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  • From: "Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] On work horses
  • Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:18:43 -0800

I was thinking more along the lines of being used as light draft. They do light buggies just fine but they don't have the build to do heavy pulling. Now, if you want a horse (they really aren't ponies for folks who don't know them but rather small horses) that can jump twice its height or can travel all day long, then get a Connemara. If you want an animal that will babysit your kids, they're the horse for you.

Breed of horse will give a general jumping off point. Buying a grade horse gives you a mystery package.

When we ran gymkhana horses I went looking for a Quarter horse with a background in reining and/or cutting. I could take that horse, if it was not cowboy'd and clean house in barrels and poles. They had been bred for and already knew how to roll off your leg and turn on and off the speed at a flick of the wrist. I also picked up a horse that was burned out from playing polo. A grade horse could be trained to do the job but to have that extra something that meant state and national championships took that little extra something that I got from a horse with the right breeding.

Same with racing. Sure, you can find a grade horse with a lot of speed but not enough. Plus I can go look at mom, dad, the grands and great-grands plus siblings and see how sound/unsound the line is.

My only exceptions were mustangs. For those, again, though I only shopped for animals out of certain herds. Of course, I was looking for animals to do certain things (gymkhana, Tevis Cup, Ride and Tie, jumpers, etc.).

Unless someone is an expert, take one with you before you buy any horse. Buying horses is one of the riskiest businesses out there.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: <paxamicus AT earthlink.net>


One of the things my ex-husband and I did during the "off-season" (ie,
not foaling out) was break race horses. One time some guy brought us
a little QH he wanted to use as a track pony. Where doing a good,
kind, long-lasting job in a Thoroughbred could take a month, about two
days after this QH showed up I tacked him up and rode him down the
driveway. Bliss. If they were all that easy, I'd still be doing it.

Why wouldn't you use a Connemara in harness? I've seen them drive,
they are fabulous. They might not be able to do as much as a big
horse, but I think they are on a par with any other horse their size.

The other thing I meant to say earlier but didn't was that buying
*anything* based on a pedigree might be a real waste. There are tonnes
and tonnes of nice workaday horses to be had for cheap. Just like a
mutt can be the best dog ever...so can grade horses. You don't need a
specific breed unless you really LOVE the breed, or you want to breed
it.

I am currently paying about $3 a mile to ship horses when I need to
send something long distance. You might consider the cost of shipping
when you are factoring that in, to get something from Carolina to
wherever you are might be more expensive than the horse itself. Not to
mention shipping something fresh off the beach could be a real
challenge. Ooooh boy that could be a real fustercluck.


Celia



On Apr 16, 2008, at 1:48 PM, Lynda wrote:

Icelandics are like that, as are Connemaras. They are frequently
"born"
broke. We did quite a few of the Connemaras for pony clubers and
within 30
days they were ready for the clubbing circuit. They simply needed
to learn
to give to the leg. Not one of them bucked or was cinchy or swung
their
hindquarters to get away from humans.

Our neighbor has Icelandics and they are the same AND tough!

I wouldn't put Connemaras in a work situation but the Icelandics
would pull
just fine.

Our "evil" pony was named Precious <g>

Lynda
----- Original Message -----
From: "Warren" <mogrits AT gmail.com>


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