Anyone got a Clydesdale x or heavy horse??

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tangoharvey

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Hi just bought a 16.1 Clydesdale cross irish draught, always had horses, but never a big girl like this - just after a bit of feeding advice for the winter - are they generally good doers, and does anyone jump a heavy horse - can they?
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I have a Suffolk cross, he is a very big lad! I don't know how similar they are but he's a good doer, very easy in fact as he doesn't blow up or drop weight easily. I don't feed him too much as he naturally has a lot of "pep".

Oh yes they can jump! I was jumping 3'3 on mine before I lost my confidence (not his fault, it just happened!) and we are working our way back up to it now, off to do a 2'6 HT today
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Can you post pics??
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Ive got a full Irish Draught wouldnt say he's a very heavy horse but is kind of in there some where he doesnt get fed much but is a good doer only gets fed as a token feed really and to give him the competition mix to add some sparkle
 
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I have a shire x tb who was a very good doer and needed next to no feeding during the winter but he needs careful management now he's an old man. I guess there's no rules really, it's down to the individual horse.

Boy could mine jump! He had the sensibility of the shire but the atheletisim (sp?) of a TB. He looked like a mini-shire so was quite magnificent to watch! He could also turn on a sixpence.

Good luck with yours!
 
I have an IDx who looks like he has Suffolk in him and he lives off fresh air! He has never had hard feed in the 7 years we;ve had him and we have to restrict his grazing in the summer.

Your girl looks lovely!
 
I ride for a friend who has a shire an a clydie x. The shire doesn't hold her weight all that well but just needs lots of hay. The clydie x is a VERY good do-er though.

I've jumped the shire mare too. Her's are just happy hackers though so they don't do it often.
 
From reading the above comments it seems like there is no-one alike.

I had a cyldesdalexTB who was a very poor doer. We spent all spring and summer building him up, and one day left out in the rain (accidentally) seemed to strip him of condition.

As for his jump, it was enormous. We evented quite successfully. The thing that stopped him moving up the grades was his speed rather then jumping ability.
 
Got a clye in very poor condition and am struggling to get weight back on him but am hoping once its on its easier to maintain
 
Hi I have an Ardennes mare, Fany, and she is an exceptionally good doer, she only has to look at hay or grass and she puts weight on! She is ridden very regularly, most days and is a stubborn mare, but absolutely bombproof.

Here she is when we bought her
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And now after a summer on a very sparse diet
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Not a lot of difference!
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I swear she could live on fresh air! She is surprisingly active with quite nice paces. Not done any jumping yet, still learning to be ridden properly.
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I have a Clydesdale cross who is only 14.2 but looks exactly like a mini version of yours. She lives on fresh air and loves jumping, comfort zone stops at 3 foot.
 
We have had a total of 3 heavies over the years, two Clyde crosses and one pure bred shire. The clydes were VERY good doers, the shire not so at all. The current 'big' girl is ID and currently on a diet as she only needs to smell food to put on weight.
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All our heavies over the years have been good doers, although obviously need more than a pony, down to sheer size. the only exception is our current shire x dartmoor who now drops weight in winter, but he is getting on now.
Your best bet is simply to ensure ample grazing and hay or haylege during winter.
 
Ah she looks lovely!!
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I have a clydie cross and she is a good doer, she is around the 15hh mark, Ive hunted her and she has a real pop!! She is just like an overgrown Thelwell
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Def need to see some more pictures please!!
 
She looks beautiful. I have a clydie x something (not sure what) and we've done a bit of everything during the ten years I've had him. He's got a big athletic jump (for his build) and has been easily BE Intro-ing this season and he absolutely loves it. I've jumped him over 1.2m at home. He's also pretty good at flatwork and I've just started BD - trainer thinks he can do Elementary soon! He is a fairly good doer and so I restrict his grass and give him high energy hard feed (e.g. Power and Performance). Absolutely love him to bits, he's so genuine and he'll happily turn his hoof to anything I ask! Hope your new girlie is the same.
 
Our shire is a good doer, he onley gets hard food when working (Wagon rides) and only hay in the winter, he holds his weight very well, and we never rug him, hes 22yrs. OH has bought him a rug this year cos he feels sorry for him, but he'll only have it on in the worst weather if i think he needs it . He once cleared a five bar gate loose but he did have a steam train chasing him at the time.
 
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