DraftX Builds Vs Sleek Tb's in Eventing World..Whats your Thought?!

[LaVitaBella]

hi everyone! hopefully you can calm my nerves haha, i am an owner of a OTTB and i LOVE him to oodles :). But i bought/rescued a Percheron/Standardbred 4yrs ago for 500$ just to get for my old Morgan to keep him moving, and she has recently turned into an awesome mare, she has the BEST personality and is steady as an ox, shes about 16hh with long legs and the movement of a Standardbred, shes very brave & curious, i am just a WORRYWART! and i am moving to Maryland in 2 weeks, im bringing her with me, i just want to know what every thinks about the draft breeds in the eventing world? She is short backed, and she doesn' have a real long neck, but its nice and thick, she has a kind sweet eye, so PLEASE help me calm my nerve & let me know what you think about the Draft X's in the Eventing world!!?
THANKS!!
-carly

[three_dayer]

Ive got a draft cross and I am planning on running him intermediate this year....

[LaVitaBella]

hes beautiful! well idk if she can go that level, maybe :)

[octavian_jazz]

I have a Clydesdale/TB cross. We're going preliminary right now and did a long format CCI* in the fall and are planning to do a short format this May. I'm sure he takes more time to get fit than a thoroughbred, but I didn't find the process particular difficult. I think draft crosses are fantastic, especially if you get the right mixture! Also, Bonnie Mosser's Merloch has some percheron in him, I don't know the exact cross. Don't worry about what anyone thinks. ;) If you know that she's a good girl and can do what you want/need her to, then there you go!

[snoopy]

I have a Clydesdale/TB cross. We're going preliminary right now and did a long format CCI* in the fall and are planning to do a short format this May. I'm sure he takes more time to get fit than a thoroughbred, but I didn't find the process particular difficult. I think draft crosses are fantastic, especially if you get the right mixture! Also, Bonnie Mosser's Merloch has some percheron in him, I don't know the exact cross. Don't worry about what anyone thinks. ;) If you know that she's a good girl and can do what you want/need her to, then there you go!


I believe merloch's mom is 3/4 percheron. Great event horses come in many different packages....even today!!

[LaVitaBella]

thankkkks!!! i know i need to stop worrying :D

[LR1976]

Yes, quit worrying! I have 3 of them. Love them!

[LisaB]

Yup, quit worrying. The general consensus on Winston is that he's standardbred/perch. Whatever, it works.

[smilton]

I love my draftx to death but the lord did not mean for him to leave the ground. I jumped him for the first time the other day and he absolutely loves it but is absolutely horrible at it. He got really excited and started zeroing in on the next jump without being asked. He is (15.3h) 7/8 QH and 1/8 percheron. Unfortunately he is built like a cart horse. He is wonderful for driving but 18 inches to 2 ft may his max at jumping. He is bomb proof with a great personality but will never be a jumper.
It was really strange jumping him after getting off of my 17h recently raced OTTB. The stride length difference was amazing.

[yellowbritches]

I love my draftx to death but the lord did not mean for him to leave the ground. I jumped him for the first time the other day and he absolutely loves it but is absolutely horrible at it. He got really excited and started zeroing in on the next jump without being asked. He is (15.3h) 7/8 QH and 1/8 percheron. Unfortunately he is built like a cart horse. He is wonderful for driving but 18 inches to 2 ft may his max at jumping. He is bomb proof with a great personality but will never be a jumper.
It was really strange jumping him after getting off of my 17h recently raced OTTB. The stride length difference was amazing.
Don't give up hope so quickly! I had a lovely little draft cross mare that I started. The first time I jumped her under saddle, she was leaving the ground BEHIND the groundline (I have pictures to prove it). It was a very awkward, unathletic ride, but once she figured it all out, she became a handy little jumper. I always said with the right rider, she could easily do a one star. As it turns out, she is a phenomenal hunt horse!

Draft crosses are often solid citizens with big, willing hearts. They are almost always more than fine at the lower levels, and many even go on to the upper levels. I have a particular favorite who is now out on the West coast with him person and did a long format last fall. He's super cool. :yes:

[goobs]

I don't own one but I think they are GREAT and love them. You shouldn't worry at all - okay you should worry about having fun with her but that's about it! A friend told me he knew a full standardbred that went Prelim successfully! Draft crosses make terrific riding horses and are big, sweet and loveable!

