Congratulations on your horse - everyone should own a horse they enjoy riding, irregardless of the breed or size!
But - many of the threads I see start with putting down just about anything EXCEPT a Warmblood, pointing out that only the “Warmblood” is capable of sports disciplines, and only a breeding program oriented toward imported Warmblood lines is a valid sport horse breeding program. And that is where those who compete and/or breed something other than the traditional Hannoverian, Dutch WB, or Oldenburg jump in and point out there are plenty of Warmbloods who AREN’T anything special, and plenty of cases of people who have imported something that hasn’t turned out to be their dream horse (for whatever reasons). The quote that SLC made about the pounding WB was a quote that clearly came from someone who isn’t familiar with ANY of the sports disciplines, SLC, be honest and post the link to that thread, that was not the example of someone who pops up daily bashing WBs, it was almost funny by the time you got done reading it.
In EVERY thread, a few people will show up just to bash whatever they can find, and to keep the thread “lively”:rolleyes: but if you read what most of the posters have to say, it is good, genuine, information that some just aren’t willing to accept, and those others are usually quick to say “Only the WB is purpose bred”, “Only the WB can do upper level dressage”, “The WB has no flaws, they are perfect, all your other horses are lesser horses, and if you register with a U.S. registry, you are breeding garbage”, and of COURSE people will react to such posts.
The WB is not a perfect horse - and if any of you ever find a perfect horse (of ANY breed or type), please do let me know, I don’t believe such an animal exists. The WB is, in recent history, purpose bred for the sports - but so are other breeds. In some registries certain LINES are sport bred, or certain TYPES - and we are seeing more and more of these different breeds starting to be serious competitors. In some cases, non-traditional WB crosses are starting to prove serious competition in the show ring.
I think what most of us want the WB people to admit is that the WB is not the ONLY horse who can do sports, and that the Europeans don’t have a lock on the sport horse market. Heck, don’t admit it, just stop putting down everything else.
I show (dressage) a LOT, in a big, competitive area (California), and it is really sad and sometimes almost funny to listen to people. A few examples (names changed to protect the innocent):
Overheard from a couple of students of a BNT (her name emblazoned on their custom polos and jackets) “Oh, look at that horse going, he is lovely, obviously an import, look him up in the program”. Announcer makes the announcement, “now showing in Ring 3 is Made In The USA, an American Warmblood gelding by No One You’d Recognize out of Not Imported, ridden by Don T Havmoney”. The students looked at each other and said “Oh, he really isn’t all that nice, now that we’ve seen him go, yuck, just a backyard horse”. And walked away.
Someone I knew looking for a horse - her requirement, he must be big, 3 good gaits, going Training Level. I suggested she come look at a youngster I had - nicest mind, 3 great gaits, 16.2 hands and still growing, and big bodies. She was interested, then asked about his breeding - I told her he was a Friesian/Warmblood cross, looked like a big WB but a really NICE temperment. She looked like she’d sucked a lemon - “Oh, they are fun to watch, but you’d never catch me riding a Friesian”. A few months later, she imported a WB, got to ride him in one show, he’s HOT, and he’s been off most of the past year. The horse I was selling sold, unfortunately not to a show home, but is a solid riding partner for someone who was scared after being bucked off by her Hannoverian several times.
Someone else I know shows a Freisian cross as a Dutch WB cross because the first time she showed him as what he was, the judge told her afterwards, I don’t like Friesians. So now she shows him as a Dutch cross, and wins everything. Luckily, I think MOST judges are pretty open minded to any breed. I am NOT one who thinks BREEDS are discriminated against in the show ring (although there are a few judges I’ll avoid), I think people need to look at their own riding and training and the quality of their horse’s gaits.
I could go on and on with these stories, but in reality, those of us on non-traditional horses endure a ton of bashing, and we get tired of being second class citizens. In reality, I think the time is coming where people are starting to be comfortable showing something other than WBs. I see more and more of the Spanish horses, the Friesians, the various crosses doing really well at the mid-levels. And, once we see top TRAINERS and RIDERS on other breeds, I think we’ll see them at international levels. In all reality, a good horse is a good horse, but a good horse needs a good rider to reach his potential.
Enjoy your imported WB, be proud of him, ride him well, but please don’t look down on those who ride something different from you.
