The label of
“warmblood” covers a variety of breeds, so it’s impossible to generalize
in about them. Sometimes they’re called “dumb bloods”, but some are very
smart indeed. Breeds that fall into the “warmblood” category are Trakheners, Cleveland Bays, Appaloosas, Quarterhorses, Paints, Stock
Horses and many, many more.
A word of warning about
buying a “colored” horse: anything with a skin that would make a good mat
is usually going to cost more than a plain horse (bay, black or chestnut),
unless there’s something wrong with it. Sometimes people breed for color
rather than functionality and soundness. Grays are also “solid colored”,
but be careful. Grays are prone to melanoma. Usually they’ll die of old
age before cancer gets them, but you never know.
“Coldbloods” include
the draught breeds. If all you want to do with your horse is pull very
heavy weights, then they’re ideal. I’ve known some wonderful “draughties”
that were saddle horses, but their action is designed for pulling weight,
rather than covering ground. They’re also often very large and eat like, er, very large horses. Shoeing them can also be expensive. If you’re not
using them for their pulling power you might as well buy something
lighter.
If you want a horse
to do some harness work with and ride there are other options. Having read
this far, you’re probably wondering when I’m going to get to the “best
kept secret” part. Here it is.
“Where can I find a
horse that the kids can ride safely, drive in harness around the farm and
to town to get the groceries?” you ask? Don’t look further than a Standardbred. I highly recommend the Standardbred
to first time horse owners and anyone wanting a genuinely versatile
all-rounder. Standardbreds
are harness racers. They are also athletes, but their temperament is
usually not as “hot” as that of the Thoroughbred. Sadly, too many Standies
end up as dog-food when they finish racing, because of silly prejudice. But talk to any horseman and most will admit to having owned or known a Standardbred that they adored.
The average "Standie"
off the track is cheap or free, he’s harness broken, if not saddle broken. He’s usually seen races, crowds, been transported all over the country,
had all sorts of gear flapping around him, been shod etc many times,
jogged many miles per day as part of his training and if he comes out at
the end of all that physically sound, (which a large number of them do),
not much will worry him. Thoroughbreds are bred to go fast with a
jockey on top. Standardbreds race with a gig attached and more horses and gigs
around them, which means they have to be sensible and controllable.
Standardbreds are
cheap, but many of them are laterally gaited, efficient at covering ground
and comfortable to ride. Fashion is only just catching up to them. You
have a choice of the laterally gaited or “conventional” model in the Standardbred.
Not all Standies are
gaited. Some are “square gaiters” which means they walk, trot and canter
rather than pace. Some race as pacers wearing hopples, but don’t gait
naturally under saddle. Some are “free-leggers” and prefer to pace or gait
laterally. To dispel a myth about Standardbreds; even the
“free-leggers” can learn to canter well under saddle.
My Standardbred
“Australian gaited horses” are much in demand for novice riders or people
who need a gentle ride. I joke that the riders of the Peruvian Pesos
(gaited horses) carry a glass of wine on their hats, but the Australian Standardbred rider can carry a schooner of beer on their akubra! That’s a
joke: please don’t EVER get on any horse without wearing a sound helmet
which is approved to the current appropriate safety standard!
The horses that have
the intelligence, athleticism and sound conformation to make a top harness
racer are the ones that contribute to the gene pool. So Standardbreds are
sane, sensible, slower reacting than a Thoroughbred, an athlete that’s
been bred to take the physical pounding that is harness racing and what’s
even better, they’re affectionate and lovable! With any breed there are
exceptions, but in over 25 years around them I’m yet to meet a
Standardbred that’s truly “flighty” compared to some of the “Terrorbreds”
I’ve known.
