People with Experience of Young, Green Irish Drafts

[paddi22]

I am always in awe of people that make dressage horses out of them. I can't even imagine the amount of work it must take. they are a breed that you can really see the body mechanics and the effort it takes them to move. they are such workmanlike horses

 

[paddi22]

personally I love seeing them in their element like this though, doing the hunt jumping

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would get out cantering on some gallops or some nice big fields, I have also found a nice big flat field is good to school on its just easier for most horses that struggle in a school.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I am always in awe of people that make dressage horses out of them. I can't even imagine the amount of work it must take. they are a breed that you can really see the body mechanics and the effort it takes them to move. they are such workmanlike horses

My instructor competes a lovely grey ID mare at medium they do really well but he said certain things were tricky but certainly not impossible.

 

[Xmasha]

They are more than capable of holding there own at dressage . It just depends how far up the ladder the rider wants to go . How many people actually get to the advanced levels ? For the average rider they are perfect . They are trainable, willing and not as sensitive as others breeds . So can pick marks up at the lower levels that the hotter breeds can throw away .
the pro rider who rides out youngster (WB) also competes a lot of warm bloods at BD .. she’s seen another ID out and about who competes at advanced and is itching to try my mare as she thinks she would be as good . She’s always complimenting her movement and her brain . It’s not going to happen as I’m happy at prelim and novice . But it’s nice to know she thinks she’s good enough

 

[irishdraft]

I have backed and ridden away several IDS I must admit I have never had a problem with any of them in canter in the school and one was 18.hh . Having said that I've had them from youngsters and when first backed I only hacked them and taught the canter doing that . When I did get to the school I would never do more than 10 mins of very basic work and as youngsters their lives were more about getting out and about having fun. So if I were you OP that's probably what I would be doing with your young horse and establish the canter that way .

 

[milliepops]

I am always in awe of people that make dressage horses out of them. I can't even imagine the amount of work it must take. they are a breed that you can really see the body mechanics and the effort it takes them to move. they are such workmanlike horses

thanks for sharing, i enjoyed watching that from the POV of someone riding a similarly unsuitable horse... i rode every step of that with her. A great demonstration of technique over natural ability, though you can see the horse has some very useful talents for advanced stuff. She didn't let a single mark get away from here there.

 

[tristar]

a great horse lady said to me many years ago, irish draughts are the best movers and make good dressage horses, i think the modern generation are faced with modern comp horses and perhaps are not aware as previous generations and are being somewhat blinded by warmbloods etc

 

[Goldenstar]

It’s a balance with their cantering ,if you just canter in straight lines you risk developing a very on the front canter so I mix it up with doing huge circles on grass .

 

[spacefaer]

With Irish draughts, it's not always whether they can do something - it's whether they want to. ..... they're not always the most motivated to do dressage. They're not stupid but they do like variety!
I had a lovely horse that eventually went to HOYS as a working hunter, so he was a well schooled ride. He submitted to the idea of working in the school - he'd do a couple of circles and the you could feel him going "why? I've done this already!"

 

[AdorableAlice]

Mine got to medium quite easily but his dam sire was Colman who was renowned for putting good straight movement in and my horse found taking the weight behind easy as he was very correct in confo. It took a while to be fair but he was over 18h, he got very tired very quickly until he was a good 8 years old. Working within each pace and half halt was the way forward with him and when the balance finally came he was as nimble as a pony. A school is a small space for a big ID until the balance comes. Mine was shown as a heavy at county level and had done very little work in a school, basically because I didn't have one ! You can teach a lot out hacking and bumbling around in fields.

 

[Goldenstar]

Mines doing well at dressage atm but he’s nine and it would not have been late last summer that I would have wanted him out in the arena .
We got to one competition in autumn and then lockdown struck again .
He still not fully strong in his body .

 

[Goldenstar]

I am always in awe of people that make dressage horses out of them. I can't even imagine the amount of work it must take. they are a breed that you can really see the body mechanics and the effort it takes them to move. they are such workmanlike horses

Thankyou for posting that , that’s something to aspire to .

 

[Goldenstar]

With Irish draughts, it's not always whether they can do something - it's whether they want to. ..... they're not always the most motivated to do dressage. They're not stupid but they do like variety!
I had a lovely horse that eventually went to HOYS as a working hunter, so he was a well schooled ride. He submitted to the idea of working in the school - he'd do a couple of circles and the you could feel him going "why? I've done this already!"

Mine likes it ,it occupies his brain and he loves the arena at shows but I am very careful not to take advantage I keep his work very mixed which does slow things down progress wise .
He’s a naughty draught so naughty his previous owner sold him to me ,my idea was to ride and then part with him when I found something I loved .
I won’t part with him now he is really my horse and although three other people ride him he’s thinks I am his special friend .
He makes me laugh every single day he’s such a diva , in charge of the herd he goes all goofy when he meets a mare ( thank god I don’t own any ) he’s does dressage he hunts he jumps he’s as naughty as a box of ferrets .
A home he looks fine , I have him and two other draughts and a ID crossed Clydesdale, because he’s the lightest type ,you get him to show and he looks like a cart horse beside the others .

 

[teapot]

I love riding/schooling IDs, but think they take a certain type of rider to get the best out of them. Need to understand their brains, not as dull or dumb as people think.

 

[Goldenstar]

Exactly as teapot says you have to learn how they think, they are funniest horses such a wicked sense of humour. Fatty is a scream wicked and clever but such a dude Hero who had a difficult start is contentious and wants to please he was angry frightened bull of a young horse .

 

[tristar]

with all breeds there are different types, families, some of the nicest are quality and not huge and too heavy, some i have seen move fabulously, very free and balanced, others huge chunkies

one breed i have not owned but if i did would be taking the long term route and i doubt i would be disappointed

i think i would be taking the spanish horse approach, anything clever and good could be worth the effort in the end

 

[ecb89]

I love riding/schooling IDs, but think they take a certain type of rider to get the best out of them. Need to understand their brains, not as dull or dumb as people think.

This. People assume they are big lumbering oafs, they are anything but. I love the bones of mine.

 

[Goldenstar]

The thing with a good ID as you get older if something happens to you they will always have people who know them who would take them in .

 

[VioletStripe]

I'm not anti ID's per se, indeed for hunting there's no better horse for the job. But I don't want to hunt, and I don't have any use for the particular talents of the Irish Draught Horse. They're not my sort of horse at all, so I don't have any and everybody's happy. I am extremely fond of Connemaras and used to have several in my business, they're the best horse in Ireland.

Fair enough!

 

[VioletStripe]

I am extremely fond of Connemaras and used to have several in my business, they're the best horse in Ireland.

I fixed your post