Please tell me about my horse

Woolly Hat n Wellies

Woolly Hat n Wellies

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My horse is passported as a Skewbald Cob X... which is so vague they might as well have written 'I think it's some sort of horse?' He is a 15.2hh, 15 year old gelding, and I would really love to know more about him. I'm hoping some people far more knowledgeable than I might be able to make some more educated guesses about his breeding/genes, what makes him that colour, what IS that colour? Any comments on his conformation also gratefully received, as I don't really know very much about judging conformation. I think he's the bee's knees but I'm biased!

I've spent almost 2 months now working from the ground as he had been ridden in a very poorly fitting saddle before I bought him, and it had made his back sore, which in turn meant he had pretty much stopped using it, and was just pulling himself along with his front feet, so he looked very much like a hammock. For comparative purposes I've included some older photos of him (fishing for encouraging remarks!). I'm really proud of him, even though I know he's just a cross-bred cobby thing, and I'd love more information/educated guesses about what he is, just for my own interest.

First: This morning.
IMG_0431_zpssskpzgc5.jpg


IMG_0436_zpssaqds41q.jpg


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Compared to: About 18 months ago
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And last year:
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(He's certainly become easier to take a nice photo of, less grouchy and less shuffly!)
 
I'm no expert but his condition has come on hasn't it? :D He is beautiful and I love how he is chestnut on one side, coloured on the other. I heard the other day that you can buy gene testing kits (about £60 on Amazon) for dogs (to determine their mix of breeding) - can you get these for horses too?
 
I think he's a chestnut frame overo, with sabino. He MAY just be sabino, but I haven't seen those types of markings on something with just sabino. So either chestnut frame overo sabino, or chestnut sabino IMO.
 
Just thinking there may even be some splashed white as the leg markings have quite square edges. Someone like Faracat will know more.
 
Thank you both, that's really interesting. :-)

I can't find any horse gene testing kits on Amazon, maybe I'm not using the right search terms. Most people who meet him seem to like to guess what breeds might be in him. The most common suggestion is part Section D, although I've also heard Gelderlander and Clydesdale... not so sure about those!

Id be very interested to hear any comments on his conformation too. I know he's got rather a big head, but I don't really know beyond that. I think his back appears slightly shorter since I've been working so hard on his posture and groundwork. I don't know much about judging conformation, but I would like to learn!
 
I don't know if its the markings, face and little bit of chunk with is making me think there is some clydesdale in there, but that is as bad a guess as Cob x :p
 
He definitely looks like a cross breed cobby type, but a very very nice one (slightly jelly ;) ) Doing a good job on his back there, keep up the good work!
 
That looks like splash overo rather than frame as frame generally suppresses white on the legs.
Easy enough to test - http://www.animalgenetics.eu/Equine/equine-cost-pound.html and £25 to test for splash which is not uncommon in Welshies.

He does look a nice sort. Could be as much as 1/2 TB or could be a real hodge podge - who knows.
I have a frame overo mare whose owner died & papers were lost even though we know her breeding. Wetherby's cannot mark her passport as anything other than bay skewbald.
 
Wagtail said:
I think he's a chestnut frame overo, with sabino. He MAY just be sabino, but I haven't seen those types of markings on something with just sabino. So either chestnut frame overo sabino, or chestnut sabino IMO.
Click to expand...

looks like my livery which Faracat said was a frame Overo

My livery

IMG_09771_zpsy2ri9wwe.jpg
 
Oh he's lovely :)

Breeding I would say Welsh cob x TB x ID

His markings I would say are caused by splash

Conformation - in the first picture he looks as if he is croup high because of his markings and the light-shade line cutting down behind his wither. In general his colouring is quite deceptive....his neck is set on a little low and he has a touch too much curve to his back and depth to his gut. But he is pretty good and with some muscling up on his neck I don't think his head will look too big at all.

What are you planning to do with him?
 
Can't help you with the colour but I'd say he's got some Welsh in him. Maybe welsh x ID.

Whatever he is he's very nice :)
 
DabDab said:
Oh he's lovely :)

Breeding I would say Welsh cob x TB x ID

His markings I would say are caused by splash

Conformation - in the first picture he looks as if he is croup high because of his markings and the light-shade line cutting down behind his wither. In general his colouring is quite deceptive....his neck is set on a little low and he has a touch too much curve to his back and depth to his gut. But he is pretty good and with some muscling up on his neck I don't think his head will look too big at all.

What are you planning to do with him?
Click to expand...

Thank you, on closer inspection he is very slightly angled downhill in the first photo, which could account for the croup high look. But I can see it now you've pointed it out, which is what I wanted. Hopefully this thread might improve my 'standing up for piccies' skills as well as teaching me about Billy!

We mostly hack, and do low level unaffiliated dressage. He's won a few intro tests, but his hammocky back and poor posture meant he found canter difficult in a school (hacking, uphill, in straight lines he was great though!) I'm hoping we'll be able to move up to prelim with all this work and help from my instructor. He has a lovely jump in him, but tends to get a bit overanxious and rush. We're working on getting him to trust me and calm down and focus as well as use his back, which is helping him to gain confidence in himself and me (I hope!) so I'm hoping to tackle jumping later on. Nothing big, as I'm a bit wussy and I don't want to push him too far at 15 when he hasn't been used to it, but a bit of local SJ would be nice. My ambitions are currently to go on a farm ride and to enter a small working hunter class. I know its not very impressive, but he's the first horse I've owned myself (not counting having ponies as a child) and I've always been a nervous rider, and he's given me so much confidence. I'd never even hacked out alone until I got him! The most important thing for me is to keep working him and developing him in the right direction so that he's comfortable and happy in his own body, he really, really deserves it!

Thank you to all who have commented, it's really fascinating to hear other opinions of him :) I really appreciate it
 
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