# Thoroughbreds for dressage?



## xXxTraversxXx (10 July 2007)

Hi everyone, just wondering are thoroughbreds suitable for dressage? I know most horses are capable up to a certain extent but do they have paces/ temperment etc. for high level dressage? Everyone seems to be a bit warmblood obsessed in the competition world atm and *if* we do end up getting a horse maybe a tb is a cheaper alternative? I suppose they are excellent for eventing and all look superb in the dressage phase but is fashion the only reason they aren't thought of as dressage hosses?


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## rara007 (10 July 2007)

We had one who was very good at dressage, but at shows when she hheard the buzzer she thought it was the start of a race and bolted ! Her trot was amazing.


Haz


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## CentrestageSHS (10 July 2007)

A thoroughbred will nearly always gain more marks for its walk and extended paces but most struggle with collection and especially piaffe,passage and pirouettes. There are some throughbred's who get to the top in dressage but not many pure TB's. With warmbloods, a lot is to do with fashion but they are bred for the job. TB's are bred for speed, warmblood's are bred for power. They find the work much easier, are more extravagant and usually have a better temperament for dressage. 
TBH a warmblood will always look more impressive too and have more of a classical dressage shape. A gangly thoroughbred can look a little messy or weak when asked to do harder movements.
This is all only my opinion, having done all three disciplines and owned many different breeds of horses, I would not hesitate to reccomend a TB for eventing, but for dressage and sj Warmbloods are the best!!! TB crosses aren't bad tho!


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## Rachel_M (10 July 2007)

IMO. 
	
	
		
		
	


	






Yes. I am trying my dammed hardest to remember, I think it was, a German horse that was as close as you'll get to a TB ( as in built as a TB stamp)- Was it Bonfire? Not sure, but was ridden by a lady.


Anyhoos, what the point I am so terribly trying to get across it that I honestly think it is down to the horse. Warmbloods are the popular choice but as more people are becoming aware of other breeds TB's and a lot more natives are starting to appear on the dressage circuit.


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## CentrestageSHS (10 July 2007)

I think the horse you are thinking of is Nicole Uphoff's Rembrandt, that was very fine with quite a bit of TB blood and Dr Renier Klimke's Ahlerich (SP?) was also.


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## Rachel_M (10 July 2007)

Thats it! Thank you


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## Daydream (10 July 2007)

Any horse can do what you want with the right training thing with Tb are they are very quick, they will react to your request before you even think of asking for it.  I have always had TB the one i have at the moment is working at Elementry at home and competing at Novice to good percentages.  I have friends that have TB and they are moving up the levels quickly.  I also have a friend that has just come back from Championships at Elementry on her Fjord pony.  
	
	
		
		
	


	





The only down side they are not as moldable as WB a WB can be trained to do the movements it waits to be told a TB will try and predict what you want.  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I find mine struggles with extention, he can collect, do medium stride well but extention is still one he is learning, just wants to move faster or change gait not open up his shoulders more.

I think it depends on the time for training and you as a person, go ride a few TB and see how you feel about them.   
	
	
		
		
	


	




 They are also a bit lively personality wise, you can get some laid back TB but normally they can be a bit excitable.

I think they are a pleasure to own and you get a great relationship with them, what you put in is what you get out.  I am always so pleased when we do well. Feels like a real achievemnt


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## CentrestageSHS (10 July 2007)

I still prefer Ferro over Rembrandt anyday though!!! LOL


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## JLav (10 July 2007)

If you look at the pedigrees of alot of the top warmbloods you will find a large amount of TB blood in them. A lot of the names you hear of again and again in breeding ie Ladykiller, Furioso etc etc were full TB's.

Chris Bartle's Wily Trout was full TB and  Dutch Courage was  half TB. His son Dutch Gold was 3/4 TB. 

A TB stallion can be graded into a warmblood studbook if they meet the criteria of that particular type ie Accondy is graded British Hanoverian and Mayhill was graded as a British Warmblood.

Any horse in a warmblood pedigree with xx after it's name is a full TB.


