Irish Draughts... tell me EVERYTHING!

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Pilib

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Hi,

I am ususally a TB person but I have fallen head over heels in love with a RID. Trouble is I really no nothing about them as a breed.

So please over you you guys, tell me all you know about them......

Pilib x
 
I have 2 and honestly would never go for any other breed!!! On my 14 year old I can do anything on him: hunt, dressage, sj, xc, wh, fun rides... you name it and he will do it. My 4 year old has been the easiest horse to break and do. Their only traits are that they can be a bit laid back but nothing that a few oats and schooling can't sort out. My 2 are also really good doer's, cheap to keep and will live in or out. They also have the cheekiest personalities! :)
 
Thanks guys!

How have you found fiding a saddle to fit?
just how hairy do they git in the winter?
Does anyone show theirs?

Thanks in advance
Pilib
 
Pilib said:
Thanks guys!

How have you found fiding a saddle to fit?
just how hairy do they git in the winter?
Does anyone show theirs?

Thanks in advance
Pilib
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relatively hard with my 14 year old as he is very wide. He had to get his albion K2 specially made :o but his ideal workers saddle was very easy to fit (think they are more designed for fatties)

And not that hairy if you rug them up, they don't have that much feather and it's very silky when they do grow it, but very easy to clip off :)

Yeah I show the older one in workers and ridden ID and the 4 year old will be shown the same next year. If you get a bigger one they do very well at hunter classes and smaller ones can be hogged out and will excel in maxi cob classes.

Any more questions? I'm very willing to go on all day about draughts :p
 
I am sure I will have LOADS more questions. According to his currrent owner he is in a medium wide saddle I want to get something cheep and cheerful (but correctly fitted) for everyday and eventually a really smart showing saddle.

He is BIG and I am hoping to do hunter classes with him as well as workers, some dressage and Riding club bits and bobs! but we are a long way off that at the mo!

Like I said I don't know anything about them really but are their manes are usually plaited? Do you keep yours short and pulled for every day?

Pilib x
 
Okay don't be afraid to ask whenever!!

Ooh I bet he is lovely :D

My older one is only 16.1 and very chunky so he is hogged and I show him as a maxi cob. The 4 year old is bigger and more gangly and no way a cob so she has her mane pulled and plaited for shows. Both of them have pulled tails and I clip off all beards/ whiskers/ feathers/ ear fluff :)
 
NellRosk said:
Okay don't be afraid to ask whenever!!

Ooh I bet he is lovely :D

My older one is only 16.1 and very chunky so he is hogged and I show him as a maxi cob. The 4 year old is bigger and more gangly and no way a cob so she has her mane pulled and plaited for shows. Both of them have pulled tails and I clip off all beards/ whiskers/ feathers/ ear fluff :)
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Oh yes his is lovely, I am so in love! Swoon!! As I said I have had TB's for YEARS and have tried a few but not clicked with anything. I have no idea why I went to see him but....... it must be fate!

He is about17hh and at the moment has a long mane and a very long tail! So lots of trimming required. I will trim beard and ears but I usually leave whiskers. He doesn't have much feather!
 
Aww yeah definitely sounds like fate! Well best of luck and let us know how you get on :)

If you get him I'd love to see pictures!

When I'm home from work I can link you to a few photos of mine as well so you can see how you can get 2 completely different stamps of draught!

N x
 
NellRosk said:
Aww yeah definitely sounds like fate! Well best of luck and let us know how you get on :)

If you get him I'd love to see pictures!

When I'm home from work I can link you to a few photos of mine as well so you can see how you can get 2 completely different stamps of draught!

N x
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Thank you, that'd be amazing, Thank you so much! I have some pictures but I haven't bought him yet, but once I have I will post loads I am sure.
Really interested in how to turn him out correctly, although we wont be doing any showing this year, he needs some schooling and to slim down a bit.
x
 
Op, sent you a picture privately of my RID heavyweight show hunter. I lost him sadly, but as you will see he was a super type.

ID's are biddable, intelligent and easy to keep. Ideal for pleasure owners who might not be able to ride everyday. My best hunter/pleasure horse was an unreg ID. The big show horse was kind and easy from his arrival as a weaned foal to the age of 13. Easy to start and ride away.

Good luck, you won't regret an ID.
 
Mine was 17.1 hh & weighed 730kg. I got her because I'd lost my nerve on a mad, headshaking TB.

She never put a foot wrong & I only fell off her once in 2 years, when I thought we could fit under a low branch! We couldn't, & I got scraped off, but as soon as she realised she'd lost me, she stopped & started grazing.

I jumped her up to 3 ft 6 unaff.

She did her job a bit too well as I got my nerve back, sold her on & got something feistier!

T x
 
We have draughts too :)

They are very good at all sorts of things - most are excellent allrounders - you don't see many at Advanced level eventing or Grand Prix dressage (although you can see some at GP SJ) but they are very practical, good doers with great temperaments.

