Hardy healthy breeds

[pansymouse]

My Section D x TB is the toughest thing out despite being a diva speed merchant - she weathers out far better than her cob field mate. However I do have quite a unsentimental approach to horse management - she kept down to a correct weight, she's not rugged unless she's cold and she'd not filled with expensive hard food and supplements she doesn't need. In my opinion an awful lot of horse health (and behavioural) problems are caused by owners mollycoddling their animals.

 

[maisie06]

My Section D x TB is the toughest thing out despite being a diva speed merchant - she weathers out far better than her cob field mate. However I do have quite a unsentimental approach to horse management - she kept down to a correct weight, she's not rugged unless she's cold and she'd not filled with expensive hard food and supplements she doesn't need. In my opinion an awful lot of horse health (and behavioural) problems are caused by owners mollycoddling their animals.

I agree with you, my D is kept more or less the same way as yours but always has niggling problems, I am now attributing this to his start in life - after doing some digging I found out I bought an animal that was destined for the show ring , I think the fact that he was weaned too early, pumped full of corn and kept in his box didn't help one bit, plus he is very inbred. I bought him from the field as a 5 year old as he had a failed show career behind him, but never, ever again would I buy a sec D.

 

[dizz4]

Hi there, Welsh D's are great and tick all those hardy boxes, my mother has been breeding Welsh D's for nearly 40 years and generally have all been great characters, hardy yes, easy to keep yes, live on fresh air yes, grow coats like yetis yes, but they are all different what suits me may not suit you and they are all different but nearly all of them without exception when the chips are down are very very sensible which is a big tick in my book..... my daughter is at least 5'8 and I am sure she is still growing rides a Welsh D just under 14.2 he is so deep there is still plenty of horse below leg and she just adores him. Some days he is an absolute idiot but she is doing Novice dressage on him has qualified for at least 2 championships and is hoping to try Elementary dressage soon.... So Welsh D's have a lot of qualities if you ask me....

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.

 

[stencilface]

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!

I'm following your thread, if I ever get another horse I want one with legs made of iron and feet as hard as nails.

There's a lady near me that breeds a few QH, maybe I should look into that.

 

[LHIS]

I'm a feathers fan, so for me it has to be something cobby, or if you can find one of some height (unless you're short and light) a Fell pony would be my go to breed. I've lusted after one since I was little (learnt to ride on a fell mare) but I rarely see them at the height i'd want (14hh min), but they do crop up now and then.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I'm following your thread, if I ever get another horse I want one with legs made of iron and feet as hard as nails.

There's a lady near me that breeds a few QH, maybe I should look into that.

See Topaz wuld fit your above description (touching all available wood ), she's a Fresian x Hackney.

However I don't think it's breed related really, obviously certain breeds have certian traits and have been bred with a breed standard in mind. But I think if you don't go for something over height (I like the 15hh to 16hh bracket), that has excellent strong limbs with a decent about of bone (Arabs the exception where they have a greater bone density so appear to have less bone) and good feet then you can't go far wrong...

My Arab cross will always need rugging a lot as she's got a very fine coat, but is equally a good do'er when rugged appropriately and has got to 22 years before any major issues, and it's her poor hoof balance that I think has caught up with her. The two Fresian x Hackney's well they grow a coat a yakk would be proud of and are certainly good do'ers and appear hardy enough.

Topaz opened my eyes that you dont need to look at specific breeds for a job (well unless showing is your bag and you want to do a breed class , or compete at the very highest levels), but something with the temperament and conformation to lend itself to do what you need. Topaz can jump 1.20m with her eyes shut and is now training adv med'ish, she wasn't bred to be an amazing althete but her conformation and temperment means she has been an amazing pathfinder for me to compete on.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

x x

 

[stencilface]

My horse was great until he got to 11, the the wheels (or rather his legs!) started to metaphorically fall off. I'll be honest, I'm not sure how much I can be bothered these days to get a new horse at all its so much effort and heartbreak for so little return it seems, at least on a bike you can just change the wheel.

