Warm blood stallion with high percentage of blood

Tossing around the idea of breeding my mare. She is a very nice moving, well built, Irish Draught. I have a couple of full Irish draught stallions I like, but I would love to know what’s out there in warmbloods with lots of Tb in the pedigree. There is also a very lovely young Hanoverian that I have my eye on. I keep going back and forth on if I really want to give her a year off, but had a culture pulled a few days ago.

Should add, I would be breeding for mid level eventer type, dressage type, or an all around Sporthorse for an ammie owner.

Take a look at Lotus T to see if he will go well with your mare. He’s registered American Hanoverian, and he ticks all the boxes you have posted.

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That’s a rather broad goal for breeding in terms of discipline… Are there other considerations? Looking to produce tall, small, or indifferent? What about the mare’s gaits (what needs improvement)? Weaknesses and strengths of her, conformationally?

There are a few options to go in, regardless of answers to the above…

The Laurie’s Crusador line is a bit of a torpedo for jumping scores in the stallion test results, but are very well known for producing nice dressage horses. You may still be able to find LC frozen (or son, Londonderry). There is also Londontime.

Likewise, Licotus (by thoroughbred, Likoto) is a thought - though again, more oriented towards dressage (his dam is Donnerhall x Balou, so a little heavier). His scores are also not exemplary in jumping, though not quite the reputation of the other TB L options.

Hilltop has Royal Prince, whose dam is by the thoroughbred, Prince Thatch. On paper his percentage of blood is probably a bit less than some of those mentioned above, but he has a reputation for being a bit of a refining sire & has offspring that can double up on jumping/dressage. Also at Hilltop, Vallado who is out of a dam who is half TB through her sire. (The TB’s - Saros - dam is also the mother of the TB who sired Consul, who was approved West, Hann & Trak and sired successful offspring in eventing, dressage, and showjumping.)

Are you specifically looking for stallions with TB close up, or just stallions who are known to have a refining influence (regardless of a more “average” blood percentage?)

Not approved Hanoverian but you could register KWPN. Navarone is 54.45% thoroughbred and puts on a nice all around horse, super jumpers and dressage and great temperament. Would be good to see a picture of your mare
for type to see if it fits though. https://www.horsetelex.com/horses/pedigree/1956/navarone

I agree with Lotus T – but for your goals, why not go with one of the TBs approved by whatever registry it is you like? There are a couple… and TB x RID is, of course, a well-proven cross.

I’m also with Edre, your goal is so broad it’s hard to give a meaningful answer without knowing more about what you want to see improved or replicated in the mare - plus, what registry you’d like the foal to be eligible for.

Where are you located, as that can influence your choices? If you’re across the pond, what about Sula Blue?

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Gatsby :slight_smile: Very Ammy-friendly, and he has kids doing all the things you are looking for. He’s very good at making his kids look very similar in type, from a wide range of mares. He lightens heavy mares, and adds substance to light ones, he adds suspension if the mare is a flatter mover.

The only thing my mare could use is more length in her neck. She’s correct, has a huge walk with overstride, a lovely swingy trot, and a very nice uphil canter. At her first large dressage show, she broke 70 percent at training level and is schooling most of second level. As far as breeding for a goal, I would like an ammie friendly mind, with three good gaits. Those traits can take you far if developed properly. The foal will be registered as an Irish Draught Sport Horse. I don’t want a traditional tb cross. I like the idea of contributing some warm blood, if I keep the foal, it will be a dressage horse for me. Long term, I would breed her to another Irish Draught, but right now I want to cross her with a refining warmblood with Tb. She had issues foaling as her first colt was massive. I am hoping for an easier delivery before breeding for purebreds.

Has Gatsby crossed with any ID mares yet? I was going to suggest him but then thought maybe, reading between the lines on what OP posted, that this might be a more traditional Irish Draught - so are we talking it moves and looks like a traditional ID rather than sporthorse? I was curious why we’d want high TB blood otherwise if the breeding goal wasn’t for UL eventing. In any event would be curious to see how that “cross” would mature. I like the Gatsby x TB horses I’ve seen. I really like my friend’s filly by him - she seems like the whole package and is for sale, but not cheap…

You might want to peek at the Goresbridge Horse Sales websites, to see what breeders are using for their ID/RID mares. These horses are bred for sport. The 2018 catalog is still up. Their sale coming up in May is usually pretty exciting: http://www.irishhorse.com/

I really like OBOS Quality with the RIDs but he has low blood (iirc 12%?) and probably wouldn’t fit given what you’ve mentioned your criteria is.

I’m not sure where he falls in your idea of WB but - Diego Dolphin! He has fantastic bloodlines, yes he is by a Connemara stallion but out of a Primitive Rising mare who has at least one advanced horse, another one or two who have been to Le Lion. Lots of blood. I bred him to my very large mare and can’t wait for the resulting foal.

I would not breed a large mare to Gatsby or Lotus T if you have foaling concerns, the ones I have seen by these guys have been large. No surprise given the height in their bloodlines.

I can’t say with confidence that he has, but I am nearly certain he’s had at least a couple of half ID mares. I know he’s been bred to some pretty large, old fashioned and, dare I say, coarse WB mares, and they still come out looking like him. Draft crosses, QHs, Paints. I would contact Elisha (currently standing him at Mountain Creek Sporthorses), or Lori Kehoe who owned (still owns?) and stood him for a while

I really like Diego Dolphin, and honestly I am not considering him because he’s grey… and I already know my mare will most likely only throw grey. I currently ride an Irish Draught/Connemara/tb. My coach who knows my mare, is the one who is suggesting a lighter more blood cross. She’s all Irish Draught but she moves very well and light for a big mare. I am not overly concerned over a warmblood size as she’s a solid 16.1 plus, and her last foal was from a 17.1 hand full Irish Draught.

Ok well I was also going to suggest Quidam Blue but he’s gray so…

If you can manage frozen, some of the French blood mixes well with Irish ladies - think the modern Irish Sprot horse. Might be worth looking into the lines of the Billy stud horses to see what they mix. Askari would be worth a look.

I adore Buddennbrock, Vallado might be interesting. I wonder if Cabardino has been used on Irish mares? He’s bred a lot of horses I wouldninquired - they move and jump well. Navarone has a lovely neck in person that photos don’t do justice IMO. Very kind stallion.

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Lotus is a holsteiner, not a hanoverian, but he was named a top young eventing sire prospect during his approvals.

he produces pretty great rideability, but he definitely does not refine. He produces a lot of very very large horses, and is himself a big guy.

this would still probably be a good cross and do everything you wanted it to do.

similarly gatsby produces a lot of big, both he and lotus are f1 crosses, both in the 70ish percent blood range.

what is the purpose of adding blood for you? Refinement? “Bloodiness” ie more oomph? Breath? Not all blood is the same. For instance even out of full tb mares, lotus babies are not what I would call bloody, but they are kind and trainable and very ammy friendly.

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I really like Diego Dolphin. I love Edgar’s stallion Don Roncalli, approved Hanoverian; exceptional damline.

I get what the OP is breeding for - an all round useful ammie horse. With today’s trend to breed for specialization not so many people are going this route - I did tho. Something that will show up in any show arena and do well, if not at the top elite level.

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