Draft Horse

1. 6 Responses to “what is the best breed of horse for a dressage beginner?”

2. By Cameron N on Apr 3, 2010 | Reply

   Arabians, Thoroughbreds & Warmbloods are very good for dressage

3. By along came polly on Apr 4, 2010 | Reply

   There is no “breed”. Have a trusted professional help you find the particular animal for you, and vice versa.

4. By delta_dawn on Apr 4, 2010 | Reply

   An Appendix would be a good option… often adding Thoroughbred blood to the QH will give the horse a bit more of a dressage-y type without sacrificing the quieter QH temperament. I’ve seen several Appendix QH’s that did very well in lower-level dressage. The same would go for any Paints or Appy’s with Thoroughbred blood.

   Arabians are wonderful horses but not all of them are cut out for competitive dressage… it depends on how they’re bred. Some do quite well but in general you don’t see too many in the dressage ring. Of course the same could be said about almost any breed but some breeds are just better suited to certain disciplines. I have seen some nice Arabian sporthorses though. The other problem with the Arabian however is it’s a very misunderstood and sometimes mishandled breed, and finding one that’s suitable for a beginner isn’t always easy. They have a hotter temperament to start with and they think differently than a lot of other horses; I’ve seen too many that end up more spooky and nervous than they should be just because their handler didn’t know how to deal with them correctly.

   Draft horses aren’t really built for dressage. Yeah they can certainly do it, any horse can do dressage at the very lowest levels at least, but asking most draft horses to perform maneuvers that require more collection would probably be like asking a linebacker to do ballet. It wouldn’t be something that’d be easy for them. A draft cross would be a good option though, you may find a nice draft x thoroughbred that would be suitable.

   Friesians are gorgeous and amazing but good luck finding one for anywhere near as low a price as you’d be able to find a horse of any of those other breeds. Plus they have HUGE gaits which would be very difficult for someone of your level to try to ride.

   A Thoroughbred cross of some sort would most likely end up being your best choice. There isn’t a “best” breed for your situation though, you just need to look for a horse with experience and talent for your discipline. You might find your perfect horse ends up being something totally unexpected or it might be just a plain old quarter horse (my old trainer had one who kicked **** in the dressage ring). If you have a big enough budget you might be able to find a nice older schoolmaster warmblood that’s been through the levels and could teach you a lot.

5. By Roxxi on Apr 5, 2010 | Reply

   well first of all Friesians r nice to look at but they aren’t the smartest
   warmbloods are good along with any other breed of horse.

6. By LiveToRide.RideToLive. on Apr 5, 2010 | Reply

   For lower level dressage (1st level and under) almost any horse can do it. Thoroughbreds, Draft crosses, and Friesians for example can all go pretty far in dressage and typically don’t cost as much as a warmblood. Friesian x Thoroughbreds are one of my favorites and (in most cases and with proper training) are better at dressage than an appendix. An Arab would be OK but you could most likely go much further with another breed (such as one of the ones I listed above).

   Start looking at horses in your area, price range, in a height that’s good for you, ages 7-12 (about), and one who has experience in dressage, and experience with showing (if you plan to show). Don’t search by breed as you could pass up an amazing horse that’s another breed.

   Good luck!

7. By Amber on Apr 8, 2010 | Reply

   thoroughbreds and warmbloods are highly recommended for dressage and other eventing

Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.