Thoughts on Half-Clydesdales?

[hayfeeder]

[QUOTE=SolarFlare;7521885]
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.[/QUOTE]

For lower levels - training and below - they can be great safe mounts. Both of my sons evented on Clyde Crosses. I did too. We also had a Belgian/tb cross (a bit hotter than the clyde crosses). Some crosses are better than others. But if your daughter is just starting or staying below Prelim you probably couldn’t ask for a better option imo.

You can see some on our website

[gully_s_pilot]

My new girl, Sarah, is a 3/4 TB 1/4 Belgian draft. Whoever said look at the individual horse is right–Sarah really looks like a half draft, with solid bone and hindquarters; her full brother looks much more TB. But she’s a lovely mover when we get our act together, and she romps over fences and in the hunt field. Smart, very athletic. She’s not quite 7 right now. We’re going Novice but have schooled some Prelim and I have no doubt that’s within her capabilities.

[slp2]

What everyone else has said–1/2 draft crosses have such a high variability in how they turn out! The horses that I have evented are all lighter type horses (my OTTB and a Tb / Trak cross) and I have never paid much $$ for them. However, my hubby and friend recently bought a Perch / KWPN cross. He is forward moving, and has 3 good gaits. But he does have a drafty look–we have to trim off his feathers–but his head gives his breeding away! right now he is just a dressage/trail horse–but we may play around with eventing him at the lower levels if he seems amenable to it. He has a really cute jump–and is willing, but I certainly would not have purchased him with eventing in mind.

In addition—he is a ridiculous size–18 hands. Not super wide–but tall with huge bone and feet. Not a kids horse by any means.

There is a Perch/Tb cross at our barn that is really cute–he is a nice dressage horse and didn’t end up being huge. But he seems to be built more for dressage than jumping.

[subk]

[QUOTE=Effie1221;7521344]
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. [/QUOTE]
I guess I’m having trouble with the logic here. A “Warmblood” (capital “W”) is a horse of mixed breeding who has been engineered for decades and many generations to have a proclivity for sport. I really don’t see much similarity between what is being produced by the traditional European founded registries and what someone gets crossing a hot blooded horse with a draft horse in one generation or possibly two.

If by warmblood type you mean a heavier body style then well…ok. But I think limiting your self to something random like a “Clydesdale cross” and then going shopping is a backassward way to shop–especially if you are looking for “less expensive.” When looking for something more affordable start with a budget then go look at everything available. Horse shopping is hard enough without starting out by looking for a less than plentiful type of cross.

[RacetrackReject]

I’ve had 2 friends with ClydeXs and both of the horses were firecracker hot, so yes, definitely look at the individual themselves.

[LeapOfFaith]

It all depends on the quality of the parents. I’ve had the pleasure of working with a breeder who had a beautiful fine Clydesdale stallion and some quality TB mares and the offspring they produced were amazing. Very athletic, beautiful movers and brave scopey jumpers. A lot went on to become event horses (up to prelim last i heard for one), Dressage, carriage, jumpers… I am a huge fan but I also was around some top quality ones. Nothing that would be quality enough for a pro eventer but very competitive amateur mounts. It all depends on the quality of the parents… They were selling anywhere from 10,000 as 3 year olds to 30,000 as 6 year olds with show experience, so I’m not necessarily sure if that qualifies as less expensive, but i guess that depends on the size of your bank account! Obviously you could find cheaper but probably for a reason…

Here’s a 1/2 Clyde 1/2 TB that i think is pretty impressive!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSFHWUj6Xqo

[eponacowgirl]

Nice draft crosses are often as expensive as decent warmbloods, if they’re meant to be good ammy horses.

Draft crosses are also not synonymous with “quiet and easy.” I know exactly one draft cross who is quiet (and he is DEAD quiet). The rest are either forward, quirky and/or stubborn- even the quiet one is still strong willed.

I loved draft crosses and shop for them for a lot of my clients, but you have to look at each individual. Clyde crosses are the hardest to find, at least in my area. I have the most experience with perchie crosses, who make great sport horses, and a couple belgian crosses, I find to be more quiet but also more hard headed.

[PaintedHunter]

Oh for sure - my Ollie is quiet, but can be quite stubborn too. If he doesn’t want to cooperate on a given day, he can and will use his neck heft for evil.

[galloping-gourmet]

I have had many 1/2 drafts, and they are all different. Heavy, light, big, small, athletic, not so much, flexible and stiff. My great riding mare was a Shire x and now have had many Perch crosses. Currently my big boy is Perch TB and he is AMAZING. I will never ride him to his potential, jumps anything I point him at, loves x/c, great on trails (until the wild horses charge), has jumped 4’ plus like it was nothing. GREAT brain and personality.

Like someone said, buy the horse not the breed, have had many babies by same stallion, and they are all different! Good luck, when you get a good one, it is awesome.

