Any heavy horse owners out there...

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karenjj

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Hi, I acquired an 18month old Percheron gelding about 3 months ago from someone who rescued him from a slaughterhouse in France. He is already 16.3hh and in an extra full headcollar. He has the best nature and is really gentle and was great with the farrier. I have a tbx and a new forest other than him and so have no real experience with his breed. I looked on the Percheron society webiste as I'd love to do some showing or something with him but the main person in my area is never there and I've left lots of messages! I was wondering what things I should be doing with him now, walking him out in hand? Introducing him to the bit? Are heavy horses that much different?How do you get into the world of showing heavy horses? Any tips or experiences would be brilliant! Thanks
 
I dont own a heavy horse, but the few I have done stuff with like ride and I used to show a full shire. They are not very different, just bigger! (so watch your toes!)
I would see how he responds to a bit, and bridle on (maybe not the reins and just let him wander round the school in it etc to go used to it!)
If he is ok with that try the reins on and walking with him etc.
Does he walk ok with you in his head collar?
Generaly the heavy breeds are chilled out and nice to be around and work with, so Id think you will be fine, and I am veyr jealous!
Got any pictures?
 
We have two baby percheron's, a brabant x boulanais (also bred for meat but some idiot imported him) and a 3/4 shire. As we're a charity and usually buy something with a "history" my words of wisdom are:

Teach them manners! Early and firm. You can't afford to mess about with the big lads. If your lucky enough to have one who doesn't know how big he is then great but you just can't afford to skimp on the manners training, acctual work, or groundword, or even basic leading. For the next few years your baby is going to be very unbalanced, make sure you teach him to give you space should he trip, generally won't be his fault but when your that big....! It may be an idea to mouth him should you need it but i'd stick to a heacollar and have it as back up, last thing you need is a heavy with a dead mouth! (oh theres something, don't use a headcollar with too wide a noseband, they'll just lean and tank off.) When you mouth him try and select something with good tounge relief and more than likely he'll have a big fleshy tounge that is easilly pinched.

I've also found they can be quite stoic creatures who won't tell you something is worng untill it is really bad. Scrooge (the brabant x) is a pansy but the others, a leg could be hanging off and they'd still try.

With the training thing, if they're too be ridden really ride them off your leg, rely too much on the reins and they decide to lean, you've had it! The babies arn't too bad on this but the 3/4 shire i ride a weird western hybrid style with a loop in my reins and do it off body language! He can pull like a train if you take up a contact! But he is an exception

Something I've realised recently is that it is often far cheaper to get simple tack made my a saddeler than to buy it! X Full and XXFull is such a rare size the charge a premium but acorn saddlry (our local) will whip up a simple bridle (w/o noseband) for £20! Might not be true for you but worth a look.

I think thats it, have fun, after getting Jacob and Tim i've really started to like percherons, they seem to have such a nice outlook (if not occasionally stuborn but easilly won round!) and a lovely silky fine coat (god bless the arabian infusion!)

Just for the hell of it here is Tiny Tim (Hasholme Rhone) asleep with his head in a bucket age 2 1/2!
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We are on our second clydesdale. As said above, they need to be shown from the start excellent manners and made clear they must always behave and consider their size and where you are. Ill mannered heavies are lethal.

Miss Farra who is 4, did try things on using her strength when we first got her - nothing nasty but tried to walk over us and refuse to have feet done. A a few sharp taps from the whip on the chest and verbal growls has made it very clear not to do so. She now moves on a finger and is good with her feet. Luckily she is beautiful natured and picks things up very quickly and wants to please you rather than fight you.

Cairo never showed pain until it was severe - most heavies are like this. They can also need very little sedation - Cairo had a warning sign outside his stable to take care should he need sedating.

Both our clydes have been lovely rides. Cairo did everything, SJ, dressage, XC, western and the plan is to do the same with Farra. As she is very immature she is only doing light schooling and we hope to do some tiny jumps next year when she is 5. As said above, a lot of leg and from the start don't let them go heavy on you.

