# Does your horse have a non-typical job for their breed?



## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

I endurance race a TWH. The sport is pretty much dominated by Arabians. I just hate trotting.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

My SSH does jumpers. A gaited jumping horse? Not something I've ever seen, but she does okay. 

These are OLD videos, back when we were just starting. (We had a very slow start, but it's since clicked with her.) We've since progressed to actual course work. 





 

Mega sucky quality grids.





 
She also does endurance/Open level NATRC. Not too atypical, but not the norm either.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

my barn owner used to endurance ride on ottb's and I've done compeditive trail on them.

Also there is a very talented jumping appy pony on the farm.

My cousins trail ride percherons.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Hmm, I have a BLM Mustang that works very well as a ranch horse.


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

We used to have a 16hh cow horse (Lena bred) I used to kill in HUS and over fences.


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## mramsay (Feb 1, 2010)

I have a riding percheron, lol. People really love to see her undersaddle. She is the one that I put people on when I take non horse people for trail rides because she is so steady, but she sure makes them sore, as she is so wild. She is technically my Hubby's ride, as he is a bigger guy. She is realtively short at 16.2hh.


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

My husband rides an OTTB as a trail horse in the Appalachian foothills. He's pretty unflappable and enjoys the trails, water crossings and wildlife.


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## boxer (Feb 20, 2009)

I do dressage with a QH


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Well not really his "job" but sometimes my Dutch Warmblood/Paint gives beginners pony rides bareback (my mom pictured here)


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## Joidigm (May 8, 2012)

Tennessee Walking Horses being retrained for Gaited Dressage. I learned to jump on a TWH too.

Western Pleasure reject Quarter Horses often make fabulous Hunter Jumpers. I've ridden a few.

American Saddlebred trained for dressage and Spanish Walk.

National Show Horse trained for dressage, hunter jumper and Spanish Walk.

Arabian trained for ranch and cattle work.

TWHxPercheron cross trained for dressage and jumping.

Standardbred ex-Pacer racehorses retrained for hunter jumper.

Foundation Appaloosa trained for hunter jumper, 3ft+.

Percheron trained for Fox Hunting.

Gypsy Vanner cross trained for Fox Hunting.

Any horse, so long as they are fit, can do anything. It's all about what you are wanting to do.


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## Paintlover1965 (May 22, 2009)

My Arab/Saddlebred Joey was a show horse in western and english pleasure, Arab and Saddlebred classes and pleasure driving before I purchased him. Since then, he enjoys trail riding, small jumps for jumping (mind you, he jumped a 4 ft gate one day when the horses were changing pastures but, thats another story), western games and I just took him for an introduction to team penning this past weekend and he did particularly well. Some horses are very versatile and I believe most horses can do most things within reason. I saw a draft horse doing reining at a competition last year. There was an older lady riding that horse and granted, they didn't win the class but they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. That's whats really important for me.


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## abbyduke (Mar 23, 2012)

We ride our almost 18 hh Belgian gelding all the time. He's perfect for beginners and I typically throw my friends on him to take them trail riding  he makes an excellent trail horse & is amazing in parades!


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## Bobthebuilder (Jan 8, 2012)

Does dressage with an akhal teke count? :lol:
Dont have gaits on our side, but she is very obedient


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## ahalleyscomet (Dec 12, 2011)

We have two OTTB's that have become great trail horses and one that in learning how to do barrels


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## RosiePosie06 (Jun 3, 2012)

My Sonny's Top Gun bred APHA gelding likes to trail ride and run fast as heck. It's not neccessarily abnormal to his breed, but as he was bred with the intention of producing a pleasure horse his love of running is atypical and adorble.


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## RosiePosie06 (Jun 3, 2012)

mramsay said:


> I have a riding percheron, lol. People really love to see her undersaddle. She is the one that I put people on when I take non horse people for trail rides because she is so steady, but she sure makes them sore, as she is so wild. She is technically my Hubby's ride, as he is a bigger guy. She is realtively short at 16.2hh.


