Weight carriers - where are they all?

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m150502

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Hi I've lurked round the forum off and on for a while now and wondered if you can tell me where all the weight carrying horses have gone? I'm a 15 stone male and have been riding for 10 years. My old mare is now retired and I have been looking for a new mare to replace her for a couple of months but with no success so far. There just don't seem to be many mares around capable of taking my weight. I only want to hack with the odd few days hunting thrown in. I'm looking at something 15.3 to 16.3, 6 to 10 years, must be sane and sensible, used to traffic and happy to hack alone. A maxi-cob or old fashioned Irish Draught would be ideal I think. Any ideas where I can find such a rare beast in the South East!?

Thanks
 
Where've you been looking? What's your budget?
There this one on horsequest....

Full up 16.2hh liver chestnut mare, 11 years - Stunning pure bred unregistered Irish Draught. Old fashioned heavy type now hard to find - in Norfolk

she's under hunter/pointers about a 1/3 way down
 
Been looking on H&H, Horsemart, Horsequest and Adhorse as well as contacting some local dealers. Budget is up to £5k for the right horse. Saw that mare and was tempted but was a bit put off by the implication she needed to be kicked along the whole time and her age was a bit more than I would like ideally.

Why a mare? Just because I like mares really! They can have that little bit more character than a gelding. I am thinking I may have to revise that if I really can't find a mare before the year turns but for the moment I'll persevere.

regards
 
That or starve yourself
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Hi Super_Kat. She is certainly a looker! I am really looking for something heavier tho'. Picky I know but as this may be my last or penultimate horse (advancing years unfortunately!) I want to try for my ideal horse for a bit longer.
 
Thanks for that Hopalong. Again a little light for what I have in my mind but what are those dealers like? Any comments from anyone? PM if you prefer. Thanks
 
Have to say I've no experience of them, just thought she looked like a nice mare! But I'm a sucker for a coloured horse
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Of course, you could go the whole hog and get a proper heavy horse.... I'm a sucker for Clydesdales as well....

Maybe not the first place you'd look but have you considered trying out a few charities as well? They really do get some lovely horses in sometimes, might be worth making a couple of phone calls?
 
I've noticed the lack of heavy weights too. My 2 year old is a cob and very heavy built, knees the size of melons lol and will be a very good weight carrier but haven't seen much similar to him. Shires may be another option, if you like them. There was a really nice one on Project Horses about a month ago but can't find him now
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In the midlands, being shipped over from ireland in vast quantities!

Seriously, a couple of IDs have come up round us, geldings though, the mares go for a massive premium, and pure breds are always expensive.

A heavy cross, clydesdale x cob or something would suit you, or an old fashioned heavy weight hunter. An ID or CB if you can find one (unlikely to get a mare). A maxi cob, these often go cheap at around 5 or 6 when they get over height for showing as a normal cob. I know a stunning show cob type maxi who was a bargain a few years ago and is a fab jumper. Or you could just buy a heavy, suffolks and percherons aren't as tall as shires and clydesdales.

Lots of sport horses and warm bloods would be up to your weight though, it is just a question of looking around for the heavier ones.
 
Thanks for your replies. A heavy cross would be fine with me as would an old fashioned heavy hunter type. May have to start looking further afield if all the Irish are going into the Midlands.
 
How about a Cleveland Bay? - theres a mare for sale in Lincolnshire at the moment on the Cleveland bay website but if you contact some breeders they may have mares for sale as many like to refresh their stock and let their mares go out and do things after having a few foals...
 
i think if you are looking for a cob i think you have to consider geldings to as i seen so many cob geldings in kent
 
Hi Cuckoo. That is indeed the sort but with a little less feather for preference but I guess that's what clippers are for
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He is close to me too just a shame about the price and sex tho'!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi Super_Kat. She is certainly a looker! I am really looking for something heavier tho'. Picky I know but as this may be my last or penultimate horse (advancing years unfortunately!) I want to try for my ideal horse for a bit longer.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know of a lovely 11yo, 17hh HW ID gelding that will be coming up for sale in next couple of weeks but he's up in my area. He's a super star in that nothing phases him
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[ QUOTE ]
In the midlands, being shipped over from ireland in vast quantities!

Seriously, a couple of IDs have come up round us, geldings though, the mares go for a massive premium, and pure breds are always expensive.


[/ QUOTE ]

You ARE joking! The Irish have hardly any decent true HW ID's left - they've chased 'performance' to such a degree that they're lost bone and 'type'. I keep having Irish breeders trying to buy my boy (although he's 18 now!) because they have so few like him in Ireland who have size AND bone!

This is what you want:
Rambo-June.jpg


He needs to mature a bit before he's a TRUE weight carrier (only 4, 17hh with over 10" of bone) - but still a little weak along the topline and behind. But to find this type in a mare ....bit like hens' teeth!

This mare is up to 15 stone (she did 2 seasons Field Mastering with my husband who is easily that) - but she's a very well-bred RID mare who is now in foal and would be more than a bit above your budget if she were for sale. 16.3 with 9.75" of bone.

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And this filly will probably get there - she's only just 3 in this pic - but again, she's in foal and would be WELL above your budget.
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Not a picture to inspire confidence
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(he was being backed at the time) but this chap IS a true weight carrier - 17hh, 10.5" of bone, a chest like a bull, short back and very deep through the girth.

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When mature (he's 3 in this pic) he'll carry 20 stone all day and wouldn't notice you! He's by and RID stallion out of a 17hh TBxPercheron mare.

I'd steer a BIT clear of the Shire/Clyde crosses as many (not all) of them aren't great weight carriers, tending to be a bit weak behind the saddle. (True draught breeds - as opposed to the Irish Draught - are bred to PULL weight rather than carry it.)

Keep an eye on the IDHS sale page There's nothing there at the moment that I think would meet your spec but they DO come up. The first one is out of a mare who WOULD have suited you (and who I did find on that page - along with the chestnut mare above!) but the filly doesn't have the depth, height or bone of her dam - being by a sport horse.
 
Hi Janet. Thanks for the comprehensive reply, it does confirm what I was beginning to suspect that I need to include geldings if I am to find a good horse especially in a pure ID. I have been looking at the IDHS sale page but haven't seen anything I thought "wow" at since I have been seriously looking typically.

JM's comment in the thread on Leominster about the state of the market in Ireland got me wondering if it would be worth contacting some of the reputable Irish dealers direct to see what they had/could find. Anyone names and contact details they could let me have? I already know of Gerty Tynan at Irish Sport Equine but any others?

Thanks to all for your input so far.
 
Thanks Tiffany. I'll keep my eyes open for him as it looks like I am going to have to seriously think about modifying my search criteria! Any idea where he will be advertised?
 
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