tell me about Welsh D's...

Maybe you Welshie experts can tell me if this is SOP for Welshies:


When my draft-cross (and other horses) catches a glimpse of an unidentifiable thing moving, she goes onto alert mode and may or may not spook depending on how much it startled her. I can usually get her attention back pretty quick, and once she can identify whatever she saw (horse, person, sheep, dog, whatever), she completely chills out and acts like nothing happened. Being a Colorado girl, she gets pretty jumpy when she can't identify it, as she hasn't accepted that there are no mountain lions and bears in Scotland, but if she knows what it is, she's happy.

Now, when I was riding the Welshie, another livery had to do some barn work just outside the arena on the far end. Mare doesn't like that corner anyway. And wow, she had a total panic attack. I had her going well at that point so we had to go back to square 1. The livery was even talking to her, saying, "Hi, it's just me!" That didn't convince the mare that she wasn't some scary monster. She was much more stubborn in her belief that it was a monster, more so than other horses in a similar situation. The only thing I could do was move as far away from the scary livery as I could get, a circle at the other end, and distract her with work.
 
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Caol Ila said:
Maybe you Welshie experts can tell me if this is SOP for Welshies:


Now, when I was riding the Welshie, another livery had to do some barn work just outside the arena on the far end. Mare doesn't like that corner anyway. And wow, she had a total panic attack. I had her going well at that point so we had to go back to square 1. The livery was even talking to her, saying, "Hi, it's just me!" That didn't convince the mare that she wasn't some scary monster. She was much more stubborn in her belief that it was a monster, more so than other horses in a similar situation. The only thing I could do was move as far away from the scary livery as I could get, a circle at the other end, and distract her with work.
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Sounds pretty standard. I can't wear a hood on my coat with mine. In fact there are so many little quirks like that that I forget it's not normal and most people can wear hoods when handling their horses (for example).

I once heard Kelly MArks say she'd be out of business were i not for Welsh Ds.
 
Hehe, I love the welsh d threads! Mine has been pretty well described in many of the posts - spooky, sensitive, wired, quite argumentative, highly intelligent (it's definatley a 'why should I?' when being schooled!) but gorgeous, full of character, cheeky and loved by everyone who meets him. He is better with work but due to my circumstances hasn't been worked much lately, so gets very clingy with the herd and our hacks tend to be mainly him jogging and trying to get back to the field as quick as possible! He is now 9, had him from a 3 year old and he has been difficult to deal with at times. But he is starting to chill out a bit now, thank god. Wouldn't change him for the world!
 
i live near a welsh D stud and one of my friends has had several of their horses - i now own a mare that I bought from her.

My mare is my horse of a lifetime! I have been through 6 different horses in 6 years looking for the right one; then when I fell pregnant last year I actually bought my mare from my friend as she was so safe to hack out and it made a change from the rearing, nappy hooligan I had at the time! She has proved to be a jack of all trades, easy to keep and a genuine tryer. She takes the mick out of a total novice or real nervous nellie but Im by no means the strongest or bravest rider and I manage her fine. She can be spooky and bit prancy-dancy, she can be a bit strong at times too but she is totally worth her weight in gold. She is genuine but with a spark.. fun and forward but safe without being boring if that makes sense?

My friend has her full brother and he is ridden by her novice mother, however only in company and when my friend is there on one of her horses. My friend has to get on him on a regular basis as he can be a total brat and his airs above the ground are quite impressive, he is built like a tank with the strength to match!
 
Morgan123 said:
There are lots of previous threads about welsh Ds. Basically, either they're as solid as a rock and you could do anything with them, or (and I think this stands for the majority) they are complete neurotic nutcases (I say this as I am currently limping and all my muscles feel like chewed string after being thrown off mine at the weekend at speed into a field of rocks because some sweetcorn waved in the wind).

