What breed has been your soundest horse?

S

sz90168

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2011
Messages
218
Visit site
After my third horse is having to be retired at the grand age of 6, I am wondering what has been your soundest breed of horse? I know every horse is different but wondering if certain breeds are prone to more problems? All my past horses have been at least half TB. I am a bit worried about buying another horse so I am now thinking about going down the Native route as I am 5'6 and not heavy.
 
From a three quarters TB one quarter ID mare by a Hanoverian stallion .
Also very tough ID / TB And at the moment we have a raising 18 American saddle bred who was pulling a carriage at two he's very tough still hunting .
 
Welsh Cobs, closely followed by Irish cobs.

I think it’s how they are kept too tho. Mine are unshod, outside 24/7, adlib hay, ridden on a surface less than once a week on average, most of my riding is hacking on firm ground. They are also at home with no other comings and goings so running around and kicking each other is a rare occurance, fences are all mains electric so they don’t touch them either. It all adds up I think but that’s just my opinion not everyone can have those options I know.
 
Last edited:
If you want a general all rounder from a native look for a bigger Welsh D or Connimara. They move well enough for dressage, jump well enough to do ode's and shown jumping, stay the distance for hunting etc.
 
I've not seen research on whether some breeds are generallout sounder or not. As so many things can go wrong I doubt there's an obvious trend, although some may be more prone to particular issues than others.

I can totally understand where you're coming from. I've only had one that has had more issues, TBxWB but quite TB in type. Fabulous horse but sadly we had a series of issues over 3 years. Before that I had a very robust one that was passported as Belgian warmblood but I didn't really know his breeding. My current gelding is Irish draft and I deliberately went for an Irish horse, for temperament and soundness. No guarantees but he does seem pretty robust too.

I think those hardy native types with good strong conformation would give you a decent chance at soundness.
 
I deliberately went for an Irish Draft after my 3/4 TB could only lightly hack following PSD. 5 years on and only a foot abcess for a few days on his card so far. He's as tough as old boots!
 
Welsh D, had him for 3 years and we did everything together, he was early 20's still regularly hauling people round the countryside when he died of a heart attack traveling in the box. Current horse is Welsh D/Arab X Holstein/Selle Francois - never had a full sound year in the 8 year's I've owned him.
 
I'm not sure it's particularly down to breed, rather than how the horse's early years are spent. Of the IDs that I've owned/looked after, the ones who have been hammered at an early age (spent their three year old winter hunting for example) tend to develop arthritis at an early age. Those left till they are more developed before starting work 4/5/6 tend to last longer.

Same with sports horses - I wouldn't touch anything that had been loose jumped as a 3 year old.

My toughest ever horse was a CB. He was still hunting aged 23, we clocked up over 500 days hunting and 200+ days autumn hunting together, and I don't remember him ever being lame, or anything else going wrong with him.
 
Thank you for all the replies. Current mare is Welsh x Tb and was not broken in until 5 but turns out she has severe Kissing Spins, 8 Spinal Processses touching and the vet advised against an operation. Luckily she is being retired at her breeders in an hundred acre field, I think I have just been extremely unlucky.
 
I have an ancient Anglo Arab mare here, with the most horrible conformation. Her back is such an odd shape that I keep her covered up as much as possible so that no-one sees her and judges me! She looks like a welfare case, until you look closely, and realise that she is actually just a really really really weird shape.
She is absolutely sound as a bell, and makes her younger, better put together field mates look like crocks when they all come charging up the field for tea!
 
After my boy was pts Ive had a run of bad luck with horses, so decided to buy a 3 yr old hoping we wouldnt have the problems the other older horses had... Well consideriing she spent 3 yrs in a field in Ireland, was only halter broke when I got her, has done nothing but the basics with me, ie handling, led out, shes now got 2 different things going on :( I must just be so unlucky :(
 
my 1/4th welsh and 3/4 russian arab who litterally never saw a vet except for vaccinations. Bij no means an easy horse as she had really too much energy and loved to give a show especially when there was an audience. When she was 28 she jumped my 120cm's post and rail fence and took off at full speed into town, i jumped into a strangers car to follow her. When I finally caught her i had to take her back on foot.....man was she pleased with herself doing a perfect piaffe alongside me.

Unfortunately she i had to pts at 29 for colic.
 
I was going to roll in with Welsh as well. To be fair to the Trakehner he's still here at the grand old age of 30, but has been arthritic since his early teens due to jumping too big too young I think.

My Ardennes is also stuffed from doing too much too young. Big heavy breeds need time to grow into their joints.
 
Overwhelmingly welsh orientated thread isn’t it. Shame they are often as mad as a box of frogs (I have several, all very very sound and great ponies but not for everyone!) :D
 
FfionWinnie said:
Overwhelmingly welsh orientated thread isn’t it. Shame they are often as mad as a box of frogs (I have several, all very very sound and great ponies but not for everyone!) :D
Click to expand...

I'm hoping that Flower inherits that Welsh soundness! Out of mine:

My TB mare Alice was rarely out of work in four and a half years, but she did have terrible hoof quality and was prone to bruised soles, so had the odd week off here and there.

Tudor has been out of work since seven (grade five idiopathic headshaker), but has only actually been lame once in three years, when he came down with laminitis. He's an ISH horse type.

Six has been with us for six years. He's 24 with Cushings, Welsh B, and has been lame twice since we've had him, both times due to PPID-related laminitis.

Mary hasn't taken a lame step yet, but she's hardly been in work in the year since I've had her because of arriving with a baby BOGOF in her belly. She's a Gypsy Cob.

Flower is far too young to say one way or the other, but hopefully will inherit the soundness that seems inherent in Welsh Ds and their crosses.
 
Had an irish pony type, mostly likely part Connemara. He was 14'2 and looked more like a horse, but with short legs!!

Lost him at the age of 25, and never had a day of unsoundness in his entire life.

Each individual horse is different though, so find it hard to establish soundness based solely on breed.
 
My Tb was fine for the first few years and has become more and more precious over the years. He has had hocks, SI and tendon troubles. I just seem to spend all my time rehabbing him and I know realistically I won't be jumping him again. My Westphalian who I bought when I thought the TB wouldn't come back to being ridden again( but he has) has always been sound but he now has Cushings. I can't have it all!
 
My soundest have been Welsh D. My best was broken to drive at 3, ride at 4, he drove many miles weekly and at 6 started jumping affiliated. He was still jumping affiliated in his late teens as a grade A. Was shod all his life too!


(Hence why I've just bought a 4 year old related to the above!)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top