Irish Draughts as happy hackers?

[BuzzyBea]

I have never known a RID, only when crossed with TB, and wonder whether they are the big lovable giants that I imagine?!!

Would it be reasonable to imagine that one that has been left in the field for over a year and only recently been brought back into work would be happy with a life plodding around the local countryside - even if they are by a Grade A showjumper? Suitable for a larger lady returning to riding after years out of the saddle?

Comments please

 

[wills_91]

Horses for courses. I have had an ex eventer, he had a busy mind and would not have been happy with just being a happy hacker, kept him active with a wide range of activities and he was a gem. You can only really go and check him/her out.

 

[Charlie77]

Id say that vey much depends on the individual! I had a full tb who was amazing a child could have riden him, I now have another 3/4 tb who is typically tb and some days I wonder if I want to ride him.
Though generally id s are wonderful with great temperaments x actually what id set to get when I came back with my 3/4 tb! Good luck x x

 

[stormox]

An ID can be anything you want him to be- happy hacker, Grade A SJ, show hunter, show cob, driving, hunting..... they are the ultimate allrounder bred from horses that worked on the farm, pulled the cart that took the family to market and took the farmer hunting - all in the same week.

 

[Ceriann]

I've had 3 IDx (two 50/50 x with TB) and both were very happy to hack (and do more or less anything else I asked of them). Both were very different individuals though - whilst both very nice people. I currently have 3/4 ID x TB and she is a very good hacker and quite happy to just do that (she's 6) but again very different to my last two - far less cuddly and affectionate and I have to stay on my toes re handling her as she can be dominant.

 

[sunnyone]

Absolutely. Either I or my OH have had an IDx for the last 30+years, and bred 3 IDx from 1.They have all had different personalities and foibles but never seriously competed. They've all had weeks at a time off, we've then put a saddle back on them and they've been as responsive as if we had ridden them every day. Obviously getting them fit again takes time but as they are generally out 24/7 with rugs only in extreme circumstances, they are probably more than half way there already. They also tend to be very healthy animals.

 

[NellRosk]

Certainly both mine could be left for years and then tacked up and hacked out. They would be perfectly sane. Love the ID mentality Got on my 5 yo last night after 2 days in, bareback with a headcollar on and she was just so chilled.

 

[NellRosk]

An ID can be anything you want him to be- happy hacker, Grade A SJ, show hunter, show cob, driving, hunting..... they are the ultimate allrounder bred from horses that worked on the farm, pulled the cart that took the family to market and took the farmer hunting - all in the same week.

This absolutely.

 

[spottybotty]

An ID can be anything you want him to be- happy hacker, Grade A SJ, show hunter, show cob, driving, hunting..... they are the ultimate allrounder bred from horses that worked on the farm, pulled the cart that took the family to market and took the farmer hunting - all in the same week.

Agree totally!

 

[JenHunt]

what stormox said... they are wonderful

 

[karenb]

An ID can be anything you want him to be- happy hacker, Grade A SJ, show hunter, show cob, driving, hunting..... they are the ultimate allrounder bred from horses that worked on the farm, pulled the cart that took the family to market and took the farmer hunting - all in the same week.

Echo this ,they are the ultimate hacking /leisure horse. They are not plods but are usually sane and sensible and have great comfortable paces.

 

[Nari]

They're certainly lovely affectionate horses, I've known a lot of RIDs & have never yet met a nasty one. Many of them have a personality as big as their body so if you find the right one they can ruin you for anything else!

Whether the one you're thinking of will be suitable for what you want is something you have to find out for yourself. I've known some that would be perfectly happy with that as a job & would be brilliant at it, but I've also known some who would be totally unsuitable. They're all individuals.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I've got rather a lot of Irish Draughts - and all the backed ones have been super about hacking - literally from Day 1. The only RID I ever had who wasn't GREAT on hacking was my first - bought at 8 - and he was the spookiest old thing! And stayed spooky!

 

[Annagain]

My instructor has not long bought a 4yr old ID (his first 100% ID) and he adores him. He says he is the most sensible honest horse he's ever known (at any age) and he's been around horses for 50 years, including going round Burghley so that's quite a recommendation I suppose! He's looking for a quieter life these days in his 60s so bought him as a happy hacker/ riding club / hunter and he's doing all those jobs brilliantly.

 

[Mahoganybay]

I have a fantastic IDx, my daughters horse that was her competition horse! BSJA, One Day Events, Cross Country, Hunting etc.

She went to Uni and was left with me, took a little while getting used to each other & for him to calm down a bit, but he is now my hacking and Le Trec buddy. Non spooky, calm, nannies nervous horses, super duper chilled out boy. Love him to bits and would not hesitate to get another of the same breed.

 

[wench]

Like anything you need to look at the horse in front of you, not the "stereotype" for that breed.

