The thread on breed personalities got me to thinking of my gelding who I haven’t had very long but can be standoffish. His sire is Rich N Chocolatey out of Zips Chocolate Chip. Curious to hear of others that have Zip horses and their horse’s personalities.
I have a Zippo Pine Bar line gelding. He’s clever, and moderately affectionate. He’s figured out if he nuzzles the kids they will give him treats, so he’s all over them like a big dog. But I make him work, so he’s not my best friend. As I said, he’s clever. Hard working horse, easily trained.
Was caretaker for a Zip’s C.C. broodmare and she was totally standoffish. Had no use for humans and coincidentally
her first foal for us was born overnight in pasture and it took me hours and hours and hours trying to catch them to bring into barn. The colt while growing up, had her aloof personality.
There is substantial TB input on the Bars side plus the line has been put to work in numerous specialties with subsequent selective breeding to continue that tradition of working partners. Here you got it crossed with the King breds through the Poco line, serious cow horses that did not tolerate fools or being forced, and Leo, known for being smart and aggressive in their work. And Jaguar, don’t see that very often.
None of these were mean horses or lines, they just didn’t stand there and take it as the more stoic, traditional stock types did. They changed the business and trainers either had to adjust their methods or get left in the dust whining about " hot" or “mean” or " contamination of traditional type".
