keep the big square trot. So, technically, calling them a ‘gaited’ horse is a bit of a mis-nomer…they come out of the mare doing W/T/C like most other horses.
Many are very athletic jumpers…but always look at the individual horse.
Stonewall’s Little General. Champion showjumber and Puissance horse. Here pictured jumping a wall over 6ft tall.
[QUOTE=Renae;7227302]
A little photo linking help for Tom
Kings Lady In Black, Saddlebred
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/2655_141926925706_5698825_n.jpg
Susie Santana, Saddlebred
https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/2661_151008930706_7799872_n.jpg
The Safecracker, Arabian/Saddlebred
http://youtu.be/GJQgti-574I
Dutch Devine, Arabian/Saddlebred/Dutch Harness Horse
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/163399_10150366157160707_4307506_n.jpg
http://youtu.be/KVxI-gFHuqY
Ugone, Dutch Harness Horse
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/q71/s720x720/1383207_10151812508797949_1942076369_n.jpg
http://youtu.be/DOgylxc8Tjg
http://youtu.be/gQLkDv4UjQQ
Hopefully those links work for everyone! Let me know if they don’t.[/QUOTE]
Ugone is super careful and looks like she will not hit with the hinds. The youtube with Stephanie Hill at the A Circuit is worth a look also. Beautiful mare, thank you Tom for coming on and showing off the highheads!
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