My favourite welsh D saying is that they have one hoof on world domination, the other on the panic button. Mine is opinionated, affectionate and extremely cheeky, but also scared of everything (e.g. he spooks regularly at his own tail, his own sneezes, even the other day his own hoof).

Fantastic description Morgan 123. I have ALWAYS wanted a Welsh D. Finally, in my late 40's I have one,but what an initiation she is!! I knew fully what I was getting self and my daughter into and "timesed" it by 20!!
Our mare is a quivering nervebag! But, has the sweetest,most loveable temperment you could wish for. She tries her heart out for us, but equally we seem to go 2 steps forward with backing her, and 2 and a half back all the time. Especially when she has time off, even a day. The roller she wore yesterday is suddenly a horse-eating tiger today, and why would I ever want to put a tiger on her back!!
Do find I have to explain things in multicolour,several times over to her, and she also hates people besides myself and my daughter doing much with her,
She had her first set of shoes on this weekend,though and was a total star. (had well prepped her by tapping a hammer round her feet)Not bothered by it at all, whereas flap abit of paper,and she shakes!
She is 6, and in the process of being backed, loves the work so far too.But, is definately a challenge!
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It is funny. The Welshie is much more reactive than just about everything else I've ridden, but at the same time, a lot safer than a lot of other horses. She never does anything that will dislodge a decent rider; she just does tiny spooks, scoots around a bit, and looks bug-eyed at scary things. It's just that there are a lot of scary things out there, so the challenge for me is to keep her focused on her work. Like I said on another thread, she doesn't have the strength and power of my Shire-cross, so it's a good thing the Shire-cross doesn't have the personality of a Welsh D!
 
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I have just got my D back living with me. Although she is in her 20's now she acts pretty much the same as she was when she was 6 years old!
I also now have a TB gelding and to be honest at times I find him a little boring compared to my Welsh chestnut mare. Although my D can be volatile and bulshy I love her big heart and if you (like the previous person said) give her a job she will almost kill herself to do the job. I also love her flamboyance and presence along with their stamina.
I think of D's as horses with pony intelligence!
 
Morgan123 said:
Basically, either they're as solid as a rock and you could do anything with them, or (and I think this stands for the majority) they are complete neurotic nutcases (I say this as I am currently limping and all my muscles feel like chewed string after being thrown off mine at the weekend at speed into a field of rocks because some sweetcorn waved in the wind).
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So sorry, but I had to laugh at the way you worded that, "because some sweetcorn waved in the wind" - he he! Naughty pony, hope you're ok ;)

I love Welsh D's, but they all vary as with any breed. Mine was the stereotypical type, he was had attitude and could throw temper tantrums just like a toddler when I was handling him. I really had to work VERY hard to earn his respect and learnt how to get the best out of him (ask him wrongly and he told you!). When I first got him as a 3yo he'd charge off in a headcollar, barge through the stable door crushing you in his path, was agressive over his feed, wouldn't travel well at all (spent a lot of time vertical) etc. He really wasn't for the faint hearted, but we got through it. Eventually his behaviour improved hugely but he'd still test me occassionally. But when not arguing with him, he was the sweetest horse in the world - he'd put his head in my chest and close his eyes for cuddles etc. To ride, he turned into a stunner. He was solid as anything, he felt safe even when he felt like he was 17hh at a show being so full of presence and would put in the odd buck, he felt like a very posh armchair! He would also try his hardest for me, would jump anything and I felt he looked out for me. He's the one horse who I truly regret selling and miss so much! I love them and would have another. Although saying that I only recently sent a friends one back as in the process of backing him he chucked me off twice big time...!

So if you're happy to put a lot of work into one, I think you really do see results from them and you do get an amazing relationship! Just choose wisely ;)
 
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Spottyappy said:
Morgan123 said:
Do find I have to explain things in multicolour,several times over to her, and she also hates people besides myself and my daughter doing much with her,
She had her first set of shoes on this weekend,though and was a total star. (had well prepped her by tapping a hammer round her feet)Not bothered by it at all, whereas flap abit of paper,and she shakes!
She is 6, and in the process of being backed, loves the work so far too.But, is definately a challenge!
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I love your description of explaining things in multicolour. She sounds great! they are very rewarding but also very trying... if that can be the case at the same time!!!

