ARRRRGGGGLLLLEEEEE!
That was the approximate reaction I had to an article in the AQHA publication "AMERICA'S HQRSE."
Some of you might already know that I do not hold the AQHA in particularly high regard. I respect their insane ability to promote the breed, but I do not agree with the fact that their studbook is not closed and they will register a horse that is, by all accounts 3/4 Thoroughbred (or more!) as a full-blooded Quarter Horse.
The article was about Dressage (one of the three Equestrian disciplines that is in the Olympics) and the author mentioned AQHA recently joining with the USDF (Unites States Dressage Federation) in allowing QHs that compete in USDF events to earn AQHA points. Pretty cool, right? Yet another place for the QH to compete and, hopefully, do well.
Now the kicker was at the end of the article, resulting in the gut-tying wail of despair and frustration as the author said in cheery, hopeful tones something along the lines of "Maybe the AQHA will consider registering Warmblood crosses!"
ARRRGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!
This isn't to say that a QH and a Warmblood would not make a good cross, it's saying that people have to RESPECT what it is that a breed is rather than trying to make it something it is not! Part of this respect includes working within existing bloodlines, especially when you have over one million registered horses and your registry isn't even 60 years old! There's probably close to 500,000 living QH individuals out there, no lie. Do you think that it is impossible to find a good match for what you are looking for within the breed with that much choice?
This is part of what drives me nuts about the Appendix Quarter Horses. Appendix horses are part Thoroughbred, usually half. Appendix horses are registered in the "appendix" of the registry, however if said horse earns enough points in the show pen or money on the track they can earn their "white papers" (or were they yellow?) and essentially be magically made a full-blooded QH by the registry. If these horses are bred back to TBs, their babies go into the Appendix registry and, again, can earn full-blooded status if they win/earn enough.
This produces, tall, leggy, lean, long-faced, small-hipped horses that do not look like Quarter Horses. What do they look like? Thoroughbreds. Why? Because that is, essentially, what they are!
Quarter horses are short, stocky, have a relatively short head, heavy jaw, and massive hip. Sunny, who to my knowledge is 100% foundation bred, fits all of these except for the short part, but there's always some variance, but 15.3 hh is a lot closer than the 16 hh or so that are often produced with Appendix horses compared to the 15hh average of the breed.
Part of me says that if someone really loves their breed so much why the heck are you trying so hard to change it?! If you like horses that are tall, leggy, and fast over long distances get a Thoroughbred! If you want something short, stocky and cowy, have a QH. If you want something tall, lean, and flashy to ride saddleseat please get yourself a Saddlebred, that's what they were bred for. Don't breed a Morgan to Saddlebreds to "improve" the wonderful compact little horse that was supposed to be able to plow the field as well as look good under saddle or pulling the family carriage. If you love stocky draft horses FOR THE LOVE OF ALL FEATHERED EQUINES don't breed them so that their legs are 3/4 of their height!
This isn't to say that I'm totally against any and all crosses. Heck, we bred Panda to a Friesian and she is a Pinto Draft. Granted I do admit that Pinto/Spotted drafts are more of a color than a breed anyway, but that's beside the point! The point is I'm not trying to produce a pinto Friesian because I love Friesians so much, but just wish they had white! No, I'm hoping to produce a nice horse that has the good qualities of both parents irregardless of breed, but keeping towards a stocky draft build (and Hedzer is a more stocky Friesian of the classic Baroque type).
Take, I believe, the Oldenburg registry for an example. They've allowed some crosses, but the horses they allow into the studbook have to be approved first. They go through both conformation and movement evaluations to ensure that they are enhancing and improving the qualities that the Oldenburg already has, not trying to turn the breed into something else, or adding a feature that wasn't there before because you love the breed so much you can't bear to part with it as you venture into a discipline it can't do. Because of this practice Oldenburg horses still look like Oldenburg horses despite the infusion of fresh blood.
I don't expect a QH to jump 4'+, I don't expect a Friesian to be able to work a cow, I don't expect an Arab to sprint a quarter mile, I don't expect a Thoroughbred to plow a field, I don't expect a draft horse to run a mile or more.
I just don't get why people can't respect what a breed was bred to do and not try to make it something it is not by completely destroying the bloodlines and features that made it what it is!
Want to improve a breed? First look within and see if there are some shining individuals, breed those. Still have some major conformation flaws that prevent it from doing what it is supposed to do? Be selective in the crosses that will remedy these and enhance the features that the breed is supposed to have!
