In a few years I’ll be retiring from the Navy. 21 years of service. As a parting gift to myself I’m going to finally buy the Warmblood of my dreams! I know the lines I love, Negro, Fuerst Romancier, Lord Leatherdale, Fuerstenball. But what are your favorite lines that are amateur friendly? What do you love most about them?
Do your research on hereditary DSLD in certain warmblood lines.
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The R line (Rubinstein, Rohdiamant being one of the most prevalent among his sons you’ll see descendants by these days, although Rotspon & sons are very popular in North America) are notoriously user-friendly. They may not have the jaw-dropping natural “excellence” that some other lines have (Jazz comes to mind - think of the stallions whose offspring populate the foal auctions or young horse classes, there are a few that really stand out) but what the R line has going for it is often a very mechanically correct hind end, relaxation over the topline, and a great brain.
I find myself very impressed with Belissimo M’s offspring as well, though they are often a little harder to find than just “r line horses”. The one I know personally has a brain that absolutely cannot be beat. She is so gentle to handle and ride, and will very much put herself out there to try to please her handler. (On the bigger picture, Belissimo’s really a stallion that stands up on his own efforts though - his accolades sort of speak for themselves, both his individual performance & what the horses he’s sired have done.)
D-line horses also have a pretty good reputation for AA friendly - and if you are in the US, Don Principe is a good example of a horse that has had a very long career (sound as well), and is often used by breeders who want a good temperament/ridability.
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My trainer really loves Lord Leatherdale both for performance and for temperment.
OP - I took the advice of getting an “R” line 2 year old, and she was very nice over her topline/hind end, however, she was not amateur friendly and bucked like a demon. I spent a lot looking for physical causes for her behavior, and then learned that her dam (“L” line) had landed in a broodmare string because she was bucking people off left and right. Hindsight being 20/20, she was also exceptionally sensitive about being introduced to clippers, and to a lesser extent, hosing.
So IDK if you are planning to buy an unstarted horse, but I don’t think I’ll buy another unstarted horse out of an unproven mare. It was an expensive and painful lesson.
Now I have a coming 3 year old that is D-line on top (Don Deluxe (DeNiro) and W on the bottom (Weltmeyer mare), and I think she is easier than my R mare. Their energy levels are probably about the same, but this girl’s reactivity and sensitivity to touch is less (even though she is sensitive). She can be stubborn, but I feel like most experienced amateurs can deal with that better than the explosive over-reactivity type of challenges.
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While I totally agree with this, so many people refuse to name names any time DSLD comes up in online conversation so how exactly does one do that sort of research?
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I second Belissimo - M 
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I third Belissimo - M - own a fantastic son of his!!
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As far as DSLD - there is no DSLD gene, no genetic test, and diagnosis is not very certain except for postmortem. And it occurs in TB’s as well as WB’s - in fact is suspected in many different breeds. Not much research except for Paso Finos which may not be what other horses are affected with. So since the mechanism is not entirely understood at this point - trying to recognize certain bloodlines is not that accurate. There are long pasterns, soft pasterns and DSLD. They don’t necessarily all go together. A horse can have one of the above, two of the above or all three but only the first two are easily recognized.
So the best thing is to look at the horse in front of you. Did its sire and dam have a long career? Siblings? If something looks wonky then pass on it and keep looking.
Anything by Anrietto. I’ve owned 2 and have seen another. Each one had absolutely the best AA friendly mind.
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I have a young R line mare - by Rosenthal - fabulous mind. She was easy to start, has a lovely active hind leg,
nice gaits that an amateur can ride, and a friendly willing attitude. I love her. I think there can be “a bad apple” in
any barrel, but for the most part, the R line horses have a much deserved good reputation.
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What kind of temperament do you want?
My youngster has what I think of as one of the best ammy friendly temperaments I’ve ever met. I refer to her hottest days as a new category of “JJ hot” when she doesn’t quite know how to use her excess energy, and her “spooks” may involve an actual head turn or 2-3 quickened steps instead of her mellow day ear flick which is her typical “spook.” However, she’s an energetic and forward moving big mover - which would scare a lot of ammy’s off. And if you hold her, you get the flinging front legs people see as so dramatic but also know is not correct. However, she takes all of life in stride. When you correct her for something her reaction is, “oh, ok, don’t do that… got it!” She’s so nonchalant about things babies are supposed to mind. And I have no doubt that even on my own I could train her up the levels because she’s just born to do it even with a fumbling amateur on board. In her case, the Jazz just gives the great hind end, not temperamental - though she’s very sensitive and responsive, which I want in a horse.