You have my dream horse! I want a black percheron mare so badly. But taller


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## Spotted Image (Aug 10, 2011)

Not untypical for the breed, but my Appaloosa Mare is a beast of an trail horse and love speed in training for barrel racing. While she is purely halter bred and it would be a death sentence entering her in an halter class.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

SlideStop said:


> My sister and I were talking about owning a barn together eventually and she was going on about how she loves haflingers and fjords and if we could teach one to rein. Lol
> 
> Just curious if anyone has a horse that does something non-typical for their breed? Maybe a draft that does gymkhana? A TB that works cows? A QH that pulls a cart?
> 
> ...


There are actually some really cute reining halflingers, mostly in europe though.


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## QHDragon (Mar 6, 2009)

My mare is bred for HUS and halter, and we do HUS, and hope to try out some dressage later this year. However, I really want a mule to event on, they can be awesome jumpers, or a percheron to do dressage and low level jumping on.


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## horseandme (Jun 4, 2012)

http://IMG_2940

my POA is my jumper(not in his saddle inthis picture but he did jump on the trailsometimes)


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## JustAwesome (Jun 22, 2011)

My paint gelding (performance western bred (halter and ride)) will be giving showing a go (hacking in Australia)


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Hah, yeah I've seen the videos! Very cute. There is also a fjord stud who reins somewhere out west I believe. I guess any breed to technically do anything as long as they have some natural ability for you to work with!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## donovan (Jun 11, 2009)

My TB is going to learn how to pull a Trotting/Paacing Jinker


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## Acco (Oct 4, 2011)

At my hunter/jumper barn, we have two lesson horses who are half-gaited.

The first is a TWH cross (we assume with a QH) who jumps up to 2'6". 

The other is a now-retired Saddlebred or Standardbred cross (stories vary. His other half is reportedly TB) who used to be a successful 4' + jumper on the A circuit, but did 2'9" jumpers all the way down to beginner crossrails for us

Both of them move as you'd expect a half-gaited horse to move, so neither could/would ever get a ribbon in a hunter class, but I showed the saddlebred cross in jumpers and equitation and had a blast with him  Super cool, talented horse. Both have the weirdest canters ever (weird to me, anyway)


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## poundinghooves (Aug 5, 2010)

This has nothing to do with breed but I used to barrel race a pleasure horse. He'd gallop around the barrels with his head set! Looked kind of like a mis-fit out there but I love him anyway.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Lol, I love see a pleasure horse barrel race. It should be an event!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## skyhorse1999 (Dec 29, 2011)

My paint jumps.


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## Ink (Sep 25, 2009)

The horse I take dressage lessons on is a Saddlebred. 











He's really fun and has a canter that's to die for. But still a challenge because sometimes he'll do this:










And when he gets strung out, it's like you've fallen into a giant hole.


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## tiffrmcoy (Apr 13, 2012)

I barrel raced my OTTB hes not that bad also use him as a western trail horse and he loves it! My Arab/pony cross is a fantastic barrel horse and have also used her as a cow horse I've roped, cut and herded cattle with her.


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## EmilyLovesHorses (Feb 2, 2012)

My Egyptian Arabian is an amazing eventer & My OTTB is a cutting/barrel horse


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

ummm... My ex-race winning thoroughbred is now a farm hack aswell as a showjumper/dressage boy.
If that counts :lol: he's now sooo laid back on the farm, I can jump on bareback and get the cows up if I choose to.


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## TimberRidgeRanch (Mar 6, 2012)

My stud SAM doesnt have the riding job ( although he does ride ) He has the job as a Tire relocator and placement service lol. Which means every day he is relocating his car tire either in the loafing shed or hanging on the fence post or over into BUTT HEADS paddock or sometimes he uses it to get my attention which he succeeds once I get my face out of the dirt. Example:
One day I heard a bunch of rukus by all my big guys when I got out there and straightened out the mess I saw the tire in Butt Heads paddock ..AGAIN! So I grabbed it tossed it back in SAMs paddock (Big Mistake ) I went to grab BUTT HEADS feed pan out of SAMS paddock ( I have no idea how he got it) well when I was walking over to get it I was taken out by a flying tire. I dont play catch very well with my back turned. Needless to say I ate dirt and SAM lost his tire for a few days. Which by the way is NOT a good punishment for him. More like a punishment for me because he throws a tantrum like no other. Think weaning a foal from mare is bad try a tire and a stud!! 

