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Impressive bloodlines

26K views 87 replies 34 participants last post by  DMoon 
#1 ·
Does anyone know what the Impressive bloodlines where bred for? My horse has Impressive bloodline in her and i remember her previous owner tellling me what they were bred for but i forget haha. I'm just trying to refresh my memory a little bit.
 
#2 ·
From my understanding Impressive line was really big in the halter classes. I do believe that others had also done some western pleasure. But that is about all I know other then the Impressive line has been inbred so much that you have to watch for HYPP and that is a huge debatable issue that we probably don't want to get into.
 
#4 ·
But that is about all I know other then the Impressive line has been inbred so much that you have to watch for HYPP and that is a huge debatable issue that we probably don't want to get into.
Inbreeding is not what caused HYPP. A genetic mutation is what caused HYPP. This is why we don't want to get into it, because people don't always know what they are talking about.

Not to sound nasty, of course, just a soap box.
 
#5 ·
Impressive was a major halter sire. Nobody knew he had the genetic mutation causing HYPP, so he had a lot of mares bred to him - he's probably one of, if not the, top halter stallions of all time, and up with the top stallions of all time. Of course, it wasn't until much later that they realized his descendents had inherited the genetic mutation. There was no more inbreeding to Impressive than there was to Doc Bar, King, Wimpy, or any other major Quarter Horse sire.
 
#6 ·
That is why I said from what I understand. I don't follow quarter horses that closely so I stated what I have been told. From what the people in my area explain is that Impressive was linebreed so much (breeding daughters to uncles or sons to aunts) that the mutation was caused. But again I said it has always been a debatable issue and I don't know all the facts and I wasn't try to say I do. That was what I heard and from my understanding was Impressive was a huge halter horse which was what the question was.
 
#8 ·
From what the people in my area explain is that Impressive was linebreed so much (breeding daughters to uncles or sons to aunts) that the mutation was caused.
Well, not so much caused as intensified. But yeah, same thing happens in other breeds - a lot of Missouri Fox Trotters are ridiculously inbred to Missouri Traveler E., who was himself inbred (his sire was bred to his own dam).
 
#7 ·
I do follow quarter horses and have had halter horses (all Impressive decedents). I completely agree that there has been inbreeding but also agree with the previous poster who stated that it wasn't more prevalent there than in any other discipline. Linebreeding, or extreme inbreeding, did not cause HYPP. It was a genetic mutation.
 
#26 ·
I do follow quarter horses and have had halter horses (all Impressive decedents). I completely agree that there has been inbreeding but also agree with the previous poster who stated that it wasn't more prevalent there than in any other discipline. Linebreeding, or extreme inbreeding, did not cause HYPP. It was a genetic mutation.
I believe it was a gentetic mutation and have no reason not to believe it. But I feel the inbreeding and/ or linebreeding make it worse and show up more common today. Just becuase he was a great halter horse.

The stallions are why I am not a fan of halter horses in general and Impressive breed ones exspecially. I am sure there are halter horses and maybe even some of them sired by Impressive that don't look llike that
 
#9 ·
Again I didn't mean for this to become the topic, PecosGoldenChance wanted to know what Impressive was bred for so I apologize for even bringing it up, it is a very debatable issue and I have no doubt that you know more on it then I do. So Back to topic what was the Impressive line bred for - halter, westen etc.
 
#10 ·
Sorry, I'm not trying to turn it into a debate - just trying to shed some clarification. And I know I'm really new here, but I fail to see how it could become a debate...? We know HYPP exists. We know it links back to Impressive. We know that inbreeding occurred (as it does in every breed - see previously mentioned Missouri Fox Trotters, or look at the popular sires for any breed out there). Yes, people have their own views over how good or bad inbreeding is, but that's not even part of the discussion here - it's simply a statement that inbreeding occurred.
Besides, it was already mentioned that Impressive was a halter sire.
 
#83 ·
There is a difference between inbreeding and line breeding.

I personally love the Impressive line. I have a mare that is a granddaughter to him and then I have her son. They are pretty to look at and are really smart. I use mine for all around, so anymore they are not "just" for halter. Although the Impressive lines are still winning big in the halter ring.

As for HYPP, it is what it is. I hate that people feel the need to make that the focal point of any discussion that has to do with Impressive. HYPP can only be passed on if you breed an NH or an HH horse. If you are educated in the disease then you can make good decisions. Although, there are those breeders that are still breeding for the disease....:-(
 
#11 ·
Impressive was a halter horse. He is actually what defined the breed characteristics of today. He was... Impressive to say the least. He had a lot of western pleasure horses in his prodigy as well.

Inbreeding is NOT the correct word, line breeding is the correct term.

HYPP was a genetic mutation. It was not CAUSED by anything that is known. It was a genetic mutation in IMPRESSIVE. That is why it traces back to him. It began with him. The fact that his lines were so widely bred is the reason it spread. The fact that it took YEARS to trace it back to him is why it was so widely spread and the fact that it took many MANY more years for people to stop PURPOSELY breeding horses that carried the gene because it ended with desirable results in the halter arena is why it spread. There are OVER 100,000 horses with Impressive in their blood today.

