Hardy healthy breeds

pistolpete

pistolpete

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I may buy another horse one day and having had so many problems with my sweet warmblood gelding, just would love everyone's opinion on the most healthy hardy breeds. Generalising I know but really want to minimise risks next time around if it's at all possible with horses!
 
You can't beat a Welsh D IMO; but then I'm biased.

They're hardy, enterprising little horses with a genuine love of life and a truly curious nature. Loyal to a fault, they'll willingly turn their hoof to anything and enjoy the challenge.

Don't pamper them tho, was the advice I was given. They are good doers and won't thrive on lush pasture (far from it); or being rugged to death.......
 
I have a highland so again... biased.

Lovely healthy hardy breeds but I agree with what's been said, don't pamper them with heavyweight turnouts and buckets of feed.. unless really needed.
There can be bad health and oddities within every breed but I'd say buying from a reputable breeder or getting from a reputable line would be a good start... but I know nothing of that- others on here could definitely give you heads up on good bloodline etc :)
 
Cant go wrong with a highland IMO. Live on fresh air, fun to have around, versatile and robust. I've had a welsh D but unlike MiJods I would never have another. Mine was moody, sharp and difficult (but very pretty) so regardless of how hardy he may have been, he wasn't the horse for me. But then, they're all different. Maybe that was just mine. It really depends on what you want to do with it at the end of the day.
 
I'm planning to buy a healthy hardy too and the Highland looks a very good option...if it's good enough for the queen to use as a riding horse...Fell ponies might be worth a look.

I've also been looking at Cleveland Bays because I'm worried at 5'6", I'm too tall for a Highland.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any opinion on CBs.
 
Highlands have a lot of girth, 5'6" wouldn't be too tall at all, but it is a personal thing, try one :)

CB's I love, great horses, but they are individuals like everything else, some are tough as nails and others are wimpy couch potatoes. Some of the best riding horses I know have been Highland/CB's, usually they came in pretty colours too ;)

If you want a bit more height, there are Quarter horses, not so common in the UK, they range from about 14.2h upwards, most I know are seriously easy keepers, grow a coat to rival a yak, and here in North America they manage to live out, naked in many cases, in minus 30C and feet of snow for months on end quite happily on ad-lib forage. Mine were as hardy as any British native I have come across.
 
zzClaire said:
I've also been looking at Cleveland Bays because I'm worried at 5'6", I'm too tall for a Highland.
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you really wouldnt be!

I love them and the natives are without doubt hardy. I do not think they are necessarily an easy option to keep in many livery environments though. Fertilised rye grazing, rugging, standing at round bales all winter all lead to weight problems. Plus there's a fair few susceptible to sweetitch. I worry far more about my Exmoors in the summer, in the winter I turf them out on a hill and don't worry at all! Plus they can have that native mind-which some people get and some do not.
 
My highland is tough as anything, love the idiot to bits.
I'm another who'd never have another Welsh D though, mine has been anything but healthy
 
zzClaire said:
I'm planning to buy a healthy hardy too and the Highland looks a very good option...if it's good enough for the queen to use as a riding horse...Fell ponies might be worth a look.

I've also been looking at Cleveland Bays because I'm worried at 5'6", I'm too tall for a Highland.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any opinion on CBs.
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I'm taller than you with long legs and my highland takes my leg very well. Where are you? If you're anywhere near me, you're welcome to come and try mine for size (but he's not for sale....!)
 
My sister's Welsh D is lovely, but he's had health problem after health problem...

Arab's are hardy things if you want something finer, but I do wish they were bigger!
 
Highland, Welsh D or Irish cob, the latter I would test for PSSM before purchase tho. I've got a Welsh D (ahem and an A and a C and a Shetland Welsh X) and a Cob and they have all been very hardy and fun.
 
highland any day of the week Love them to bits tough healthy hardy and easy keepers provide you are in control. Need lots of work if kept on a livery yard with lush grass but it is doable Best for any discipline at the average riders standard probably not going to get to grand prx dressage or jump over 6 ft showjumps ut great alrounders to about a meter and to elementary/medium level with training the odd one has gone further. I would also consider a native tb cross but be selective as some have the best of both and others have the worst of both
 
HashRouge said:
My sister's Welsh D is lovely, but he's had health problem after health problem...

Arab's are hardy things if you want something finer, but I do wish they were bigger!
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I agree! All the sec Ds bar one I've known have been walking vet bills although they are all mollycoddled which dsnt suit natives.

Arab's are so much hardier than people a lot of people give them credit for, again they don't need rugging to within an inch of their lives, my Anglo rarely needs rugging and my old arab x Connie was as hard as nails and never needed a vet in the 10+ years we had her, barefoot (I point blank do not do shoes on any horse anyway) fab hard feet, great doer and only rugged in minus temps and even then tbh she didn't need one. I would have another arab x Connie in a heartbeat if I could find one! Lol
 
rowan666 said:
I agree! All the sec Ds bar one I've known have been walking vet bills although they are all mollycoddled which dsnt suit natives.
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my sec D was the healthiest creature ever, only got the vet out when he was 28 and needed PTS. However he spent many years not working, he simply didn't like the idea of work. I loved him dearly but NEVER again with a sec D. For a native it would be a Dales.
 
I've had my Connemara 14 years and he's never had a days lameness or illness in that time! He's 24 now and still sound and in work.

Maybe I'm lucky but I would certainly get another!!

The only downside has been his sweetitch
 
Everything has to be a bit tough to live here LOL. I have had mostly Arabians and TBs and all live out all year around.

When I decided I wanted a more "dressage" orientated horse, I didn't really consider the European Warmbloods, as I thought they would be a bit high maintenance for my somewhat rough paddock. So instead I opted for the classic Kiwi WB - a clydie/TB cross, they have been used as stock horses on the high country sheep stations (think LoR country) for years and are surprisingly tough.
 
i think whatever breed I got I would consider looking at what that breed could be prone to and test before purchase. Eg HWSD for connies and their crosses. PSSM and HYPP for QH's etc etc
 
Bear in mind that there may be several different types within the same breed. So to answer the OP's question, probably an over height Highland of the long legged riding type sounds as if it might suit.
 
I have a coloured cob cross/native and think the pony element is quite a lot of New Forest in there and he's very hardy and healthy (beyond managing weight gain continually) :) Lives off fresh air as you would expect, reason I got a native type was to keep feed bills low, and with great coat etc that he could live out unrugged if needed to. Don't want to say how healthy he's been without touching lots of wood but so far I've been very lucky (had him 11 years). He's quite a quick learner which I like too and sane head normally.
 
My D is sound and clean limbed at 12 (and unrugged but not a too good doer), my Arab (70% part bred) was written off at 10 and PTS at 11 (and very much rugged!)
 
Unless your looking to buy a youngster, my vet gave me good advice when I asked him how I will ever buy a horse again without constantly worrying after the trouble we have had with my sister's mare. He said to try and buy something that has been doing what you want it to be doing as that's the best way of proving its up to the work. That's not even fool proof tho!
 
Heinz 57 trotter cross types!! Have nothing but problem with pure bred Welsh D (would never have another) but the H57 I bought for a couple of hundred pounds has turned out to be the best horse I have ever had, hardy, healthy and lots of fun!!
 
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