Breeding for endurance

[MBlanchrd@aol.com]

Hi, campers,

   I hope that the endurance world does not become "hung up" on certain
pedigrees, breeds, or even colors. I am sure that most of you have seen the
photos of the "halter champions" in the Arab, Appaloosa, Quarter Horse, etc
etc worlds. Most of them are pretty, if you consider a camped out, head in the
sky, mascara-ed, tabletopped crouped and no withers horse "pretty". 

Before I take flames, consider that I spent most of my teen years working on
my neighbors' Quarter Horse breeding farm. She raised HUNDREDS of foals, all
by her Wiescamp bred stallion (and I won't name him, because he was a decent
horse.) My neighbor's foals won halter awards every single time they went out.
And by the time the were five years old, they were useless, due to navicular
(1300 pounds and 00 feet), bad backs, etc. As performance horses they were
useless. Most of them could hardly carry a saddle without pain. But they were
picture perfect for the halter ring...and honestly, some folks, that's ALL
they did. 

One woman bought  a colt by my neighbor's stallion , and competed him  in
halter every year for years. He went on to become a successful sire in his own
right, and was COMPLETELY green broke. He knew what a bridle was...but he was
never saddle broken!!!!! 

If we consider endurance to be a SPORT, not a glamour show, then breeders
would do well to breed in the same spirit that European Warmblood breeders do.
Most warmblood horses..and I'll use Dutch Warmbloods as an example.. are not
"pure" Dutch Warmblood, but a mixture of Dutch, Thoroughbred, other warmblood
breeds and Arabian. The outcome here is NOT "breed type" but PERFORMANCE. If
the horse can perform to the standards, it's a Dutch Warmblood. It may have
pinto coloring and be 50% TB and 25% this and 25% DWB, but if it achieves the
standards, it's a DWB. Consequently, you have DWB stallions like Domino who is
a black and white pinto but is a Warmblood.
Interestingly, by breeding for performance, you eventually end up with a big
horse that pretty much looks warmblood-type.

Does this mean we should look at endurance horses as a Sport horse rather than
a breed? I think YES. If you want to run pure arabians in it, so be it. They
are, in my opinion, the original and best breed for endurance.However, if
someone is breeding for endurance, do not hammer them for mixing a little of
this and that into the mix. No, they may not be "purebred" with all that that
implies.......but they may be better endurance horses. 

Michelle and Jordan, who's purebred and papered, but can't claim to be
anything "pure 100%" anything but Arabian....................