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Is she a draft or a draft cross?

7K views 25 replies 14 participants last post by  Starlite 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,
you may have seen some of these pictures in my other threads, but I have spoken to someone who really has me thinking about our mares breeding.

We bought Caddilac this spring from a guy who used her as a pack/mountain horse. All of his horses are HUGE. She was originally baught as a PMU foal from North Dakota, then bought by the guy that we bought her from (he bought her as an unhandled 2 year old), taken to Califonia, then brought to British Columbia. We havent been able to dig anything up on her brand (not knowing where she recieved doesnt help)

She was sold as a Quarter Horse x Perch. Thats what we have been calling her, altough she is VERY drafty. But this week a guy was at the barn where we board our horses, and I got to talking to him. He has owned Percherons and Belgians for years, and is convinced whe is pure Perch, albeit a small one (she stands JUST shy of 17hh, and weighs around 1500 lbs +). He says that she moves like a perch, and looks like a smaller version of his paired mares.

I have googled perch crosses and they do seem to be more dainty then Caddy, but Im not fully convinced. She has a beautifully smooth jog (untill she speeds it up) and lope (which I can sit with no problem bareback--I have horrible balance, lol). The pictures really dont do justice to her width. Her Chest, Butt and Back are very broad, and her tail is very low set. She also has a very interesting trot--it is very high stepping-she brings her knees up high like she is prancing. The BO adorningly calls her the morbidly obese fresian. Also, her mane and tail are quite wavy, thick and coarse.

Here are a bunch of pictures, what do you think? Perch or Perch cross? No matter what, I love her and will continue to call her my mutt. She is a wonderful saddle horse, and everyones favorite at the barn
 

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#4 ·
That's one big girl! She definitely looks like she doesn't have anything but draft in her. The interesting part is she still has her tail. If she were PB percheron, she most likely would of had it docked. One senario could be that she's a solid spotted draft (more commonly not docked). Another would be that she is full percheron but a QH cleanup stallion as put in with the mares and based on her foaling date, they concluded that the QH was her sire. (If something happens to the stallion running with a band of mares, he is removed and another stallion is added to the group)

How old is she? The one farm in ND that I've visited, Bryant's, was raising B/W spotted drafts out of registered percheron mares. They were the largest PMU ranch around but they've been out of business for about 5 years. If she's 10ish, she could of come from a Natural Biological farm and they were all shut down 8-10 years ago. Those breeding programs were all over the place. If she came off a NAERIC farm, she could be microchipped. The brand didn't come from the outfitters? PMU farms would of only branded her (and it would of been a # to help identify her) if she was on the line, CA doesn't typically brand, and the rescues definitely wouldn't.
 
#11 ·
That's one big girl! She definitely looks like she doesn't have anything but draft in her. The interesting part is she still has her tail. If she were PB percheron, she most likely would of had it docked. One senario could be that she's a solid spotted draft (more commonly not docked). Another would be that she is full percheron but a QH cleanup stallion as put in with the mares and based on her foaling date, they concluded that the QH was her sire. (If something happens to the stallion running with a band of mares, he is removed and another stallion is added to the group)

