Would you breed to a draft cross?

[mareslave]

I would only breed a TB to a draft cross and live with the knowledge that the foal could never be approved in any warmblood book and barred from most mare books also.

I would never breed a registered warmblood mare to a draft cross. I might breed a draft cross mare to a warmblood stallion for a baby only acceptable in an auxillary book (possibly acceptable).

If the stallion owner has been dishonest, you might end up infecting your mare with some disease and that would be a tragedy for a sandro hit dtr. You might also be getting a lot of nasty genes for shivers, wobblers, navicular, ocd, tie-ing up and cushings.

I implore you to go buy the baby you wish you had instead of breeding to the stallion down the road (er…aisle).

[Kenike]

[QUOTE=DownYonder;6769936]
And I will hazard a guess that the “horse or pony in the corner” is the companion of the draft stallion in question. And maybe he isn’t so quiet and mannerly when his companion is out of sight…[/QUOTE]

That was my initial thought too (babysitter down there??)

The stallion looked off, especially in the L-R half-pass, and definitely short strides with choppy, non-elastic gaits. I’ll give that the bouncy, kick-kick-kicky rider may have given the illusion of a slightly lame horse, but the gaits and stride can’t really be fixed.

He’d make a decent gelding for someone. And I sure as daylights wouldn’t breed anything to him. Frankly, given the description, I wouldn’t breed the mare, either.

[Ibex]

A friend recently bought a stunning Draft X baby. Sire was a TB, Mom was a TB/Perch cross. Incredibly athletic, amazing temperament. Now, keep in mind both Dad and Maternal Grandad were GP jumpers… which this one, well, is not…

[JWB]

I understand wanting to breed for an amateur temperment, but why do people assume that also means non-athletic. Breeding is such a crap-shoot as it is. Even breeding the best to the best, you are likely to get some mediocre foals.

If you start out shooting for mediocre, what are you going to get when that misses the mark?

I’m not saying that cross breeding is a bad idea. I think a NICE draft cross definitely has a place and a purpose. This draft cross is not one that I would use though.

My husband shows dogs. For years we had it drilled into our heads that all dogs must be championship line bred, pure breeds only, and that producing pet quality dogs is just plain irresponsible. I’m into dog sport, and these days I’m using hybrids (fancy term for a purposely bred mutt) because I’ve realized that sometimes (frequently) the cross will give me an animal that is better suited to my needs than one of an established breed.

That being said, I don’t do it myself. I get my puppies from sport breeders who KNOW what they are doing, from established sport lines. I still think the idea of breeding for pet homes is ridiculous. There are pounds full of pets, and most people breeding for the conformation ring are going to produce some “pet quality” dogs from their champions anyhow.

The same goes for sport horse breeding. I don’t think any responsible breeder should go in saying “gee, I hope I get a really quiet foal that only has the scope for 2’9 or 2nd level.” There are plenty of stallions out there with GOOD personalities that can also jump around a big course, or have nice enough movement to do dressage competitively at the upper levels.

There are TONS of fantastic mares on the free breeding lease forum. You can get a fantastic stallion’s stud fee for <$1000 using service auctions and such. You might as well attempt to produce a really nice baby, because it’s going to cost just as much to raise as a lower level prospect.

With a well bred youngster, if you miss your mark and don’t get a superstar, you should at least get “pretty good.” What have you got if you shoot for “pretty good” and don’t get what you hoped for?

[stoicfish]

[QUOTE=classicsporthorses;6769835]
JuperFyre if you look at todays Modern WB bloodlines, they are all “mutts” and many are sadly way to inbred, just as our TB and QH lines have gotten over the years.[/QUOTE]

Not sure what your definition of mutt is but 300 years of selective breeding with a goal in mind is hardly a mutt. The genetics is actually quite concise as in limited to a group. And as far a line breeding…it is a hallmark of any successful breeding program. The Morgan is also based on it as well the Arab as well as…any animal that is a purebred as consolidating genetics is how you create a purebred…
The term inbred is used by people with a limited understanding of genetics.

[chisamba]

There are some really nice hanoverian stallions that have proven to have a stamp for good disposition and lovely canter. Perhaps some of them run a little under the radar, but i would not waste a mare of your breeding on a hybrid, as the genetic variability is too great.

If you are fascinated by drafts, and wish to breed to one, you would do better to breed to a pure draft with the qualities that you prefer. It used to be an accepted theory, that the F1 generation is the best when out crossing. It is much mroe difficult to “fix” characteristics in the F2 generation, unless you breed like to like.