Trakehners the new eventing breed????

[Nadia1990]

Ive recently seen an incline in the number of trakehners that seem to excelling in eventing and am starting to wonder if the right trakehner might be the near perfect eventer?

Dressage- they are beautiful, move well and have plenty of presence

cross country- the gallop better than most warmbloods, jump well, sensitive and focused

showjumping - they jump with a nice technique and have more than enough scope to jump 1.30m

I know they have a reputation for being ‘difficult’ but they have all the other qualities and have far more blood due to the trakehner being a closed stud book with many looking like high quality thoroughbreds.

curious to hear other opinions??

[vineyridge]

Traks have produced excellent event horses for decades but seem to have become more prevalent with short format. Many of them do have the breeding and talent to excel at eventing. In the US, many/most Trak stallions meet their performance requirements in eventing. Trak people will be able to tell you just what the ATA requires for stallion licensing these days.

[Sacha]

I totally agree. There are a lot of Trakehners with a high dose of TB blood, but they have been selected for generations for their riding horse attributes. For such a small breed numerically, they really punch above their weight, in dressage as well as eventing.

[acottongim]

As a TK breeder I would like to think so - most of mine do tend to lean towards wanting to event as opposed to the other disciplines.

The “performance requirements” for TKs are to complete a novice level HT, so most stallions that are approved (regardless of what their best suited discipline is) will go to their event and get their approval. (this is in the US - in the EU approvals are exactly the same as they are for every other registry). Some do well and some - well they complete - then they go to their discipline that they are best suited for and do quite well. That being said, there are several approved TK stallions who are competing at Prelim or above right now (and more that are retired but have competed at that level or higher). Off the top of my head - Semper Fidelis, Halimay Ps, Songline Ps, Cardinali, and my boy, Tatendrang Pb (and there are more that are moving up the ranks).

[NoDQhere]

Our program has always been based on Trakehner “blood”, primarily for their “good” disposition, and their ability to pretty much do whatever you wanted. I’ve never understood where their reputation for being difficult came from.

As far as eventing, they are, IMHO, the perfect horse. All the ability and none of the baggage. We have found them to be kind horses who naturally take care of their riders and adapt to their riders ability.

Trakehners have always been successful at the international levels of eventing.

[epowers]

I always hate that people have to make digs at Trakehners for being “difficult”. I have worked for a Trakehner breeder, and for other breeders of other warmbloods and thoroughbreds, and the Trakehners were probably, as a whole, the easiest and quietest group of horses I’ve ever started under saddle. There are certain lines and individuals within each registry that are known for being difficult. There’s no reason to keep throwing around the myth that Trakehners are “difficult” or “hot” as a whole.

[acottongim]

[QUOTE=epowers;8396897]
I always hate that people have to make digs at Trakehners for being “difficult”. I have worked for a Trakehner breeder, and for other breeders of other warmbloods and thoroughbreds, and the Trakehners were probably, as a whole, the easiest and quietest group of horses I’ve ever started under saddle. There are certain lines and individuals within each registry that are known for being difficult. There’s no reason to keep throwing around the myth that Trakehners are “difficult” or “hot” as a whole.[/QUOTE]

This

[silverdog]

I have an 8 yr old Trakehner/TB cross gelding who should excel at eventing. He is a bit late starting due to some bad luck but he has made tremendous progress in the last few months. He is quiet enough for beginners to ride at home but has enough go in him to make him an enthusiastic XC horse. Stadium is easy for him. Looking forward to the day when dressage will be easy too. He’s not going to the Olympics but he is going to be a fun and enthusiastic eventing partner for me.

[Miichelle]

There were some “difficult” TKs in the late 80’s when warmbloods were just becoming the “in” thing in the US, but this was also during the time when everyone thought they had to be riding a 17+ hand horse to be competitive. Saying TKs are difficult is as outdated as calling a modern WB a “dumb blood”.

I specifically bred my super hot maiden TB mare to a TK stallion based on the known reliability of his bloodline for producing amateur owner temperaments and rideablity in a horse that is still talented enough for a professional rider. There are many of them out there and, IMHO, it’s easier for a nonprofessional breeder to choose a good TK stallion to cross on their mare because they are a breed and not just a registry and tend to breed more true. For instance, there are fewer variables breeding a TB to a TK than breeding a TB to a Hanoverian or a Dutch Warmblood… (I hope I explained that well enough).

