Shire Horses & Dressage ?

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Llwyncwn

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There was a feature in Your Horse last year about draft horses and dressage. I would really like to take my little man to some unafilliated prelims in the summer. He is rising 5, very forward going, begining to open his shoulders in the trot and his canter is coming along well, apart from right lead but that will come. He is in a natural outline and looks for the contact.

My question is ... am I being rediculous? People have been almost wetting themselves at the thought of a 'cart horse' doing dressage
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Would really really appreciate your comments - good or laughable
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Thanks for that
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If you were a judge ... and we all know that some like WB, some like TBs etc ..

Would you laugh all the way to the chuck wagon ?
 
Definately not. Have ridden a few who looked unlikely candidates for dressage and not been laughed off yet.
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I have aslo written for a couple of judges and most loved to see something other than a WB or TB go well (it makes it more interesting).
 
My Irish Daft (sorry Draft!) went to the Nationals 6 years in a row and I wouldn't exactly say he was dainty! We also did alot of jumping (this is back in the days that HorseGroupie use to do dangerous things) and quite a few times I heard people taking the mick out of my BFG but they soon were smiling the otherside of their faces when said BFG zoomed round the jump off like a niffty 12.2 turning on a 6pence! (no one told me I had to ride a horse differently to a pony!) There was this one incident when in a jump off and I was last to go and the girl before me took the lead and she came out looked me and down in the entrance and said to me 'that won't be beaten', well that was just like a red rag to a bull and BFG took 6 seconds off her time and wiped the smug smirk off her face. Why did he go so much quicker because my BFG was the only horse to successfully negociate a turn back to the last with crashing and burning, everyone else in the line up had gone round because the turn back was deemed impossible after a few had tried it and failed miserably!! (I would have gone round as well on a normal day but god I wanted to prove a point!)
Get to the point I hear you all cry - Do whatever you want it doesn't matter what your horse looks like just do what you enjoy and ignore the 'ignorant' people!
 
Please please enter! I took my mum's shire x clydesdale to two unaff prelims last year, she qualified for derby house championships in the first competition (came 3rd) and won (out of 15 horses, mostly TBs and WBs) in her second... So this year she's going to be doing lots more competitions, hopefully novice and elementary by the end of the summer.
I would affiliate her, but I haven't got transport, so that's my goal for next year.

Honestly, you won't get laughed at, and the judges will probably appreciate seeing a different type of horse! My RI who does a lot of judging locally is seeing a lot more shire x types competing and doing well as they have very straight movement, and you can be very accurate with your test.

Here's Chloe at her first competition.
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Good luck
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My horse has Clysdale in him and he got to the Nationals in the summer and is at the regionals again tomorrow at elementary so you go for it girlie
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There is a lady who rides at Grand Prix level with her shire crosses... I can't remember what her name is but she was at the Nationals two years ago, and I believe she was there this year too. She came 6th in class I was watching, and her horse was absolutely stunning!
 
Go for it!

Another advantage is that people often have low expectations when they first clap eyes on your unconventional mount - you have less to live up to and it makes it all the better when you prove them wrong!
 
Thanks everyone for your encouragement.

Tizer, I always believed he was full shire - his mum was 19hh but not 100% sure of father, believe he was shire. Im not so sure now as he is so forward going and very lanky. He is standing at 18.1hh now and is still growing
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I have heard that dressage with Shire's is quite a big thing in USA where they are breeding them finer but taller, rather than the traditional heavy horse. Maybe Barney Bear is of this type. If I could fathom how to post a piccy I would let you see him
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Go for it, you are marked on your execution of the test. If your horse moves well, behaves & does as he is told you will do well. You don't get any more or less marks because you happen to be riding a particular breed.

I've seen heavy horses doing dressage, no problem at all.

Good Luck
 
Go for it Llwyncwn I've got a shirexwarmblood and she's eventing and being very successful, he doesn't look as big as the shire horse that used to showjump called bumble, Shire horses are very versatile i'm sure you will have lots of fun and rossettes!
 
I was told by a listed dressage judge once that horses which have shire in them whether it's a 1/4 or half or full - can do very well in dressage

One of the best mixes that she likes is shire x tb
 
Go for it!!
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Dressage is "Training of the horse"!!

Dressage doesn't mean "You can only join in if you have flash dressage horse and very expensive tack"!! LOL.

The best thing to do is enter. You get the judges comments and you know what you have to work on from there.

Enjoy

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Thank you all. Barney Bear is such a gentle giant and very willing to please - not a buck or nap in him. Has been a pleasure to do up until now, but think I will have to get a larger lorry unfortunately
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