TRR


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## TimberRidgeRanch (Mar 6, 2012)

My stud SAM and me Ignore the chemo curls lol I hate me in this pic


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## kccjer (Jul 20, 2012)

We just got an 18 yr old TB. My daughter just taught him a reining pattern (well....they BOTH had to learn it LOL) for her Rodeo Jr Princess pattern. She is also trying to teach him the western speed events...rodeo, poles, etc.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My Anglo Arab is an eventer (not atypical of his breed) but can REALLY work a cow, and he can do a passable WP jog and lope. I'm considering trying to fit him up for a couple of endurance rides (breed typical discipline right thar!!)... he pretty much does everything.


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## Randella (Dec 13, 2011)

My OTTB is my best horse in my lesson program, he's so great with kids!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Randella, send him to meeee!!! -is looking for a quiet ottb-

haha actually this filly I'm looking at tomorrow (ummm, later today... lol stayed up too late again) is a tb, but unraced, so none of that racing mentality... hrmmmmm shall we say I'm seriously considering going there with a trailer and loading her up and taking her home!!


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## Randella (Dec 13, 2011)

blue eyed pony said:


> Randella, send him to meeee!!! -is looking for a quiet ottb-
> 
> haha actually this filly I'm looking at tomorrow (ummm, later today... lol stayed up too late again) is a tb, but unraced, so none of that racing mentality... hrmmmmm shall we say I'm seriously considering going there with a trailer and loading her up and taking her home!!


Bahaha, he's great with kids, but once you put and adult up on him, he gets a little more ... spirited, shall we say lol 

Ouuu, what were momma and daddy's stats? What colour is she? Details!


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I taught an Arab gelding to drive [pull a cart]. We also vaulted on the same Arab. Best little guy EVER.

The therapy barn I worked at for quite some time had an OTTB [who was also very successful in dressage and hunters] that was PHENOMENAL for therapy rides.

That same therapy barn had an Arab gelding that loved being ridden like a WP horse, QH style, not Arab WP.

My Impressive bred and WP trained Paint mare is turning into a very lovely dressage mount. =]

Side note, I LOVE Fjords. They are an awesome breed, I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem adapting to reining, they are seen in more dressage rings than you'd think. =P


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Randella said:


> Bahaha, he's great with kids, but once you put and adult up on him, he gets a little more ... spirited, shall we say lol
> 
> Ouuu, what were momma and daddy's stats? What colour is she? Details!


hahaha TB's!! lol my boy is like that too (only half TB though, other half is Arabian), perfect with kids but put an adult on him and he's reliable 90% of the time, and then there's that 10% where he just explodes. Sometimes that's as small as being slightly too forward, sometimes it's as big as bucking and bolting, and he has reared once with me because I wouldn't let him trot towards home.

Filly's sire is a stallion called Hartley's Spirit, whose bloodline traces back to Northern Dancer through some very well-known stallions. The man himself is known to produce big, solid, dependable foals that mature late. They're usually useless racehorses as 2yo's but pretty handy on the track given time to mature (but I'm not looking for something to race). They've got a reputation among racehorse breakers as being easy to break and wonderful to handle.

Filly's dam, as best I can determine, is a mare called Verity (owner said Veirtry but the studbook has nothing that matches anything close except for verity), from bloodlines I haven't heard of, but through dam of dam there might be some well-known English horses. There are a couple of names that are familiar.

So this girl is quite well-bred. Chestnut with 3 white stockings and a star and stripe, will mature around 16hh, coming 2yo, unbroke and free to a good home. Because she's free I'm going to be very skeptical about her, and will make a point of checking out her feet and joints, but she's not even broke so she's not had any of the wear and tear of racing or racing prep. I figure she has a better chance of being sound than the average TB.


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

My Quarter Horse, who's "typical" job would probably be something like western pleasure (although some people wanted him for cattle penning and gaming), is a hunter.. well, in training anyways.  Eventually, I wanna see how he does in dressage though.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

The year before last I rode my barn's Fjord in a dressage show. His full time job is a therapy horse, but he gets cranky if he doesn't do work off the leadline every once in a while  It was a nice experience for me, as I'd never shown with a horse that didn't get high strung away from home!