*Flails arms about.* Arrrrgggggglllleeee!
Some of you might already know that I do not hold the AQHA in particularly high regard. I respect their insane ability to promote the breed, but I do not agree with the fact that their studbook is not closed and they will register a horse that is, by all accounts 3/4 Thoroughbred (or more!) as a full-blooded Quarter Horse.
The article was about Dressage (one of the three Equestrian disciplines that is in the Olympics) and the author mentioned AQHA recently joining with the USDF (Unites States Dressage Federation) in allowing QHs that compete in USDF events to earn AQHA points. Pretty cool, right? Yet another place for the QH to compete and, hopefully, do well.
Now the kicker was at the end of the article, resulting in the gut-tying wail of despair and frustration as the author said in cheery, hopeful tones something along the lines of "Maybe the AQHA will consider registering Warmblood crosses!"
ARRRGGGGGGGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!
This isn't to say that a QH and a Warmblood would not make a good cross, it's saying that people have to RESPECT what it is that a breed is rather than trying to make it something it is not! Part of this respect includes working within existing bloodlines, especially when you have over one million registered horses and your registry isn't even 60 years old! There's probably close to 500,000 living QH individuals out there, no lie. Do you think that it is impossible to find a good match for what you are looking for within the breed with that much choice?
This is part of what drives me nuts about the Appendix Quarter Horses. Appendix horses are part Thoroughbred, usually half. Appendix horses are registered in the "appendix" of the registry, however if said horse earns enough points in the show pen or money on the track they can earn their "white papers" (or were they yellow?) and essentially be magically made a full-blooded QH by the registry. If these horses are bred back to TBs, their babies go into the Appendix registry and, again, can earn full-blooded status if they win/earn enough.
This produces, tall, leggy, lean, long-faced, small-hipped horses that do not look like Quarter Horses. What do they look like? Thoroughbreds. Why? Because that is, essentially, what they are!
Quarter horses are short, stocky, have a relatively short head, heavy jaw, and massive hip. Sunny, who to my knowledge is 100% foundation bred, fits all of these except for the short part, but there's always some variance, but 15.3 hh is a lot closer than the 16 hh or so that are often produced with Appendix horses compared to the 15hh average of the breed.
Part of me says that if someone really loves their breed so much why the heck are you trying so hard to change it?! If you like horses that are tall, leggy, and fast over long distances get a Thoroughbred! If you want something short, stocky and cowy, have a QH. If you want something tall, lean, and flashy to ride saddleseat please get yourself a Saddlebred, that's what they were bred for. Don't breed a Morgan to Saddlebreds to "improve" the wonderful compact little horse that was supposed to be able to plow the field as well as look good under saddle or pulling the family carriage. If you love stocky draft horses FOR THE LOVE OF ALL FEATHERED EQUINES don't breed them so that their legs are 3/4 of their height!
This isn't to say that I'm totally against any and all crosses. Heck, we bred Panda to a Friesian and she is a Pinto Draft. Granted I do admit that Pinto/Spotted drafts are more of a color than a breed anyway, but that's beside the point! The point is I'm not trying to produce a pinto Friesian because I love Friesians so much, but just wish they had white! No, I'm hoping to produce a nice horse that has the good qualities of both parents irregardless of breed, but keeping towards a stocky draft build (and Hedzer is a more stocky Friesian of the classic Baroque type).
Take, I believe, the Oldenburg registry for an example. They've allowed some crosses, but the horses they allow into the studbook have to be approved first. They go through both conformation and movement evaluations to ensure that they are enhancing and improving the qualities that the Oldenburg already has, not trying to turn the breed into something else, or adding a feature that wasn't there before because you love the breed so much you can't bear to part with it as you venture into a discipline it can't do. Because of this practice Oldenburg horses still look like Oldenburg horses despite the infusion of fresh blood.
I don't expect a QH to jump 4'+, I don't expect a Friesian to be able to work a cow, I don't expect an Arab to sprint a quarter mile, I don't expect a Thoroughbred to plow a field, I don't expect a draft horse to run a mile or more.
I just don't get why people can't respect what a breed was bred to do and not try to make it something it is not by completely destroying the bloodlines and features that made it what it is!
Want to improve a breed? First look within and see if there are some shining individuals, breed those. Still have some major conformation flaws that prevent it from doing what it is supposed to do? Be selective in the crosses that will remedy these and enhance the features that the breed is supposed to have!
*Flails arms about.* Arrrrgggggglllleeee!