do draft crosses show qualities that might make them good dressage horses?

No - just a difference in spelling - they are one and the same.

What rubbish, being heavy in the hand and pulling is nothing to do with conformation, but it is entirely down to schooling. WB 's do indeed have draft in them and one of the best eventer types are ID x TB, the Irish Draft providing much of the power in the hind quarters. My friend's shire x cob is a daft type but more then capable of a very nice dressage test and I have seen some beautiful haflinger (usually regarded as a small draft horse) performing dressage.

ID'S were indeed bred as Irish cart horses, my neighbour's ID cross (mostly ID) has a beautiful round draft trot and competes well in dressage.

This a picture of my 100% pure Clydesdale mare as a two year old. She was clipped out completely, mane pulled and plaited to show breeders at the Annual Stallion Parade how versatile the Clydesdale is, especially as a sire or dam for a Sport horse. I've also included pictures of her two youngsters, one by a Holsteiner and the chestnut by a TB

Yes, but so many generations back that they can hardly even be traced back to them. Even now only arabian and TB blood can be added to warmblood lines. By now they are very distinct and breeds in their own right.

Warmbloods have also been specially bred to do dressage or jumpers, to the point where you can look at their pedigree and say what they're bred for. Getting a larger warmblood for dressage would certainly be easier if you plan on doing higher level dressage, as there will be a much larger pool of appropriate horses, but draft crosses can certainly have their merits.

However, if you want to get a draft cross that would excel you'll probably have to do a little more research, as you'll need one that was specifically and carefully bred to be a high end sports horse.


Of course, if you don't plan on doing higher levels then you can really select any horse you'd like.

Supermane - while the modern warmblood has a very strong pool of TB - in some ways too much now the origin was the cross between the draft and TB/Arab. Yes some lines have been identified as the type to get to the top in dressage - but the same bloodline might in all honesty have an equal chance to go to the top in showjumping should the right rider come along and compete the horse.

The activity in the dresge horse comes from the draught horse - the TB has a flatter lower knee action - the two horses of mine above show the difference in the 'type' of stallion used over the mare.

The chestnut is by a TB stallion and is built along the lines of a TB but with more substance than the TB - the only thing that identifies her with the Clydie is that she grows a beard and hairy legs in winter. She jumps - the paddock gate - when she feels like it and has done so since a foal - she is three now and stands at least 17hh. The Liver chestnut is by a Holsteiner, a lovely type of horse but with a plainer head and of heavier type. The result is the hunter type with a head more like his mother.

The old breeding rule of 'Blood over Bone' clearly shows the result with these two. While I would love to use a warmblood stallion I have to look at the fact that the warmblood will have draft horse genes in the pool and that I could end up with a horse with the heavier unwanted bone. The liver chestnut was the result of a free sevice for foal watching for friends.

The chestnut was purpose bred and apart from the colour (which was a shock as dad is black) the result was what I wanted and had expected. The mare will go to a TB stallion again next year.

Hubba Buuba, I wouldn't kick this guy out of my barn

Have a look at this lovely horse out of a TB mare by a Clydesdale stallion
Airthrey Highlander : airthreylodgesporthorses.co.nz

Oh, I know. Cheenook, my horse's sire, is a perfect example, as he's by Caretino out of a Romantiker mare, but was shown as a dressage horse at the Prix St-George level.

The build you want for dressage and jumping are often very similar, however, I still maintain that it's much easier to find a warmblood to do upper level dressage horse than a draft cross, simply because of the sheer quantity that are bred specifically for that purpose.

That wasn't the original question in the thread though. The question was simply if a draft cross can be used for dressage successfully and the answer is yes. The answer is not that you should just get a warmblood in stead. Yes, a draft cross can do dressage. I know a percheron who shows dressage at training level currently.