Breeding an Eventer

[TFS]

i dont believe a good eventer is bred i think they are freaks so to speak, thye just happen, yes your breeding regime can help create the perfect type of horse to event but the eventers need to be bold, have the heart for the job and so many different aspects that we will never be able to breed, if we look at some of the top event horses some of them are too small, or not very blood or have conformational critiques that if we were looking at them as 3yr olds we would probably disregard them,

the horses i breed are out of tb mares which are bold and proven and i usually but them to warmbloods but quite light framed that usually have showjumped to international level i feel that this should compliment the modern day eventing however if they dont have the heart for eventing i hope they have the ability to go into another sphere

 

[severnmiles]

Although having looked after a 4* part connie for a bit so I like the pony bit why does everyone think a TB needs pony to be able to fiddle and stay on all four feet....you only need to look at NH racing and pointing to see that a pure TB is perfectly capable of fiddling strides, jumping from any spot and staying on its feet in fetlock deep mud at a much greater speed than eventers would ever dream of going!

 

[magic104]

The ISH seems to hold its own
Boekelo Enschede (Ned) CCI***
2nd Mr Medicott (ISH) – 1999 chestnut gelding by Cruising (ISH) out of Slieveluachra (ISH), by Edmund Burke (TB). Bred by Dr D Geaney, Clashgannive House, Castleisland, Co. Kerry. Rider: Frank Ostholt (Ger)
8th Glenbuck (ISH) – 1995 bay gelding. Rider: Zara Phillips (Gbr)
13th Major Sweep (ISH) – 1993 brown gelding by Euphemism (TB). Rider: Rodney Powell (Gbr)
14th Sir Roselier (ISH) – 1992 grey gelding by Roselier (TB). Rider: Julie Tew (Gbr)
22nd Kilpatrick River – 1998 bay gelding by Petardia (TB) out of Secret Sensation (TB). Rider: Elizabeth Power (Irl)
26th Cashel Bay (ISH) – 1995 bay gelding by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Rider: John Paul Sheffield (Gbr)
28th Fernhill Clover Mist (ISH) – 1996 bay gelding by Kiltealy Spring (ISH) out of Clover Mist (ISH), by Clover Hill (RID). Bred by Matthew Maguire, Boley, Ballycanew, Gorey, Co. Wexford. Rider: Patricia Donegan (Irl)
30th Ballybolger Bushman (ISH) – 1999 bay gelding by Puissance (ISH) out of Clear Conscience (ISH), by Horos (TB). Bred by John Watson, Ballybolger House, Ballyloo, Co. Carlow. Rider: Sam Watson (Irl)

 

[damitjanit]

[ QUOTE ]
The thing I love about eventers is that you oftne get 'freaks' who are not bred for the job at all yet acheive a huge amount of sucess. Gives hope to those who cant afford jazzy, expensive stallions!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree also
Goldenballs was never meant to go eventing...but has hads pretty consistent results and is seeming to have generated plenty of interest in some circles...early days for my boy but watch out for a stunning 2yr old filly who will be strutting her stuff in the spring with suberb TB bloodlines.

 

[Bossanova]

You missed off 17th, Mr Alligator who is by Robertstown Boy

 

[magic104]

Doh, sorry

 

[lisaward]

ooooo is he off to look him up,like to see everything by RB as he is not reg with any society other than WNR he is hard to find progeny.

 

[seabiscuit]

Actually Sir Roselier and Kilpatrick River were both bred for racing, they are definately not ISH .
Just fuelling the arguement for racehorses!!

 

[volatis]

And Glenbuck was bred in New Zealand

 

[S_N]

Like most things breeding wise, you gamble the most on temperament, trainability, boldness and competitiveness. It's the same with racehorses, top stallions are bred to top mares every year and accident and injury aside, a fair few of these matings produce damn fine looking offspring, that just don't want to run.

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
Actually Sir Roselier and Kilpatrick River were both bred for racing, they are definately not ISH .
Just fuelling the arguement for racehorses!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you re. the racing Doff! Shiner is another one whose bred for racing. Though he seemed to not like Int courses until Aldon

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Actually Sir Roselier and Kilpatrick River were both bred for racing, they are definately not ISH .
Just fuelling the arguement for racehorses!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you re. the racing Doff! Shiner is another one whose bred for racing. Though he seemed to not like Int courses until Aldon

[/ QUOTE ]

Moon Fleet!!

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Actually Sir Roselier and Kilpatrick River were both bred for racing, they are definately not ISH .
Just fuelling the arguement for racehorses!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you re. the racing Doff! Shiner is another one whose bred for racing. Though he seemed to not like Int courses until Aldon

[/ QUOTE ]

Moon Fleet!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Now thats my type of horse, rich dark colour, light muzzle and screams class....

 

[S_N]

Then of course there was Pippa's Bits'n'Pieces - by Lord Gayle (I think) out of a coloured gypsy cob type foster mare...........

 

[severnmiles]

Yay...you have succumbed too mwahaha

 

[seabiscuit]

Yay ! ANother one for the TB gang

 

[kerilli]

count me in, i'm a new convert. my new tb mare is the sweetest horse to do, not at all spooky, an absolute darling. mind you, i reserve the right to alter my opinion when i take her out in public...!
most of the pros prefer pure tb because it means they're less likely to be chasing the clock so much xc, as the horse has a naturally higher cruising speed.

 

[lisaward]

bits and pieces lives nr me

 

[S_N]

[ QUOTE ]
bits and pieces lives nr me

[/ QUOTE ]

He's still alive? Fantastic news!! I always wondered what had happened to him after he broke down - was it at Gatcombe? Memory is fading

 

[kerilli]

i thought he broke down at Badminton, or was it Burghley? 1 or the other. he was lovely.

