Welshies C & D and dressage

[pastit]

To those who know about Welshies: are there specific bloodlines for showing and for dressage? Can you take a youngster bred for showing and do higher level dressage with it? The reason I ask is that those fantastic photos of winning show stock, with high head carriages and legs everywhere seems more suited to driving than dressage. If that's true, how do you identify the breeders who breed for specific purposes. Genuinely interested to learn as I've owned one Welshie, alas all too briefly, and was completely besotted. I didn't choose him, he sort of fell into my lap, but now my ponies are the wrong side of prime, I'd like to have another Welsh but not sure where to start. TIA.

 

[Mule]

I have no idea but milliepops on here does inter 1 or 2 (I can't remember which) on her Welsh D. I would send her a message, she might be able to help.

 

[milliepops]

Ah, well, mine is an accidental dressage horse. She's ended up where she is because she won't do anything else ?‍

I'm fairly clueless about breeding in welshies tbh ? mine is short and dumpy but she does enjoy the work and that's been the most important thing. She is not one of the leg flinging kind, her paces are pretty average.

 

[Mule]

Ah, well, mine is an accidental dressage horse. She's ended up where she is because she won't do anything else ?‍

I'm fairly clueless about breeding in welshies tbh ? mine is short and dumpy but she does enjoy the work and that's been the most important thing. She is not one of the leg flinging kind, her paces are pretty average.

Are you inter 1 or 2?

 

[katastrophykat]

We drivers don’t much like the ‘in hand’ stock either. ? they tend to be a little neurotic to work with!

A lot of the head up/leg flinging is in the production of the animal, though some lines are much bigger movers naturally- even the foals at foot sometimes have knees around their noses ?

The honest answer is to see a few you like on the dressage pages, or through the Native dressage series, and look up the lines you like.

I have a C, out of a big moving ‘in hand’ type mare, but the sire and his sire in turn are both smaller movers in terms of leg flinging but are straight and correct and my three year old has a lovely natural extension (which he shows to absolutely nobody, ever!) without being pushed- I was looking for driving trials and for me, he’s pretty much perfect... he’s currently on the market and I have huge FOMO- I’m scared that I’ll see him way up the line in a couple of years time and kick myself!

 

[milliepops]

Are you inter 1 or 2?

1... we haven't cracked the passage yet ? she's got her 1 tempis but that's the bit we still have to address

 

[Mule]

1... we haven't cracked the passage yet ? she's got her 1 tempis but that's the bit we still have to address

Well done, that's exciting
I remember once, you posted a video of a lesson you had. Do you upload more regular footage anywhere *(hint hint)

 

[milliepops]

Haha, I rarely get any video as always on my own ?

 

[McFluff]

Interested to see if there are enough out there at a high level to give some good indications of successful lines.
I can't help at all, as I am at the start of my journey with mine and I don't have any breeding expertise. He's Derwen lines and was county level showing before I got him. I knew nothing about Welsh breeding when I got him, I just liked him, his paces and his attitude.
We have spent the last year removing tension - he always looked impressive, but it was all running on tension, so we've had to strip things right back and build up from soft relaxation. It's taking ages, but that is as much because I've never done this either (he has far more scope and power than my last horse). We have a very patient instructor! I'm loving the journey (with him it has mainly been about training his brain), and some of the work we can get now is lovely (when I concentrate properly and stay with him and don't let him float away). He definitely has the scope and the work ethic to do well - how far we can get is another question entirely, I know I will be the limiting factor, but I will enjoy trying.
I'm loving my welshie - great fun and always makes me laugh.

 

[pastit]

Thank you all for your answers. McFluff - I'm with you there, the journey is the most interesting part for me, and where the bonds are built. Milliepops, congratulations! My daughter took her connie to Advanced, and I appreciate the big step up to Inters. Kat - do you have to follow breeding lines for driving horses or do you stick with the same breeder? Or just get lucky! I have no expertise in picking out foals - they all look cute! So I tend to wait till they're 4 or 5 when I can imagine what they will look like when fully grown. But it's such a minefield these days, I though I would stick with natives or native crosses. Less inherited problems I think - do you agree?

 

[milliepops]

Nicky Heale has a derwen bred horse that has a GP point Retanach Request.

 

[milliepops]

the very successful North Forks Cardi in the US is another D at GP. Lots of the usual UK based welshies in his pedigree if you go back a bit.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Christie Mclean breeds Welsh Cobs & I think competes at Advanced Medium with her home-bred.