Looking at Irish Draughts

[GREYSMEADOW]

I’ve been looking at ID’s over the last couple of months now and after speaking to a chap at Hickstead last week over at the Heavyweight Cob/Maxi class ring, I now really quite fancy one. He informed me that his grey was almost Irish Draught but not quite, around 16.1+h 8yo, plenty of bone (I couldn’t see as they were covered up by brushing boots) and is now classes as a Maxi-cob (used to do H/W cob classes when he was a bit younger).
Having looked at ones advertised I am now trying to visualise how they would fill out/look like when they are around 8-9 years old. Ones I have seen are:

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_4_yrs_15_1_hh_chestnut_cumbria/advert/232861
This one is only 4 and lovely shape for a cob/hunter class

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/riding_c..._yrs_3_mths_16_1_hh_grey_surrey/advert/233048
This one is 5 but do you think he would mature to a MW to HW

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/performa..._mths_16_2_hh_dapple_grey_essex/advert/232763
and another grey – this one 4 years old – would he mature to HW/Maxi

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_5_yrs_4_mths_16_0_hh_bay_west_sussex/advert/232428
Another 5yo – again could he make a MW to HW

Also, when sellers mention ‘got plenty of bone’ – would that be classed as 9” bone and over?

I would love to see your IDs at 4/5 yo and then the same horse at 8+ years.

Many thanks.

 

[canteron]

I can't speak for all Irish Draughts, but mine took a long while to grow up - both physically and mentally. I would say that she didn't really get her adult shape until 10yo and mentally grew up about then too!!

At 16hh she would be classed as a maxi cob (but I am not letting anyone hog her ever!).

 

[Goldenstar]

Mine is sixteen two has just under nine inches of bone hes ten now I got him at eight as with all ID's i have knownhe's sensible very cheeky very lazy when doing things hes not keen on schooling but great at his job ,hunting and great fun to have around we all love him he's a scream
I have heard of people who have described them as nervous but all the ones I have known have been exactly like mine however I would think if badly handled or treated they would quickly be a nightmare all the ones I have know have that strong sense of self that some horses have I love them

 

[JanetGeorge]

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_4_yrs_15_1_hh_chestnut_cumbria/advert/232861
This one is only 4 and lovely shape for a cob/hunter class

Very nice traditional type! Suspiciously cheap if she's eligible Class 1 (what breeding is the dam's dam?)

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/riding_c..._yrs_3_mths_16_1_hh_grey_surrey/advert/233048
This one is 5 but do you think he would mature to a MW to HW

No - if that's more than 50% ID I'd be surprised!

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/performa..._mths_16_2_hh_dapple_grey_essex/advert/232763
and another grey – this one 4 years old – would he mature to HW/Maxi

Nice type - still weak behind and possibly bum high - looks to have plenty of bone. Again, suspiciously cheap but dealer may be stacking 'em high and making a quick SMALL profit! He'll be at least a big MW.

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_5_yrs_4_mths_16_0_hh_bay_west_sussex/advert/232428
Another 5yo – again could he make a MW to HW

MW yes. But not a great shoulder and he drops away a bit behind - could improve with work and maturity but I don't see him as a County level winner.

The small mare is the best of them - but I would want to check her dam line - and work out why the hell she is SO cheap! Because if I wasn't over-loaded with mares at present, I'd grab her as a brood mare!

 

[Gleeful Imp]

I'm loving no 3, but he would be a hunter not a maxi cob. To much daylight between belly and ground! But looks very nice.

No 1 must say I don't like, if you want a quality ID then contact Janet George on here - she's on FB too. Lovely lovely horses!

 

[Gleeful Imp]

Cross posted with JG honest!!!!!!!

Shuffles off to look at no 1 again as clearly needs new glasses .........

 

[HollyWoozle]

Cross posted with JG honest!!!!!!!

Shuffles off to look at no 1 again as clearly needs new glasses .........

Hehe, it's funny you say that because I wasn't keen on number 1 (but I know nothing about IDs... or possibly even horses in general, haha!) and then I saw JGs post and very quickly reconsidered.

