Every once in awhile, even though I am beyond thrilled with my current (and past) horses, I muse and daydream about my horse ownership future. I have some goals (some attainable, some random!) and some ideas of the dream horses I'd like to own throughout my life. I actually have a list of the horses I'd like to someday have (some of which I've already been able to cross off the list!):
1) A Pedigreed, Purpose-Bred Warmblood - Check!
I've been very fortunate in that I have owned five very nice warmbloods over the course of the years, all of which were pedigreed and purpose-bred. Three Trakehners (Quincy, Metro, Pangea), a Holsteiner (Gogo), and a Selle Francais (O-Ren). I was very fortunate to have my parents' financial support when I was younger, and was therefore able to afford these super nice critters. Quincy was free, and I bought P and O with my own money, but they bought Metro for me (and then Gogo, with his mortality money), and they helped me afford them through college. I'll never be able to afford horses of this quality ever again, but if I'm lucky and I pick well, I can find and produce ones that are very nice.
2) A Homebred from a Beloved Bloodline/Mare - Check! (Kinda!)
I'm obviously not going to count this one until it is on the ground (and every second I'm freaked out and sure that she is going to absorb her pregnancy), but I've been dreaming of this foal for a very long time and I can't tell you how excited I am for it!
3) A Craigslist Rescue - Check!
I happen to have the world's most excellent $500 Craigslist find in my paddock right now! These are always a crapshoot, and sometimes they don't work out, but O was worth every penny, and every day with her is a new and worthwhile adventure.
4) A Performance Mule
Who doesn't love a long-eared badass! I LOVE mules, especially ones that are bred with performance in mind. They can do everything that full-blooded horses can do, and some of them are REALLY fancy, but they aren't allowed in recognized eventing in the US anymore. If they were, you can bet I would have already looked into getting one by now! I believe they can do endurance, combined driving, and dressage, but I don't think they're allowed in anything else (outside of schooling shows). That's a TOTAL shame, and I hope the rules change. I would LOVE a performance mule someday.
5) A Mustang from the Wild
What's not to love about the romance of bonding with and starting a mustang? I've always wanted to do this, but it's not for the faint of heart, and you need a certain set of facilities to start (certain fencing heights and requirements in order to adopt). If you find a good, solid one with some height to it, you can do awesome things - look at the mustang Padre, who was Reserve Champion stallion at Devon a few years back, and D'jion (pictured below), who has already competed a one star and is on his way to a two star this year! I'd also happily take one that had already been through the Mustang Million program or the Extreme Mustang Makeover (right here in Fort Worth).
6) A Recycled Saddlebred
Another breed I adore, and that I don't talk much about. I'm a warmblood person, but I've always had a fondness for ASBs. They have that naturally big flashy action that I love, and some of them can really jump! They are not the wild-eyed maniacs that you see in the saddleseat world... they are gentle, kind souls, and they are horribly mistreated and abused. People do specifically breed these guys for sport, but I would love to take a show barn reject and turn it into something special. I also have a fondness for Dutch Harness Horses, and have seen those guys crossed out with warmbloods with some really awesome results. I wouldn't hesitate to take an ASB, DHH, or NSH and make something awesome out of it.
7) A Crazy Colored/Weird Breed Horse
Let's be real. I'm a little on the eccentric side. No plain bays for this girl if I can help it! I've always, ALWAYS loved weird and wild colors and odd breeds and crosses, and the weirder/wilder the better. Got a Fjord cross? Awesome! A PMU pintaloosa? I want it! I'd never sacrifice quality for color - that's where I draw the line - but if something comes in a weird color I WANT IT. I know next to nothing about the genetics of colors, but I don't care. I just like to go "oooooh so pretty!" Bonus points if it has a good story to go along with it. I love something that stands out.
So how about all of you? What kinds of horses would YOU like to own one day? Be creative, anything goes!