I was poo picking the other day and keeping an eye on the ponies. My Welsh D picked up a branch from a tree to eat the leaves, but obviously the whole thing followed him (it was only about a foot long). He then proceeded to gallop around for a good five minutes trying to run away from the terrifying twig that was 'chasing' him around the field (before finally working out that he had to just drop it!). Sometimes I despair...
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Met loads of welsh D's. Can only think of three I actually liked. Can only think of two that were straight forward horses without hang ups. Not a fan.
 
I have a C x D and a more genuine pony you could not find. Very cheeky and in the wrong hands would nap (she never does with me but did the first week).

She tried to get away with nonsense but when she realised she'd met her match she settled down.

I utterly love her.
 
When you ride a welsh D you need to be a partnership. Danny and i have an understanding. We canter on every hack, but only when I say so. This took 4 years of explaining though.

Dragons are his department. Anything other than giant lizards are down to me to deal with. This took 12 months to learn. I don't actively stop the bucking but I reduce the opportunities for the bucking to happen. You can not tell him off, you just ignore it and do something else and come back to it again. You can only praise them- the hold a grudge otherwise!!

I love Danny to bits, he's going home to retire at the end of the month and I'm already crying about it. It's been just us for 10 years.

My instructir always said that if you can get a Welsh D to work correctly, you'll have no problem with an 18hh Dressage warmblood!
 
THEY ARE NUTS - and I say this with love.

A phrase I said have many a time - "I genuinely think it would have been easier to buy a 3 year old 17h warmblood stallion".

I own a 5 year old 14.1 gelding..
 
I have one...

He has probably been badly treated in the past but he is VERY neurotic and doesnt like change or anything new. He is also very sharp in that he is very quick to spot when anything has been changed- eg a pole added to a jump/ a filler has moved/ something unusual on the floor etc. My instructor has helped a lot with him and touchwood he has got better but will never be without the sudden stops.

He is highly intelligent which probably doesnt help as he has remembered the bad past but is quick to learn but the high intelligence probably adds to the sharpness.

On a going day he is lovely and can jump over 3 foot and moves nicely but on a bad day he can be a complete knobber and v frustrating!

Also think they are stunning looking horses esp when they have topline/ muscle tone.
 
Also wanted to add that he is not nasty at all and doesnt kick or bite and can be turned out with the little ponies.

He is just very sharp, neurotic and spooky.

Also like several other people have put- he snorts dramatically as soon as he sees anything slightly unusual!
 
This thread has made me smile! Especially the suggestion of the 'welsh D initiation' ;) I bought a very green rising 6 year old in feb and what an initiation test she gave me! Napping, spooking, spinning.... And then weird all over body twitching. At first I thought shed been bitten by something but it escalated over a few days so got vet / Physio / saddle check. Turns out this odd twitching is part of her repertoire of napping tricks!

Now I know how to lay down the boundaries, we're going great guns, developing a partnership and having fun! I can now hack out on my own (that's taken a lot of work and patience!), her flatwork has improved enormously (with the help if an amazing instructor) and we've even started jumping :) we did our first jumping clinic at the weekend at she was a total star.

So mine seems to fit all these descriptions, but is worth the hard work!
 
I second everything that everyone else has said.

Mine is spooky, bolshy, sharp, strong, wimpy and bloody minded, but also cheeky, affectionate and intelligent.

I think he is a great character and a fun pony to own. He's got bags of personality. Sometimes I do just wonder why I didn't buy a horse though - something that goes forwards in a straight line at the desired speed.

Other welsh cobs I have known have been similar. Almost every pony that has ever taken off with me has been fully or partly welsh.
 
