# Best breed for dressage???



## rowy (4 December 2010)

Ok well I know there are a lot lot of warmbloods doing dressage and well at the top of the circuit but I have heard a lot of comments from people that they are so inter bred that there are a lot of conformational faults etc for them?

I currently do dressage on my little tb but even if i had her when she was younger i doubt she would have gone higher than advanced level. 
I currently have a half welsh, half appy and his paces are dreamy! so cant wait to get out there with him next year! 
Once I have backed and trained my exmoor i am thinking of selling her and buying a luso/ andulsian as i love them and their paces look ace 

So what are your favs??


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## sywell (4 December 2010)

Rubbish to the confirmational faults. The feet are different but the grading of mares and stallions avoids many problems and the weeding out of stallions by the KWPN for example is breeding longer competing horse with better health. All St Pr Hanoverian mares have to have a vets certificate to say they are not roarers .Let other breeds match that


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## JamilaParr (4 December 2010)

conformation faults? none of the major studbooks would grade a horse that wasn't up to the standard. go for a warmblood........ xxxxxx


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## rowy (4 December 2010)

ah ok. basically a lot of people at uni (equine sports science) claims that there are alot around. I know i have seen a lot, particularly at sj yard i used to work at, that had conformational faults, particularly with feet. i.e. pigeon toed, extremely upright and in need of glue on shoes etc. i'm sure its not all though! probably just the few that I have seen!
Good to know there is control on breeding though! didnt know that  
any views on other breeds used for dressage?


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## Prince33Sp4rkle (4 December 2010)

i wouldnt say conformation faults etc, but like show dogs breeding, some traits are being made extreme, i see some "uphill" horses that look like german shepards, such is the massive difference between the forelimb and hindlimb angles,necks coming virtually out the withers etc. and yes,feet often awful!

i know a mega bucks horse, of fabulous breeding, famous and graded stallions on both sides, that has really bad feet and has had masses of tendon and ligament issues due to this,so grading WILL NOT avoid or weed out problems caused by line/in breeding.

there are obviously fabulous examples of all types of warmbloods, and they are the predominant breed at the top levels, but be just as careful when viewing them as other horses, make no allowance for the studbooks etc because as above, it wont guarantee anything!

spanish horses are gaining popularity, and judges the knowledge of how to judge the, so if you want one-go for it. im totally biased towards TB's but accept there are not many at top level (Laura B's Andy is the best example,he's 7/8ths).


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## dominobrown (4 December 2010)

You get good and bad Warmbloods as you do with any breed. On our yard there is a lovely black Hanoverian 2 year old, stunning paces and has won loads of championships showing, literally has faultless confo. Then again I have seen some weird looking creatures that are also warmbloods!
TB's are the same, some lovely show pieces and some freaks of nature!


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## rowy (4 December 2010)

Wow didn't know Andy was 7/8ths tb! same as Dancer! 
I just fell in love with the new andulsian 4 year old steel grey stallion at uni! he is stunning and seems so calm! Also, fuego in WEG was fantastic! 
There are a few fresians at top level as well aren't there?


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## alesea (4 December 2010)

I don't think I have a favourite tbh- a nice horse is a nice horse! I can appreciate a lot of breeds/types of horse for their different attributes- I like Iberian types because of their ability to collect, I like trakehners because of their athleticism. 

I don't know if I'd be able to ride one side of either of them!

However when it comes down to it I'm a pony-person, so if I was out buying specifically for dressage I'd probably have a look at some of the 'warmblood' dressage ponies that are for sale that have fairly heavy Welsh and New Forest influences mixed with the warmblood.


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## Prince33Sp4rkle (4 December 2010)

iv seen 2 friesians at top level YR level and one at GP level, but TBH i think it would be harder to find a good model friesian for dressage than an Andulsian,TB or warmblood. i see more bad examples of friesians than i do good, wherever i look. i would avoid them tbh!!!!

and rightly or wrongly, judges seem a bit confused by them also.


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## ChloeC418 (4 December 2010)

I think more or less any breed has the ability to be great. As mentioned above there are good and bad examples of each breed.

Dela is an oldenburg. Del Piero is her sire, and he's by Donnerhall. On her dam's side, she has Argentinius (sp?). Her conformation is pretty good I would say, good thickness of legs - 8.5 inch of bone, she moves a bit close behind (not to the point where she steps on herself though). She's very laid back, like her sire, and can move amazingly well when she tries 

Chloe x


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