 

[huskydamage]

I think some peiple are v unlucky with horses and probably all of them will have a vet out for something at least once. I've had mine 13years and in that time she's had 2 foot absesses, an eye ulcer and tied up. She is 22 now and has hock arthritus but still jogging about and bombing off on her hacks as ever. Vet says she is in v good health for her age. She lives out in a massive field and touch wood never had problems with colic or lami (I think she is a newforest x tb- but not sure). I have always belived in trying to keep horses moving as much as possible through riding and being out- best thing for their health I think. I had 2 other welsh types before both lived out and ridden both fine. I sold my welsh d to a friend who then kept him in, shortfeed (he didn't need any feed!) ,over rugged, hardly rode and suddenly became crippled with lami. No one would belive now he lived out all year round with me in a massive field, no rug and no lami for years! Sometimes you can kill with kindness\interferring.

 

[Annagain]

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.......

This, but be aware they can be prone to sweet itch. Nearly every sweet itch sufferer I've ever come across has been Welsh - usually As or Ds.

 

[trefnantblackknight]

Lippizzaner all the way easiest horse iv ever kept standing at 16hh so not the smallest but keeps weight better than my nuro section d and loves to be outside in any weather so can be kept without creature comforts but I like to spoil him!

And he has the best feet and legs

 

[touchstone]

I'm with maisie06, a Heinz 57 with decent conformation.
Natives, especially the hardier Highlands or Fells and Dales can be a nightmare with metabolic issues.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I'm with maisie06, a Heinz 57 with decent conformation.
Natives, especially the hardier Highlands or Fells and Dales can be a nightmare with metabolic issues.

But is that not due to how a lot of natives are kept. where their input is greater than their output. They have been bred to survive off little and work hard to get it, so could it not be they are now getting harder to manage with the set up of most livery yards. I mean they can be over fed with being on the wrong sort of grazing rather than hard feed, if its richly fertilised rye grass? Most horses I know (inlcuding my own) don't really work hard and yet have all the food they could want. My own I strive to keep at a good weight but it's still hard to manage sometimes, and none have been bred (that I know of) to be very hardy, Doodle to be a show horse and the other two to drive.

Finding this thread really quite interesting

x x

 

[MotherOfChickens]

But is that not due to how a lot of natives are kept. where their input is greater than their output.

well yes, but it can still make them a nightmare to manage if all you have in the area is the sort of livery yard that overfeeds in the winter, or sticks poor native ponies in tiny bare paddocks all summer. They need work and I think most leisure riders don't have the time to work them as much given how much they are fed. Not to mention that apparently to ride anything under 14.2h you must be a child who weighs 3 stone.

I've managed my own grazing for years now and my own natives are now much easier to keep trim but it took moving to a higher altitude and securing old, unimproved hill grazing for them. Even then, they are muzzled a bit in the summer if needed and are not rugged, stabled often or given more than a token supplementary feed/hay year round and live on the side of a very windy, wet hill in Scotland.

 

[touchstone]

But is that not due to how a lot of natives are kept. where their input is greater than their output. They have been bred to survive off little and work hard to get it, so could it not be they are now getting harder to manage with the set up of most livery yards. I mean they can be over fed with being on the wrong sort of grazing rather than hard feed, if its richly fertilised rye grass? Most horses I know (inlcuding my own) don't really work hard and yet have all the food they could want. My own I strive to keep at a good weight but it's still hard to manage sometimes, and none have been bred (that I know of) to be very hardy, Doodle to be a show horse and the other two to drive.

Finding this thread really quite interesting

x x

I'm pretty sure it is to do with how they are kept, but even some kept very frugally go on to develop metabolic conditions; I think that there is possibly more to it than just killing with kindness in some cases and I don't think some people are aware just how much work is involved in keeping a native slim and busy!

 

[paddy555]

Another vote for Criollos - as you can see we are huge fans - http://chamfronstud.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/so-what-does-criollo-bring-to-party.html

was it really necessary to post this link??? I have been trying to avoid looking at one of the foals on there for several months now. I didn't need reminding how lovely he was!

 

[greasedweasel]

was it really necessary to post this link??? I have been trying to avoid looking at one of the foals on there for several months now. I didn't need reminding how lovely he was!

Ah which one? The are a cracking foal crop, even the vet said the other day he thought they were the best we've bred - they are getting very very fluffy now though!

 

[paddy555]

Ah which one? The are a cracking foal crop, even the vet said the other day he thought they were the best we've bred - they are getting very very fluffy now though!

Ombu.

 

[greasedweasel]

Ombu.

Ah yes he is indeed very lovely!

 

[SO1]

I don't think there are any particular breeds to be honest I think a lot of it is temperament, luck and management.

