Tell me about your Quarter horses

[pistolpete]

I rode a lovely quarter horse x Andalusian on holiday and it’s got me thinking. Are there many around? Pure or crosses. Interested to hear about experiences of the breed. Uses traits longevity and any issues. Thanks in advance. Picture of my holiday romance!

 

[splashgirl45]

just remembered i saw this on horsequest ref no 265390, are you tempted ?

 

[pistolpete]

Yes he looks lovely. Bit far away and worried about the not hacking much comment. Solid happy hack is pretty vital.

 

[splashgirl45]

i didnt think he would have been suitable but thought you would like to see the ad anyway. ref 265522 looks more suitable

 

[Caol Ila]

You can't get out of bed without stepping on one in the US. My first horse was a Quarter Horse. The first horses I rode as a kid in a riding school were Quarter Horses. Every dude string in the country uses them.

Your reining/cutting/racing bloodlines can be very hot and sharp. If you want a reiner or a barrel racer, you look for those horses. Mine was none of those things. They're popular as kids' horses because lots of them are placid and sensible. They tend to be great trail horses, steady and surefooted. Some do alright at dressage and jumping. Many are built very downhill, which isn't ideal for dressage.

However, they are not the soundest things in the world. Blah, blah, blah, I know any horse of any breed can go lame, but unfortunately, some of the traits that have been bred into them make them very prone to stuff like navicular and arthritis. Tiny feet on huge bodies, post-legged, short and upright pasterns, over at the knee. My mare was diagnosed with arthritis in her hocks at age 11, and that was pretty standard for every QH at the barn.

There are quality QHs that don't have those conformation flaws, but in my experience, you have to dig through a lot of horses to find them. And they tend to be the expensive ones. Obviously.

 

[GSD Woman]

Quarter horses are very popular in the USA. They do a bit of everything. They don't seem to be doing high level showing in English style classes but they are amazing for barrel racing, reining, cutting, etc. They also can make wonderful hunting horses and hackers. A good one is worth its weight in gold.

 

[stangs]

Not got experience with the breed myself, but there were quite a few AQHX foals at the Chagford Sales (with an absolutely lush sire), being sold by Hendawle Farm. Might be worth having a little nosy to see if breeder knows of any of older progeny looking for a new home?

 

[Palindrome]

Quarter horse crossed with Spanish horse are called Aztecas.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I rode a lovely quarter horse x Andalusian on holiday and it’s got me thinking. Are there many around? Pure or crosses. Interested to hear about experiences of the breed. Uses traits longevity and any issues. Thanks in advance. Picture of my holiday romance!

I bred my mare to Sedgehill Gold at Cotesback Quarter horses. I have one, he is QH x TB/ID Just like his dad in colour, and like his mum in many ways. This is my boys dad http://www.wildenfarm.co.uk/horses/sedgehill gold.html

 

[Follysmum]

I have 3 purebreds. We spent lots of time researching, speaking to breeders, trainers and watching at shows before we took the plunge. All mine have fantastic temperaments and will have a go at anything asked of them. We could and have left them unridden for months at a time and are just the same when ridden again. Real people horses that always try to please.

They are definitely not cheap for a good quality bred one. More people seem to hack out with them than previously. All mine are fantastic to hack alone or company and are not spooky at all. They can however move like lightening and back to sleep in a split second

 

[spotty_pony]

I’m pretty sure my Appy may have some QH in him. He’s always been bum high and is built very downhill - his natural way of going is very ‘western’ and he always found Dressage very hard. The arthritis comment ties in well as he is very upright behind and was diagnosed with hock arthritis at 13. With correct management, we managed another 7 seasons of hunting after this and he is still enjoying hacking today at 22. As a younger horse he really could gallop fast - the quarter of a mile gallop saying is definitely true for him but crossed with Appaloosa, the stamina is amazing! He is the most sure footed horse I have ever sat on (not so much these days as he is older and takes time to loosen up) and is a brave as a lion.

I think they are prone to things such as PSSM so always worth getting them tested before purchasing. I tested my boy at about age 14 when he showed a few symptoms but he was negative.

