What's your favorite breed?

[bort84]

Saddlebreds, hands down = ) I love the way they think, the way they look, the way they can move, and the way they interact with their people.

However, if I were trying to win the Olympics in dressage, I would probably choose a more purpose bred WB. I do quite like the DWB, but as someone mentioned, there is often a lot of mixing between “breeds” when it comes to most WB breeding, so I try not to discriminate, haha.

In my dream barn, I’d have a little bit of everything because there are often quite outstanding individuals from a variety of breeds. Currently I have a 15 hand appy that has taken to dressage like a fish to water. I’ve seen dressage horses of a variety of breeds that I would LOVE to have in my barn: arab, morgan, TB, QH, draft x, friesian, PRE, ASB, etc…

[paintlady]

@mypaintwattie;4540556

Paints:D

My horse will try anything, and does well in so many different arenas, and best of all she does it with a little flash of color! All of the paints I have worked with would do anything for you and had the gentlest dispositions.

A person after my own heart…

I love my little foundation bred QH/Paint mare even though she’ll never be a top dressage horse. She sure does try though and seems to enjoy it - even though she’d probably prefer to be herding cattle (she’s really good at it too).

If not a Paint, I would likely get either a Morgan or Fjord. I’m 5’8", but prefer the smaller, stockier breeds since I also enjoy trail riding (no fun trying to find a log or fiddle with stirrup leathers when mounting on the trail).

[2Horse]

Saddlebred!!!:D:yes:

[tabula_rashah]

Morgans have my heart forever and always!!! I can’t say enough about this breed and they are my fav hands down.

However, I am also currently in love with my husband’s Westfalen.

And if I had to pick some breeds to add to my wish list it would be: Saddlebred, Andalusian and Georgian Grande

[cgray0983]

1. Holsteiners (C lined)
2. ISH (also had a couple of these that were Cor de lined :P, current horse is RIDxTB)
3. And of course the TB

Based purely on the top three breeds I have owned - they were all pretty good horses, KWPN, Danish WB, Swedish, ASBs, Arabs, AQH, oh and we had a Hackney pony >.< …

[cloudyandcallie]

@sid;4541808

Well, as this has been posted on the Dressage Forum it’s kind of funny talking about “breeds”.

Because warmbloods have dominated in sport, it’s important to recognize that they are not a breed. A lovely “cocktail” from many breeding programs. They are a type.

Then… it comes down to figuring out which of European created warmbloods used which “breeds” provincially that created the type you like today.

The Dutch horses are the least amalgamized having captured the best of all provinces relatively late in the game to produce riding horses for sport. Clearly, they did a good job getting on the sport horse breeding scene.

Lots of TB blood in there (my heart still lies with the TB as one of the “base” ingredients in this cocktail.)

They were very good to very quickly find the best horses that others had bred Holland and Germany then “kick it up a knotch” by aggressive culling.

If I had to pick a wb that is closest to a breed type, I would probably say Holsteiner as it is a close to a breed now as any wb could be beside the TKs.

Even though I haven’t even owned one…:lol::lol: .

My stallion Boleem had a lot of Host as well as TK in him, as well as foundation TB stars that helped “make” the modern wb in him.

But I think that TK’s and Holts. are more true to a breed type than any other wb.

I’m speaking from a perspective of horse that are able to do
FEI most easily. Not necessarily talking about the horses I find the most fun to ride for “fun”.

Hard question to answer. Now talk to me about any other sport and I would pick them off very easily.

Bears repeating as people keep mistaking their registry WBs for “breeds.” None are purebred like our TBs. Holsteiners are more linebred but are still a registry, Traks are considered a breed. But all have lots of TB (and Arab) in them to make performance better. My WB has a DWB grandsire, and a “French Anglo Arabian TB” grandsire who became a Oldenburg when he moved to Germany and was graded into the Oldenburg stud, and some Holsteiners and War Relic as his humm 4x great grandsire, and of course some Arabs from that French AA TB guy, Inschallah.

But TBs are still my favorite, and KY TBs the best and smartest.

[Galadriel_Fefalas]

Irish Draught, I wanted to buy one but couldn’t find one for sale here [in Ireland] that wasn’t a pregnant mare, a mare with a foal at foot or a very expensive gelding!

[Boomer]

I love trakehner and swedish WB’s!

But then my mare is anglo-trak and her son is by a Swedish WB stallion… so I’m a tad biased!

