Anyone own a shire TB X?

[tangoharvey]

Just wondered if anyone owns one and can let me know the kind of horse my two year old will grow into?!

 

[cobgoblin]

Yes we have one, though I think he has a bit more shire than to.
He's 32yrs now but still sound, stands 16.3hh with very high withers and has been (well still is ) a wonderful horse.
We got him at 3/4 yrs old and he was as gangly as anything with both front legs coming out of the same hole. Everyone laughed at him but he grew into a magnificent horse and really looked after my OH. His head is the spitting image of yours!
He has never been the bravest of horses and is definitely not a leader. In his youth he got a bit bargy and stubborn when he suddenly realised how big he was, but it was nothing nasty and was soon sorted. He certainly lets you know his opinions but in the nicest possible way. For example, he hates jumping, he would pop a log out on a hack, but step over or walk through a jump in the school. We never pushed it as OH wasn't keen on jumping ( or maybe the horse sensed that ). He was always more suited to dressage anyway, with a beautiful long striding walk and trot.
I'm quite jealous of your 2yr old, I would definitely go for another one if I was looking.

 

[Adopter]

Have a look at Adorable Alice threads on her adventures with Ted!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Have a look at Adorable Alice threads on her adventures with Ted!

Who is currently up for adoption again.

Ted has no TB in him, he is by a vanner stallion but has thrown back to his dam who is a full shire. He looks purebred shire at the moment.

To answer the op's question you will get one of two options with Shire x Tb. Fingers crossed you will have the Shire bone and the TB quality resulting in a nice middleweight type. Or you will have the Shire top on spindle legs which is not so desirable.

Either way it will be a good while before the horse is mature and done. I am having help with Ted because it soon became obvious he was not going to be straight forward, that is putting it politely. Shires may be termed gentle giants but they are taught to be gentle it is not a given. The dam line on my lad is super sharp and sadly Ted has followed that trait. One day in the distant future it might be helpful but today it was just plain dangerous. I write this in bed with a hot water bottle on my ankle and a deep desire to write his advert ! - again.

 

[mjcssjw2]

oh ruddy hell what has ted done this time

 

[Auslander]

I have! He is a special one - former Prix St George dressage horse with bags of ability, and just the right amount of Shire solidity v TB speed! Shires are often thought of as docile gentle giants, but in my experience, they can be very sharp and liable to panic attacks. Alf is not an easy horse - he's horrendously spooky, very strong, and if he goes, there's no stopping him. When he's on side, he's very trainable, super obedient and a real trier, which is why he has done as well as he has. He's not the greatest mover, or the most athletic, but he has bags of presence, and he loves his job.

They are horses who need a one to one relationship. I adore him, and he adores me right back. Hes also damaged me quite a lot in the years I've had him - not maliciously, just because he's an idiot!!

 

[AdorableAlice]

oh ruddy hell what has ted done this time

Panicked and I was in the way - again.

 

[Maesfen]

Bloody Ted - again! Hope the hottie works.

Interestingly, a friend is looking at a very nice filly; by a RID out of a Shire x TB. Looks to be a good honest hunter sort, not sure if she'll grow much more, she seems to have put it all into her waistline, she is genuinely obese; she's the equine version of a Belgian Blue! Will let you know if she buys her as she's meant to be wintering with me if so.

 

[hayinamanger]

I have had several Shires and Shire crosses, most I bred myself. Many people talk about 'gentle giants' and dream of owning one, but the reality is that many have anxiety issues of varying degrees and when they get get their knickers in a twist, it can get messy. My last Shire x is a 2yo by a WB, he is already over 16 hands but he is the nicest tempered of all, which is still a surprise to me.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

we used to have one at a RS I worked for - he was fab not at all stressy - though slightly odd looking - he had more TB in the body than the legs - but he was a really really nice horse.

 

[Nudibranch]

I have a drum x TB, so you may or may not count that as Shire x! He is 3 and a half, and standing 17hh and growing. But he has very good conformation, and looks like he will make a cracking middleweight hunter, not that I hunt.

Temperament wise he is sharp at times and does a lot of high blowing if he's unsure, but he is very trusting so can always be talked down quickly. He is also very smart and learns fast so long reining, lunging, etc have been very easy. He's incredibly affectionate and loves people, he'll follow you round all day long.

Sadly there is a possibility he could be a wobbler although the vet thinks some kind of patella issue is more likely. Hopefully it's something he'll grow out of but being such a big, fast growing horse I worry about his legs. Hence he's always been on nothing but grass, hay and a chaff to mix his minerals in. Fingers crossed we'll have the all clear in spring and he can go for backing - if so he's going to be a hell of a horse!

 

[swilliam]

Mav is a great big daft horse. He never means to do any harm, but has managed to knock my daughter out whilst swinging his head to look at something, drag us all across the yard and round the fields because something caught his eye and he forgot we were at the other end of the lead rope, and we've lost count of the bruised feet because his are so big he didn't know where they were going. He's been retired for years ( now 15) due to a broken navicular bone and arythmia (spelling?) But - as a younger horse, he jumped 4' easily and had movement that had to be seen to be believed. He's friendly, incredibly handsome and everyone's favourite on the yard. As a baby he was spooky and almost dangerous - it took time.

