# Opinions



## LindaL (Nov 17, 2010)

Ok, first of all I am not going to tell you who this horse is. This is a baby pic of him. Just from this one pic alone without knowing who he is or any other information about him, please tell me your opinions of him as a driving horse....









(sorry I can't get the pic any bigger)


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## RhineStone (Nov 17, 2010)

Not sure I understand the question. You really can't tell a whole lot about a horse's driving ability from one photo. A lot of it has to do with temperment....

It looks like a nicely put together horse, though.

Myrna


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## Tab (Nov 17, 2010)

He has great reach and drive, but that is all that I can tell.


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## LindaL (Nov 17, 2010)

I am asking about movement only...not temperament or anything. I know a video would be better, but from the picture use your mind's eye and pick it apart. I just want to see if you "see" what I see is all....


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## disneyhorse (Nov 17, 2010)

It's really, really hard to tell anything from one baby picture. However, if you are looking for a "what division do you think he'll mature to" I would say Country Pleasure or Western Country Pleasure. He does not have enough motion for a Pleasure/Park horse.

Andrea


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## hobbyhorse23 (Nov 17, 2010)

It's hard to even gauge what division from a photo like that. I've got pix of Turbo that make him look like the world's most po-dunk mover, _maybe_ WCP at best. Others where he looks like a single pleasure horse with knees breaking even and hocks up under his tail. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, probably CP although he's one who could probably be driven all three depending on how you trained him.

If you're looking for "Wow, isn't my colt awesome" then yes, he looks very nice and well-put together. But honestly you can't see much from that photo about his movement, nevermind whether he'll be a good driving horse. I know horses with jaw-dropping movement who can't cut it in harness because they freak out.



His neck appears a bit short for my preferences but he clearly has nice reach in the front and it appears he probably moves fairly freely which will be eye-catching in the ring or liberty.

Leia


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## MiLo Minis (Nov 17, 2010)

He doesn't have the long sweeping stride of a Country horse or the daisy cutting action of a Western horse. He has a high head set, neck comes straight up out of his shoulder, which also rules him out for Country or Western. I think with some maturity and a bit of work he could go pleasure. His stride is more upright than long and this is only one frame - we have missed the height of his stride. Would want to see him standing square to more accurately judge his conformation for driving purposes.


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## LindaL (Nov 18, 2010)

OK....interesting how one pic can get so many different opinions! lol Stay tuned...(prob next week)


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## Minimor (Nov 18, 2010)

Just from that one single picture he is not what I would choose as a driving horse.

That's not saying that I wouldn't change my mind if I saw other photos of him, but based on this one photo that would be my answer.


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## wiccanz (Nov 18, 2010)

This is an interesting thread





As everyone else has commented, it is really difficult to tell from a single picture, and without knowing the horse's temperament with regard to what sort of driving he would be suited to.

I have a foal photo of one of my boys that might suggest he would make a reasonable SP horse. Now he is 4 years old and is driving, I have changed my mind somewhat ...


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## hobbyhorse23 (Nov 20, 2010)

MiLo Minis said:


> He has a high head set, neck comes straight up out of his shoulder, *which also rules him out for Country or Western*.


I wouldn't say that, so much.



Having a _low_ neck set which comes out of the chest more than the shoulder rules a horse out for the higher action divisions because they physically cannot hold the frame required, but a horse with a higher neck set can always be asked to carry his head lower and do so with comfort. Look at Keely's "Lightening" on the cover of KayKay's conformation book! He's won at the National Level in SP and Western!

Leia


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## disneyhorse (Nov 20, 2010)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> I wouldn't say that, so much.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree... the head set is not something I automatically take into consideration when evaluating a driving prospect. Competitive Country Pleasure horses (I base my opinions in AMHR, as that is what I have shown in) should have a fairly high neck set! They just won't have as much animation as the Pleasure horses will. This horse pictured doesn't appear to have a lot of knee action, and "at liberty" horses will often move bigger than they do under harness.

Here is a gelding I had pictured as a baby; he was Reserve National Champion in Liberty as a yearling and then grew up to be a National Grand Champion Pleasure Driving horses for his new owners.






You can see he has a lot of knee action. He also has a higher head set than the horse pictured in the original post.

Andrea


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## MiLo Minis (Nov 20, 2010)

I look at Disneyhorse's horse and don't see a lot of difference in the head set compared to the poster's horse. I do see more knee action in Disneyhorse's horse but he is obviously excited according to his flagged tail whereas the poster's horse is just moving naturally and could be expected to show more action if he was as excited. As Leia pointed out some photos show different aspects than other photos of the same horse.

Yes you are right, I should not have said "rules out" as any horse can be made to carry his head level as in Western Pleasure with work. A Country horse is supposed to show a head set that is natural to him and this horse could go Country but his stride doesn't look Country to me, he breaks at the knee too much. I think if I was going to put work into him I would aim it towards Pleasure rather than Western or Country.


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## LindaL (Nov 20, 2010)

I will be posting new pics (and probably a "at liberty" video) of this horse in the morning. I posted about him on the main forum...He is my new show "gelding" (not gelded yet) and is a Martins Boozers Daring Difference grandson!





I just wanted to get some opinions on him JUST from a baby pic before I revealed him now...


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## LindaL (Nov 21, 2010)

A couple of videos taken this morning....



Your opinions changed...?





Btw, I know he has a FAT neck...he has never seen a neck sweat, but he will...lol


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## MiLo Minis (Nov 21, 2010)

LindaL said:


> Your opinions changed...?


Nope. I still say with some work he could go single pleasure. I would sweat his neck and put him on a low carb diet.


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## midnight star stables (Nov 21, 2010)

Country IMO. Lovely boy!


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## disneyhorse (Nov 21, 2010)

After seeing the video, I'd say he's got too much knee action for Western, so I would go for Country Pleasure with that guy! Very nice, I think he'll be a great driving horse, very competitive!

Is he broke to drive already?

Congrats on your new horse!

Andrea


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## LindaL (Nov 22, 2010)

disneyhorse said:


> After seeing the video, I'd say he's got too much knee action for Western, so I would go for Country Pleasure with that guy! Very nice, I think he'll be a great driving horse, very competitive!
> 
> Is he broke to drive already?
> 
> ...



He is green broke. Been hitched and driven around their farm, then put away til about a month ago. Now back in the pen getting a refresher including more head set with a bitting rig. I think he could actually go single checked up. Once we get a cart (we sold ours before our move) we'll take more video of him driving.

Thanks Andrea!


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## ~Lisa~ (Nov 22, 2010)

I am going to agree with Milo I think it is possible this horse can go SP he is a A sized horse it appears? I think it really depends on who does his training and who is driving him to be honest

I also think from the video he surely could be competitive CP but things change with a cart behind them and again as a horse goes from green to seasoned and the person driving them


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## hobbyhorse23 (Nov 22, 2010)

I have to admit I was really impressed when I saw his videos. He's still a little short in the neck for my tastes but his color is amazing, he's got that eye-catching charisma and attitude and his movement is to die for. Great purchase!!

It does make me sigh that a horse who is only 2.5 if I recall correctly was hitched and driving a few months ago but I know we all do things differently.

His movement, in my cautious opinion, is Country for sure and maybe Single Pleasure with good training. He's got that ability to suddenly "open up" and move with lots of loft and scope.

Leia


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