[scubed]

I think I had one (unknown breeding, but definitely looked draft cross) briefly and sold him to a young woman who went through intermediate on him. We (the huge number of people who tried to guess, since no one knew) think the mix was paint/standardbred or saddlebred/draft something. He was a pinto, substantial, had really drafty feathers on his legs and was great. I love my OTTBs, but I think that there are a lot of cool horses out there, so as long as you like her and are having fun, I'm sure it will go well

[LR1976]

Pete-Cleveland Bay/Saddlebred x- hopefully moving up to prelim this fall.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=218672&l=93f117c9b0&id=638596624

Kyllar-Perch/Morgan at his first BN event
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1278159&l=6fdcb5b5f5&id=638596624

Bentley-Perch /TB
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=276913&l=618198a398&id=638596624

[eventersmom]

We have a 3/4 Thoroughbred 1/4 Shire cross that can fly! There are no worries about her jumping at all. She could easily go up the levels once she determines dressage is not her enemy. :winkgrin:

Becky Douglas Holder evented Knudsen, a draft cross, for years. I don't know exactly what he was but he was a BIG boy. I'm pretty darn sure they went Advanced. Anyone out there know the particulars?

[asterix]

My baby horse (pics in profile are from last year) is a draft cross. He is shaping up to be a terrific eventer, loves dressage, tidy jumper, totally gets cross country. My coach has said prelim will be no problem, and Jimmy Wofford just told me in a clinic that he reminds him of Carrick and Zydeco, two **** horses that he thinks were "geniuses" cross country. :D

Like yb's mare, when he first started jumping he was a bit clunky about it, but soon figured it out, as you can see from the pics in the profile.

They have GREAT brains. You do need to spend more time getting them fit, but until you get to prelim the difference is not really noticeable anyway.

Also, my friend has a standardbred cross (not with a draft, but...) and he's GORGEOUS with spectacular movement and a very, very scopey jump.

[smilton]

" It was a very awkward, unathletic ride, but once she figured it all out, she became a handy little jumper. I always said with the right rider, she could easily do a one star. As it turns out, she is a phenomenal hunt horse!"

Unfortunately my guy is 8 this year and isn't going to out grow his awkward stage. He is great on the ground but crashes through jumps even though he tries really hard. He absolutely loves jumping and gets a little attitude. Its really entertaining to have a very excited horse jumping x-rails (and knocking them over). He starts bucking after jumps and accelerates for turns but he just isn't a jumper. He's completely up in your hands and collected but is just awful over jumps. I'm usually laughing the entire time I jump him. Atleast he's not a stopper. Lucky is adorable in a cart, on the trails and on the flat. Chestnut tobiano with feathers and the thick wavy mane and tail.

[Lori T]

hi everyone! hopefully you can calm my nerves haha, i am an owner of a OTTB and i LOVE him to oodles :). But i bought/rescued a Percheron/Standardbred 4yrs ago for 500$ just to get for my old Morgan to keep him moving, and she has recently turned into an awesome mare, she has the BEST personality and is steady as an ox, shes about 16hh with long legs and the movement of a Standardbred, shes very brave & curious, i am just a WORRYWART! and i am moving to Maryland in 2 weeks, im bringing her with me, i just want to know what every thinks about the draft breeds in the eventing world? She is short backed, and she doesn' have a real long neck, but its nice and thick, she has a kind sweet eye, so PLEASE help me calm my nerve & let me know what you think about the Draft X's in the Eventing world!!?
THANKS!!
-carly

http://www.calypsofarmeventers.com/tuckers_patronus_eventing_debut

My draftx just went to his first event this past weekend. Tucker is a PMU foal I adopted when he was 6 months. He was AWESOME! He loves the cross country phase. Jonathan Holling told me he will do what at just about any level (though I doubt I will go beyond novice!). He just doesn't do well over the little stuff..he doesn't pick his feet up if it is a small x, but as you can see from the pics, he really clears anything of substance! He has a great presence for dressage (our debut score was 38.5, which I attribute more to my nerves!) and doesn't move like one would expect..he is not clunky. The first time alot of professionals see him, that is what they expect, then are surprised to see how he really moves! I see alot of draftx in eventing, take her eventing and have fun!

[CookiePony]

Carly-

Welcome to COTH. Are you located near any USEA events? Go watch one, and see the parade of a wide variety of horses go by!

ETA: in Maryland you will have many opportunities to go watch. Here is the Area II (Mid Atlantic) calendar:
http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=calendar#II
You could go to MCTA, Fair Hill, or Waredaca.

[vineyridge]

I feel it somewhat necessary to point out that the horse de jour in the foxhunting world is the draftx.