How old is she? The one farm in ND that I've visited, Bryant's, was raising B/W spotted drafts out of registered percheron mares. They were the largest PMU ranch around but they've been out of business for about 5 years. If she's 10ish, she could of come from a Natural Biological farm and they were all shut down 8-10 years ago. Those breeding programs were all over the place. If she came off a NAERIC farm, she could be microchipped. The brand didn't come from the outfitters? PMU farms would of only branded her (and it would of been a # to help identify her) if she was on the line, CA doesn't typically brand, and the rescues definitely wouldn't.
Caddilac is axtually ten year old :) Like mentioned, being from a PMU farm (a throw-away foal) I doubt that the farm would have taken the time ot the money to have her tail docked. Im not sure where the brand has come from, I have looked it up in the ND online brand book and couldnt find it, but like I said her history was quite spotty; the brand may have also been retired, or not registered. There are some that are similar, but that arrow is alway straight, where hers is at an angle. I would love to learn where she actually came from, but it really is not that important.
We love her to death; she is a wonderful horse-I have not seen her spook once, and she has got to be the easiest keeper ever-she gets fat off of what the reguar saddle horses need just to maintain their weight. She is very sensible ( I can throw ANYBODY on her, and will go through anything.) Her feet are as hard as concrete. One this that is a little annoying-she is A FOOD ADDICT, lol. There are a few crab apple trees on the property, and for about two weeks she sported pink lipstick :)
I am trying to convince one girl at a barn that we will NEVER breed her. She wants to breed her uncles TB to her to get a sporthorse. She is willing to pay for all the mare care and pay nicely for the foal, but not knowing Caddy's lineage-how do we know what she is passing on, also, although she is pretty Im sure her conformation is horrible, (know very little abouy confo and , especailly draft), I am worried about her health (issues that arise from breeding) AND the world doesn need one more horse, lol.
 
#6 ·
Hmm Im not a draft expert. But I'd begin to think she's all draft! For comparison, my Molly mare is a PMU product and she is paint x belgian x TB. As you can see, she doesn't have as much feathering as your's and isn't as heavy boned either. I love all drafts and draft crosses and your girl is really pretty!

 
#14 ·
Thanks! We lover her!

Here are a few reference pictures of PB Perch mares I stole off of google *Im bad I know*

Her mane and tail seem to be typical for the breed judging buy the pictures, but I could be wrong. I am more familiar with Belgians, there are not many Perches around here.
 

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#16 ·
It is darn sure possible that she's a pure-blood (not all PBs have their tails docked, we got 2 registered perches at a sale a few years ago and both had full tails). She is a gorgeous girl and I consider her confo to be rather good. The high stepping motion is pretty typical of the Perch breeding because they carry a bit more "hot" blood than most other draft breeds stemming from Arab and Thoroughbred breeding introduced in the 1700's and early 1800's.

Just as an example of the gait, here is my perch John at a trot in the far left of this pic.
 
#17 ·
It is darn sure possible that she's a pure-blood (not all PBs have their tails docked, we got 2 registered perches at a sale a few years ago and both had full tails). She is a gorgeous girl and I consider her confo to be rather good. The high stepping motion is pretty typical of the Perch breeding because they carry a bit more "hot" blood than most other draft breeds stemming from Arab and Thoroughbred breeding introduced in the 1700's and early 1800's.

Just as an example of the gait, here is my perch John at a trot in the far left of this pic.
Yup, she definately has that motion to her trot too, Id love to get a video posted. Her confo is actually pretty good? That makes me happy to hear. She is surprising smooth to ride too, especially at slower speeds before she transitions.
 
#18 ·
Yes, for a draft, her conformation is considered good. "Ideal" isn't the same for them as it is for a light horse. For drafts, cow hocked is a good...and generally desirable thing, as is a short neck and short back. Nice short pasterns. She may be a bit lighter boned than ideal, but that could also be due to the breeding that left her size much smaller than average.
 
#22 ·
Heh. Good to know. Before I bought my Kiera, I talked to a potential barn...they saw pics and they ripped her APART. Among other things, they pointed out her roman nose and said she looked like a mule...
Bah.
Petty jerks.

ETS: My pics are far far far uglier than she looks in real life. I'm told that's common with babies? Weird, unphotogenic creatures.
 
#21 ·
Hmph this is my Weanling QH/Percheron Cross. Her mom was a rather funky looking 14 something hand QH.


I think my girl has a very drafty head, and she's kinda...rough hewn compared to her pasture mate, the paint colt.

She is two months younger than him. This is about six months old in these pics.
 
#24 ·
Hmph this is my Weanling QH/Percheron Cross. Her mom was a rather funky looking 14 something hand QH.


I think my girl has a very drafty head, and she's kinda...rough hewn compared to her pasture mate, the paint colt.

She is two months younger than him. This is about six months old in these pics.
Draft wealings and yearlings can be some of the homeliest babies out there. Don't worry about it.
 
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