[sm1]

American-bred TB and American-bred TB.
And to round out the line-up: TB.

[Holly_Jeanne]

Not biased but…

I’m not at all biased but I love my three Anglo-Traks! :lol: One is by Falke and the other two are by Hennessey.

[sid]

sm – :lol::lol::lol:

All my broodmares were TBs, that I bred to Shires first, then later to WB’s.

Gotta love 'em. Talk about althetes with heart.:yes::yes:

[oharabear]

[QUOTE=Gestalt;4541891]
In order of preference: 1) Standardbreds, 2) Thoroughbreds, 3) American Saddlebreds, 4) Arabians![/QUOTE]

Were we twins separated at birth??? :eek::eek::eek: :winkgrin:

I own a STB (LOVE him!), a TB (love her, too), and I just had to put my ASB to sleep 2 weeks ago. Used to have WBs and they never did much for me.

Although, I would have to say that Morgans and Arabs tie for 4th…

[RHdobes563]

“…I remember, was that here was the horse I had always wanted; here was all the symmetry and spirit which delights an artist’s eye, and with it the controlled vigor to please the rider. Then and there, it was the Morgan for me! I had seen all kinds of horses before—beautiful individuals of many breeds—but there was always something lacking in all of them. And whatever that illusive something was, I found it at last in the Morgan.”—Jeanne Mellin

I can’t say it better.

[Ridge_Runner]

I’m 100% in love with the Colonial Spanish horses. My oldest babies are of riding age now and being started so I’m hoping to have a blast riding, exhibiting and competing on them in the next few years. I enjoy helping to preserve a critically endangered breed also.

My second love is Connemaras. I’ve always loved them and they are much like my Colonial Spanish horses in size and looks…although for dressage, I don’t think they move as well, in general, as the Colonial Spanish ponies. My love of connies goes to my eventing days more than my dressage days I guess.

I’ve also always loved a good TB. I evented them for years and I get along with them well. I love their work ethic, their heart and their try.

[cheekyhorse]

[QUOTE=AZ Native;4541046]
cheeky, your boy is gorgeous !!

I’ve only dealt with only one, mine , a Happy Hour son that is a double on Erszand ’ E ’ . Except for the very first ride , I’ve done all of his training myself.I’d only ridden warmbloods a few times, so learning to ride the movement, esp. on an unbalanced youngster was interesting, but he was so easy and kind. I got him as a yearling and he is now 5. I just adore everything about him ! He is very willing and forward, but not at all hot or spooky.He’s made the breed my favorite,but I love my Arab and would consider another. I have a reining/cow bred AQHA that I love too, but if I had to choose only one to keep, it would be the TK or the Arab.Don’t make me pick ! :eek:
OP, I’m curious about the breeding of the TK’s that you didn’t like. I’m wondering if that makes any difference ?
Too, I started mine using Ray Hunt/ Buck Brannaman’s methods which seems to make it easy, regardless of breed, in my experience.:)[/QUOTE]

Thank you very much! I like to think so too, as does he! :lol:

[mojo7777]

Go TBs!

I’m on my third and will never have another breed. In addition to all the qualities everyone else has mentioned, I think they just have a special kind of beauty and nobility. Cool to hear that others like the Kentucky bred too…

[EqTrainer]

After all the horses over all the years, the TB’s are the ones who really stand out in my mind. Beautiful, intelligent, willing and did I say beautiful? I just don’t think there is any horse as beautiful as a TB. If all I could do was look at them, that’s what I’d want to see.

[billiebob]

Add me to the TB fanclub :D. I love their heart and their elegance. And I like my horses smart…even though I wish my TB wouldn’t pick up bad habits quite so quickly. It was all over once he figured out how to open his door; now he paws in his stall until I let him out. He also nickers when he sees or hears me, so it’s all good.

Paints are also cool little critters. The ones at our barn are very self-sufficient and aren’t bothered by really anything. They’re also full of try, try, try again.

I also like a good mutt!

[2boys]

Wow. I am pleasantly surprised at the popularity of tbs in dressage! Mine frequently amazes me with how fun he is to work with, so I get it. But I don’t have experience with a lot of the other breeds mentioned. I have to say, I tried for a looong time to get my quarter horse to do some semblance of dressage, and finally gave up. Conformation and soundness certainly played a huge role.

[Golden_Pony]

Well I guess I’ll be the first to put in my vote for the “Morgan” of Europe : HAFLINGER! And they really can do dressage, too!