Windsor Grey Horses, not a breed? Milford Haven, Sir Basil, Tyrone, Storm to pull wedding carriage.

[Color_of_Light]

Is it true they are not a breed and that any grey horse can be selected? The horse called Milford Haven. Hopefully they don’t call her or him Milf for short! Below it says they are not a breed and that any grey horse can be selected. I’d love to know more about this and how they are selected. Does anyone know? They certainly all look like they have similar traits to me. Does the queen do some breeding of this non-breed?

“The Carriage will be pulled by four Windsor Grey Horses, with a further two acting as outriders. The horses Plymouth and Londonderry will be the two outriders, and Milford Haven, Sir Basil, Tyrone and Storm will be the four pulling the carriage.”
https://www.royal.uk/find-out-more-a…-royal-wedding

“The Windsor Greys are not a particular breed, but rather any grey (or gray, for us funny-spelling Americans) that is specifically bred and subsequently selected by the Royals to join the official ranks. Their selection is based primarily on temperament and appearance, as their singular duty is pulling or accompanying the Queen’s Coach. The horses are saddle trained before they are carriage trained, and should you ever feel like taking a walk in St. James’s Park at around five in the morning, you may see the Greys getting an early morning hack in downtown London.”
http://www.horsenation.com/2012/04/0…ns-royal-mews/

[skydy]

No they are not a specific breed. The “Windsor Greys” are mentioned briefly by the Queen as being more difficult to breed, since color is a requirement as well as the usual need for temperament and good conformation.

She speaks of this in an interesting documentary about her ceremonial horses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOqHd__7XPk

[Color_of_Light]

@skydy

No they are not a specific breed. The “Windsor Greys” are mentioned briefly by the Queen as being more difficult to breed, since color is a requirement as well as the usual need for temperament and good conformation.

She speaks of this in an interesting documentary about her ceremonial horses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOqHd__7XPk

That was interesting! Thanks skydy!

If temperament can be bred in and out, if conformational traits can be bred in and out, and if color breeds can be bred, then I wonder why they can’t breed for all three? If they are able to select any grey horse, it would seem that certain “breeds” that have grey individuals would come to the forefront. I’m thinking these horses look like some type of warmblood or wb cross.

It looks like they’ve been dealing with grey horses for a long time. I thought I did see recent film of a horse who I believe is being used to pull the carriage (or was it just an example of the breed and the horse was being used to show the media?), and it was mentioned that the horse was a son of another horse. Did anyone see that?

[skydy]

You’re welcome.:yes:

I thought it was an interesting program. They did say that most of their carriage horses are bred from Cleveland Bay stallions and Dutch or German mares. Perhaps that is the reason she said they have a more difficult time breeding suitable greys? She didn’t elaborate on the breeding of the greys.

The Queen has an avid interest, and “hands on” involvement in the breeding programs, both of her ceremonial horses and of her TB racehorses, and has for many decades. She would personally have known not only the sires and dams, but the grand, and great grand sires and dams of many of her current horses.

[skydy]

You’re welcome. I thought it was an interesting program.

The Queen said that they most often used Cleveland Bay stallions and Dutch or German mares. That may explain the difficulty in producing the suitable greys, though she didn’t elaborate.

She has had an avid interest in breeding both the ceremonial horses, and her TB racing stock for many decades.
I don’t doubt that she has personally known not only the sire and dam, but the grand sires and great grand sires and dams of many of her current ceremonial horses.

[Foxtrot_s]

That could well be the modern breeding, but it seems to me they are like what is known as a middle weight hunter in Britain, (not the American show hunter). The RCMP now use a rotation of Hannovarian stallions and in recent years
the ride is more uniform in height, style and paces than it used to be.

[Willesdon]

In the 1920s the Windsor Grey replaced the royal Cream Hannovarians. The new German royals in the 18th century brought with them some very special Hannovarian coach horses of an exceptional and rare colour which continued to be bred by the royal family, specifically for state occasions, for 200 years. By the 1920s they had become so inbred, with such a limited gene pool, that the practise was discontinued. The greys replaced them. The greys are bred using a mixture of Irish, WB and British blood. I did once meet someone who was searching the royal harness for any remaining hair to do a DNA test to learn more about the creams but I suspect that was fruitless since the standards of tack cleaning at the Royal News is exceptional!

[demidq]

Damn- the youtube video is not available for viewing in Canada!

[Hopeless]

@skydy

No they are not a specific breed. The “Windsor Greys” are mentioned briefly by the Queen as being more difficult to breed, since color is a requirement as well as the usual need for temperament and good conformation.

She speaks of this in an interesting documentary about her ceremonial horses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOqHd__7XPk

Oh thank you so much for sharing this!

[skydy]

@Hopeless

Oh thank you so much for sharing this!

You’re welcome! I thought it was interesting.

Here;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgKbugQioyI is a documentary about the process of becoming a member of the Royal Household Cavalry.

The horsey bits are interspersed with the military parts. I skipped through the combat training parts and watched the horsey bits.

[chaserider]

Thanks for the link.

Does anyone know if they use drilltec or anything on the shoes to keep from slipping on pavement?

[skydy]

@demidq

Damn- the youtube video is not available for viewing in Canada!

I wonder why? It makes no sense that it would not be available in Canada. Are you able to watch the link in post #9?
Does anyone know a way around that problem, so that demidq can watch?

I am not in the least bit computer literate but I know some members here are quite good, perhaps a PM to demidq from a good sport?

[Cardboardoux]

I can watch it and I am in Norway?

[demidq]

The “block” says that the video “contains content form SME who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds”. Not sure who or what SME is, and why it would violate copyright to show it in Canada!

[Willesdon]

Chaserider, the farriers use borium tips on the shoes to deal with the constant road work. There is a team of army farriers based with the Household Cavalry who look after the Royal Mews too.

[Raine]

I believe several/many of the Windsor Greys are Irish Draughts. Grey is a very common color in that breed. I read that a stallion called Connaught Grey was the sire of one of the carriage pullers and that the Queen used him on a number of her mares to sire Windsor Greys.