Big horses take a long time to grow but often are backed early and treated very carefully. We keep ours on the light side of their weight range to preserve joints. Unfortunately like large dogs, heavies are prone to joint problems and don't live as long as other breeds.

They are addictive. At least with your percherons you don't have the feather to look after.

Miss Farra aged 4 - just after having her first bath and manners lesson

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She is 17 hands and still growing

Cairo - aged 21, going to his last show. He was a little chap at just under 16.3 and very much missed,

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Lol 16.3... little chap. We had an old fashioned clydie who was just over 15.3! He was a legend but the most badly conformed little horse on the planet and he surcummed to it age 13 so is now retired with police horses in france! He was misstreated at some point in his life but with some TLC from our headcoachwoman he turned into a little star!
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He is lovely. shame about his past but looks like he landed on his feet ok.

I personally prefer the old fashioned smaller working types, praying that Farra won't grow as big as her mum who was 18.1, dad is 17.1. She had a bad start and was very under weight as a youngster so this may keep the height down.

That said, 4 1/2 and 17 hands and a good three years of growth to go, hence we reckon 17.1 - 17.2. She is far more leggy than the old man and has amazing movement.
 
Ah thanks! Our boy looks a lot like your Tiny Tim! I have no idea how to put photos on this and have just spent ages trying to find out! What ages did you back your horses then, you said they tend to be backed a bit earlier? I think I will have a look into showing in our area, maybe there is someone who will pop up and have a look and show me how to do all the heavy horse plaiting! Thanks for replying everyone!
 
i have a 4yd old shire mare. Had her from a yearling, was bottle fed as her mum died when she was 4 days old. Same as above, firm but fair, and teach good manners from start. I think they mature quite late so have only backed her and bitted. Turned away for winter now. Lovely nature and loves praise, they generally want to please and have nice temps. Watch your toes is my tip, dont always have full control over those dinner plate feet!!!!!
 
Timmy is a very common stamp of a percheron. I'll put a propper picture of him here (btw there are guides on how to post pictures in the picture gallery)
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As you can see we have extra long lead ropes and always wear toe caps! Tim is lead in a bridle fairly regularly because he can "tank" plus he is very prone to tripping as his bum is 2 inches higher than his front at the moment! He is leveling out but very slowly. The bridle makes him back off and at least attempt to take more weight back but even if he's wearing it 80% of signals are done through the headcollar.
The horse next to him is Jacob Marley (Hasholme Q'appelle) and is tim's half brother and cousin (same sire and dam's half sisters) but is very much the other type of percheron. This photo was only taken a couple of weeks ago so they're pretty woolly!
As for breaking heavies are often broken early because there is a school of thought about doing it while you still have a chance of over powering them should they play up. then they turn them away and leave them to grow. I don't really agree with this view.
Tim (just 3) and jake (just 4) were both broken to harness feb this year and the only reason tim was done was because his brother went and he has done very little since, maybe half hour couple times a week in long lines or out with our old chap as a pair (maggie can pull the marathon by himself so tim just has to learn to keep up at the moment!) Jakey on the other hand has been doing carriage rides 4hrs a day 3-4 days a week 1) he needed to get straight into work, 2) another horse retired very suddenly so we needed to fill the gap, 3) he's a little older and could take it. Both have the winter off.
Tim will start doing carriage rides next year and has already been backed (well more sat on and led around the yard!) while Jakey will happily hack out now.
I don't know alot about heavy horse showing as we dont have the time but i do know if you plait with straw you need to do it with their neck stretched out or when they move it can scalp them!
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I think thats all i put... stupid comp crashed half way through!
 
Hey! Ive got your ponies brother! Hasholme Ouse, Lime George x Hasholme Eloise! I don't know how to put pictures on here.... He is the most fantastic horse I have ever had and competes currently at elementry level dressage. Anyone who hasn't had a Percheron has never lived! Derby House do the best rugs, and they go up to 7'6". Don't buy a wetherbeeta! You will find any off the peg bridles will have too small a noseband and browband... that is just for anyone elses benefit... Somebody tell me how to put pics on here!
 
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