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## Taboo1968 (10 July 2007)

One of my old instructors had a TB that went to PSG..... I have one that is working at Novice now and my current trainer believes that he will make it to Medium.... poss further...... I also have one of "those" warmbloods as well..... but I get as much joy in dressage from riding both of them....


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## pixiebee (10 July 2007)

i prefer warmbloods to tb's-sorry to say but pure tb's dont do much for me. warmbloods are stockier and just look more substancial if that makes sense, but then im not a great fan or slight horses anyway!


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## Hedgewitch13 (11 July 2007)

I have a national Hunt bred TB who is very deep and substantial. She isn't a fine, scrawny TB at all. I always get fab comments about her conformation and looks and she also has paces to die for..... Unfortunately her brain can't stay focused on something like dressage for more than a minute or so although she schools well at home. We stick to jumping now!


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## Llwyncwn (11 July 2007)

I have a 3/4 TB mare who, my trainer assures me will go Advanced, if we can get over the anticipation and hysterics.  We are working Elem at home and her medium strides are coming beautifully.  My trainer tells me that it will take much longer with my lovely mare than it would with a WB, but perfection takes time


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## vickers22 (11 July 2007)

my horse sucks at dressage, he's a tb with incy it of connemara-we are improving though(with lots of practice!!!)Give him an open gallop track and a few massive jumps any day, such a shame ODE's have to include dressage, LOL 
	
	
		
		
	


	




!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Angua2 (11 July 2007)

My boy is a ex flat racer, and he actually excels at dressage. He seems to enjoy the more technical side of things so he really had to think about things.

 I think the main thing is like all horses is do they have the aptitude.


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## Sparklet (11 July 2007)

My horse is a 7/8 tb bred more for the showing world than the racing so cant really be described as scrawny - in fact most mistake her for a Trakkener or similar lighter build wb.

Tb's dont have the flashy paces that a wb 'can' have - however they have a fantastic loose, elegant way of  moving if schooled correctly which certainly gets the marks for paces (which are not marks for wb paces incidently).

Yes they probably dont find some of the movements as easy but on the advantage side they are so sharp they are easy to train because they pick things up quickly.  I got my girl from the showing world two years ago and she hadnt a clue when it came to lateral work, however she is now nearly at the same level as my friends horse who has been schooled for 8 years.  

Bear in mind the move towards the lighter wb type and the most popular now have a huge dollop of tb in them.


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## the watcher (11 July 2007)

I think there are quite a variety of shapes in the TB breed and plenty of heavier ones about (thinking Irish and steeplechase breeding) that would fill the eye in the way that a warmblood does. They are quite capable of the movements required and less likely to be stuffy. Can you tell my current dislike is for horses that WON'T GO FORWARD


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## xXxTraversxXx (11 July 2007)

Thanks everyone. I suppose it depends on the horse - never simple is it!! Thing is, I was thinking about what you were saying about collection (CentreStage) but surely for jumping they need to be able to collect ie. for striding in between fences??? I do prefer warmbloods (but then again I've ridden far more wbs than tbs) but they're so bloods expensive!!!! 
Watcher - TOTALLY agree with you, nothing worse than a horse that won't go forward!!!


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## Iestyn (11 July 2007)

It depends entirely on what level you want to compete up to. I think if you get a straight moving TB with nice paces and a good, trainable temperament then you could do very well up to Elementary and maybe medium. There are very few that would have the uphill paces and level of engagement in amateur hands to get much further and be succesful at it - of course there are exceptions to the rule.

I have an ex-racer that is competing at affiliated dressage. He's quite successful at Novice and has so far won both the elementaries that he's done. However, is is quite downhill and finds the more engaging work very difficult and it's his fab, trainable temperament that has brought us success as he always produces a nice, obedient and accurate test. He has three nice paces but isn't uphill. He's doing some medium movements at home but I doubt we'll ever compete at affilaited medium. This is why I've bought a dumb-blood - he has the movement and presence to go far but whether he has the trainability and temperament is something we'll find out in the future!


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