It's A 'Summer' Horse - Grade Horses Count

There is an interesting cycle that seems to happen in the business of horse ownership. The first horse many folks own is often a 'grade' or 'summer' horse -

" Some o' this and some 'o that!"

These invaluable mutts or mongrels of the horse world usually come with a lesser price than their pedigree purebred equine compatriots. But as equestrians develop their skill sets and riding prowess along with the rider's development sadly commonly appears horse breed snobbery. 

WVH Gambol's Georgy Girl (DWB x TB)

 

The branded horse, the registered and papered equine that is often specifically bred for the specialized discipline the rider has decided to track, is nearly always more expensive than its 'grade' counterpart.

Obviously if the equestrian discipline competition is restricted to a particular breed, such as horse or harness racing  with the heritage designed Thoroughbred or Standardbred, then the horse owner that wishes to play must purchase the right animal to do the job with the right pedigree. 

Thoroughbred Mares at WVH Farm

 

For the barrel racer or reining competitor the all American Quarterhorse will be the beast of choice. With its powerful hind end and stocky build designed to intimidate the bovine contingent as a cow pony, the AQHA is the perfect companion for the Western rider.

The dressage aficionado will favor a forward launching warmblood breed or more recently trending popularity in the marketplace is the horse that offers the ease of collection and the less 'back breaking' ride of an Iberian, such as an Andalusian or Lusitano as a better option. 

Eventers and showjumpers love the athletic talents of the Thoroughbred, though cross bred horses are also popular where warmblood power off the ground and scope is beneficial.

Driving enthusiasts will harness everything from miniature horses to draft breeds bred for toil such as Percherons and Belgians to elegant Hackneys, Friesians or warmbloods to pull their weight in competition.

But. The seasoned horse breeder will also find that fully registered horses, whether line bred, closed studbook stock or bred using similar unfortunate practices common in the horse world are restrictive and unfortunately, just as in the dog world, produce unwanted results. OCD (a disease syndrome of growing cartilage such as epiphysitis, subchondral cysts and angular carpal deformities), club feet, warmblood fragile foal syndrome and a myriad of other issues.

The decision of a breed registry to forego adding a breed brand to the horse's hip or neck, (something that has largely only been undertaken due to forced decision by laws enacted in certain countries to protect the well-being of the horse), has alleviated some of the snobbery that surrounds buying the usually more expensive purebred equine. 

The prideful rider can now display their horse breed passion on their saddle pads or own riding colors or apparel, but the horse must stand on its own merit when on display in public.

From the nefarious horse dealer point of view, the registration paperwork may be easier to manipulate without the visual evidence on the horse's hip (or neck) of the breed, and removal of microchips or change in chipping is rarely revealed into well past the date of sale. The breed registry that now requires DNA testing is only as good as the method of enforcement and the ability for folks to access the data without payment of huge fees during a pre-purchase exam.

A good trainer will train any breed horse to reach its potential

 

As an advance level competitor/coach/clinician I don't much care about the breed of a horse anymore. I can usually determine the attributes I see in a horse's conformation or manner of movement and biomechanics to its specific breed influences, perhaps due to my 25+ years in the horse breeding business. I care about what the horse can do and how much he tries and his suitability for the rider and task at hand. 'Designer' labels are a thing of the past for me from that perspective. 

However I do highly value the benefit of having the knowledge of the performance accomplishments of the forbears of a horse in my private yard. The breed registries that maintain these records and develop purity in the breeds are essential and to be revered to protect both the continuation of specific horse breeds and to help breeders produce the best horses they can possibly manage.

The eventual 'openness' of these registries to address health issues associated with in-breeding or certain lineage is hopefully something we will see more of as each year passes rather than less.

Like most other folks I too began with a 'grade' type horse, a likely Standardbred that had risen from an accident on the track to Grand Prix level showjumper before i remade him into a dressage horse in his vintage years. It was what I could find and could afford. And I never regretted the purchase. And like so many others I also worked my way up the pedigree ladder, from grade horses to crossbreds to purebreds. When I couldn't afford the imported Hanoverian horse I wanted for competition, I started my adventure into horse breeding and started producing these baby equines in my own backyard. A labor of love for sure. 

Of course the judging was a critical component in what types of horses folks bought for competition, in its favoring of a certain type of movement and conformation for my chosen discipline, dressage. But in the early years there was still a number of judges in the U.S.A, such as Major Burton and Dr. Max Gahwyler , Mike Matson and others that gave our Thoroughbred or Quarterhorse crossbred a fair shake in competition scoring.

 

ANCCE Stallion Celesto IV with Paul Alvin-Smith

 

But I also migrated from breeding purebred Hanoverians and Oldenburgs, to Andalusians and Lusitanos, along with Dutch warmbloods and along the way went back to capture the benefits of mixed breed horses. Andalusians crossed with Percheron mares, Dutch warmbloods and Thoroughbreds crossed over Percheron mares, Dutch warmbloods crossed with Belgian/Haflinger crosses, Hanoverians crossed over Belgians - and the list goes on.

Before finally retiring from horse breeding we arrived at our 3rd generation in breeding and embraced Andalusian and Lusitano crosses with Dutch/Thoroughbred crossbred mares. And I still have the progeny in my yard today alongside purebred Andalusians.

When you walk down the aisle at an FEI competition anywhere in the world today, you won't necessarily be able to determine the horse's breed or heritage from its appearance. Even the German studbooks have opened themselves up to inclusion of Iberian horses past their previous severe limitations to include Thoroughbred or Arabian lines as outside influences to the warmblood family gathering.

The singular most important thing at the end of the day, is to support breeders that produce good quality horses and to not overlook the recycled horse who has an unknown pedigree but will make up to a super partner. And any trainer worth their salt won't regard any one equine breed as better than another when training horse and rider.

 

 

Kerry Gould on her Bashkir Curly training with Paul Alvin-Smith