Tennessee Wallking Horse Bloodline Questions!

Hi everyone! I have a five year old Tennessee Walking Horse named Sawyer,his registered name is Pride's California Dreamer
. I am new to the walker world, but a few weeks back, some women who know a lot about walkers were asking me some questions about him. When they asked him registered name, they both knew 'Pride's' and told me he'd be a handful and I should sell him now. They said Pride horses are all hot heads.

My boy isn't a hothead, but the fact that they could make assumptions about my horse's personality based on his name did surprise and intrigue me. I would love to learn a little bit more about Sawyer's bloodlines now, but am having some trouble on my own.

His sire is Go Boy's Champagne Pride and his dam is Miss Indiana

There is a little more info on this page, the website from the place he was bred at, and where his previous owner bought him.
Tennessee Walking Horses - CLOUD 9 WALKERS (Tennessee Walking Horse Stud Colt)


Thank you for any information you can give me!:)

I'm not sure I've ever met a walker that was a hot head...

I used to go to a trail ride place back home every weekend(not your run of the mill place or atleast when we showed up we had some real fun on those horses) they always had my fav. Horse saddled and ready to go for me. She was a Pride of Midnight bred horse and was amazing. I would ride any of them but she was my first choice. From my research Cloud 9 Walkers produce some nice saddle horses great temperament and bred for the trail. If your baby isn't hot then don't worry about what anyone else says.

Oh and looking at his pics it could be jealousy that is one flashy colt.

Some of the show bloodlines are more 'spicy' than the foundation blood lines. I think some of the hot headedness is trained into them in some stables, trying to fit them for the show ring and they don't 'make' with the stacked shoes and so forth. If your guy has been started in a show barn or by 'big lick' trainers you might have some remedial work to do, but if not I would say that you should expect him to be a great horse and if you are disappointed after getting to know him better, then you can think about selling him.

When I bought him at age 5, he hadn't left the pasture since he was purchased from Cloud9 as a yearling. All of his training was under my watch and was very humane and kind. He's been under saddle 8 months now, and is an awesome trail horse. Has a great head on his shoulders, one of the few horses I know who 'thinks it out' before he spooks.

I definitely didn't let those women get in my head :) he's proven more than a silly name could. I was just curious what type of horses may be hidden in his bloodlines.

Thank you for the kind words and reassurance, everyone!

<sigh sigh sigh> <---to those ahem very intelligent women who told you the Pride line is nothing but hotheads.

See that Fella in my avatar? He was sired by Pride's Genious. That means his grandsire is Pride of Midnight on the top side.

While he is a big-motored horse and full of go-go-go, there is nothing hot-headed about him. I bought him as a coming three year old. He was 16 in the avatar pic, he turned 25 last October.

Here is his 25th B-day pic http://www.horseforum.com/horse-talk/happy-bday-my-25-yr-old-139663/

He is the strong alpha-dominant in my herd of four, so he does have some attitude with them.

However:

1. He has never in his life offered to bite, buck, kick anyone or anything, or rear.

2. He has calmly maintained his gait down the state highway when some jerk let the Jake Break off right beside us.

3. He has calmly stood his ground with the male llama that confronted him on an organised ride that went thru that llama's pasture. I dropped the reins, said "get him Duke" and Duke went face-to-face, winning that stare-down while calmly standing stock still.

4. I have taken him up to big construction equipment and he's never flicked an ear.

5. His favorite thing is to get all costumed up and go in a parade. Ever-the-gentlemen and knows all that hand clapping is for him alone.

6. His little 14.3H self has willingly butt slid down rock hills and climbed over rocks horses bigger than himself had trouble with.

7. I bath him under the overhang without a halter and when I'm done, I say "you're done Duke, get in your stall and he goes.

8. Lastly, except for the times we rode in a parade? Everthing I mentioned above was done without the benefit of a saddle. I have ridden him bareback our entire lives.

I would hardly call that kind of horse a hot head but to reiterate, until Duke got sick with metabolic issues he was a full-of-go-go-go horse. I never made him "slow down"; if I gave him his head, he slowed himself down to where I could drop the reins in about ten minutes.

What those female morons said to you really really tisses me off, in case you can't tell. I suppose if I had tried to rein Duke's energy in, I might have ended up with a hot head/crazy horse.

But I was the same as Duke in my youth, so I understood that pent up energy just needed 10 - 15 mintues to blow off, then he'd settle in to being the best horse on the trail. In all our years of going on organized rides Duke always started and finished in the top ten horses; that was his choice and his energy level. He could come slidin' in sideways at six in the morning and say "that was fun, what's next!".

I've also got one with Pride in his background. Like Walkinthewalk says, mine has a huge motor too, they are almost the same age as mine will turn 21 this summer. I think a lot of people mistake big motored walkers for being hot when in reality they just like to go. If I tell him to behave and walk sedately he will but if I drop his reins we're gone.

Learned how to quote, excuse the double post.

I'm trying to quote you, let's hope I do it right

Duke is so handsome! And sounds like he has a killer personality and disposition. I would love Sawyer to end up that confident and "bomb proof" (I don't really use that word) some day :)

He's getting there, though! He's been under saddle 7 months and at 5 months I was able to teach my bf how to ride on him. He could care less about my bf flopping around or accidentally giving him mixed signals, he's very forgiving. Just seeing how far he's come in the year I've had him (he broke my toe when I was walking him home from his sellers home. He spooked at his shadow) I believe he has a LOT more growing to do :) Mr. Duke will be our little inspiration.

To you both, Sawyer definitely has a big motor. (Everyone at our barn has WP horses and think my boy is extremely hot! Their horses look asleep and miserable to me though) I'm sure this has to also do with being 5, though. Normally we can hit the trail with no warmup, but if I'm riding the trail with non-gaiters, I have to warm him up a little in the arena so he doesn't prance about. Normally 3 laps gaiting each way is enough to persuade him to doggy walk the whole trail. I love his motor and his personality though <3 it definitely fits me.