 

[pistolpete]

Ooh. Sound very promising. Need to start research. I do know one locally who ties up but was incredibly expensive. Is it PSSM1 they are prone to?

 

[TTK]

I have 2 QH. Hardy, intelligent, gentle, willing, brave, and many other fine qualities. Good well bred QH are not cheap but can turn a hoof to anything. You must ask for n/ n 5 panel testing to eliminate pssm and other nasty genetic issues.

 

[spotty_pony]

Ooh. Sound very promising. Need to start research. I do know one locally who ties up but was incredibly expensive. Is it PSSM1 they are prone to?

I think they can be prone to both types. From what I remember, one is genetic and one is not. Not sure if they are also prone to HYPP too (can’t remember what that stands for!)

 

[ycbm]

A friend has 3 purebred and did have one Arab cross. I had one IDx by Impressive who was PSSM (big risk with QH and only the type 1 is testable easily) and very spooky. He wasn't a pleasant hack but was spectacular to look at. Lots are bum high so watch for that if you don't like it. Ditto low head carriage which is what a lot of the western trainers want. The purebreds and the arabx are all good doers who need grass controlled quite strictly. I get the impression they have good feet are pretty hardy.
.

 

[phizz4]

We have two, ages 14 and 26. The 26 year old has mild arthritic joints but doesn't know she is 26 and therefore doesn't behave her age. She will tell us when she is ready to give up hacking. Has done dressage in the past but hacked for the last 15 years or so. Sharp, very sharp. Can do a 180 degree turn faster than you can blink, jump sideways as fast. Very clever, learns quickly, and tells you just as quickly when she doesn't like something. If you put a 3 year old child on her back (with suitable adult support) she doesn't put a foot wrong. We were tacking up for a ride once when a disabled lady came over to chat about her personal experiences with her horse and the 26 year old tucked her head into the ladies armpit and didn't move for 20 minutes. But, when I put her rug on she lets be know that she doesn't like that. 14 year old wasn't broken until she was 7. Also very sharp, clever and fast (when you want her to be), otherwise, when we hack out she goes into 'energy saving mode' with her walking pace while struggling to keep up with the oldie. They are wonderful (I have limited experience of other breeds so rather biased). We've never done any western classes with the 14 year old but the old girl did a few in the past with WES. You do have to 'negotiate' with them, not try to boss them (at least, you do with ours).

 

[ycbm]

You must ask for n/ n 5 panel testing to eliminate pssm and other nasty genetic issues.

That panel test has failed peer review on the basis that at least 25% of horses which do not have PSSM have the genes that are being looked for. The review panel said it cannot be recommended as a diagnostic tool.

 

[Follysmum]

Ooh. Sound very promising. Need to start research. I do know one locally who ties up but was incredibly expensive. Is it PSSM1 they are prone to?

Yes and navicular
I would definitely do some research and ask lots of questions before you part with your money. My friend has just had to retire her 6 yr QH with navicular and another had to pts a 4yr old.

 

[SEL]

That panel test has failed peer review on the basis that at least 25% of horses which do not have PSSM have the genes that are being looked for. The review panel said it cannot be recommended as a diagnostic tool.

5 panel is ok - that covers HYPP as well as type 1 & other diseases found in QHs. Animal genetics UK via hair sample.

Type 2 PSSM testing has mixed reviews. Hasn't actually been formally reviewed yet although Dr Valberg has issued her opinion. University of Minnesota doing the peer review.

 

[SEL]

OP my old yard owner had one from Sovereign Quarter Horses and he was lovely.

 

[Follysmum]

OP my old yard owner had one from Sovereign Quarter Horses and he was lovely.

One of the best breeders IMO
Years of breeding programme and experience

 

[paddy555]

5 panel test covers HYPP, PSSM1, MH, GBED and HERDA

The problem is that it doesn't cover PSSM2. The difficulty is how to test for that. A test which is expensive and not peer reviewed or take a chance and hope you don't have it.

I think they are lovely, wonderful and in fact everything a working horse should be but I wouldn't dare have one. The PSSM2 potential problem would keep he awake too many nights.

