A friend is looking for a Warmblood type eventer for her teen daughter and her trainer mentioned Clydesdale crosses may be a good and possibly less expensive option.
Anyone have any experiences with Clydesdale crosses? What is the best cross? I’m thinking thoroughbred, morgan, or quarter-horse.
Personality? Temperament? Best/Worst bloodlines? Health?
I guess I don’t really think of Clydesdales as riding horses.
Thank you.
I don’t know about Clydes crosses, but I can tell you that my Percheron cross is an amazing, even-keeled, joke-taking, jump-loving, lovely-cantering, easy-keeping, non-reacting, oh my god perfect love. That’s the unbiased short story 
He’s crossed with TB.
My old barn had a Suffolk Punch/QH cross that was equally great. I think a lot of drafties are good souls.
I know a couple of Clyde/TB crosses. They’re okay. Both are quite heavy. One does well in dressage, but tends to bring down rails. The other is one of the ugliest movers I’ve ever seen. Not a fan of half Clydes. Quarter might be fine. The Perch/TB crosses I’ve seen have been lighter and more athletic than the Clyde/TB crosses.
A lot depends on what their end goal is. There are a lot of half Clyde half TB crosses in this area, including a couple that have done well at Prelim and Intermediate, and a lot more that do great at Novice and maybe Training but lack the scope/ speed to go higher. A lot of field hunters are draft/ TB crosses as well. I would look for something that is sport-bred if possible. Black Fox Farm Incognito, for example, is a Clydesdale/ TB stallion who has had a number of really nice eventer babies including Colleen Rutledge’s UL horse Covert Rights.
I have a 3/4 tb, 1/4 clyde mare and a 1/4 clyde, 1/4 qh, 1/2 tb in my barn and they are very nice horses - not going to the olympics but will jump 4’ while taking a joke, friendly, easy keepers with good feet. I have also had various 1/2 draft, 1/2 tb - generally sane, sound and reasonably athletic (but not always pretty). You will see a lot of draft crosses field hunting. Clyde/tb crosses were common in the jumper ring in Ontario before the popularity of european warmbloods. They tend to be easy keepers so keeping them fit is important, if you look at young horse remember they grow slow, so that elegant 4 yr old may be a tank at 7yrs. Personally I prefer tb/clyde or tb/percheron for sport horses, qh/draft crosses tend to be short and drafty rather than sporty. Every Belgian cross I have happened to meet has been stubborn in an unpleasant way. Have never met a morgan/draft cross.
[QUOTE=PaintedHunter;7521363]
I don’t know about Clydes crosses, but I can tell you that my Percheron cross is an amazing, even-keeled, joke-taking, jump-loving, lovely-cantering, easy-keeping, non-reacting, oh my god perfect love. That’s the unbiased short story He’s crossed with TB.[/QUOTE]
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I am on my second PercheronX, first was Perch/TB, and my current one is Perch/Paint (we think). I don’t know about Clydes but my Perchie crosses are fantastic ammy horses…smart, willing, fun, personable, unflappable, athletic, and so much more.
My first PerchX was heavier built but a phenomenal lower level horse. Could score in the 20s in dressage and won his first BN. He schooled up to Training and could probably do an easier event at that level. But his superb reliability made up for his limitations and he is one in a million. He is now with a young rider who has absolutely blossomed with him.
The one I have now isn’t as heavy and more of a sporthorse type. He is an experienced foxhunter who can jump the moon, gallop all day, and happily hack out alone or in company; but is green to dressage and pretty much everything else in the arena. Took him to his first dressage lesson the other day and he walked into the shadowy indoor with mirrors on a very windy day and didn’t bat an eye…and I’m 99% sure he has never been in an indoor. My instructor, who has a barn full of FEI level dressage horses, said “he is very pleasant,” “he sure is smart,” “what a lovely mover,” and “he is a great match for you!”
I love my draft crosses! Probably not so much the breeding to focus on, but the type and the brain. I love the no drama attitude and their ability to take everything in stride. You may run into some stubborn moments but I will take that any day over one that acts stupid and over reactive. I know I am not going to run Rolex on my drafties, but that’s not my plan anyway…they are fun, sensible guys who are perfectly capable lower level (and sometimes beyond) horses.
It depends a lot on the individual.
When you cross two very unlike individuals (a heavy draft and light TB type), what comes out can vary widely in type and temperament.
Sometimes you get an even “mix”, some times you get the best of both worlds (a TB type, with more bone, and a quieter disposition), some times you get the worst of both - an animal that appears to be a “mixed bag” of parts, heavy head neck, short steep croup, light legs etc, that lacks athleticism.
I have ridden some that I enjoyed (draft crosses), and I have ridden some that made me decide a draft cross probably wouldn’t be for me (too much a draft type temperament).
For example:
This is a Percheron TB cross. , so is THIS HORSE.
But, THIS HORSE is a percheron TB cross as well. And this one is a TB draft cross.
We have Irish Draughts and Irish draught sport horses/crosses. They are good athletes but would have trouble making time at the upper levels. Irish Draughts love to jump, usually love to event, and tend to be easygoing, willing, family horses.
I will say that my Ollie has a giant slightly-out-of-proportion head and neck, but it somehow just suits him and gives him character. Funniest horse I’ve ever met, and he’s like a big dog - he’s a barn favorite 
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/wangel43/IMG_8012_zps1b54ff76.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/wangel43/Olliebeg2_zpsdce21e32.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/wangel43/null_zps8c7e7f69.jpg
Buy the horse, not the breed.
