Advice needed - X breeding Shire & Percheron with TB.

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gallan

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Am interested in any opinions on crossing Shire and Percheron mares with Thoroughbred stallions. The aim would be to breed quality show hunter types. Also any suggestions for suitable stallions. Thanks.
 
I don't know of any over here but the Percheron x TB or WB is highly sought after in the USA as decent fox hunting horses and are popular for their ridden work along with trainability
 
In the 1990's before I had my own place and 'too many horses!!', I kept my horses at livery in Pangbourne, Berks. the farmer had a fabulous strawberry roan middle weight hunter.

When I asked what it was, he told me a friend had bought him in France, where they had tall Arabians, the sire was an Arab the dam a Percheron.

So I went in search of a tall Arabian and found the tallest, min breed standard 15.2hh, was the Shagya. Off we went to Hungary, to the National Stud and bought two, as you do.

Anyway we breed Shagya's and Clevelands are have on cross of the two.

My answer to you is I think it works.
 
gallan said:
Am interested in any opinions on crossing Shire and Percheron mares with Thoroughbred stallions. The aim would be to breed quality show hunter types. Also any suggestions for suitable stallions. Thanks.
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VERY hit and miss! I had a TB x Percheron mare - big hefty mare, too light of bone for her size. Short neck, big head. She had her strengths - but she was never going to win a beauty class! Put to a quality sport horse stallion she produced one of the ugliest horses I've seen! Put to a good big Irish Draught she produced a foal who was a much better weight carrier with plenty of bone, but still no show horse!

I've seen some nice TBxShires but again - none of them were 'quality show hunter types' - more good workers! When you cross extreme 'types', it's a throw the dice job! You MIGHT get the best of both breeds - but you can JUST as easily get the worst!
 
The stud my friend got her shire x TB from bred them for the police and for hunting. They'd use the best of the 50/50 crosses as broodmares and then put them to TB stallions (of a substantial NH stamp). My friend's horse was a very nice 3/4 TB 1/4 shire. He was somewhere in between a riding horse and a show hunter stamp and did OK at county level, with his only real drawback being that he was a bit in between types so it depended on the judge's preference as to how well he did and whether the judge would say that he should have been in the other class.

There are a lot of unwanted horses being bred though, so it's not as simple as 'cross x breed with y breed to get z' - whether the cross works will depend on the individual sire and dam and whether they suit each other. Take care not to flood the saturated market.
 
EstherYoung said:
The stud my friend got her shire x TB from bred them for the police and for hunting. They'd use the best of the 50/50 crosses as broodmares and then put them to TB stallions (of a substantial NH stamp). My friend's horse was a very nice 3/4 TB 1/4 shire. He was somewhere in between a riding horse and a show hunter stamp and did OK at county level, with his only real drawback being that he was a bit in between types so it depended on the judge's preference as to how well he did and whether the judge would say that he should have been in the other class.

There are a lot of unwanted horses being bred though, so it's not as simple as 'cross x breed with y breed to get z' - whether the cross works will depend on the individual sire and dam and whether they suit each other. Take care not to flood the saturated market.
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My little 2 year ols is a shire x TB can't wait for him to be backed now reading these comments he is such a lovely boy in temprament .
 
Theres a Percheron x TB, Clantara Shadow Play, thats one of the top show/maxi cobs in the country right now :) Im sure hes by a friends stallion Bollin Terry out of a percheron mare :)
 
Percheron x PRE (Andalusian) produces the Spanish-Norman which is a very good looking horse. The two breeds really seem to click. I've also seen some lovely Shire x TB's.
 
My shire x's - agree that's its hit and miss, some very 'interesting' shapes when i was looking!

Jerry, out of shire mare 18.2 (ish!) long backed, cow hocked and pigeon toed - but i love him :)
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Devon - 2 year that i lost 18 months ago, out of shire mare.
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And Finn - out of shire mare but by light weight WB

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Finn and Devon both short backed and good confo to my very uneducated eye - all have have been easy going lovely horses, easy and intelligent to train
 
Remember one shire/tb cross that I was given as a schooling project over 20 years ago (How old am I?!!!) He looked like a shire, until you sat on him, but jupiter was as narrow as a plank!!!
Aimiable, but everything happened in slow motion....including somehow the flight of a jump!!!!!
 
I adore Percheron and shire crosses but I will admit shire/tb does seem to be quite and inconsistant mix in the first cross. All the 50/50 shire/tbs I've met have been wonderful "people," one was even a very talented dressage horse and another a fabulous driving horse, but probs half of them have not been classically good looking....

As for percherons I have fallen in love with them and I would love to have a couple of mares to ride and drive and put to a TB stallion. I even know what stallion I would use :p Now all I need is a lottery win :D
 
I have a lovely Percheron X WB, he is 18 next year and is fantastic in every way!
He had super confirmation, and temperament to die for!
I love these crosses, but again, anything you breed can be a hit or miss.
Good luck!
 
HumBugsey said:
I adore Percheron and shire crosses but I will admit shire/tb does seem to be quite and inconsistant mix in the first cross. All the 50/50 shire/tbs I've met have been wonderful "people," one was even a very talented dressage horse and another a fabulous driving horse, but probs half of them have not been classically good looking....

As for percherons I have fallen in love with them and I would love to have a couple of mares to ride and drive and put to a TB stallion. I even know what stallion I would use :p Now all I need is a lottery win :D
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Go on tell me which stallion!
 
My yearling by Vanner stallion out of pure Shire Mare.
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and heavyweight cob by RID out of Clydesdale mare.

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The yearling is a kind and gormless, at present, baby. The cob has an IQ off the scale, thankfully she is on side.
 
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I agree with Janet George, the outcome is a lottery. I know three Shire x TB, all owned by the same lady. Two are gallumphing great things, massive knees, big heads, but very honest, and the third is a very attractive mare which would show nicely as a hunter.

Unless you are breeding for yourself I really wouldn't gamble on it, you may get something which isn't very salable, and as others have said, the market is already over saturated :0(
 
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