[QUOTE=Equino;4676937]
Also, those popular Labradoodles Rugbug loves so much (I kid, I kid!), those breeders are known for culling the puppies born without the desirable coats in hopes of creating a new breed. One day they may be successful in producing a new breed. That is basically how Boarder Collies came about-from “Collie Dogs” who herded the best.[/QUOTE]
OK, OK I know it’s really off-topic but i have to chime in here. You could not have picked a more controversial breed to use in your example. If you really want to see knock down and drag out forum fights that put the mild bickering here to shame then look up some of the AKC/ISDS/ABCA Border Collie discussions. The ABCA fought long and hard to prevent the AKC from including the Border Collie, and lost. They will not register any dog that has a conformation title in it’s pedigree and will de-register one if it acquires it after the fact. The ISDS will not accept a dog based solely on its AKC registry. Effectively the breed has been split in two both in type and nearly in genetics. Some breeders maintain all 3 registries but if the dog or it’s ancestors get a conformation title… there goes the ISDS and ABCA registry.
The ISDS hosts the largest and most prestigious sheep herding trials and promotes the working dog. The AKC cares only for conformation (they have some small herding trials but nothing in comparison) and consistency and are quickly losing the working ability in their dogs. They are distainfully called “Barbie Collies” by the working dog afficianados and it goes the other way with distain for the wide range in the visual apppearance of the working dog and calling it “not a breed because there is too much variation”. But I don’t care if it’s a 25 lb smooth coated tri or a 50 lb long haired red, if it works like a Border Collie and moves like a Border Collie, it is one. There is no mistaking that crouch and intensity, and the “eye” that is so prized. The big, beautiful, fluffy, dome-headed dogs that the AKC is promoting that have soft eyes and little herding instinct are the same breed in name only. Not to say they aren’t sweet, loving, beautiful family dogs, but they are not the same animal.
But this really does pertain to the AQHA. The halter classes have produced what some consider a beautiful, uniform animal, and others deem as useless in function… but there are animals being bred for performance and the smart breeder and buyer knows the difference. I personally think that the AQHA registry is large enough for everybody to have their niche and get along. If you don’t like the 7/8 TB hunters then don’t buy them, don’t show hunters where they excel. Stick to the classes the foundation type horses excel in and buy from those breeders. We can all play nice.
To the OP, there are QHs doing well in hunters, as many have pointed out. The breed is evolving so that they are getting even better at hunters, but they are still overcoming the traits that the QH was originally bred for. A nice, up-hill, long strided animal with a beautiful natural jump makes the rider’s job easy. Packaging a long-backed, downhill horse, and trying to stretch a shorter stride to it’s max to make a line just makes it harder. No one’s saying there aren’t great QH hunters, but if you’re looking for a horse to do well at 3’ plus, there are other breeds who have been bred with the qualities to do that exceptionally well for much longer and the QHs that do excel are the ones that got the peculiar mix of genetics that make them look and function so much like the other breeds.
But that being said, you asked about fox hunting, and QHs are GREAT at that. They have wonderful minds which is your #1 priority in the field. They have a great jump. There are no “lines” in hunting so it doesn’t matter if your horse can’t comfortably canter a 12’ stride. An athletic QH of good conformation can easily do a 2’6"-3’ coop. You do want to look for a horse that is as balanced as possible, which usually means level or uphill. You don’t want a horse heavy and clumsy on the forehand while galloping down a steep stretch of road, or through trappy footing. Look for one of medium to lighter build for the endurance. You don’t want a big muscle-bound horse that won’t be able to last the day. I’d say any of the QHs you see in the 3’ AQHA classes have the potential to make fabulous fox hunters.
Our hunt is at least 3/4 paints, a few full TBs, a couple Arabs, a couple QHs and several draft crosses. Your best place to find a fox hunter is through word of mouth or FOL. Even the most level-headed show horse can lose it in a field of galloping horses and 50 dashing, speaking fox hounds!