It does not matter what the papers say - it matters what the critter in front of you can do. While the breeding might give you a better predictive guess of what the horse might be able to do, it can’t overrule what actually is standing there. Particularly when you’re looking for a less expensive mount, you may have to go to some kind of funky breeding (I rode an absolutely delightful standardbred-arab cross for a few years) but if the horse can do the job you ask of it, it’s not going to matter.
That being said, there are many draft crosses who are likely a lower probability bet for an upper level prospect than something with a higher proportion of TB blood. They may, however, do ok as a steady-eddie type at the lower levels (there are also some QH crosses that do a nice job here). I’ve not seen a ton that move or jump exceptionally, though there are always individuals who are lovely.
I have a clyde/tb cross fox hunter, she would make a great low/mid level event horse. With her legs clipped she has a very pretty WB look–unless you look too closely at her feet, which are a touch larger than a WB’s. I certainly wouldn’t rule out a draft cross for a low/mid level event horse. Some draft crosses have unattractive movement, and some are a little “earthbound” so just as with any horse you have to be particular and look around until you find what you want.
We have lots of Clyde crosses in my area - there’s a breeder about 10 minutes from me that breeds them (lots of Clyde/TB and Clyde/Hackney). They are called “commercial warmbloods” here. There’s even a big sale of them every year. You can look at the site here to see the catalogs from previous years:
www.ontariobreedersproductionsale.com
I agree that you really need to look at the individual horse. Many times they do seem fairly light when they’re young, but when they hit about 7 or 8 they are huge and heavier than you realized. I find they tend to have a lot of knee action and some can be very heavy on their feet (speaking of 1/2 Clydes here). However, I’ve seen a few that are really, really nice. My friend has a Clyde/Trakehner who has a great temperament and is quite a nice mover. I’ve seen plenty used as school horses locally. A friend has a Clyde/Tb who is also nice - level headed but is more of a TB ride than a draft ride.
Personally, I prefer mine a bit lighter, so I would probably look more towards a 1/4 Clyde instead of 1/2.
It’s well worth the time to go through the annual catalogs & look at the horses - breeding, age, video are all nicely done & will give you a good feel for the range in horse type.
I don’t think your friend needs to go with a draft x TB for a reasonable priced horse, it’s still very much a buyer’s market.
She needs to sort out her purchase budget vs training budget vs horse/rider suitability, also saddle & all that other miscellany
I have two friends that have Clyde crosses. One is probably half clyde , half TB. She is HUGE at about 18.2h. She tends to be flighty and high energy but not very athletic. Plus she is ugly, big old clonker head. My other friend has a Fresian/clyde/STB cross, about 16.3h. She has a nicer disposition although she can be kind of “looky” at times. She can be a nice mover when pulled together, but it is a bit of an effort to get, and does not come easily for her. I would consider her not that athletic as well.
I am not a fan of the draft crosses. They can be too heavy, choppy movers, a bit lazy and don’t often make it at the upper levels. They are perfectly fine for the lower levels if that is what someone likes. They tend to have that carriage horse trot, but not all of them do. It depends on the one you find and the goal of the person looking. I would suggest an OTTB over a clyde cross, but if that will be too much for the person to handle maybe the clyde cross would be ok.
[QUOTE=Derby Lyn Farms;7522082]
I would suggest an OTTB over a clyde cross[/QUOTE]
I did wonder about that too …
Why are they looking at any particular breed? Why a WB like eventer??
They should not care about breed but look for the individual horse that best suites the kid. The one that has a good jump, has a temperment that matches what the kid can ride. They shouldn’t be looking for a horse to take her to Rolex (unless she is already at the 2* level) but looking for a horse to give her good positive experience for the level she is at in her riding…and that package may come in any sort of breed.
Personally…I have mostly TBs…and several of which are confused for WBs based on their looks and movement. Other people have lovely draft crosses, or Irish horses…or mutts.
They shouldn’t be ruling out ANY horse because of breed.
Draft crosses have perhaps more variability than other types because their breeding (as a group) is all over the map.
Thus the advice about buying the horse in front of you, rather than adhering to broad generalizations, holds particularly true here.
Draft crosses are spooky. Draft crosses are sensible. Draft crosses are clunky. Draft crosses are atheltic. And so on.
All true.
I have a Perch/TB right now who is developing into a great amateur eventer. He is a lovely mover (my coach’s uber picky FEI dressage coach told me he is “fancy” and “looks like a big Dutch horse”) and a super jumper, catty, adjustable, and a very, very light ride (as in, quiet aids make a big difference). But there are zillions of draft crosses that are very earthbound and would find anything over novice a heavy lift (then again, if novice is your goal, this doesn’t matter much either).
I will say they tend to be easy keepers with good feet, and one thing I have found to be true with several of them of different breeding is that they do mature SLOWLY. THey go through a phase where they pull rather than push and you have to work to engage the HQ. So a little patience and willingness to focus on correct dressage basics come in handy.
When shopping for a teen’s horse they should focus on what the horse has done and how he goes for the rider- not his breeding.
As others have said-- with crosses you could get Covert Rights or you could get something with the body of a stump puller and the brain of a hamster on meth.
This cross is not necessarily more likely to be “warmblood like” than a good big bodied TB but at any rate most times a kid is better off with a horse that’s a manageable size, catty and careful. And temperament/ proven safety on the x-c course is more important anyway.
This might be different for an extraordinarily talented young person moving from a packer to her first young horse, but that’s not what it sounded like from your post.
I’m a fan of the percheron/tb crosses - I have a 20 year old that I got as a 3 year old that did long format * extremely well. He is very spooky but still sound and fun - we are doing quadrille now. I have been looking for a 5-8 year old to do all around hacking, foxhunting, etc with and found two - neither passed the vetting. I cant seem to find ones with out the short neck and choppy movement for 10000 or less.
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