Welsh D's are lovely horses and make superb allrounders. Although, like others have said, they are not suitable for Novices as all of them have a cheeky, quirky side! :)
 
I have one on loan.

Didn't realise that they were such characters. Took a fair while to bond, and I feel they really do need to know you're in charge!

But he's fabulous. Can be stubborn but is generally really biddable. He's great out hacking - rarely spooks at anything I think he should do like scary big tractors or combines, but will spook at the weirdest little things instead like a bucket in a field. Is doing a bit of dressage now and we are "working on" the jumping....

The annoying thing is that if I need to get someone else to catch him he may or may not be caught, depending on his mood. I had the devil of a job at the beginning for a few weeks, but now he will come across the field at speed when he sees me at the gate.

They definitely have their moments, but I'm a convert.
 
I've got a little Welsh D mare on loan at the moment:

She's lots of horses in one basically. I would describe her as a horse in a million, she's very loyal & genuine, and looks after anyone who's a bit wobbly really well- even a little six-year-old relative who we popped up on her back.

Ridden across terrain that would challenge a mountain goat: she's sure-footed and has the grace of a ballerina, which inspires confidence as far as staying in the saddle is concerned. I never cease to be amazed at how she picks out a path and doesn't trip, but she somehow does.

When ridden out with others, she'll always have to be the "lead mare", but this is because she's always looking out for everyone else (riders too!!) and takes the responsibility of lead horse seriously. For this reason she hates being at the back!!

She can be spooky, but this is just her way of watching out for both her rider and any other horse ridden out with her: its her way of checking everything's OK; and if ridden solo she can be particularly spooky, but not to the point of being silly with it or scarey; and on occasions can be just that bit quirky. She can quite quickly hot up if other horses are hooning around her, and does a fantastic Fandango on the spot when she gets really excited (like for instance hunting or shows!!).

She's very curious, and is a totaly busybody - always has to find out every other horse's business - will always want to stop for a chat with everyone she meets (human and equine!).

I think with Welsh D's, simply because they can be big, powerful, feisty little cobs, if they're not handled right from Day 1 they can be a real handful and can be strong. I know that my little mare HAS been, which makes a difference as she's invariably polite at all times.

Perhaps they're the sort of horse you love or hate basically.
 
Yep, all of the above haha, does anybody want to buy mine, he's got to go somewhere he'll get used more, make a cracking dressage horse (15.2)!
 
I have a welsh sec D mare, she has an opinion on everything and thinks that the world revolves round her!! Shes cheeky, sharp, agile, forward going and needs a quiet sensitive rider. She is however the boldest horse Ive ever sat on and will literally take the lead past anything (unless however she taking the piss in which case the ground will suddenly become scary!). It took me a while to get her on my side and we spent a fair bit of time going backwards literally when I first bought her, but now she respects me she is obedient, willing, great fun and the best horse Ive ever had :) Welsh D's you love em or hate em........x
 
hahaha!!!

mine is mental.

have had him for two years now, he's a bugger to catch, thinks he's entire, rules the field with a rod of pure iron and tries to do the same to me. he gets nowhere, but continues trying. every day. if i tell him off he sulks, if a horse tries to tell him off they get beaten up...

he's a drama queen. he googles at something, spooks like an idiotic fool, checks if you're watching him then spooks again. he's had me off twice out hacking (my suede seat has saved my ass a few more times) and disappeared over the horizon before i'm even off the deck. the last time he chucked me at the feet of a jogger i was flirting with. deep deep joy.

all four feet only leave the ground at the same time if a- he's spooking or b- he is under duress (nasty, nasty mummy!!) with another horse as a comfort blanket in case the log/fence/pole tried to eat his feet.

he tries his heart out for me and finds bravery reserves when you think he has nothing left. he loved cubbing last season so much that i couldnt move my hands from the position they were stuck in for over an hour and a half- and that was in a double.

he then ran away in a walk/trot dressage test.

i wouldnt swop him for the world, but if i had my time again im not sure if i would buy him :rolleyes:

it's OK though- he knows he's Gawjus :)

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Everyones's pretty much summed up the welsh cob's I've met and the (x bred) I had. Love Morag123's description :D Stunningly beautiful to look at, pain in the backside to live with.

