I know dressage is supposed to be Weltmeyer’s big thing, but he also scored very well in jumping in his testing.
I know of very few straight jumpers sired by him, but what about hunters? I don’t really follow that sport at all…just wondering.
I’m breeding my Weltmeyer/Batido mare to Fable (Colorado Skrodstrup ) this year and thinking the foal might be a good “all-arounder”, since Fable got good scores in movement and jumping.
A friend sold her imported Weltmeyer gelding as a high dollar hunter. But I can’t for the life of me remember his name… Sorry!
That’s ok – don’t really need names – just wondering if he produced successful horses in any disciplines other than dressage…
Hoping Tasker might chime in, she has quite afew Weltmeyers…
Any video online of your Weltmeyer/Batido mare?
Bet it can move.
Well, she had serious leg issues as a foal – she is why I am so adamant about fixing contracted tendons NOW. Born very contracted, and I got horrid advise from my “then” vet…never even mentioned oxytet.
Then the poor foal ruptured her extensor tendon at 3 days old…was in a cast for 6 weeks…all that started a cascade of issues. Poor thing never left her stall except to go to the vet till she was 5 months old! Even at that point she was still knuckled over on one fetlock and I was advised by 3 vets to put her down…but by then I was so attached to her…so I took her home, planning on putting her down when I screwed up the courage. Filled her full of bute ('cause I was going to have her killed, right?) and tossed her out in a pasture with a nice old mare I had (her dam has long since gotten tired of being locked in a stall, so the filly was weaned at only 3 mos of age).
And, miracle of miracles – in THREE DAYS she finally straightened out. That’s also when I learned about how some super sensitive horses react to pain. And this mare (a chestnut) IS very sensitive to pain…takes 3 people to give her a shot.
I was never going to breed her, since the vet said she would never stand the weight of pregnancy, but at this point she’s been bred twice and done great! Both foals have had perfect legs with no issues.
She has the typical Weltmeyer attitude – tough, alittle bossy, and very brave. Nothing gets her down. Even when she had a cast on her leg she was bucking around the vet’s office.
And yes, when the mare is feeling good, she CAN move, but she’s not 100% sound, so she tends to guard herself. Her babies can really step out though!
[QUOTE=Kyzteke;5618857]
That’s ok – don’t really need names – just wondering if he produced successful horses in any disciplines other than dressage…
Hoping Tasker might chime in, she has quite afew Weltmeyers…[/QUOTE]
I’m here! 
Thanks for thinking we’ve had a lot of W’s - but we’ve only bred to the old man twice. We had a colt that we kept entire until he was 4 (a 2004 model pictured below in photos from last summer) and then a full brother in 2006 that was sold and gelded as a 2 year old. The dam of both colts was a full sister to a very successful A hunter and more of an FEI dressage mover (more freedom in the shoulder, uphill carriage, etc)…but the mareline carries plenty of jumping talent and good form. I adore my guy at age 7. At 3, 4 and 5 he was a definite handful and does not have a great sense of survival when it comes to jumping. He’s not a terrible jumper but most definitely a better FEI dressage horse…if you catch my drift. With training his form, balance and scope over fences has improved but I’d rather not start with such a steep learning curve in a discipline when so much counts on the jumping part of the equation.
We had a Wolkentanz I colt in 2004 (sold as a yearling to a GP home) that was out of a 3/4 sister to the dam of the above colts. She has been a reliable producer of hunter types since by Waldaire.
Waldaire is no relation to Weltmeyer (and to be honest - I am very glad that he is not). I have 2 doses of Weltmeyer sitting in a tank and will probably be looking at selling them rather than roll the dice to see what arrives 11 months later. If I could guarantee a filly - I would breed to him in a heartbeat but…
Back to the OP’s ? - I wouldn’t pick Weltmeyer to breed a hunter personally. The temperament can be a bit tricky, the movement can lack elasticity but there is plenty of power(!), and I don’t feel that he adds to the jumping talent. For a 3’ horse - yes, somewhat, sort of, kinda. For the Derby or Working Divisions - no way. Our Wolkentanz I had an extremely high set neck and high head carriage, so I can’t say that he would be my go-to either but the horse had a super gallop stride, superb elasticity and good hunter form. Probably would have been a super event horse to be honest - very TB-y in appearance vs. the Weltmeyer who is a bit of a tank.
If I were seeking the blood (for whatever reason) I’d look to Waterford (you get Matcho for temperament modifier and Wolkenstein II), Wolkenstein II (Wendekreis for jumping), Furst Impression (out of a Reggazoni/Weltmeyer mare) or Wilmington HL (W out of a Fabriano mare) - not sure if he’s still standing or not.
There was a poster (clear round? I think) who had a successful A hunter by Weltmeyer a while ago. I can’t remember his name off the top of my head. William maybe?
Hope that helps.
Thanks Tasker – I guess I got the impression you had more Welties than you did based on some of your responses to threads about him.
I posted on the H/J forum as well, and it seems like Weltie is a dressage producer 95% of the time.
With the Batido/Bolero blood (and as I recall Bolero was known as a SERIOUS jump killer), I don’t think I can expect anything but a dressage prospect from the crossing.
