What would you breed these mares with?

Question

I have two mares: a double registered Paint American Saddlebred and a flea-bitten grey TB.

Both 17 hands, and over 1200 lbs.

My husband is a large man (around 290 lbs) and needs a larger horse. We want to breed these mares and try to get a tall, big framed horse.

What would you cross each one with to possibly get a 1400+ lb, 16 + hand horse??

Draft horse?? Quarter horse?

Answer 1

I would breed the TB to a Percheron or

Belgian, However you are not guaranteed the size/type of horse you want.  It is MUCH cheaper to just buy a youngster that has the size and bone structure you are looking for.

Answer 2

Instead of crossbreeding your mares, try looking for draft horses for sale. Most are trained to both ride and drive. Not only will you be gauranteed a horse that your husband can ride, but you may even get a horse that can pull a cart or sleigh in the winter time.

There are plenty of horses out there needing homes. A PMU foal would also be a good choice. They go very cheap (usually) and tend to be very calm and large horses.

Answer 3

Both with a modern Percheron, not the short, dumpy looking ones, but the longer legged, and yes, even better headed Percherons...then you will get what you need, plus...you will end up with a slightly colder blooded, rounder boned horse that is somewhat quieter, not necessarily dead, just not so quick to panic.

Answer 4

the TB i would breed with a QH and get an apendix horse...my friend had one and they are nice horses and big....i think hers was 16.2 hands and the saddlebred x Paint cross you could breed with the QH or a Draft

Answer 5

I would go with a Belgian. They're big but rideable. And some Quarter Horses can be 15 hands and can carry a large man.

Answer 6

Just echoing what three others have said.  Go out and get a broke horse of the size you need.

Breeding, feeding, waiting at least three years to see IF you get what you want is a huge, unjustifiable expense.  Especially in veiw of how very many horses there are out there needing homes and probably dozens that fit your requirements.

From Fugly Horse of the Day :

"I mop up. I clean up the mess left by morons who just have to breed their mare." - Kill buyer Manny Phelps

Answer 7

You have no guarantee of a horse that will be over 1400 and 16h if you breed.  Why would you bother?  It would cost a TON more than buying a draft or half draft.  And besides, a draft x saddlebred or a draft x TB bred for size and little else is not going to have much of a market should you ever have to sell them...

Start shopping for a draft or half draft (that is already born).

Answer 8

I wouldn't breed them at all, there are enough draft/crosses out there that are trained  for sale at a reasonable price that you would spend more money if you breed and wait 3 or 4 years to ride it, you would spend more taking care of that baby then you would if you just went out and bought what you wanted for your husband.

Answer 9

Foals are always sooooo cute!   However, right now, there is an overstock of horses here in the US.  

Right now, you can purchase "broke" horses for much less than what it would cost you in stud fees, vet, then extra feed for the foals and growing them up.

I'm not sure if you have them at your own place or are boarding your mares out.  BIG horses, take LOTS of feed right off the bat.  

If you're feeding alfafa, then figure on at least 2 100+LB bales a month per horse, here in CA, it would run you about $38.00/week to feed just ONE big horse, hay.  Not to mention grain (Double what you'd feed an average horse) another $40.00/mo.

Without adding vet bills and stud fees, to get your foal to 2 yrs old you'll have roughly $7,300.00 into EACH one!  AND that's not taking into consideration if you are boarding out and if you are training the babies by yourselves or sending them out for training!

I HATE to burst your balloon on this, but there are a LOT of nice BIG horses that can be had for that amount or less that are broke and ready to go.

Answer 10

Look for a stallion that is going to up grade your mare. You always want to breed to better.  I would look for a large quarter horse, one over 16hh, or a smaller draft breed, like a Percheron, Irish Draft some thing big but not huge. There are a  lot of rescues that have draft cross from the PMU farms. You can get one very cheap!!! Cheaper than breeding just food for thought......

Answer 11

I would either go with a Draft horse or an Irish Draught. I have Belgain/Tb Cross mare that is 1400 lb. and is 16.1hh, but could be bigger, we will never know because she is afraid of the stick!! If you were choosing a draft stud, then pick a taller breed, such as a Clydesdale, Belgain, or Shire, they are usually the taller horse, as well as they are bigger booned. With an Irish Draught, you have to be carefull in your choosing, because you could a pick a leaner horse who gives you a leaner foal. And if possible, look at the foals out of TB mares, if you look at the offspring of the stud, then you can get a pretty good idea of what kind of build of horse you will be getting, as well as what kind of temperment you will get.

Quarter Horses are not big boned horse, they are short horses and most certaintly give you are horse that's over 14000 lbs. unless you juice it up with steriods, which I think you don't want to do. So, definately not a Quarter Horse.

Warmbloods can be built fairly big, but you have to be careful in what you chose because you can again, get a leaner horse. Again, look at the offspring of the stud to see what you

might get size and wieght wise.

Good luck!!

Answer 12

I would breed the both to a draft.

Answer 13

one with a draft and the other with a quarter

Answer 14

Definately a draft type horse for bigger bone and a good temperment.  Percherons are huge and quiet and wonderful beasts.  I'd recommend a Percheron.  :)