[FatCatFarm]

I personally, for a good-natured, and more refined draft cross, prefer the Saddlebred to Draft cross (in my case, 2 Percheron and one w/Clydesdale blood), and own 3 myself. I am currently eventing the oldest who turns six this year, at Beginner Novice and hope/plan to move up to Novice later in the season with him. I own his full brother who turns 3 this year; and a half brother who turns five, all by the same Saddlebred stallion, Spot of Gold. My observation has been that you get more refinement with the ASB over the TB cross and usually a more willing, less challenging temperament. ASBs have a reputation for being very eager to please and all three of my guys are very sweet and willing and try very hard to please. None of them is stubborn. The half brother is actually Saddlebred out of a Clyde/Hackney/TB mare and he is definitely the hottest of the three, but still quite mild compared to a TB and some WB and WB/TB crosses I’ve owned, and generally less sensitive/reactive; more forgiving. Mine look Baroque for the most part or like the old style heavier warmbloods. I adore them. You can see them on my farm Facebook page, which is in red below, if you’re curious. The one young prospect of mine that I have for sale is not what I would exactly call cheap depending upon your perspective but some can be had quite reasonably as young prospects not yet under saddle, but yes, going under saddle with good gaits, they do usually command good prices.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

Huge fan here of TB drafts. Mine is TB perch.

Mine did some eventing and took second at his first event.

He did jumpers for a while and now dressage with me.

Personality galore, smart, sane, sensitive, not at all lazy, can be hot, etc. you can see his halo if you look close enough. He does have a neck, but he’s a solid powerhouse and it fits him. I think he’s gorgeous. Heart of gold and would do anything for me or my trainer.

Find a sane, sound horse you love and buy a trainer!

People have guessed he’s anything from Andalusian to kwpn.

Pics in photobucket under righthorse.

[Lilykoi]

We have a Perch/TB cross at the barn. Very nice temperament but I question if their build is really suitable for any kind of higher level training. This guy has not had a hard life, but he had ringbone at an early age. His trot is dreamy but his canter is like riding a truck with flat tires. But he is sweet. I’m sure they are all different and there are lots out there that are great at what they do.

[FalseImpression]

My DD has a Belgian/Paint x. He is tall and athletic. He was barely broke to ride when she got him 1 1/2 yr ago and he is loving his job. She will probably event with him. He is a very easy keeper (wears a grazing muzzle year round even when ridden 5 times/week!). Quite the character too!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201424420165668&l=571574f1cd

Our retired mare is 3/4 Clyde, heavy looking. We do not know what the 1/4 remaining is… hackney (she was a mennonite horse).
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200334680522858&l=92afaaf989

She loved to jump, never refused anything, is such an easy keeper as well… (grazing muzzle also). Not marish (never know when she is in heat unless I lift her tail…). She would have loved hunting.

[pegasusmom]

We bred a Canadian Commercial (clyde/hackney)/TB crosse who evented very successfully at BN and Novice. In fact he was pretty much unbeatable. He did several training level events and was in the ribbons, but we felt that horse really was at the end of his range. Good mover, decent over fences.

Buy the horse, not the breeding.

[scubed]

I’m another “buy the horse” person. I’ve had predominately OTTBs, but also have owned or sourced for others the following:

Hanoverian/QH - evented through prelim with a junior
American Paint (a lot of TB) - GotSpots horse that went Advanced despite his less than perfect conformation
Some sort of spotted saddlebred/draft type horse (Georgian Grandish, but of unknown actual breeding) - competed through intermediate with a young rider after I bought, backed and started him (prior life as a pack horse)
QH/Arab - competed through prelim with a young rider
Trak/TB 1 - went to CCI* level with young rider
Trak/TB 2 - ended up with navicular and made a great ammy dressage horse
Trak/Paint - hated jumping, ended up adult ammy dressage horse
Holsteiner/TB/Appy cross - everyone knows Keebler. Great mover, scopey, currently moving his young rider up to training level
Irish TB(?) - we’re guessing TB, connemara. Evented through training and now with a novice junior
Hanoverian/Swedish/QH - the current project. Nice mover with incredible scope. Super horse

and in between a bunch of TBs of all types, many of whom were routinely mistaken for WB or warmblood crosses.

[Effie1221]

These are all great ideas and advice. I’ll have to let her know and add a few other draftie crosses to the mix. They are looking for an experienced horse but the teen is tall and on the husky side, thus the idea for a Warmblood or draft cross future mount.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Effie1221;7523481]
These are all great ideas and advice. I’ll have to let her know and add a few other draftie crosses to the mix. They are looking for an experienced horse but the teen is tall and on the husky side, thus the idea for a Warmblood or draft cross future mount.[/QUOTE]

I’m tall too…they need to just look for the experienced horse but not limit themselves on breed.

For example…this is a decent sized mare…and an OTTB. She is green here…but my point is she just needs a horse who is solid and takes up her leg…but most of all, has the experience she needs. And that can come in a lot of different breeds and crosses.

[WWGeorgeMorrisD]

lots of them up here. some are very adult friendly and flashy

[gypsymare]

Add me to the crowd that says a QUALITY draft X will be just as expensive as a warmblood of similar quality. If you want more ability for cheap look at TBs or even stock breed types

[MeghanDACVA]

We had a FULL Clyde that evented. He was small and light boned as the breed goes (“only” 17 hands). But he was a lovely mover (8 and 9 on gaits!) and a great jumper. And loved cross country. And was a great soul. We lost him to EPM a few yrs ago; he was retired but still…