 

[dreamcometrue]

We used to have one. He was a very good jumper, bold and yet a very safe horse to hack alone or in company even though he was only 4 when we got him.

Apologies for poor quality of photos

 

[flirtygerty]

Mav is a great big daft horse. He never means to do any harm, but has managed to knock my daughter out whilst swinging his head to look at something, drag us all across the yard and round the fields because something caught his eye and he forgot we were at the other end of the lead rope, and we've lost count of the bruised feet because his are so big he didn't know where they were going. He's been retired for years ( now 15) due to a broken navicular bone and arythmia (spelling?) But - as a younger horse, he jumped 4' easily and had movement that had to be seen to be believed. He's friendly, incredibly handsome and everyone's favourite on the yard. As a baby he was spooky and almost dangerous - it took time.

This made me lol, my baby cob does this, but there's no malice in him

 

[Elvis]

Mine is 3/4 TB, 1/4 Shire. Sire is full American TB, dam is 1/2 shire, 1/2 English TB. Both sadly deceased now.

Elvis doesn't look as if he has any shire in him though, he just looks more like a chunkier TB. But I do attribute a lot of his temperament and attitude to his dam and the shire breeding. He's 16.3hh, has great feet, doesn't get cold, is a very good doer- so much so that he's permanently on a diet, despite being eventing fit and he's tough, and doesn't really have any of the 'typical TB traits'. He's also very laid back and easy going but I know that isn't necessarily typical of Shires, his dam just happened to pass on her brilliant temperament to all her foals. Elvis is also a very kind horse, and I do think that is a common attribute of shire horses. I get the impression that the TBxShire mix produces horses that always try for their riders.

Obligatory photos. 😄

 

[Montyforever]

I knew one years back - well over 18hh, over grown tb body with a ridiculous sized shire head and fluffy legs.

Frankly only his mother could love him! Dangerous size when he did have the odd tantrum too!!

Also knew a shire x cob. He was the worst napper I've ever known, feet glued to the floor is not exaggerating!! He was a gentle giant though bless him, just a ridiculously lazy one!

Given I've seen how much easier other heavy breeds are (percherons, Clydesdales etc) if i was looking for a heavy type shire or shire x wouldn't be my first choice.

 

[Caol Ila]

Gypsum is 1/2 Shire, 1/2 TB. Bold jumper (however, I'm not), could have got to a decent level of dressage with someone else, and otherwise she is an incredibly safe, sane ride. I have put friends on her who have lost confidence because she gives you the feeling that she isn't going to do anything daft. And for the most part, she isn't. She is 21 now and still sound. She was a little hotter when she was younger, but not by a lot. She has opinions about how she is kept and ridden, and if you ride well, she will go well, and if you suck, she will plod around like a riding school pony and ignore you. She's easy to train so long as you keep it within her physical abilities. You can push her a bit, but she won't bother if you push her a lot; i.e. I had a trainer (not a good one) many years ago who tried to push her into half-steps well before she should have, and a hotter or less confident horse or more eager to please horse may have hopped around in a half-step like manner, but Gypsum calmly ignored the whip tapping her hindquarters and looked at the trainer like, "You douchebag."

 

[cptrayes]

<<<<<<<< He is one. I echo what others have said, can be anxious and panicky. Train them right and they can make awesome athletes.

 

[AdorableAlice]

<<<<<<<< He is one. I echo what others have said, can be anxious and panicky. Train them right and they can make awesome athletes.

Ted, are you listening.

 

[Charlotte125]

I do!!! He's mega one week he's my advanced/3* event horse and the next week he's my happy hack. He's perfect very tall (17.1ish) but all legs. He's got the best nature out of any horse I know. Everyone loves him and he manages to do very well eventing. Wouldn't have a different breed now! He's so laid back (sometimes too laid back) and so easy to deal with at home and when away. The only thing is he isn't the best eater when away from home but il let him have one negative! His little brother and sister (not mine but for sale) have the exact same nature too Xx
Ps he is definitely not a panicker!!

 

[Grinchmass]

My friend has one, and she is amazing.

She's very sharp, very quick, loves to jump and oh so much fun. She won't hack (it's not worth the hassle in all honesty) and won't really do dressage. Although sharp she won't do anything malicious, she just likes to do everything at a million miles an hour. I'd have a clone of her in an instant I adore her.

 

[Caol Ila]

Well, OP, I think what you can get from this thread is that they are all different. Like any horse, but with cross-breeds, no one can be sure of how the genetics are going to interact. My horse isn't sharp, spooky, panicky, or anxious. Wasn't at 6 years old, when I bought her, and isn't now. Other Shire crosses I've come across have been similarly laid back, but they've all been in the States (and my horse too; bred in Colorado) where it's a very common cross. Maybe they have nuttier Shire lines in the UK. I don't know.

In the US, you can't get out of bed without stepping on Shire/TBs, Clyde/TBs, Perch/TBs -- they've all become the "poor man's warmblood," frequently ridden in low to mid levels of dressage and eventing by amateurs who want something more low key and easier to manage than a lot of warmbloods.

You have to look at the horse in front of you.

 

[tangoharvey]

You're right, such variety!! Mine seems to be overall calm and easy going for an un handled two year old but time will tell I guess!!