many years ago i came across a gorgeous mare that was being very mistreated by her owner. i cut a deal with him to buy her, making payments to him with possession at final payment, but able to ride her during the time period. quite by accident, we discovered that she had a tattoo, so i called the AQHA and inquired about her. i was put in touch with the breeder of her and was told that she was on the track as a 2 yr old, but her SI was only 55 so he sold her at a sale barn.
the guy that i was trying to buy her from had bought her with the intentions of elk hunting on horseback. :shock: once he got her home and attempted to ride her, he was "thrown off". (but i suspect he fell off) his entire family was afraid of her because one way or another, they all hit the dirt while riding her.
this mare is a granddaughter of the great Dash For Cash.
although he was a QH, he came from a mostly TB bloodline. she was over 16 hh and the most gorgeous thing i've ever seen. in fact, if you've seen pics of DFC, she looked almost identical to him.
once i knew her background, i took it slow with her. when only walking she was a wonderful ride. we would ride for many miles down country roads, with no problems at all. but if allowed to go faster than a trot, she was the fastest (and scariest) thing i've ever been on. she only knew how to run in circles, so it wasn't too bad. :wink: i think, with more time, it wouldn't have taken much to turn her into a good riding horse.
i never was able to finish paying her off, due to losing my job at the time, and she was traded away to someone, for a tractor no less. i recently did some research trying to find her once again. she is now living somewhere in colorado, living her life out as a broodmare. she was wonderful and i miss her so!!!
i think, in purchasing my present horse TJ (Tee Jay Hired Money), i was trying to re-create what i had with FB Beautiful Cash. i quickly got grounded once i rode her. (no pun intended)
she is also a QH with strong TB on her top side. she is 16hh and still underweight (in my opinion) from not being properly fed by her previous owner, but we are working to improve that. with proper guidelines, set out by our local equine nutritionist, we are getting more weight on her. when i got her she weighed 934 lbs, but now have her up to 1038 lbs. we are watching this very closely and will stop at the weight he (nutritionist) feels right for her overall body type.
with all that said,
i think TB's and TB's X are wonderful horses.
so majestic in their stance and such potential for excellence in so many disciplines. i think temperment shouldn't be mass-labled on them because each one is different, just like any other breed. Cash, with more TB in her bloodline, was very calm and even tempered, but TJ is pretty hot most of the time and i have to really be on my guard with her, and she has more QH. TJ has her moments when she is all lovey-dovey and calm, but for the most part she is more high-strung.