 

[seabiscuit]

Wow horsenut, he must be doing well!

Didnt Pippa say that Bits and Pieces was the most athletic horse she had ever ridden?

 

[sfward]

Another vote for racehorses! My Junior horse was by Motivate (NH stallion) and the little mare I have currently is by a stallion called Southern Music which raced on the flat and over hurdles. Both are fab XC, so bold.
btw - has anyone heard of Southern Music, or know much about him? chestnut stallion, based in Oxfordshire near Chipping Norton. Would love to see a piccie of him or found out some more info. think he's dead now..

 

[lisaward]

he lives with sarah jewson nr burnham market as a companion

 

[magic104]

Actually Sir Roselier and Kilpatrick River were both bred for racing, they are definately not ISH .
Just fuelling the arguement for racehorses!!

That's interesting because that was sent to myself along with all the others that subscribe to the Irish Horse Board news.
Subject: Irish Sport Horse Eventing & Showjumping Results - 22/10/2007 17:05:58
From: "Irish Horse Board" <ihb@webtrade.ie>

 

[alleycat]

I wanted to see some of these old event horses with new eyes so of course I went looking on youtube. Its rather shocking how difficult it is to find video footage or much info at all, in fact, on horses which were once household names. Is there an archive somewhere? Referring back to this sort of footage would be so helpful, as well as worth seeing for its own sake. Anyway, I found this bit on Bits and Pieces; after the still shots there's a bit of live video, and you're right; he's AMAZING; a true athlete. He's like a weasel; he undulates over the jumps; he's so fluid that he makes a lot of the others - great horses- look stiff and scratchy by comparison. I'm ashamed to say it but I never saw this before as I never looked at it with a breeders eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhB7UTrxJ18

So how do you assess THAT quality? (The only thing I've seen that resembles it is a sales video of a very well bred Akhal Teke being schooled over a grid of low fences; apparently they are meant to move like a snake, undulating over the fences with a supple back.)

And he was what, half gipsy cob? Maybe there are lots of seemingly ordinary horses out there whose latent brilliance is waiting to be released by the right choice of mate.

This discussion really has given me food for thought; and one thing that really has become apparent is that the future is wide open for breeding a worldbeater or founding an eventing dynasty. I think horses are still coming to the fore almost by chance; they are being discovered rather than produced, yet we're all feeling round trying to find the right way to produce them; and any of us could be right and strike gold. Its really exciting.

Despite the good horses out there, though, I don't think we've been looking with clear eyes; there's still so little information our choices are always based on what does well with someone else. This is a guide, of course, and would be good if there were a system to give large numbers of horses equal chances, but there's not; to get the chance to shine a stallion or mare has to be lucky as well as good, and there must be loads of horses out there- potential eventing patriarchs and matriarchs- who will only ever race, and maybe not even at top level; or showjump; or, indeed, compete in coloured classes, if Bits and Pieces is anything to go by.

So if you were assessing a young horse either to breed or ride, that had no form and unfamiliar bloodlines, but was basically correct and moved well and was about the right size and weight, what would do it for you? What would make you feel that that horse was something special?

 

[magic104]

But would he have achieved so much with another rider? I agree that there are probably a lot more good horses out there, but they have not been lucky enough to be produced/ridden to show their full potential. That is why I think it just as important to have good instructors. I also think children benifit from being members of the PC.

 

[severnmiles]

Well look at Patrius Filius, out of a gypsy mare and he was sold at Abergavenny horse sales of all places. I'm surprised how many 'stars' have come out of Llanybydder when you look closely. Makes you wonder how many horses could do it but don't get the chance.

 

[SillyMare]

[ QUOTE ]
So if you were assessing a young horse either to breed or ride, that had no form and unfamiliar bloodlines, but was basically correct and moved well and was about the right size and weight, what would do it for you? What would make you feel that that horse was something special?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it must come down to gut instinct - presence and attitude - whether a horse 'grabs' you.

Conversely, there are horses who appear perfectly good in every respect - right type, good confirmation, good movement etc. etc. yet they just don't 'do it'.

Would be interesting to ask someone who has a track record of consistently spotting future top horses.

 

[Faithkat]

I believe Caroline Bradley bought Milton as a 6 month old foal as she thought he had potential . . . . .

 

[seabiscuit]

[ QUOTE ]

So if you were assessing a young horse either to breed or ride, that had no form and unfamiliar bloodlines, but was basically correct and moved well and was about the right size and weight, what would do it for you? What would make you feel that that horse was something special?

[/ QUOTE ]

It is a) its attitude and b) the feel that it gives you.

I honestly believe that the horses that will make the very best of eventers will hardly ever,if at all, have a 'backwards thought' . It will always be forwards thinking.You test this in a variety of ways. How does he react when you ask him to jump a ditch for the first time? how does he react when you ask him to trot over say a huge scary looking water tray/filler? or if you ask him to go through a huge murky looking puddle or water jump? or down/up steps etc. Just simple questions (bearing in mind that this is a young horse that you are looking at)

If they just do it without question- then you know, or you would hope, that you have a totally brave horse.

Another thing is when they are jumping- the horse spies the jump and goes 'yes'! I want to go ! (obviously there is a difference between a horse that is rushing at it in panic and a horse that is genuinely wanting to jump)
And when you put the jump up a little higher, he just relishes the challenge.
It has to have a totally enthusiastic attitude to its work, without being stupidly over-enthusiastic.

Aside from that, it has to feel good over the fence, you have to feel scopiness and power, and it has to feel balanced ( even if it is green, it should have some degree of balance.) I also prefer a horse with a naturally good canter,a canter that can hold its ryhtym yes you can work on a bad canter, but a good canter just makes life easier in the long run, when you are showjumping and also for setting them up easily for the technical fences on the XC.