Typical Warmblood Post

[Cortez]

I bred Trakehners on a large scale for many years. I bred for dressage and used bloodlines suitable for that, but many of my horses went on to excel in eventing which is a sport which really suits the Trakehner.

 

[teddy_]

Another lover of Trakehners. However, having owned two and been very much involved in the stud; they are sensitive horses and not suited to everyone.

They are more of a blood horse than the other warmbloods and IME, they've often worked something out before you have which I suppose is why they are suited to eventing!

Unfortunately, whilst mine were of State Premium and Elite parentage, that did not stop either being afflicted with myriad orthopaedic problems - but I think I was just unlucky as some of the soundest horses I know are Trakehners.

 

[Abacus]

To add to previous post - I think apart from 'breed' characteristics, the main reason that ISH are good for eventing is upbringing. If they come from Ireland, the chance is still that they have lived out in a group of youngsters, possibly hunted quite young, and are treated in a very down to earth way. Not shut in stables from an early age as is frequently the case on the continent. When you want a horse to think for itself, have a fifth leg and look after itself (and you) this is invaluable and no later training will compensate.

 

[rara007]

I really don’t think you can generalise warmbloods. KWPN tuigpaards can be hackneys, all the way through to traditional gelderlanders. And that’s only a small part of the kwpn stud book! Warmbloods can be 13.2- 19hh, Light to heavy weight, the most talented sports horses in the world to the many that don’t make it to a competition arena at all due to temperament or soundness, or simply lack of scope. I’ve had a few (jumping bred kwpn, dressage bred Westphalian, dressage bred danish) and there’s no similarities to draw between them other than they were all bay, but that’s co-incidence!

 

[criso]

Selle Francais are one studbook that is producing good eventers currently. They tend to have more 'blood', including TB and AA, than other studbooks but they can be sharp (e.g. a lot of eventers have Diamant de Semilly lines, but can be very quirky (including the only warmblood I have had, a SF on loan for a couple of years who had a very tricky spook and spin

That's interesting because i was about to suggest SF as amateur friendly.

I rode, shared and loaned and found them very easy going. More so than the Dutch and German ones i knew at the same time.

You could really see the arab and tb in the first 2 i rode though much later i loaned one that was a much chunkier horse though he was sj lines. He didn't get xc jumping, lit up on a surface but not comfortable popping even small logs out hacking.

When i came to buy, they were on my list but when the one i called about had gone and a couple of others were out of my price range including a lovely mare that was mainly AA though registered SF already eventing successfully I ended up with a french tb with some of the lines that wenr into wbs imported by the same person. He was focused on eventing so that was the type he imported and a big fan of their temperament.

This was 10 - 15 years ago though and there seems to be even more mixing across studbook now I'm not sure how much you can talk about breed characteristics now when you can get an ISH that has has a sf sire and kwpn dam, as long as they are accepted by the studbook.

 

[spacefaer]

If I was looking for an eventer to go up the grades, I'd look for plenty of blood, probably 7/8ths, if not full TB.
.
If I wanted a low level easy amateur type, I'd be looking at a TB/ID cross, or something with a pony cross. Generally tough, hardy and sensible.

Most ISHs are warmbloods bred in Ireland, so registered in the Irish stud book. TB x ID is classed as a TIH - a Traditional Irish Horse.
Most Irish draughts would struggle with the time, although are mostly also tough and hardy!
We had two SF x ISH and they were both the sharpest, spookiest horses I've ever come across. Very beautiful and talented but one span like you wouldn't believe and the other would go vertical at the sight of a butterfly on the road.

I've had one warmblood who wouldn't go near a brown fence in a field, but loved show jumping and another who loved her cross country and gave me some of the best rounds. They were both registered KWPN.

 

[oldie48]

An old friend used to work on a breaking yard and he said "back in the day" it wasn't about the "breed" it was about "what they were good at". I really think that is what matters, look for something that will do the job for YOU. There's no point in having a smart horse that could do x or y with a good rider, most pros could get a donkey round a Novice course, just go for something that puts a smile on your face, gives you confidence and makes you happy.

 

[ihatework]

What do you mean by a pure warm blood?

KWPN is a stud book- within the stud book there will be a variety of types of horse. Go back down the line and they are mongrels (admittedly posh ones!)

Within the warm blood category you will get all different stamps, temperaments, strengths and weakness’.

Look at the horse in front of you, it’s upbringing, training, conformation, ride ability and don’t get blinded by flash.

Btw - the vast majority of ISH these days have significant amounts of continental warmblood in them.

My 3 current horses (all registered British sport horse) are posh mongrels with varying % of TB/KWPN/SF/Old/trak/ID in them.
All 3 are very different in type and temperament. All 3 do/should event but all 3 would be channelled towards different levels/types of rider

 

[spacefaer]

An old friend used to work on a breaking yard and he said "back in the day" it wasn't about the "breed" it was about "what they were good at". I really think that is what matters, look for something that will do the job for YOU. There's no point in having a smart horse that could do x or y with a good rider, most pros could get a donkey round a Novice course, just go for something that puts a smile on your face, gives you confidence and makes you happy.

Exactly. I have recently acquired a little TB. I've no specific plans for him - I'm going to see what he's good at and then we'll do that ?

 

[Bobthecob15]

Another Trakehner lover here! I had a very well bred mare from a foal for dressage but her full brother did very well in eventing I understand. They are fabulous horses

 

[Lady Jane]

I have a warmblood - given he's only 5, but I intend on eventing him eventually at a low level. He's never sick or sorry. I think it depends on the individual horse too. My horses sire & grandsire both event!

Early days.....you coud be lucky

 

[Wishfilly]

It sounds like you're new to the sport and don't have much experience with it? For me (assuming I had the money, and eventing is a rich person's game, these days) I'd be looking for something with a proven track record at the level above where I wanted to compete as a minimum. Not necessarily "results" as such, but DCs at least (not saying every time out- ever horse can have a pole or the rider can make a mistake etc) but something that was clearly safe to do the job.

That would be far more important to me than breed, although I'd also want a track record of soundness.

And yes, before anyone says, this will cost £££££!