[tuppysmom]

We own the TRK stallion Semper Fidelis and I can assure everyone that he doesn’t have a “difficult” bone in his body! He is just 6 and competing at Prelim with my DH. We also have several other TRKs in our barn who are competing in eventing, or are youngsters about to compete. Harry Houdini who is a 2 star horse doubles as a lesson horse between events and is the kindest, most trustworthy horse we have ever had.
I would certainly recommend his TRK family as ammy friendly with great ability.

[stoicfish]

It would be more accurate to say the original eventing horse.
I don’t find them difficult as much as intelligent and unwilling to put up with poor riding/handling. I’m bias.

[goodpony]

I recently came across the TK stallion Hancock and was very impressed with his versatility and refined look. I don’t know anything about TK bloodlines but understood he is bred more to be a Dressage horse but I could totally see him making beautiful athletic versatile sport horses for any discipline.

[TKR]

I adore my TK mare and she is super sensitive, but I love that kind of horse and have a strong Thoroughbred background, so I prefer that. However, she is uber smart (as is her dam, a TB) and kind, a blast to ride and very talented. I know Rick Wallace and his a young man in his program are competing Trakehners and will stand one of the stallions this year. They are Oskar babies as is my mare. Some of the Trakehners competing in international dressage are just so elegant and responsive they give me chills - Axis and Ulee! I’m a fan – so many wonderful stallions I’d love to use!
PennyG

[netg]

I looooove my Oskar mare, too.

Super smart and fast learner. We just had a glitch because she was trying too hard to sit, and didn’t have the strength to actually move while sitting that deep. Yeah, EVERYONE should be lucky enough to have such a problem!

While I’m a chicken @#$% and don’t event, I am pretty positive my girl could, since Mom has lots of eventers on her side and Dad was bred to jump even if he was a GP dressage horse. She also instinctively hones in on possible jumping objects, which made for lots of jumping her first time in a dressage arena. Apparently she has nice form. :lol: It is also helpful for cavaletti work, as she steers and adjusts herself naturally as she centers herself on the poles.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I have a 3 year old by Grafenstolz out of a TB. Graf did not have the best reputation but damn this 3 year old is dead easy. He unfortunately had some issues from being sick as a yearling that will limit his own performance career which is so disappointing…as every UL eventer that sees him drools. He is what everyone wants as a 4* prospect. Enough that I will try again with his dam.

[2tempe]

In my hunter days I had two Trakehners - one I owned, one later leased. Neither was “difficult”, and I really enjoyed both of them. More recently looked at a Trak. mare for dressage. Small, elegant mare, easy ride, focused. Unfortunately she didn’t vet well…

This is obviously not a scientific survey, but the image is not deserved.

[ThirdCharm]

I have dealt personally with only three Trakehners, all black mares by a well-known (or at least prolific?) black Trak stallion (a Hunter, not Windfall) , and although they were all raving fruitbats (and I LOVE mares!) I am willing to give the breed another chance thanks to Tatendrang… :-). Maybe the crazy was a Hunter thing.

Jennifer

[acottongim]

[QUOTE=ThirdCharm;8404771]
I have dealt personally with only three Trakehners, all black mares by a well-known (or at least prolific?) black Trak stallion (a Hunter, not Windfall) , and although they were all raving fruitbats (and I LOVE mares!) I am willing to give the breed another chance thanks to Tatendrang… :-). Maybe the crazy was a Hunter thing.

Jennifer[/QUOTE]

This is the sweetest thing I’ve read in a while. You just made my day. Thank you so much.

[goodpony]

the first two stallions I ever dealt with in life (I was 15-16yo) were both TK. The older one was named Kansas and was black–he was so quiet I rode him out on trails alone on a regular basis and show jumped him a few times. He was dealt with rather harshly as a young stallion during his competitive career and was difficult to breed do to being missmanaged–Im not sure he left any offspring due to libido issues. The other one I don’t recall what his name was but he never gave me an inch of trouble–both super easy boys.

[dog_amp_horsemom]

my anglo-trakehner-Polaris- bred by Jean Brinkman-was the best horse I have ever owned. He was extremely quiet-really “bomb-proof” and at my first event ever - novice- he was second. I won some also. I showed him in the hunters also and always did very well. A fantastic horse.