She’s not breeding you’ll typically see listed as amateur friendly, and her two full siblings aren’t as amateur friendly - they are by UB40 out of a Contango mare. I will likely work in some of the solid Hanoverian lines - R, D, or F, if/when I breed her. I haven’t started researching yet to hear which crosses have typically worked out well. I’m absolutely in love with a friend’s F-line (Floriscount) gelding who she’s told me has as great a brain as he comes across at shows. Note that this means the horse also has Donnerhall and Weltmeyer in there, and if I remember correctly goes to Rubinstein on the dam’s side. So those main Hanoverian lines which you see over and over all show up.
Is this for strictly dressage or eventing? Your other posts suggest you event.
I’m not going to suggest a blood line; however, it sounds like you have a decent budget so instead of looking for a blood line or even a breed, look for a horse that suits you, your level of riding and discipline.
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I agree – but, maybe, it’s better to name those lines. I get wanting to stay professional but withholding names doesn’t do readers any favors and the hush-hush mentality is part of the reason why so few people know about which bloodlines might have the disease.
At the same time, it’s hard to know for certain if the disease came from specific stallions, because we do not have a genetic test for the disease yet. It could come from the mother, too.
Since it was mentioned up thread, I’ll contribute what I have learned and name the two currently standing stallions that I have seen, have multiple offspring with EPSA/DSLD confirmed via nuchal ligament biopsy. Whether or not those stallions are passing on DSLD, I cannot say. It’s my opinion this is a very complex disease, and I think both parents play a factor in its inheritance.
Bugatti Hilltop
Furstenball
But both of these stallions are incredible and have lots of very successful offspring… and every horse has a mother. The two stallions above certainly should be remembered for all the good things they bring to the table, not just the bad. Until we have a definitive test besides the nuchal ligament biopsy, it’s hard to know if the disease came from the sire or the mother (or both) unless you find multiple offspring by those stallions, that have all had the nuchal ligament biopsy.
There are many more I suspect, but I do not think it is fair to label them until confirmed NLBs pop up. And even then, without knowing the mother, it’s difficult to say whether the disease came from one, or both.
The other thing is, you cannot diagnose DSLD by visuals alone. Many older WBs have dropped fetlocks and it has little to do with EPSA/DSLD. And then there is fetlock laxity which is being bred in these horses (IE, Furstenball) and it can be very difficult to gauge if the fetlocks being so soft is from the disease or simply from breeding selectively for it. And the only way to DDX is by Nuchal Ligament Biopsy and I can completely understand why stallion owners are hesitant to test their stallions with this test - it is invasive, and takes months to heal.
The other problem with the disease, is that so many times, the horse is asymptomatic until they are in their teens. This is a big problem when looking at breeding, because many stallions are standing or collecting by the time they are five. So it’s really hard to blame the breeders for standing a stallion or covering a mare with this disease, because A. the horse is asymptomatic and B. there’s no genetic test yet. What breeders are culpable for, is covering up or hiding information when they are approached by owners with their horse’s offspring, that have the disease. That, to me, is a worse problem - because there is a bit of denial in this circle that a specific horse is possibly passing on a genetic disease. Of course, if they admit they are standing a stallion or covering a mare that has this disease, that puts their livelihood and reputation at jeopardy…
So one understands why this is not more widely discussed - even if one does not agree with it.
As far as OP’s question - anything R lined would be my suggestion, since they tend to be wonderful in temperament, and have good, quality basic gaits that are competitive enough to win but are not exorbitant. Belissimo M was suggested too and I have to second him. Very nice horse, that makes very nice offspring.
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beowulf - thanks for sharing that! I only know of one horse who was tested and don’t know it’s bloodlines, so can’t share that here.
I do agree about R line seeming to be universally pretty great in temperament - all Rubignons I’ve known for one.
Another vote for Belissimo
i am currently an eventer, but this horse would be for purely dressage.
