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Re: [RC] [RC] ? competing gaited horses - RDCARRIEIn a message dated 11/24/2004 10:10:13 AM Eastern Standard Time, <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: For those of us who pay attention to bloodlines that excel in the sport, it isn't a matter of getting "hung up" with bloodlines--it is a matter of increasing our odds of getting a horse that can do the job. ?Such traits as conformation, metabolic ability, temperament, and desire to do the job are heritable. ?Some families fairly consistently pass these traits on, some fairly consistently don't, and some are a crapshoot. ?I would never advise anyone to turn down an already successful horse because of bloodlines. ?That isn't the point. ?The point is in evaluating "prospects" and having better odds of getting a good one in the first place. If one truly understands conformation (by that I mean not just looking at legs, which is where far too many people stop in their evaluation, but rather at the entire body, with an eye to balance and a good understanding of biomechanics), one can rule out those of any bloodline who did not inherit that part. ?But the rest of it you can't find out until you've ridden them, and in some cases, until you've ridden them enough to already be in competition. ?By that point, if you've gotten a dud, you've invested not just money, but lots of time, effort, and emotion. ?Personally, I want to know that I have better than average odds of success before I start--hence the study of bloodlines. I'm sure this holds true in breeds other than Arabs as well--and in general, what I've seen in other breeds is the same tendency that I've seen in Arabs--the bloodlines that do the best in endurance (and in fact, in pretty much any discipline which requires athleticism, savvy, and the ability to get along with a rider) tend to be the older traditional bloodlines which have not been messed with for show purposes. ?All light saddle breeds were originally developed and bred to be ridden--and to that end, the traditional ones tended to have that ability. ?Most of the conformational and dispositional problems have been magnified by the breeding for a specific "look" or fad for the show ring. ?Ray's post about his TWH is a case in point. ?A horse that couldn't go down hills safely would not have been the choice to breed on a couple of centuries ago to cruise around the plantation. ?Likewise, the original QHs had to cover a lot of rangeland in a day, the original Saddlebreds were bred to ride all day (and in fact made outstanding cavalry horses), the various Paso breeds had to hike up and down the mountains in Central and South America, etc. If one does nothing more than study the foundation lines of a given breed and try to select horses that have been bred to preserve those original traits instead of being bred to an extreme for show purposes, one will increase one's odds of finding a good one. And no, this isn't a guarantee, but rather a trend. ?If the odds in one bloodline are one in ten of finding a good riding prospect, you can still find that one and be a success if you are willing to go through ten to get there, whereas if the odds are nine in ten that the horse will be a success, you can still find the one dud and be a failure. ?But it still pays to study the bloodlines if you want to shorten your search.
I'd have to agree with Heidi here. When I was shopping for my prospect, I knew
exactly what I wanted...a stout little CMK horse. And that's exactly what I
bought (Epic Sundance...BA Storm Dancer x BRR Sheila Mine). He'll probably top
out at 14.2h at most, he'd likely never be allowed in the ring at a halter show
- no tiny muzzle, tippy little ears, or level croup here (thank goodness, esp.
for the latter!), he's a chunky little guy, but he's got a nice short back, a
BIG deep hip, deep body including back at the flank, and pretty much everything
else I wanted. Neck is just a tad short, but nothing major. He's 4 now, and
ready to be started under saddle. I obviously couldn't try him out before
buying (he was half a continent away and only 3), but I played the odds and
went for the bloodlines that have a good record in the sport and what looked
like nice conformation. I personally would not buy one of the lankier, leaner,
more "greyhound" looking horses - they're just not my type, and I like horses
with more substance, that look like they will hold up for many years and miles
in the sport.
As for Pasos, we knew nothing about bloodlines when we bought my husband's
horse, but looked for good conformation and substance. The seller let us try
the horse for 30 days (he was under saddle but green), and we liked his brain
and forward attitude. We got lucky with this horse. For hubby's next horse,
we'll go the route of the "tried and true" Paso bloodlines, to increase our
chances of getting a good one. Like Heidi said, just trying to stack the odds
in our favor.
Dawn in East Texas
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