 

[GinaGem]

The second one looks like my girl as a youngster. She's much chunkier now but wouldn't be enough for a cob class I shouldn't think:

 

[Jnhuk]

I bow to JanetG's knowledge and experience regarding ID and gone back and looked at number one but I still really like the dappled grey (number 3) personally but then again I am a sucker for greys I would be sorely tempted to go and see number 3 if I was looking

I have been told my other lad would make a good maxicob - his sire was Dutch WB and mum was IDxTB

My other lad is technically an ISH but when you look at his breeding history mainly RID with a few AID but feel he is too big and not really a maxi-cob. He is now 17.1 but was 16.3 as a four year old.

If you are interested, have a look at my profile as pictures of both lads under album labelled horses

 

[GinaGem]

Many years ago:

 

[Luci07]

The second one looks like my girl as a youngster. She's much chunkier now but wouldn't be enough for a cob class I shouldn't think:

Think she might actually....lightweight cob...

 

[GinaGem]

Interesting thanks, never knew that.

 

[AdorableAlice]

The 15.1 mare is the nearest to a show cob but as Janet says far too cheap.

Here is my hope for a 2016 show cob. I thought she may grow on into a hunter but it's looking doubtful. Really looking forward to showing her.

RID Avanti Amorous Archie out of Irish Vanner with some ID in her.
Pictures at newborn, 3 and 12 months old.

 

[Goldenstar]

I agree the made seems to cheap but surely it's worth a bit of research the last one I bought was like this I looked at the ad for ages and kept discounting it as too cheap there will be a catchin the end I rang .
I bought the horse probaly the best deal I have ever made the horse and seller where genuine just the market is over supplied at the moment she really needed to sell there's probably a catch but you never know .

 

[spacefaer]

Our RID as a 4 year old

and as a 9 year old

 

[JanetGeorge]

Cross posted with JG honest!!!!!!!

Shuffles off to look at no 1 again as clearly needs new glasses .........

Thanks for the plug.

And no - you probably don't need new glasses! She is a 'traditional' type - (and many people prefer the more modern, 'sportier' IDs) AND she's stil immature - so not yet got a great back-end. But she IS full ID - eligible Class 1 - outcross breeding - and small (and there is a demand for small RID mares to breed show cobs.)

It actually annoys me that people would sell a mare eligible for Class 1 without grading her first - and that they'd GIVE her away! (Unless she's got a fault I missed that would spin her at grading - or vetting. Or unless she moves like a hippo!) I wouldn't sell a weanling filly eligible Class 1 for £2,000 - unless she was downright fugly! And I sure wouldn't keep one to 4 - AND back it - and offer it at that price: and if I had to, I'd sure as hell give up breeding very quickly - I couldn't afford to continue!

This is a 'sportier' type of ID - 2 yo filly - at grading.

And no, TFC, I'm not advertising - she was sold as a backed 4 year old for more than 3 times what that mare is advertised at - and the buyer got a bargain!

And this is a very 'traditional' mare.

As is this:

A leg at each corner, lots of depth! Both mares about 16-16.1hh - and with more than 9" of bone.

 

[Goldenstar]

Thanks for the plug.

And no - you probably don't need new glasses! She is a 'traditional' type - (and many people prefer the more modern, 'sportier' IDs) AND she's stil immature - so not yet got a great back-end. But she IS full ID - eligible Class 1 - outcross breeding - and small (and there is a demand for small RID mares to breed show cobs.)

It actually annoys me that people would sell a mare eligible for Class 1 without grading her first - and that they'd GIVE her away! (Unless she's got a fault I missed that would spin her at grading - or vetting. Or unless she moves like a hippo!) I wouldn't sell a weanling filly eligible Class 1 for £2,000 - unless she was downright fugly! And I sure wouldn't keep one to 4 - AND back it - and offer it at that price: and if I had to, I'd sure as hell give up breeding very quickly - I couldn't afford to continue!

This is a 'sportier' type of ID - 2 yo filly - at grading.

And no, TFC, I'm not advertising - she was sold as a backed 4 year old for more than 3 times what that mare is advertised at - and the buyer got a bargain!

And this is a very 'traditional' mare.

As is this:

A leg at each corner, lots of depth! Both mares about 16-16.1hh - and with more than 9" of bone.