For many years I considered it but just didn't think the feet would be good enough then I learnt far more about PSSM than I ever wanted to know. .

If you seriously interested PP then before doing anything get the pedigree checked out on the FB PSSM group. There is an expert on there who can go through the breeding and tell you where the problems may lie.

 

[ycbm]

5 panel is ok - that covers HYPP as well as type 1 & other diseases found in QHs. Animal genetics UK via hair sample.

Type 2 PSSM testing has mixed reviews. Hasn't actually been formally reviewed yet although Dr Valberg has issued her opinion. University of Minnesota doing the peer review.

Sorry, my mistake on the first but I was sure i had read read an official report on the peer review testing for type 2 and it was a comprehensive fail. I'll try and find it.

ETA yes I was wrong, not peer review but a pretty wholesale condemnation of the test's scientific basis.

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13345

 

[mini_b]

However, they are not the soundest things in the world. Blah, blah, blah, I know any horse of any breed can go lame, but unfortunately, some of the traits that have been bred into them make them very prone to stuff like navicular and arthritis. Tiny feet on huge bodies, post-legged, short and upright pasterns, over at the knee. My mare was diagnosed with arthritis in her hocks at age 11, and that was pretty standard for every QH at the barn.
.

I’ve only known 1 and everything you said described it perfectly unfortunately.
It was an absolute sweetheart, very cuddly. But a bit of a chocolate fire guard as useful horses go.

 

[TPO]

They are the horse version of a border collie IMO. Very clever and need a job to engage their brains.

I'm a huge fan after working with them (& partbreds) overseas, I'm on my second.

My first was a supreme Halter horse (not with me!) and sadly the tiny hooves and upright Conformation led to navicular. Her "correct for a QH" hocks = arthritis too. She was so clever, super smart and was a menace if not kept in line. When I viewed her she had her old owner petrified. The horse was kept in cross ties to stop her biting and every time she threatened her owner she got a carrot (owner kept bags of carrots in all her pockets) to bribe/distract her from kicking off. She horse was far cleverer than her owner!!

My current boy is cutting bred and has 2 Hall of Famers in his pedigree. So a lot of half siblings/cousins in the world already so temperaments are well known. I think he's great but jeez he can drop a shoulder and do a 180 in a heartbeat; ideal for cutting cattle but not so much when he spooks!

Ditto 5 panel testing for anything and mares/stallions. There were some breeders not testing and people buying horses where the issues showed up under saddle/when starting work.

There are different types and breeding/bloodlines that correspondence. For example a Halter horse looks nothing like a cutting horse and a pleasure horse looks nothing like a reiner. In saying that it's more "one size fits all" in the UK because there aren't that many shows.

Some of the breeding in the UK can be pretty sharp. Tia/Spring Feather was a great resource but sadly she doesn't post any more.

@Alibear has horses from Sovereign QHs.

Do a lot of your own research. As I found out the hard way it's a bit of a closed shop and a lot os kept behind closed doors. People know things about certain breeders/trainers but won't speak openly to strangers about it kind of thing. For example I'd only ever heard great things about the stud I bought from up until a malnourished back of bones arrived on my doorstep. The same people who had been praising and recommending the stud publicly then started messaging me with the truth about the real condition of the horses they'd bought and what they'd seen at the stud. The very same people are still publicly recommending the place and "liking" posts despite them all mouthing off behind backs.

I don't know if it's it's same in all breeds or disciplines..perhaps because it's smaller they aren't so open. But basically do as much of your own research as possible.

I don't know your location but for example go to Sovereign or Oakridge for lessons and to watch clinics and classes to see the horses in action, feel what it's like to ride a trained one and suss out trainers. A good trainer will help match you to a horse.

But yeah I love them and they are "my" breed.

 

[catembi]

I had a QHxTB, a buckskin. He was absolutely gorgeous to look at, very laid back, very, very athletic, a natural trot extension, tons of jump...but then all of a sudden he went explosive under saddle & then started collapsing under saddle without warning. I had him tested & he was n/p1 for type 1 and n/p3 and px/px for type 2. Retired at 7. Blah blah, the test can't be trusted, blah blah blah, but he tested positive & all his traits are 100% PSSM...really odd yoga-like stretching & yawning, v affected by the cold and wet, very spooky whereas he had previously been unflappable, going berserk after 25 minutes' work & totally flipping out, collapsing on top of me...

