Breed stereotypes

[maya2008]

A bit of fun…

What breed stereotypes have you found/found to be true?

For us:
-New Forest = gorgeous, obedient ponies if you show strength of personality (and physical strength a bit), walk all over you like little thugs if you don’t. Mellow as they age, generally sensible and hardy. Good all rounders. None of the ones I have had have been overly keen on school surfaces as youngsters. Possessive of ‘their’ person.
- TB = most amazing, people horses. Best friends, try their heart out for you. Athletic. Cost an absolute fortune to keep.
- Welsh A = sensible and kind. Odd one can be spooky as anything, but none of the ones I have come across have ever meant any harm. Like regular exercise and tend to play a lot in the field even as adults.
- Welsh D = sensitive Diva. Happiest wrapped up in sheepskin, very opinionated but loyal as anything if you accommodate them.
- Shetland. Complete lunatic, hold on for your life. Will take the kids down a peg or ten, so good for when you’re annoyed with them. No one ever gets hurt though, specialists in terrifying the living daylights out of them with no visible harm left afterwards (emotional scars for days though !). Boss of the herd despite being the smallest.
- Cob. Not quite like a native pony … jury’s still out there.

 

[darcip]

the Shetland one is true, bombproof but when the lead rope comes out the devil in them comes out.

 

[poiuytrewq]

the Shetland one is true, bombproof but when the lead rope comes out the devil in them comes out.

Mines like that give him a little child he’s Mr gentle and sweet.
Give him an older kid who can ride and he’s a monster

 

[darcip]

Mines like that give him a little child he’s Mr gentle and sweet.
Give him an older kid who can ride and he’s a monster

He’s an Angel until the lead rope comes out then I’m getting buckrooed to space

 

[poiuytrewq]

He’s an Angel until the lead rope comes out then I’m getting buckrooed to space

Ohh I read that wrongly! Yours is fine unless on the lead rope?! that’s hilarious

 

[Caol Ila]

Horse 1: Hot, forward, high strung, can be very spooky. Loves being a drama queen.

Horse 2: Laid back. Have had to work on installing a forward button. Rarely spooks. Takes most things in a chilled manner.

One of these is a PRE and the other is a Highland.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Horse 1: Hot, forward, high strung, can be very spooky. Loves being a drama queen.

Horse 2: Laid back. Have had to work on installing a forward button. Rarely spooks. Takes most things in a chilled manner.

One of these is a PRE and the other is a Highland.

I say the highland is number 1

 

[Kirstineridesagain]

Shetlands: a nightmare in the field (sometimes, all depends on the day), can be nippy and slightly aggressive, but when out and about bomb proof and calm. Worst thing they do is stop abruptly to eat.

 

[Caol Ila]

I say the highland is number 1

If you've followed my posts on here long enough, it's obvious, but I'll let people work it out!

 

[meleeka]

I have a Welsh, Chestnut mare, enough said

 

[Melody Grey]

Welsh x TB who thought of that?! My vet asked me once if I’d bred mine….my face must’ve said it all! The Welsh panic button crossed with the athleticism of a racehorse. Cracking idea

 

[blitznbobs]

I had a cob and a Dutch warmblood at the same time

One hot hot hot , total worrier ,

Other lazy, totally spook proof could put a 2 year old or your granny on them.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Exmoors - Fat, stuffy, wayward, grumpy ponies.
No. They're amazing.

 

[toppedoff]

The sensitive thoroughbred who looked after me vs the cob that threw me off the concrete and broncs ‍♀

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

Absolutely spot on for the Welsh D. In fact I think the D stands for Diva.

 

[nettle]

Welsh section B, often more intelligent than some humans I’ve met.

 

[paddy555]

Welsh section B, often more intelligent than some humans I’ve met.

crabbet arab, always more intelligent than humans and often a lot nicer

 

[holeymoley]

Coloured Cob x Welsh = laid back to an extent but wildly intelligent, almost speaks English. Has an opinion about everything, generally amicable but if thinks his way's better then that's the way it happening. Decides on the day show-wise how he'll do, easily gets 75% at dressage, can jump the moon but the next time if you're feeling too confident, you won't even get in the arena. Or maybe even the trailer.

Traditional Coloured Cob= youngster at the moment but incredibly laid back about life, loves everyone, gets a bit impatient with plaiting up hair but generally very amicable.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My Arab's have some Arab traits they don't suffer fools, can get hot and silly and can have melt down diva moments, but generally they are easy and have great characters and love people.

 

[lizziebell]

“Tricky Trakehner”

 

[littleshetland]

My PRE is very sterotypical....super clever, loyal, brave and somewhat 'hot'.
My 9hh shetland is just adorable, I can honestly say he's never really put a foot wrong.

 

[I'm Dun]

My Arab's have some Arab traits they don't suffer fools, can get hot and silly and can have melt down diva moments, but generally they are easy and have great characters and love people.