My ID is between the pictures which is why IMO he he's not really a show horse neither a cob or a hunter .
He is however fantastic at hunting as a job and that is what really counts.
I suspect that chestnut mare won't more straight or something like that but as I said in my earlier post the horse I bought was a real steal when I finally hauled myself three and half hours to buy him.that horse was a clydie / section D cross very nice.

 

[Bernster]

Our RID as a 4 year old

and as a 9 year old

Lovely to see before and after. JG - the sportier type is lush! My friend has a more traditional ID gangly thing as a 4yo but a lovely leg in each corner weight carrying hunter now. But rides really light. Shame there don't seem so many of em around, in favour of lighter types/ISHs

 

[spacefaer]

Thanks - he's traditionally bred (by Annaghdown Star out of a RNE Shore mare) but has come out quite leggy - he's 18hh too

This is our more sturdy RID - photo taken as a portly 5 yr old last autumn. He's by Fast Silver out of an Irelands Pride mare. (If anyone is interested in ID breeding, RNE Shore is also by Irelands Pride, so they're vaguely related lool - very different stamps though )

 

[spaniel]

My full ID age 10.

 

[spaniel]

Same horse as a recently gelded 5 year old.

 

[Deseado]

Now THAT'S a trad ID.

 

[spacefaer]

very smart spaniel! I thought mine was chunky! How's he bred?

 

[gadetra]

Hi OP, I would second Janet George on number 1, she's a lovely proper butty little old fashioned mare. Oakley Dawn is a very rare bloodline, the last Oakley Dawn stallion died a while ago over here and he was at private stud untill he was in his teens.
If your looking for a cob to show then I'd defo go with number one.
She'd make a lovely broodie too when she's finished her ridden career and I like a smaller more correct mare to breed from.
Good luck finding one but for me number one has proper bone and a leg in each corner and generally yummy!!

 

[EAST KENT]

My first horse ever was an Irish Draught of only 15.1, and very traditional.A better more honest mare never lived.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Do people really show RIDs as maxi-cobs, rather than ID classes or hunters?
I've always thought of cobs as hybrids/Heinz 57 types, no matter how good looking.

I have to admit that I'd seen the 1st mare earlier today but thought that she is overweight with a small head but I certainly don't know IDs like JG does so will bow to her superior knowledge!

 

[ClassicG&T]

I'm no ID pro and not into showing so not sure what MW/HW/ Maxi cobs should be built like but i LOVE the second horse, Dexter. He looks lush

 

[Goldenstar]

Do people really show RIDs as maxi-cobs, rather than ID classes or hunters?
I've always thought of cobs as hybrids/Heinz 57 types, no matter how good looking.

I have to admit that I'd seen the 1st mare earlier today but thought that she is overweight with a small head but I certainly don't know IDs like JG does so will bow to her superior knowledge!

Well yes mine had been shown in cob classes before I bought but he's not a cob IMO but fat and hogged that's what he was doing.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Do people really show RIDs as maxi-cobs, rather than ID classes or hunters?
I've always thought of cobs as hybrids/Heinz 57 types, no matter how good looking.

I have to admit that I'd seen the 1st mare earlier today but thought that she is overweight with a small head but I certainly don't know IDs like JG does so will bow to her superior knowledge!

Remember Lynne Russell's Polaris - one of THE most successful cobs of his era - he was RID! As are a LOT of successful HW cobs/HW hunters - you name it. The ID is a versatile breed and many 'types' come under the umbrella.

And you're right - the small mare IS over-weight - and does have quite a small head. The first can be fixed - the second isn't a 'fault' as long as the head is well shaped with a broad forehead and a prominent eye.

This mare is similar (although I think rather nicer ) She's small - at 15.2, with a very pretty head - but still a leg at each corner. Her dam is a VERY traditional 15.2 - her sire a traditional 17hh. Her full siblings have ranged from 15.2 to 17hh - and the smaller ones are 'better' IDs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI6MkOXNrl4

 

[Pearlsasinger]

JG, your mare is gorgeous. Thanks for letting me know that I haven't completely lost my 'eye'.
As for the maxi cob issue tbh I have an inbuilt aversion to hogging so would never show something which could be shown in a breed class as a cob.