They can be prone to being portly and are not always the most energetic when they don't see the point of what they are being asked to do - my boy hacks very slowly in the summer as he's not really convinced of the necessity, but can be a double handful in the winter, when he's utterly convinced he should be with the hounds and not behind the field master lol!

How is your potential one bred? I find the bloodlines really interesting as they can give you an idea of the temperament (certainly the Irish bloodlines, I'm not sure about the English ones as all of ours have come from Ireland!)

Need photos too!
 
Thought you might like him OP !

He was 18.1hh. By Embla George out of Embla Daisy who was by Coleman.

Coleman put the height and movement in. In addition to his showing he went to medium BD.
 
Mine is 5, bought him last year from Janet George as a 4yr old. He's given me back all the confidence I lost with a quirky wb. He's in a wide saddle but was easy to fit. Still growing and has a cheeky sweet personality. He can be spooky and looks to me for confidence but he has a heart of gold.

 
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Ilovefoals said:
Mine is 5, bought him last year from Janet George as a 4yr old. He's given me back all the confidence I lost with a quirky wb. He's in a wide saddle but was easy to fit. Still growing and has a cheeky sweet personality. He can be spooky and looks to me for confidence but he has a heart of gold.

Handsome boy, who is he by ?
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My friend has a full ID.

He is gorgeous!! MASSIVE but gorgeous! Doesn't really get that hairy at all in winter, he is neat and tidy and has a pulled mane etc. She's done some showing with him and hunted him and he has been a good boy!

How exciting :D
 
I really hope these photos of mine work as I have a terrible track record of putting photos on!

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I love IDs and the ones pictured on here are gorgeous.
I have had half breds and they haven't had any feathers? I'm sure IDs are a clean legged breed. (Aimed at OP, the ones pictured don't have feathers either!).
Good doers and generally generous and unflappable.
 
I have an IDx and he's such a sweetie considering how freakin' huge he is :D He's 17.2 now, a few kg shy of 700kg and he still has a bit of filling out to do. :o

He was relatively easy to fit a saddle to even though he was rather thin and lacking muscle.
He didn't get too hairy over the winter either - he had the same amount as my wimpy WB. I prefer to keep him tidy - mane pulled short, tail trimmed and feathers clipped.

I've found mine to be very forward going and very enthusiastic, especially when it comes to jumping and he tries his heart out for you every time.
I would buy another. I've been turned - I was always a WB person until I got the big man last summer :p
 
Clodagh said:
I love IDs and the ones pictured on here are gorgeous.
I have had half breds and they haven't had any feathers? I'm sure IDs are a clean legged breed. (Aimed at OP, the ones pictured don't have feathers either!).
Good doers and generally generous and unflappable.
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Because they are draughts and originally bred to work in fields they do have feathers but not massive ones growing from their armpits! The feathers are also silky and not coarse hair. I just clip mine's heels every few months :)
 
We have two half RIDs and they are completely different animals! So may be no help at all! The only thing they do have in common seems to be good paces and a bold jump.

The first is tb x RID, grey and 15.1hh, he's very quirky, slightly on the lazy side, and you wouldn't guess at his breeding to look at him. I love him to pieces but he is a complex animal! He's been an absolute schoolmaster and confidence-giver in the past, but in his old age he's actually got more excitable and I'm not sure I would put a child on him now!! He has a strange and inexplicable phobia of ponies, can untie any knot and open any door, and is generally a little neurotic. (but very very sweet, and still a very honest horse) I think he very much takes after his thoroughbred mother.

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The second is our baby pony, who won't stop growing! He's five and about 17hh I think. Dun, connie x tb x id. Opposite to the first, he looks like a pure irish draught. He's very straightforward, has no hang ups about anything, feels more like a native pony to be around. He's really sweet and cuddly.

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So like I said, probably no help at all as they're so different! :p Both good horses though! Wouldn't hesitate to go and look at an RID, especially if I wanted it for jumping or eventing.
 
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this is my 4 yr old whos curenly stands 17hh and had just gone bum high, they dont stop growing/maturing till there 7/8 so the bigger ones take abit longer to get to grips with there 4 legs hes very willing to learn but can be stubborn at times and you have to ask rather than tell, inquisitive which I like as when hes scared of something after the initial shock he then walks upto it to investigate.

He doesnt grow alot of hair but they all do come in all shapes and sizes. they may be big animals but are still sensitive beasts as my friends says
 
My boy is full ID! He's 6 years old and 17.1hh, and i love him to bits!

He CAN be a bit opinionated, but when on side he is fantastic. We do mainly dressage with some hacking and fun X poles (rider is a wimp!)





 
WOW! thanks for all the pictures!

I have heard that once you have an ID you never want another type of horse.........

I will keep you all updated and will post some photos soon x
 
Well I have been well and truly converted by my current boy after 10 years (of mainly trouble!) with thoroughbreds!

He can turn his hoof to most things. He has masses of ability and is light on his feet. Has THE best personality – everyone loves him. He has an absolute heart of gold, a real tryer, loves to work and does everything with a smile on his face.! Absolutely genuine and honest – what more can I say!
 
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