I am lucky enough to have the ride on a 17.2hh Clydesdale/Arabian who is always a show stopper at events. Of course the fact that he hikes his knees up to his cheeks over stadium fences helps too! I love random and not the norm horses as eventers!
ReplyDeleteI've already been lucky enough to lease a couple ponies with crazy colors and back stories. My first pony was a 13 hh quarter pony that was this crazy shade of chestnut I've never seen before AND she had a brand on her left shoulder. We don't know a lot about her history, but she was a show jumper at one point and a western pony.
ReplyDeleteAs for crazy colors, my last pony I'm not even sure how to describe. He was dark bay, but he had dun highlights on his butt a d belly in some seasons. On top of that…he had feathers. Yep, curly black feathers. (I thought they looked cute, but my instructor hated them, so bye bye feathers.)
As for his story. Tucker was one of those super fancy, purebred, "my horse is better than your despite his obvious flaws" ponies for quite a few years. From what I could tell, the girl who owned him was absolutely terrified of him and only rode him when she went to a show or pony club rally. For a while he was a school horse over at this really fancy private school while the girl who owned him decided she liked acting more and rode a fancy pony from LA. He then got kicked out of the fancy riding school, because he bucked a girl off into a tree. (The tree was in the middle of the arena and he hadn't been out of his stall in something like three weeks.) That's how he ended up where he is now and how he ended up with me. He came with all these labels about how dangerous he was, but in the end, I found him to simply be an extremely misunderstood soul. I'm going to miss him a lot, but I hope one of my old friends will start riding him for me. He could teach her a lot.
At this point, I only seem to end up with slightly funky horses.
Count me in the crazy color camp! I daydream about breeding my TB mare to something with color to produce a wildly colored foal!
ReplyDeleteHuge, elegant, legs for days warmblood with appaloosa and blue roan coloring, oh wait already had that one. Too bad he came brainfried and hated humans only slightly less than he hated western saddles. Most gorgeous mover, jumper, field stander but such a sad case. For a second he liked cross country but then he remembered the it involved people. I don't know what was done to that horse by the trail rider he came from but it must have been awful.
ReplyDeleteSince I'm bored out of my mind (back injury and crappy weather) I'm probably just going to steal your idea and make a post on it. I hope you don't mind. :D I've been wanting to do a post like this for a while actually. I loved reading this. I was very surprised actually. With all of your normal colored warmbloods I had no idea you liked mules, ASBs, mustangs and color! It was fun learning more about what you like (especially the mules-love them!).
ReplyDeleteLove this post, I'm also all about the weird colors (obviously with Misty). I'd love to own a performance mule someday!
ReplyDeleteHere's my list of "someday I'll have's". :)
ReplyDeleteOTTB
BLM Mustang
Akhal-Teke
I also wouldn't mind a colored Morgan or freakishly tall Arabian. :)
That's a crying shame that they don't allow mules. Did they have complaints about them scaring/beating the warmbloods?
DeleteI also love the idea of a mule. I am getting the chance to work with one for the first time and I am super excited.
I have been pretty lucky to have had the chance to own several of my "someday" breeds, most of them I never thought I would because I live in the land of stock horses and Arabs. The owned list: Fjord, Haflinger, Percheron, Belgian, Arab, and my home bred Friesian/Pinto Draft filly (she looks like a Friesian/Gypsy, black and white tobiano with hair like you wouldn't believe).
Still on the list? A Morgan because I have always liked them, their look, their story, and all. I also have a thing for exotic/European heavy horses that don't exist in the US like Norikers. Ultimate pipe dream? Import and breed Jutlands, Denmark's native draft breed (www.denjydskehest.dk).
As the owner of 26 purebred Akhal-Tekes...and having traveled all over the globe for this breed....these horses still manage to surprise me with their dazzling array of coat colors and sheen. There is nothing else quite like them! However, I totally agree with you about mules... I have ALWAYS wanted a long-ear. I think the fancy ones are unbelievably lovely....
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