If you have one in mind, get hold of the breeding section of his passport, join the FB PSSM group, post the breeding on there & see if anyone recognises any suspects. I did this with the QH's replacement, an even more talented ISHxTB, 3 months after I bought him when it started going wrong and several people straight away pointed out the same suspect in his breeding. He subsequently tested n/p4, px/px and has been retired at 4 as he won't go faster than walk any more. Yes, the test is 'so unreliable' but again he fits the symptoms exactly.

Please, please save yourself the heartache & get the breeding checked out via the FB group if you want a QH.

 

[paddy555]

I had a QHxTB, a buckskin. He was absolutely gorgeous to look at, very laid back, very, very athletic, a natural trot extension, tons of jump...but then all of a sudden he went explosive under saddle & then started collapsing under saddle without warning. I had him tested & he was n/p1 for type 1 and n/p3 and px/px for type 2. Retired at 7. Blah blah, the test can't be trusted, blah blah blah, but he tested positive & all his traits are 100% PSSM...really odd yoga-like stretching & yawning, v affected by the cold and wet, very spooky whereas he had previously been unflappable, going berserk after 25 minutes' work & totally flipping out, collapsing on top of me...

If you have one in mind, get hold of the breeding section of his passport, join the FB PSSM group, post the breeding on there & see if anyone recognises any suspects. I did this with the QH's replacement, an even more talented ISHxTB, 3 months after I bought him when it started going wrong and several people straight away pointed out the same suspect in his breeding. He subsequently tested n/p4, px/px and has been retired at 4 as he won't go faster than walk any more. Yes, the test is 'so unreliable' but again he fits the symptoms exactly.

Please, please save yourself the heartache & get the breeding checked out via the FB group if you want a QH.

I don't think in your case anyone could say the test is unreliable as you not only have the test results but also the matching symptoms. I think the problem is people are not sure if it is reliable or not especially if you were going to buy a horse simply on the basis of that particular test result.

The most important thing, as you say, is to get the breeding onto FB and see if there are any "nasties" in the history. There are a lot of US people on that group and they know this breed and the PSSM problems (and HYPP and MH) backwards.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yeah, when I was working at my uni's riding school (in the US), I was test riding the potential schoolies. A very cute QH mare came in. Such a lovely nature, but if you pushed her to do anything more physically taxing than light walking and trotting around the arena, she would tie up. That was like 2002, not sure how much they knew about PSSM then or if the testing existed. But that horse definitely had something like that. Shame, because she was nice. I've known a few others who had problems with tying up.

 

[Malibu_Stacy]

My old, retired girl is QHxTB. No idea of her lines, though I’d guess they were sharper ones, as by all accounts she was a hellion when younger. She wasn’t fully backed until 12, and did a little bit of everything at the lowest of levels with me, of which hacking was far and away her favourite thing. She also unbelievably fast, QH acceleration and TB stamina!

She started showing arthritic change around 17, so I stopped jumping at that point, but carried on with hacking and flat work for another 5 years. She was retired mainly as I moved to where the hacking wasn’t brilliant and got something younger to do a bit more with. She’s still quite happily mooching round the fields at 28, moves well for something that’s had arthritis for over a decade and generally gets spoilt rotten. Photo is from about a year ago I think?

For all she was unreliable to ride when younger, she’s always been amazing on the ground, very aware of what’s round her feet and I’d trust her as much as you can responsibly trust a horse with things like cats/dogs/toddlers round her. She chilled out as she got older and was excellent at giving pony rides/ lessons to colleagues kids.

At a previous yard I also had a friend who had QHs, one PB I think was from Sovereign, who very sadly had an injury that proved unfixable, and then a QHx Welsh from Wilden. Both had amazing temperament.

 

[pistolpete]

She’s beautiful. The crosses are really imteresting.