I have a cross and need to chose the primary breed that will come up when buyers search. Which breed is the better choice when listing a hunt horse for sale: Shire or Thoroughbred? Does it really matter? Dare I ask how the hunt horse market is doing?
Thanks!
If it’s for Dreamhorse.com, or something like that…
the potential buyer can narrow the search by discipline to “Foxhunting”, I’m pretty sure.
Is it possible to cross list the horse, under Shire, and then TB?
If not, I would go with Shire.
Good luck!
Go with whichever is more prevalent in the horse. I have a 3/4 TB, so I always say TB Cross NOT Draft Cross.
Also depends on the hunting the horse is capable of and what type he’s done. the 3/4 TB that I have acts more like a TB and most can’t tell he’s got Draft in him. Around here, DraftX’s are desirable, but not the really clunky ones. I always go with TB Cross as the breed listing and add the Draft part in as “secondary” breed.
I actually do think it matters, because it really will decide what kind of responses you get.
As for the market, for a nice, seasoned horse, it’s pretty good. We’ve got several lined up to come look at ours.
Depends what sort of horse he is. Is he a steady eddie who will look after a rider? Then list shire first. A hothead who likes to be first flight? Then list TB first.
I think there is more distinction that this. Mine’s about as steady as they come NOT a hothead and I list the TB first. But that’s because he’s got the scope and looks of a TB. I think there is MUCH more inbetween and they don’t have to be “hothead” to like to go first flight.
Sorry- I wasn’t trying to offend anyone. I have TBs myself. 
I just just being REALLY general. Guess too general, oops…
I just think that someone looking for a horse to take care of them won’t look at TB’s first, you know? And someone one looking to hunt seriously won’t be looking first for a shire.
The other way round though? Heck yes.
I agree. If you are listing on Dreamhorse etc…you can do a discipline search. Not to mention I am pretty sure you can do a search specifically for TBX as well.
FWIW, I own a TBX that is actually registered APHA breeding stock. However, if he were ever to be listed for sale (which he won’t be:winkgrin:) I would list him as TBX or TB as the primary breed. Simply for the same reasons SteeleRdr mentions; he looks far more TB than Paint. I’d hate to attract people looking for a shorter, stocky, working type Paint horse only to find out my guy is nothing of the sort!
Thanks for the replies. He is 1/2 draft and 1/2 TB. It is obvious he is 1/2 draft but he does go first flight. I chose fox hunter as his profession. Hopefully that will be enough to attract buyers.
Why not make two adds- make one listing him draft first, and then make one listing him tB first- get double the coverage, and see which one gets you a sale faster…
one of my soapboxes!
Just an editorial comment here and one of my soapboxes…ever notice how many of the draft crosses ARE listed as Tb/draft crosses when they are really other draft crosses so they’ll sell better?. Most often they are qh/draft crosses or paint/draft crosses or someother breed/draft crosses. In our area; apparently some folks feel only Tb’s are the most desirable crosses and in reality there aren’t that many out there. Most pmu’s for example are qh crosses NOT Tb’s! I’m also seeing black percherons being marketed as Friesians for crying out loud! Friesian crosses!! sheeeesh!!!
[QUOTE=wateryglen;3173926]
Just an editorial comment here and one of my soapboxes…ever notice how many of the draft crosses ARE listed as Tb/draft crosses when they are really other draft crosses so they’ll sell better?. Most often they are qh/draft crosses or paint/draft crosses or someother breed/draft crosses. In our area; apparently some folks feel only Tb’s are the most desirable crosses and in reality there aren’t that many out there. Most pmu’s for example are qh crosses NOT Tb’s! I’m also seeing black percherons being marketed as Friesians for crying out loud! Friesian crosses!! sheeeesh!!![/QUOTE]
Agreed. I saw a “Belgium Warmblood” the other day. Look like a pure BELGIAN to me.
Thankfully I know my guy (who yes, came from a PMU farm) is 3/4 TB, his dad was full TB and mom was half.
Most of the PMU’s that are actually purchased (not “rescued”) are TB. Most farms in Canada are using TB stallions and “drafty” mares (aka Heinz 57).
Which breed to list first?
Whichever is more expensive.
I breed Percheron sport horses and when I list them for sale I generally put Percheron first since that’s what the sire is and then either X if it’s a heinz 57 mare or whatever the breed may be, paint, TB or what have you. The sale site I use… you can list up to three breeds, I believe. Primary and so forth.
W/ your guy being more TB than draft, then it would make sense to put him as a TB/ShireX as his sire is also a TB. IMHO, of course.
I always thought it a shame that the on-line sales places like Dreamhorse will list 65 types of mustangs, but limit you to “draft cross” without dividing them into the main types Belgian Percheron Shire Clydesdale crossed with Thorobred Quarter Horse Hackney
Personally, I’d be inclined to list as Draft Cross with Tbd as 2ndary since a lot of fox hunters are looking for draft crosses now
my 2 cents!
SteeleRdr - I don’t think you’re right about them being primarily tb crosses. I think they are being “marketed” as tb crosses to make them more sellable to us in the US. I’ve been involved in Canadian pmu’s for several years now but mostly with western canada farms where there’s usually draft stallions with grade/paint or most often qh mares. Their qh’s are foundation stock types and fabulous animals IMHO. When there are tb’s involved is usually as a stud as the draft mares produce more urine and have the temperments to take that lifestyle. My 3 fillies are the spitting images of their qh mares for the most part. Mind you I’d love a 3/4 tb/qh/whatever as I think that makes the best fieldhunter if the buyer wants a warmer blooded horse.
I think you should market for the market you want to attract! List the one first that will get you the buyer you are looking for. I doubt the horse will take it personally! :winkgrin:
I wanna know whether we should list the pmu draft cross as some kind of Canadian _____________!! Like “Lovely Canadian Perchaloosa, 16h, 4yo , green broke, black with white star, does everything, tolerates the cold really, really well!”…I love those Canadian draft crosses! You COULD try …Thoropaint, Painteron, QuarterPerch, Thorcheron, Thoroclyde but I digress…I’ve seen these especially the “Thorcheron”!!!
I think it depends on what kind of farms you’re dealing with. The farm that I bought mine from uses only TB stallions now, and most of the mares are TB crosses. The other farms that I have bookmarked as possible sources in the future are also using TB stallions. There are definitely farms with qh or paint draft crosses, but they say so right on their farm webpages and aren’t representing the foals as anything else, that I can see, unless there are a bunch of farms that are not NAERIC affiliated that I don’t know about, LOL. And of course plenty breeding plain stock horses with no draft whatsoever.
In any case, I long ago decided my horse would be a “Saskatchewarmblood” if I ever had to market him. Which I won’t, because he’s the best horse ever. hehe.
Well I respectfully disagree. I know for a fact of several legitimate farms that are mostly have only TB stallions. Particularly the farm that I got my two from, my farrier got his from, AND it’s the same farm caffeinated got hers from. There are also other farms that do, but I will echo caffeinated’s remarks about the non-misrepresentation. The farms that I deal with regarding the PMU types are honest about the crosses. Anyways, I’ll just put up a link for an example.
Most of the foals are 50% TB, and they have brought more and more “lighter” mares in to create a more marketable foal.
I think a lot depends on what’s most popular in your area. I know a lot of people who like draft crosses for hunting because they have a big, solid feel and can go all day, but I know equally as many people who despise them for hunting because they can be really hard to get and keep in shape. But as others have said - listing first whichever one he most resembles is a great idea.
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