To be frankly honest I just can't be bothered with their drama-queen attitude. They ARE fun to ride but the constant questions, hysterics, and drama queen moments are wearing and I now much prefer the stoic, sensible nature you get in things like ID's.

That said, the very 'untypey' ones (i.e not the firebreathing nut jobs you see in the show ring) are often gentle, quiet and sensible. They usually look more like gypsy cobs and have a more similar temperament to them too.
 
Although I am more than aware of the known 'quirks' of the welsh D,and have been chuckling away to myself reading many of these posts:p,have to say they're not all like that.

My totally bombproof and ploddy cob is welsh D.He hardly ever spooks and when he does (only ever when out on his own or occasionally when asked to lead) it's very half hearted,even the most novice of people who ride him aren't phased by it.

He's absolutely safe as houses,quite lazy,but can work nicely when he minds to and if pushed but generally he believes in minimal effort lol.Never opinionated and doesn't question what is asked of him.Can put anyone on him,has done RDA work in the past and taught many novices to ride etc.

He can be considerably more challenging on the ground,and that could be partly his 'welsh' traits coming out (he's bolshy,bargy,inclined to be rude and very dominant),but also I think it's because of being allowed to walk over people and get his own way far too often,due to having been owned by a lot of novices and beginners who were not firm enough with him regarding his manners.Have to say usually food is involved when his halo slips,but then could just call that a cob thing welsh or not lol;)

He can also be lovely on the ground,very funny,cheeky and has bags of character.Very intelligent,sociable,loves attention and interaction.He's also perfect to do anything with like bath,feet trimmed (or shoe when was shod),groom etc.Again not at all spooky or silly and will stand like a rock whatever the situation or surroundings.

Overall I wouldn't hesitate to sell him tomorrow as 100% safe,reliable horse for any rider.He's not going anywhere i hasten to add,far too valuable to me,but just to illustrate that there are some sane and sensible welsh D's around:)
 
Kallibear said:
To be frankly honest I just can't be bothered with their drama-queen attitude. They ARE fun to ride but the constant questions, hysterics, and drama queen moments are wearing

That said, the very 'untypey' ones (i.e not the firebreathing nut jobs you see in the show ring) are often gentle, quiet and sensible. They usually look more like gypsy cobs and have a more similar temperament to them too.
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Ironically that first part perfectly describes my non welsh D horse,but then he's an appy,even worse than a D lol

I think my welsh must be 'untypey',and is definitely sensible and quiet to ride.Very welsh to look at though,and wouldn't call him gentle as too dominant in the field and rude on the ground at times.
I know a couple of D's that are more like mine and are first horse material,maybe it depends on breed lines or what they're used for??
 
Listen to what Morgan123 and AdorableAlice have told you. they could have been peering over the hedge and describing my Welsh Section D.

I know you shouldn't generalise, but all they say is true, about mine at least. Gorgeous to handle; deeply affectionate; always answers to my call and comes cantering; a lovely herd leader of our bunch - she is the matriarch, wise and firm; brilliant with vets, farriers, small children; very forward-going; NO brakes; jumps the moon; serial shyer, especially when galloping; will spin on a sixpence or try to tank off when frightened by leaves showing their undersides in the breeze or someone's garden gate squeaking; bottomless energy; generous ride (she throws herself into her work and would have made a lovely driving horse).

I adore her, she will be with us till death us do part - whether it's hers or mine is another matter! Would I have another Welsh Section ? At my age (old, old, old) probably not. If I were 20 years younger and with some grip still, yes, every time.
 
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