 

[canteron]

... And Irish Draughts do tend to take quite a long while to grow up. My 17yo girl sounds as is she is exactly the horse you want but at 6yo you may not have been so keen!

 

[Annagain]

I should add my IDx isn't quite the same sensible horse. He's incredibly strong and insecure about being left behind, not a great combination! Having said that he's non-spooky and THE best horse I've ever known in traffic. My IDx share horse on the other hand has been a gent all his life, just like my instructor's 4yr old.

 

[Mahoganybay]

... And Irish Draughts do tend to take quite a long while to grow up. My 17yo girl sounds as is she is exactly the horse you want but at 6yo you may not have been so keen!

Agree with this, our lad is 13 now and only just maturing! I would not have been brave enough (or have the stick ability) when we got him at 6!

 

[JackDaniels1]

Like anything you need to look at the horse in front of you, not the "stereotype" for that breed.

Completely agree with this! I'm trying to sell a TB as a happy hacker - best I've had out on the roads!!

 

[ebonyallen]

My girl is an Irish Draught X T/B, and I got her when I was an able bodied rider, since then I have lost my leg above the knee and my girl really does look out for me and takes care of me out hacking. She has a fair turn of speed and can jump like a stag, but not with mum anymore. She is a very sensible little horse and seems to take most things in her stride, all horses are different and have different traits but the I/D mostly tends to be a calm caring horse with a sensible nature, other may have had different experience but my girl certainly looks after me, and puts up with all my failings and always try her best. I just adore her and the breed is fantastic, but I am very biased lol.

 

[spacefaer]

Our 4 yr old RID is the calmest, quietest, most bombproof horse I think I've ever known - his uncle, who is 13, is a complete joggy stress*head who I think I'd struggle to find someone else to ride if I paid them!

Very much an individual thing - as a generalisation, the breed may well be suitable for what you want, but you might have to pick the individual example carefully!

 

[FairyLights]

ID's are wonderful should make great happy hackers

 

[Goldenstar]

I have two ID's neither are happy hackers but then they have been trained to be hunters so are used to an high octane life .
Fatty is a lazy hack in summer and changes as the weather gets colder but he's a hunting star.
H is very forward and sharp he's a lovely horse and would event no trouble in fact if his brain was in J's body he would go to badminton.
I have also known some very nervous ID's that I would class as not being in any way suitable for novices IMO these are usually ones that have been rushed and badly started at the beginning of their careers .
It does depend on the horse, I don't think there's any breed that you can generalise about I have known absolutely dopey warm bloods and TBs , and completely insanely hot examples of both breeds ,the same applies to welsh section D's.
I think the biggest issue with ID's as happy hackers is they tend get very fat very easily if they don't get enough work.

 

[Tern]

All breeds can be a happy hacker if you want them to be, it shouldn't matter on breed. (haven't read replies so sorry id I'm repeating)

 

[BuzzyBea]

Thank you so much everyone for your replies and I'm feeling a lot of love out there for the ID!! My daughter's competition horse is an IDxTB and although he is a total superstar and a sweetheart he can have the occasional unexplained spook on a hack and I wouldn't be confident dealing with that on the road myself. Therefore have decided to go and have a look at a 9 year old RID that will potentially be for me but my daughter could jump too if she wanted. Will keep you all posted.

 

[spacefaer]

We've got a 17 yr old Tb x ID who is a slug in the summer - you have to kick hard to get him out of the drive. I've come back from a hack in the summer convinced he had a virus or navicular. .....

In the winter, he's traffic proof and plastic bag proof but turns into a neurotic thoroughbred - jogging sideways most of the hack, tossing his head like he's going down to the start. It's not even that he's fit and clipped - he does it from the end of the 1st week back in work, when he decides he's fit enough to go hunting

He'd be the perfect hack for a nervous novice May- August. ......!

 

[JoJo_]

Thank you so much everyone for your replies and I'm feeling a lot of love out there for the ID!! My daughter's competition horse is an IDxTB and although he is a total superstar and a sweetheart he can have the occasional unexplained spook on a hack and I wouldn't be confident dealing with that on the road myself. Therefore have decided to go and have a look at a 9 year old RID that will potentially be for me but my daughter could jump too if she wanted. Will keep you all posted.

I would be very curious as to why they are selling. You just rarely see 7-10yr old good RIDs for sale so be careful.

 

[tankgirl1]

I had a 17yo 17hh ID on loan and he was a fabulous happy hacker, quite often took the kiddies out on him on lead rein and he never put a foot wrong!

 

[Cortez]

I would be very curious as to why they are selling. You just rarely see 7-10yr old good RIDs for sale so be careful.

Ha ha ha! That's such a weird statement; there are thousands of the things for sale over here (and you're welcome to them; can't stand the thick, stubborn, opinionated yokes).