[Shrunk "N" Da Wash]

As long as they aren't extremely cart-horse looking/movers then there great. Especially at the lower lvls because they tend to be mellow but then again you get some that are amazing advanced horses that are very hot. My mare is like 1/8th percheron :D

Michele Mueller's advanced horse Amistad is 1/4 belgian and 3/4 tb and he is too die for and rather hot headed.

[LaVitaBella]

hi everyone!!
wow it sure was nice to get on here after class and see all these replies! I can't wait to start really working with her now!! yay! im moving to Serra Valley Farms, ill be working with my friend/boss Katie Ruppel (Yellow Rose Eventing) ill be riding my horse Belle, and a couple other horses for Katie, we'll be ALL OVER this summer so if your around MD and Area 2 can't wait to Meet everyone!! Ill be up in that area after Rolex :)
ill keep everyone updated on whats going on with belle!
thanks sooooooooo much again!!
yay!
-carly

[PracticalCat]

My daughter is riding a friend's 6 year old Clydesdale/TB cross and he can move! Here she is a few days ago. Yeah I know...they put a rail out in front after this jump and got him jumping from the base, but still the boy can jump!
The kids working on it too, she just graduated from her short-strided mustang pony to bigger horses.
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/lisainnorthidaho/?action=view&current=dram3.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/lisainnorthidaho/dram2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/lisainnorthidaho/drambuie1.jpg

[lecoeurtriste]

You honestly can't beat a good draft cross! My guy is just coming 6 and doing prelim (1/2 percheron and 1/2 spotted saddlebred). I agree that the conditioning doesn't "just appear" like it might with a lighter-bred horse, but he's done fine at recognized events and even did a 40+ mile NATRC last summer in the mountains. Hope you have a blast working with her!!

[knightrider]

My friend's draft cross evented through Prelim and could easily have done Intermediate but they decided to breed her instead....she was heavier though and they had concerns that they couldn't get her fit enough for Intermediate and that it may have been too much pounding on her legs with her weight...but she's an awesome jumper and dressage horse...

And my trainers thought my draft cross boy could have easily moved up to Prelim or possibly higher but my dressage trainer thinks he can do Prix St. George one day and since I've lost my desire to jump with my old age, dressage is the way we are going now...

[shamrocker]

I just purchased a beautiful Cleveland bay/CSH mare (SHire/TB/Clyde) for my daughter last fall. Although a bit green as she is coming 6, She has been a wonderful horse in so many ways, great temperament, nice uphill conformation. Loves to jump an is really good at it, and is a very fancy mover. She is so sane and safe that I always kick myself to make sure I am still standing. My daughter went through a series of horses that were too hot or too much XC for her. This mare, just gallops along! She hacks out great in company or by herself. T

hese draft X's have a lot going for them and it is why they are becoming increasingly popular. I know there was a Percheron X going Advanced at one time, and I have also seen a huge 18+ hand CLyde X going Intermediate not too long ago. So you if your horse has athletic ability, you are golden! good Luck. here's my daughter's mare...

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp130/shamrocker58/almiramay25084.jpg

[clivers]

here's my daughter's mare...

http://i404.photobucket.com/albums/pp130/shamrocker58/almiramay25084.jpg


Wow - she's beautiful!

[LaVitaBella]

hi!
ok so i rode my mare last night, as im sure you all know shes the DraftX i've been worrying about haha, but i also want to know.. WILL SHE EVER GET WITHERS?! haha i know they are the last thing to grow, but GARSH they need to come SOOON!
plus shes butt high again haha she is a growing girl!!

[eventerdrew]

I ride my 3/4 TB 1/4 Shire mare Beginner Novice (school training) and i wouldn't trade her for the world! She's nearly 17hh and wide but wow is she talented!!!

my mare didn't stop growing and get her withers til she was almost six. she's seven now.

it's the same horse eventersmom was talking about (that's my mom :yes:)

*scroll down to username eventerdrew. it's not far*

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-breeds/lets-see-those-tb-x-draft-24743/

[LaVitaBella]

well your horse is b-e-a-uuutiful, and ya she is just turing 4 this year, but her butt is at like 16hh 16.1ish? and her front end will barely catch up, then she'll be butt high again, so im guessing i won't be doing tooooo much with her except getting her fit & evened out until shes a little older :) im hoping with alot more work & muscle it will help her grow ever since we got her when she was 6 months she has been on 24/7 pasture with her own run in -barn :)