Opinions appendix mare x WB?

[beowulf]

Just want to chime in here -

There is a lovely long yearling filly in my barn, she is by of a Dutch WB stallion out of a decent breeding stock QH mare. The mare was QH looking but did not look like a “stock QH” - was uphill and clean. The filly was bred for color - she is, IIRC, genetically a sooty buckskin? IDK. She looks like a grulla to me.

The filly looks just like a QH. Small horse with a big QH jowl, has the “piggy” eye you see in halter bred QHs - but does not move like a stock horse. She moves like a nice leggy TB would with decent suspension and good uphill movement. Unimpressive to look at otherwise.

The breeders had bred her to sell – no one bought her, and my cheap fellow boarder bought her from the west for the fantastic sum of $800 IIRC. I can’t imagine that was a good deal for the breeder.

So no, if you were breeding to sell, I wouldn’t do it. There is a niche market for nice appendix foals, and there is a great market for warmbloods. I can’t imagine the two together would be very profitable.

[Snowfox]

Breeding a horse is always a risk, I guess it really depends on how much of a gamble you are willing to take. We also have a long yearling on the farm who’s Mom is an Appendix (shown rated hunters) and Dad is a WB. The baby is turning out really nice. If anything from a Hunter POV his natural head carriage is just a little too high and he got that from his Dad.

[Pennywell_Bay]

I wouldn’t do it for a sale foal for the mentioned reasons.

That being said, we rescued a QH x well know trak stallion as a foal. She is crazy talented, jumps like a fiend, only 15.3 but walks the lines. She’s hot - where is the QH brain? She’s lovely, won one the pre greens at A shows, good mover and sound. Not any interest in her until people saw her under saddle.

[Molly_Malone]

I have had 4 foals from my APHA mare, 3 Appendix and one Trakehner cross. I have retained one appendix filly and the Trak x filly. Now whilst I might breed the Trakehner x to a TB, I would not breed the appendix to a WB. I feel that stock and warmblood genetic potential for bulk on shorter legs is too great.

If you really want to breed your mare (and there is nothing wrong with wanting to do so) then I would suggest you breed to a TB, Arabian or better imho, an Anglo Arabian. There are several that hold their own in the dressage arena.

[purplnurpl]

Breeding is too expensive to do “just because”.

An Appendix is usually mostly TB. So it would be making a TB/WB cross which is a nice cross.

Most likely you won’t make your money back though.

[back_in_the_saddle]

Some “appendix” horses are all TB, or 17/18 TB with a dose of QH thrown in decades ago. That describes the dam of my former gelding. He was a nearly full TB x trakehner stallion. He was a nice horse and had good rideability, made a nice amature horse. that said, I think in this day and age where it’s hard to sell a nice nice papered warmblood, you should think long and hard about what you want this foal to do and how well you want it to do it. People will not be flocking to buy your foal just because it’s by xyz stallion after they see it came out of an appendix mare. Once started and going under saddle and proven to be a nice horse, some people will be interested but most likely won’t be a high dollar horse.

I would not breed the mare.

[Texarkana]

For what it’s worth, my mare is by an AWS registered stallion who is Selle Francais/Hanoverian/Quarter Horse (I am not her breeder). He is a beautiful individual:

[URL=“http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c63/tryphena1/Paige/Sire%20and%20dam/redclaytribdevontrot.jpg”]
Red Clay Tributary

I’m neither condoning or condemning the QH/WB cross-- I personally wouldn’t have done it myself, but it sometimes works.

[RodeoQueen]

Thank you ALL, for sharing your thoughts. After much thought, i have decided to breed my Appendix mare back to a quarter horse. My mare is a big 16.1+, sport horse build, in fact, my guess is many of you wouldn’t be able to spot any stock breed in her - she’s very Hunter looking. Not foundation or Halter quarter horse look at all. I’m crossing her with a 17 h stallion who’s a gorgeous mover with great temperament and believe this is the best way to go for everyone involved. But, i wanted to hear people’s thoughts and rationale, so i truly appreciate everyone’s opinions.

For the record, i have a KWPN Dutch gelding whom i also bred in the right way and he’s a big red love bug, despite having a dark bay momma and jet black daddy. I absolutely LOVE this gelding - he’s sweet, willing and has 3 lovely gaits. He’s perfect for me :))).

Thanks again for sharing - especially those who share pics of horses!

Happy Holidays to you all all!

[Pennywell_Bay]

^^^ Good call and congrats. Mine seemed to get all the hot TB. Crazy talented but def not everyone’s ride.