Native breeds and cobs are hardy in terms of being able to winter out without rugs and lots of additional food and if they are the more laid back sorts perhaps less likely to run around and injure themselves in the field but weight management can be really tricky and I think they are more prone to laminitis and metabolic disorders.

I also think how a horse has been managed as a youngster makes a difference too, I think if they have been living out as a youngster and not over trained and ridden too early then there is less pressure on their growing bodies. Making sure your horse is fit and supple enough for the job it needs to do but also including working on a variety of terrains. I think competitive sports horses are probably more prone to injury if their bodies are being pushed to their maximum capacity in the same way as human athletes often suffer from injuries.

 

[pansymouse]

I don't think there are any particular breeds to be honest I think a lot of it is temperament, luck and management.

Native breeds and cobs are hardy in terms of being able to winter out without rugs and lots of additional food and if they are the more laid back sorts perhaps less likely to run around and injure themselves in the field but weight management can be really tricky and I think they are more prone to laminitis and metabolic disorders.

I also think how a horse has been managed as a youngster makes a difference too, I think if they have been living out as a youngster and not over trained and ridden too early then there is less pressure on their growing bodies. Making sure your horse is fit and supple enough for the job it needs to do but also including working on a variety of terrains. I think competitive sports horses are probably more prone to injury if their bodies are being pushed to their maximum capacity in the same way as human athletes often suffer from injuries.

Totally agree.

 

[Dumbo]

I've just bought what I've always wanted... A Norwegian Fjord. They don't get any more hardy than that. Very kind and willing to please. Surprisingly agile too!

 

[Celtic Fringe]

Totally agree with SO1 and pansymouse. One of the toughest horses on our yard is a TB mare. She doesn't like being rugged, lives out all year and I've never seen her sick or sorry though she does sometimes drop a bit of weight in winter (she does get rugged in the wettest and coldest weather). Young cob is hardy and healthy and he is approx one quarter Irish Draft, one quarter Irish cob with the rest being an unknown mix. He seems totally weather proof. I suspect weight management may be a factor in the future but as he is only 4 he still has some growing to do. I'm being really careful about the amount of work he is doing at the moment as I want to give him the best chance of being sound and strong for many years ahead.

 

[LHIS]

I've just bought what I've always wanted... A Norwegian Fjord. They don't get any more hardy than that. Very kind and willing to please. Surprisingly agile too!

Oo lovely, lucky you I imagine Icelandic ponies are tough cookies too, for similar reasons Fjords are. I often find myself lusting after the ponies on this website - http://www.eddahestar.co.uk

 

[windand rain]

We have a lovely if bonkers Fjord as a neighbour. loves to do everything at 900 miles an hour and is amazing, loves to jump and x country sadly he does have health issues due to his conformation especially his feet. Although not old he is now arthritic in his fetlocks, coffin and pasterns and is a one owner horse who is not a high mileage

 

[pistolpete]

Thanks everyone, really enjoyed reading all these. I always tell people to go for a mongrel dog for hybrid vigour so maybe horses are the same? I love Arabs but feel I maybe wouldn't be brave enough. Think Welsh D's might be a bit much for me too! There is an overheight New Forest mare I have my eye on... Oh and I think Highlands are beautiful too but worry about aching hips!

 

[3OldPonies]

Another vote here for the New Forest. Especially if you can get a good one from the Forest. They're so used to cars that they're absolutely bomb proof in traffic!

 

[ahorseandadog]

I strongly recommend Shires (huge but sturdy) or Highlands. And if you can find a Connemara that wasn't bred for show-jumping, get that. Nothing better than a hardy Connemara.

 

[godfreyy]

There are so many lovely breeds out there - always wanted a Norwegian Fjord! But I have to say, there is no beating a Welsh D! Got a Welsh D mare as my first pony when I was 11yo (I know, what were my parents thinking?!) and absolutely love her cheeky, stubborn character!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I love Arabs but feel I maybe wouldn't be brave enough.

My grey is the most straightforward and sensible horse that I have ever known. If you really like them don't rule the whole breed out because of the breed stereotype. I am disabled and quite frankly a below average rider and I love owning them. They always know when they need to be extra careful with me.

 

[Landcruiser]

Yet another vote for criollo or criollo x. Tough as old boots and hooves like mahogany, handy at everything, but be careful where you buy. The link above would be my top choice in the UK