endurance horses aren't the only ones that can trot up & down mountains

[Laney Humphrey]

The March issue of "Western Horseman" has an interesting article about
the Diamond Tail Ranch in Wyoming and the horses they produce.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be on-line.

It starts out, "after a seven-mile climb up the western shoulder of
the Bighorn Mountains, the Diamond Tail Ranch horses begin their
circle for the day at a ground-covering trot." It ends, "as the sun
sets of the day's work, the Diamond Tail horses have proven they are
just that. They climbed the mountain, trotted several circles,
trailed cattle down to winter pasture, pushed a lame bull to a water
reservoir, sorted out the neighbor's stray cattle in the middle of the
county road, and turned back the broodmare band trying to run toward
ranch headquarters."

A 50 mile ride would be like a day off for one of these horses!
Laney

[Elyse]

I've always thought QH could do more than we gave them credit for. I started on a QH because that was all I had. She transitioned easily because I grew up riding that pony everywhere! Her 3rd ride and first 50 she put in an easy middle of the pack finish at Biltmore. She only did a few rides due to a pasture accident but 4 years later I found my self with a lame Arabian, so the now 20 yo QH got taken out of her backseat status and went to a 35 miler in the mountains.

-Elyse

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[Nathan Hoyt]

QHs are tough as hell if you get one that is made to be tough.  The vast majority of "civilian" QHs have halter horse blood mixed in the woodpile for additional size, muscle and refinement (which is directly associated those miserable feet).  Every one of those traits hurts a ranch horses that actually has to cover ground to do its job.  The well bred foundation QHs carry more muscle than an Arabian and they probably aren't as fast, but they have good bone and good feet, so they hold up to all day work and can still drag a steer around.

The problem is that they are cheaper and often more stubborn than refined   QHs.  They don't really leave the ranches because the vast majority of people want a slick, fat, refined, pretty, sweet QH.  When the ranch bred horses do show up outside of the ranch it is because they "have color" and some dipshit will start crossing them with whatever slick, fat QH they have laying around.  As a result, the term "foundation bred" gets tied to every coarse headed QH that is dun or roan regardless of the fact they can't hold up to a trail ride, much less actual work.

If you want a tough QH, go to the annual "horse sale" at any sale barn in ranch country (not Central Texas/they primarily make pretty horses now, not stock horses) and buy a yearling chestnut colt for $700.  It will often have been the colt's first trailer ride and his first time off pasture, so he may not be too sociable.  The registered names will have weird lineages you don't recognize like  "Blue", "Valentine", "Hancock", "Winchester", "Jack", "One-Eyed" and "Two-Eyed" among others.  You won't see much "Doc this", "Skipper that" or "Peppy something" unless they are making rodeo horses, which are faster, but not as brutally tough as the work horses.

Nate

Mostly harmless.

[koellingmules]

You can find the working QH outside of the ranches.   You just have to look harder.   We raise the working/cutting type.   Some are definitely not the pretty halter type.   Our horses have a head full of sense, good bone and great feet. They are raised on Missouri rocks and hills.  I took one of these 5 yr old geldings had 30 days riding put on him.  I put 1200 verifiable miles on him in one year.   He finished a 50 mile race with plenty more to give.   He was at or below p/r parameters at each vet check arrival.   These horses are around 15 hands more or less often 14.3 range.   They are not as muscle bound as many.   They have an innate toughness and sense.  While not Arabs, they have my respect and deserve it from others. 

[Barbara McCrary]

This is a fascinating observation on QHs, the breed we started endurance riding on, since we had them for working cattle. I used to know the bloodlines by heart, but no longer. Then I learned Arab bloodlines by heart. Now I have a Morgan mare that has been nicknamed “the bulldozer on steroids”, and if I were 30 years younger, I would do my best to get her into endurance. She can go up and down a vertical wall without tripping. Trouble is, I don’t think I could survive the conditioning program anymore. But she is one terrific trail horse – sure-footed, safe, trail savvy, and (so far) no spooks, bucks, or bolts. He one flaw is her lack of patience. She just wants to go-go-go. Not running, not even trotting, just walking as fast as possible, with a jig or few thrown in. She’s overweight and sweats and pants heavily. That may well be a lack of conditioning, since no one has ever put her into a working trot. She’d been used as a trail horse – walk, jog, lope. She came into my life too late.

 

Barbara

 

From: ridecampre...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ridecampre...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of 'Nathan Hoyt <nhoyt...@yahoo.com>' via ridecamp at Endurance.Net
Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2014 8:44 AM
To: ride...@endurance.net
Subject: Re: [RC] endurance horses aren't the only ones that can trot up & down mountains

 

QHs are tough as hell if you get one that is made to be tough.  The vast majority of "civilian" QHs have halter horse blood mixed in the woodpile for additional size, muscle and refinement (which is directly associated those miserable feet).  Every one of those traits hurts a ranch horses that actually has to cover ground to do its job.  The well bred foundation QHs carry more muscle than an Arabian and they probably aren't as fast, but they have good bone and good feet, so they hold up to all day work and can still drag a steer around.

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