I've never met an arab I didnt like for most of those reasons!

 

[lynz88]

I say the highland is number 1

I was about to say the same. I remember a Halflinger being exactly this as well (this is going back donkeys years)

 

[Nonjumper]

I've had a variety of equines in my time, by far the to worst I ever had where Welsh, so it's interesting to read others say they found them OTT too.

Welsh section B. He was spooky, hard sometimes impossible to catch in the field, often hot and ended up scaring the life out of me, I'm actually amazed I carried on riding if I'm honest! He is the reason I've never liked jumping.

Gypsy vanner x TB, one of the best horses I ever rode let alone owned. Utterly unflappable, never rude despite his size, could jump 3'+ from a walk, a skill he used to occasionally hop out of his field and munch his way along the verge of the road (usually discovered by the early morning postman!). However he had hidden speed and happily outpaced almost everything else and was great fun on the long fun rides.

Welsh x who was very strong and had no patience whatsoever. He even managed to cart my Dad across the local golf course. He would jump anything though.

Arab x New Forest and honestly she was the best horse I ever rode or owned. She was intelligent, forward going but not strong or sharp and never spooky. She didn't suffer fools though, once depositing a lady who I can only describe as 'a screamer' in an unceremonious heap. I never leant her for rides after that. She got me jumping again and we did everything together. We spent over half our lifetimes together and I miss her more than I can say.

Arab x New Forest (daughter of the above). Cheeky, clever, funny girl. Sadly didn't grow big enough for me, so went to a pony club home and later into the show field and eventing.

Dutch Warmblood x TB Hot headed but kindly. Absolutely hopeless on the road with anything bigger than a car. Difficult to load too.

I also had a Welsh x Arab. He was cheeky, unnecessarily spooky (at stupid things which he just chose to spook at that day) and also a pain to catch. He used to delight in pronking until I fell off too! In his defence he'd been rather abused before he came into my possession so I'm not sure how much of it was a result of this or just his natural character.

 

[paddy555]

I was about to say the same. I remember a Halflinger being exactly this as well (this is going back donkeys years)

my haflinger did have his moments. It was the day we sat on the top of the common and he refused to go forward, so we tried sideways, didn't like that any better, tried the other side, that was no better. After a long while of this I just said F*** it, lets turn round and go home and he didn't like that way any better either.

however there is much worse that a haffy. My highland/TB cross. With this you get all the "benefits" (whatever they are) of the highland done at the speed of the TB.

CI describes the highland as "high strung, can be very spooky. Loves being a drama queen." Oh boy, does he just love being a drama queen. He stops at an earwig, well every earwig in fact. His movement is excellent when executing the 180 degree turn at speed. I suppose that is because he has had so much practise.

Mind you I suppose the haffy and highland/TB had absolutely nothing on the sec D. Now that chap could really spin and take off at speed.

 

[SilverLinings]

Mind you I suppose the haffy and highland/TB had absolutely nothing on the sec D. Now that chap could really spin and take off at speed.

My section Dx (1/4 TB) was so good at this that he once landed after a jump FACING the jump (funnily enough I landed some way away, no longer attached to said horse) He also had a buck like a trebuchet, and rotated his pelvis >90 degrees at the same time. I'm sure it was all this regular yoga that kept him in full work until the day he died at 30.

I also owned a TB who shivered if there was a drop of rain even if it was 20c, was scared of his shadow and cost £££ to keep weight on.

Those are the only two I've owned or known well who seemed to be breed stereotypes though, and they were still amazing horses who I loved and had great fun with.

I think you see all temperaments in all breeds really, and I wonder how much of the stereotypical behaviour people report is a case of the owners knowledge of the stereotype making that behaviour more noticeable in the horse IYSWIM. A bit like people who believe horoscopes always managing to make their view of their life fit the predictions.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've never met an arab I didnt like for most of those reasons!

I love mine they always look so happy and eager to see me, I can call them and they call back to me, they are also too clever for their own good at times which makes riding them interesting.

 

[Identityincrisis]

My Arab's have some Arab traits they don't suffer fools, can get hot and silly and can have melt down diva moments, but generally they are easy and have great characters and love people.

Agreed! I love mine (I’ve probably mentioned it ) but after 2 days of full on Arab meltdowns for NOTHING I left him in the field and can’t bare to look at him right now

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agreed! I love mine (I’ve probably mentioned it ) but after 2 days of full on Arab meltdowns for NOTHING I left him in the field and can’t bare to look at him right now

Can totally understand Louis drove me nuts last week my big field was sprayed so they were confined in my small field.

We had total tantrums of standing at the gate weaving scraping and destroying everything, he ripped part of the guttering off around my stables pulled the wire off the gate and just ran round the field screaming.

His scraped half of his front feet away they look terrible, on Thursday I let them in the big field and he has been fine since I don't get it the fields are linked so what was that about

 

[catkin]

Welsh live in a parallel universe. Once you understand that it all makes sense