What are your favorite breeding lines for hunters?
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Giants Causeway. They aren’t movers but they jump.
The Frost Giants tend to be a bit too uphill but the eventers like them.
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Quiet American (deceased 2016) produced some lovely hunters with great brains.
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My dixieland band mare was a 10 jumper and a solid 6 trot. Not sure if that was an anomaly or not.
Sir Thompson was a lovely stallion. Good movers and good jumping babies
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I was also going to suggest anything Dixieland Band.
I’ve heard lots of good things about DLB too (I’ve not owned one though).
He was stunning. Absolutely stunning.
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Have you seen any of the Freud offspring? I saw one for sale and it was just lovely both movement and jumping…and it had bling!
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I’ve never had one. He looks lovely, just haven’t come across one. I’ve had three GC sons and one grandson (Stonesider) in my program. I look for them.
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If you can find one, the Castle Magics were lovely hunters. He’ll be in sport-bred TBs only though.
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I am by no means an expert but based on my reading and some FB groups, Candy Rides can be QUIET and sensible.
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My guy is a Giants Causeway grandson on his sire side and has a Candy Ride full sister as his grand dam on his dam’s side. I’ve heard that people tend to pick the Giants Causeway lines for a thick build. My guy definitely has that.
He can move pretty well and has taken a piece of the hack (I’ve only shown him a handful of times, we’re in training for proper flat work right now) and he can jump well, too! He really rocks back and springs/uses himself even at the trot. He’s very sensible and sweet - I think he was treated okay on the track (no extensive abuse but is mildly head shy), which helps. He’s pretty unflappable in new situations, which is most important to me as a local show rider and adult ammy trying to do all the fun horse lady things. But it helps having his looks and his movement for when I go to big fancy shows.
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He sounds like the best kind of “go pony to show pony”!!
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Blushing Groom lines seem to lend themselves to a hunter type, although that’s further back. My guy’s damsire is Mt. Livermore, who I’ve been told produced some nice hunters as well.
I need to try free jumping my guy again now that he’s fitter and stronger, but these were from our first attempt in early 2022. Not a bad natural shape for a then very green 6yo.
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My guy is a Giants Causeway grandson (he’s by Niagra Causeway). He’s a heck of a jumper. I don’t think he’d be a hack winner, but I don’t know since we event. He is what I would call a nice mover though. He’s pretty lightly built, but tall at 16.3.
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Had a Giants Causeway grandson (by Noble Causeway) who was tall (16.3), chestnut, two white hind little socks, super chill and the most fantastic mover I’ve seen—and I go back to the old-style 1970s hunters. That’s why I bought him off the track. I just watched him walk to the round pen and went…OMG. He was very elegant, not a thick build but proportionate to his height. Great temperament. I miss him so much—lost him in 2021. Dixieland Band is now so far back in most pedigrees that it’s hard to know what impact he has. I’ve seen some nice Candy Ride or Twirling Candy horses. I have a Malibu Moon son right now but would not recommend. He’s on the anxious side and I love him but couldn’t see him as a hunter. I’ve also heard that American Pharaoh and Uncle Mo horses pretty much across the board have nice temperaments and good brains but don’t know about movement.
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I have a Dynaformer gelding, Dixieland Band is his damsire. He’s a fabulous hunter, jumps a 10. I’d clone him if I could, I love both stallions for hunter prospects.
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Has anyone seen any OTT Mosler or Warrior Reward babies used for sport yet in the mid-Atlantic? I do not know how athletic they are for sport, but some of the ones at the track seem to have a lot of size and bone.They could definitely be mistaken for WB.
We bred a Warrior’s Reward colt that had no interest in being a racehorse. I thought he would have been wonderfully suited to a hunter/jumper or eventing career. He went to a great home, but his new owners didn’t care about showing so we never had a chance to see what he could do.
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