Sorr about the rant but I'm passionate about setting the record straight when it comes to that horse. I hate that he is remembered only for the bad.
 
#22 ·
Inbreeding is NOT the correct word, line breeding is the correct term.
It depends on what breeding you're talking about. Linebreeding is a breeding based on certain animal(s) in the pedigree. Inbreeding is breeding close relatives such as father/daughter, mother/son, brother/sister.

I'm not getting into the Impressive debate since I don't know much about it, but wanted to clear up the terms used anyway.
 
#13 ·
hiwaythreetwenty: its ok lol i kno it is a very disputed subject. Thank you for your advice (and everyone else also). I tried looking it up on google and i got all this bs about the hypp thing so i just thought i'd ask on here. But yea she is a very beautiful chestnut qh and her butt is nice and big too, she is the largest horse in our barn at the moment.
 
#14 ·
Impressive was originally bred to be a race horse but for many reasons like his size lack of speed and such he was used as a halter horse and was very good at it. So now what you get from that line is of coarse your halter horses but they are also very well rounded horses when crossed correctly on other lines and Impressive bred horses have done well in many many other evens out side the halter ring.
 
#19 ·
They aren't photoshopped. They do so much to build them up like that and by the time they are done, the horses can't even move nicely. Plus, I'm not positive but I think they both carry the gene don't they?
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have an Impressive daughter. She is a registered paint though. But Impressive is on her papers. She would of made a great halter horse if it wasn't for her dropped hip. The original owners of her were going to put her down after she broke her hip by another horse. My vet asked the owners if she could have her and she would fix her hip. Looking at her you can't tell that she has a dropped hip until she is right on you but she runs and plays just like any other horse. We bred her to our paint stud and she is due to foal in Feb. I can't wait to see the foal and I will probably show the foal in halter as well. Maybe this place will help me to come up with some names for the foal.
 
#25 ·
My 2 1/2 yr old gelding I have now has Impressive bloodlines. But it is his Great x4 Grandfather. Every horse I have met that has Impressive lines have had such a wonderful all around temperment. With my gelding, I can't expect really to do gymkhana or any speed events, lol, just because he is sooo easy going, but I know he would maybe do good in halter if I ever got the nerve to show. If you want to know more information on "Impressive" himself here is some right here from www.allbreedpedigree.com.
*****
Color: sor
Height: 15.1

#0767246

HYPP N/H
H-48
World Champion Halter
Sire Of: World Champion Halter horses
#4 AQHA All-time leading sire by # of registered progeny
2,250 Registered Foals
Total Points Earned: 24,602.5
AQHA Halter List: #9 All-time leading sire of Halter ROM qualifiers (43)
AQHA Performance List: #19 All-time leading sire of Performance ROM qualifiers (89)
#13 All-time leading sire of AQHA Champions (21)
Foaled in Oklahoma, April 15th 1969.
Deceased 1995 at 26 years of age.
The genetic disease Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP) has been traced back to this horse.
For more info: AQHA
AQHA - HYPP INFORMATION
*****

Also here is a GREAT website if you would love to see more about Impressive himself and information on HYPP, it even has the myths and facts of it. :D
Impressive
 
#27 ·
Only from what I have been reading, I believe that horses that look more cut or look like that are HyPP Positive, not ALL the IMPRESSIVE lines. This is something that I found off of a website.

Myth: You can tell a positive horse by looking at it.

Fact: HyPP is a disease that can only be proven through genetic testing. HyPP does not increase muscle mass, but constant electrical firing in the muscles gives the muscles a hightly defined cut that horses without HyPP have to be worked through exercise to obtain. The only outward signs of HyPP are seen during an attack episode. A horse who is not having an episode, will look like any normal horse.

I bolded the part that reminded me of how cut these horses were and it just makes me wonder if they are HyPP positive.
 
#28 ·
Here is our Impressive bred mare (N/N) and she is indeed very stocky and big muscled. We don't show, but her sister has done very well in halter ...but... it very much depends on the judges. Some judges love the look and some hate it...calling them fat :-(
For our off trail riding, though, you can't beat her for getting you up a steep hill through the woods....she is one strong girl.

 
#30 ·
To those who think they are not real.

Here is that first horse, the Dun one at liberty.

Or whatever you call this. It's painful to watch this hulk stumble and drag himself around.

KIDS CLASSIC STYLE

How majestic....
1800 lbs !!! I thought our mare was a tank at 1100 lbs !
 
#33 ·
Wow, that looked awful. Seriously, how can they think a horse that muscle-bound looks good? And 1800 pounds?! For a QUARTER HORSE?! I feel sorry for the poor guy.
And yeah, the backgrounds are often Photoshopped in. Not to mention the fact that they cut off half his hooves. Well, it's either a bad chop-job on Photoshop, or they desperately need a new farrier.
 
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