Horses anyone!?

[oc_spirit]

I've never owned my own horse but I do ride. I just recently started back into it after having been away for nearly 2 very long years. At one stable we take in abused horses and give them a loving forever home where we rehabilitate them (if the right home happens along we will place the horse but usually they stay till the end). I do a lot of the training along with the owner.

The other stable is a breeding stable of sport-horse type American Bashkir Curlies, I exercise them along with my boyfriend for the owner. Mainly we do hacking as we find it a lot more fun than ring work LOL The owner is a super-nice lady and allows us to have a lot of freedom with her horses which is pretty cool. Our last hack we went for 3hours and we only discovered a small portion of the many many miles of trails she has that lead right off her property! Its fantastic! And even better, the trail footing is PERFECT! Some sections are even SANDY!!!

[chanda]

I dont have any horses but if someone will give me one, i want to have a color black and white horses.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by Dekka

WOW thats crazy! In france you have to have a recognized breed to show? Here if it can jump it can show and go on to the olympics if its got the talent.

Some of the worlds best show jumpers have been crossbreds. (Milton anyone?)

Adorable pony!

Yeah, it's one of those rules that NOONE understands..

In order for your horse to compete at any competitive level it has to have at least half papers.. Meaning one of the parents has to be registered in one of the stud books in France.. And seeing as they don't HAVE an Irish Draught stud book in France, he, in their eyes is not a papered horse and therefore can only compete at riding club level..

Although Cavan has the BEST papers of any horse I have ever owned.. He's from the King Of Diamonds lines.. He's actually a very well bred boy, believe it or not! LOL!

My friend is in the same situation with her Tennessee walking horse.. She can't compete in western competitions because they don't believe that breed exists yet.. So she bred her mare to a TB, and the baby can compete, because he has half papers.. The TB is registered in the stud book, so therefore she has half a competing horse.. It's actually INSANE!

Although it CAN be a cross breed, but only if one or both of the parents are registered.. For example, you can have a TB, Warmblood cross, that can compete.. Which then gets classed as a "Cheval de Selle"

*Shakes head*

Although, having said that.. Ponies that are not papered can compete at club level, and if they do well enough they can "Win" their papers and go on to compete at a competitive level.. But only ponies.. Not horses.. Which is even more insane if you ask me. Having said that, it only happens once in a blue moon..

I suppose it's just one of those schemes to make money out of people, by making them pay extra for a papered horse just incase one day they'd like to compete..

And that goes for ANY competition, be it Dressage, Showjumping, Endurance, Western.. There's no exceptions.

Oh and I forgot to add, they also have to be on the "Sports horse" list, when you get your passport, it should be written inside whether the horse is to be used for purely pleasure riding, or whether it is on the competitive horse list.. If it's not, it costs you another €11, just to put it on the list so that you can compete.. If not you can't..

When I ordered "Dee's" passport I immediatley got her put on the list, even if she never competes, it saves me having to send her passport BACK to "Haras Nationaux" in the future.

Then of course, ALL horses are registered on their website.. You can find them all.. http://www4.haras-nationaux.fr:8080/...&SrcPage=liste

It's like big brother, but for horses..

[BostonBanker]

That is serious craziness.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

That is serious craziness.

You're telling me.. Hence the reason why unpapered horses go for absolute PEANUTS..

People keep asking me why I don't sell Cavan seeing as I can't compete with him, and I keep telling them.. Because A) I COULDN'T part with him, he's my baby and I love him dearly.. and B) Because I wouldn't get what he is worth..

More than likely the only people who would be willing to buy him, would be the meat merchants.. And sure as eggs are eggs my horse is NOT going to end up being eaten.

People say that it promotes good breeding practices.. I don't see how exactly.. You can breed any old papered horse to another in order to get a foal that can compete.. Dunno how that would correlate with breeding GOOD horses??

"My 3 legged Arab has papers.. Therefore I can breed her and make a foal that will be worth money.." It's madness!

[BostonBanker]

It sounds like the old "My dog is registered, therefore it must be worthy of breeding!" arguement.

Now I'm curious - I need to go look at your link when I have some time. I'd like to see which breeds are "breeds" and which are just unfortunate mutts.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

It sounds like the old "My dog is registered, therefore it must be worthy of breeding!" arguement.

BINGO! You get where I am coming from..

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

Now I'm curious - I need to go look at your link when I have some time. I'd like to see which breeds are "breeds" and which are just unfortunate mutts.

Associations de race agréées*-*Haras-nationaux

Et voila.. List of breeds that are included, or at least the breeds that they encourage people to breed..

Strangely enough Warmbloods or KPWN aren't included in that list.. Although I KNOW for a fact that there is a stud book here in France.. I shall dig around a bit and find out the why's and wherefores..

[Gustav]

Ahh.. From what I can gather, reading through alot of legislation nonsense, sorry important government information..

You can only create a stud book if you are intent on breeding for bettering the breed.. I don't imagine that there are many people in France with Irish Draught stallions and Mares, therefore noone has ever asked for a stud book to be created, and I can't ask to create one because Cavan is gelded.. Which sucks.. If only I could go back in time and ungeld my horse, then I could compete him! LOL!

[Dekka]

Aww that sucks Gustav.. he is such a cutie. Here you can show ANY horse in dressage, show jumping, eventing (horse trials), or hunter. It doesn't matter what its made up of, if it can do the job people are happy. Some of the top Olympic horses have been cross breds!

But then I am a big believer in if it can do the job it should be allowed to do the job.

[Gustav]

Originally Posted by Dekka

Aww that sucks Gustav.. he is such a cutie. Here you can show ANY horse in dressage, show jumping, eventing (horse trials), or hunter. It doesn't matter what its made up of, if it can do the job people are happy. Some of the top Olympic horses have been cross breds!

But then I am a big believer in if it can do the job it should be allowed to do the job.

Same as in the UK, as long as you have the entry fee and you can get there, and obviously that the horse is fit and sound.. Then away you go..

I dunno why the French feel the need to over complicate things, it's not just with horses unfortunatley, it's with every darn thing! LOL!

Oh well, I suppose Sir Cavan will just have to hang up his competing hat, not that it will bother him in the slightest.. He's quite enjoying turning into a grumpy old man! That and the fact that he's become EXTREMELY lazy.. That's retiree's for ya.. He's a real pipe and slippers kinda guy! Well, more pint of Guinness and 20 Marlboro's.. He is irish after all.

And to be perfectly honest, I DON'T want to go back to the time when he was ungelded.. He was a total NIGHTMARE.. Imagine a 16.1hh, 800 odd kilo, totally spoilt 4 year old, who was let away with murder ever since he was little.. Yeah.. Hmmm! He was interesting to say the least..

I don't really understand all this breed snobbery either.. But each to their own I suppose. *Shrugs*