Not that this is a bad thing:D. I’m just hoping for #1) SPOTS!!!
and #2) a buyer who likes baroque type dressage horses with SPOTS!!!
I just think Fable is cute as a button…
Well, Kyzteke, dunno about Weltmeyer, but I’m the one looking for (another) dressage horse with spots. So, drop me a line when you get one if I haven’t made one by then–super mares, looking at Knabstruppers. (I was looking at buying your sound chestnut mare when I bought mine and you decided not to sell her.) I was looking at Pegasus because he is fewspot and I have solid mares. Because Fable is not a fewspot, I don’t know about the surity of getting spots.
Per those in the know, it’s 50% chance of spots from Fable. But Avalon is offering a 2 yr. LCF guarantee, so if it doesn’t work the first time, we get to try again!
Speaking of the other mare – you should see her Rosenthal filly (coming 2 yrs old) WOW – what a beauty!! I was going to keep her as a future broodmare, but decided I’m just too old…so I’m going to sell her.
Will be getting pics & vids in the next few weeks.
[QUOTE=Kyzteke;5620015]
Thanks Tasker – I guess I got the impression you had more Welties than you did based on some of your responses to threads about him.
I posted on the H/J forum as well, and it seems like Weltie is a dressage producer 95% of the time.
With the Batido/Bolero blood (and as I recall Bolero was known as a SERIOUS jump killer), I don’t think I can expect anything but a dressage prospect from the crossing.
Not that this is a bad thing:D. I’m just hoping for #1) SPOTS!!! and #2) a buyer who likes baroque type dressage horses with SPOTS!!!
I just think Fable is cute as a button…[/QUOTE]
Sorry for the confusion! We did a ton of research before taking the plunge on breeding to Weltmeyer, so all the ‘be sure you are up to dealing with a W’ come from having that same advice stressed to us over and over. And over.
Good luck and best wishes for a spotted baby!
I know and have owned a number of Weltmeyer offspring, grand-offspring and great-grand offspring. He is probably my favorite stallion of all time. I often hear of his difficult temperament, but in my experience I have not found them to be particularly easier or more difficult than any other bloodline. My favorite horse of all time was a mare by Wolkenstein II. She won everything in the open dressage division with me and then went on to be a successful para-dressage horse (that’s how quiet she was!) That said, I’m not sure that I would go out of my way looking for Weltmeyer blood in a hunter. There are a lot of other bloodlines that are much more reliable producers of jumper/hunter talent. Your mare sounds lovely, despite her rough start to life. Seems like a shame not to breed her for a dressage horse!
That could make for a very cool mix! you’ll have to keep us posted
I love WII as well. I bred this mare’s dam to him and she conceived TRIPLETS in one insemination. Lost the foal to a dystocia (breech); lovely filly.
One of the things I liked about WII is the Bolero blood; so I would have been linebreeding to him with that mare.
As for the Weltmeyer mare, I think the toughness of mind she got from her sire has been her saving grace through all the trials & tribulations she’s been through.
I’m embarrassed to admit this on a public BB, but in the days when she was suppose to be put down, I actually contacted an “animal communicator” to ask if the filly was ready to go. I just didn’t want her to suffer and wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing.
I’d spent ALOT of time with her, since her mother basically rejected her (imagine being locked in a 12 x 14ft stall 24/7 with this bouncing ball who keeps whacking you with a cast as she merrily tries to gallop circles in that tiny space) at age 2+ mos. And we’d been through so much together…I just couldn’t do it! So I just kept jamming pain meds into her while I tried to get the courage to go through with it!
Well, per the animal communicator, the answer was the one I knew in my heart was right just from spending time with this filly – “HELL, NO I don’t want to die!!!”
And it’s true – this mare really does do things her way and enjoys Life, but she’s not evil or bad…just…opinionated.:winkgrin: Always has to have the last word and she’s nobody’s victim. Tough, tough gal.
After she’d straightened out, I took her back to the vets at WSU for a follow-up. The vet who had offered to put her down for me (saying, “sorry, there is no more we can do for her…”) called the change in her leg “miraculous” and actually apologized to her for wanting to put her down!
The filly bit him!!! And she’s NEVER even offered to bit me.
See other than a $$-drain, she’s never been a problem for me – loads in the trailer great, LOVES her chow, loves her herd, and a joint supplement keeps her pretty comfortable. Giving her shots is a royal pain, but other than that…
As I mentioned, she wasn’t bred till she was 6 or 7 – every vet assured me it was a horrid idea, the pregnancy would be “too much for her” blah, blah – but again, Life took the choice right o/o my hands.
Some COTHers might recall the saga – three years ago my Akhal Teke stallion escaped in mid-March during a terrible ice storm and bred this mare ONE TIME. Went through 2 pastures and by-passed 2 other mares who were also in season that he SHOULD have bred, to nail this mare! Three feet of snow on the ground – of course she hadn’t been under lights – vet assured me the likelihood of her being pregnant was slim.
Of course she was – and the resulting palomino filly has some of the best legs I’ve seen. She looked like a little palomino Weltmeyer.
So I decided to give this mare a chance; and her 2011 filly foal by Schroeder also is very correct and can really move!
And I truly believe that this mare’s attitude is one of the things that keeps her going. She has a true “lust for life.”
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