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## Randella (Dec 13, 2011)

blue eyed pony said:


> hahaha TB's!! lol my boy is like that too (only half TB though, other half is Arabian), perfect with kids but put an adult on him and he's reliable 90% of the time, and then there's that 10% where he just explodes. Sometimes that's as small as being slightly too forward, sometimes it's as big as bucking and bolting, and he has reared once with me because I wouldn't let him trot towards home.
> 
> Filly's sire is a stallion called Hartley's Spirit, whose bloodline traces back to Northern Dancer through some very well-known stallions. The man himself is known to produce big, solid, dependable foals that mature late. They're usually useless racehorses as 2yo's but pretty handy on the track given time to mature (but I'm not looking for something to race). They've got a reputation among racehorse breakers as being easy to break and wonderful to handle.
> 
> ...



Ouuuu fancy, fancy! She sounds beautiful! But be careful, Northern Dancer lines have notoriously horrible feet! Let me know how it goes .. or maybe even went, not sure of the time difference


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

lol you posted while I was on the road to go look at her.

She is a STUNNER... and I am careful about TB feet regardless of bloodlines, but hers looked ok from what I could see (she's very timid and difficult to catch, I gather it usually takes two or more people to get a halter on her). She was in beautiful condition... only for give away because her owner is a racehorse owner and doesn't want to put money into something that's not going to run. Her sire doesn't have any winners on the ground (according to owner's agent who is the person I was dealing with as owner is a farrier), and he's nearly 9, so he should have SOMETHING by now. Throws a nice riding type though!

I am definitely getting her, just trying to organise when to borrow a friend's trailer and towing car so I can go pick her up.

The stallions she traces to ND through are thankfully known for throwing good feet - Hartley's Spirit is by Danetime who is by Danehill, and in the industry Danehill is considered a huge asset in a TB's lines. Recreational riders LOVE anything from Danehill lines. She's a big girl, 15.3+ at not yet two, with ENORMOUS joints, and Hartley's Spirit foals tend to mature late so she's got a lot of growing to do yet.

She is beautiful, but I have a lot of work ahead of me. I think she'll be living in a yard until she's 100% to catch, because I'm way too lazy to follow a horse around for the half hour or more it might take.


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## sitbacnroc (Mar 3, 2010)

I've got a registered Quarter horse out of really well known western pleasure stallions and lines and he was trained western pleasure and I jump him! haha


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## ponyprincess (Aug 23, 2012)

i have a standardbred x who i do mainly dressage and some eventing with. he is amazing! he has such a great trot!


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## Silent one (Aug 22, 2011)

Dragon is a Friesian/Saddlebred and I was just trying to think of all the things we have done with him. Of course, first off he is an exceptional trail horse, very savvy, not spooky and even loves trails in the dark.

I move cattle with him whenever any neighbors need help with that, he thinks that is great fun.

I pony horses with him all the time, whenever I need to move horses around or have someone riding that is scared and needs ponied.

My friend took him for a while and did some cross-country jumping with him, he did great at that. 

I pull logs and brush out of the woods with him. When I'm bringing horses back from the back pasture he knows we are heading to the front gate and it's hilly. So I either jump on him bareback (don't even need a bridle, LOL) or grab his tail and let him pull me up the hills.

Another friend of mine borrowed him to rope some calves, he said he did ok with it.

And when we have people to ride that are inexperienced, we always let them ride Dragon, because he takes good care of them.

So I guess he's pretty versatile. He loves doing just about anything you are doing and always wants to go, especially if he sees the trailer hooked up!


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

^^ Awww, he sounds like an amazing horse!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

.

My little girl Angel a Belgian (the one in my avatar) has been doing some beginner Dressage, no shows, just training. She is 3 in the pic, but 5 now.




.


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## Laures (Aug 8, 2011)

SouthernTrailGa, pretty girl! You're sure she's a Belgian?

My BWP is a... Ballerina!


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Laures said:


> SouthernTrailGa, pretty girl! You're sure she's a Belgian?


Her mother had papers, but the father was 3/4 Belgian and 1/4 TWH 
She is 16 hands now at a little over 5 years old, still a little downhill and tapes at over 1500 lbs, although with her bone structure, I would guess she actually weighs about 1700 lbs.

Thank goodness she is an easy keeper and eats less than most of our other Horses :lol:

I have seen two others with her unusual colors and it was a Belgian pulling a buggy in NYC and one at a friend of a friends stables, the one locally had all the papers to full blooded Belgians.


.


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## rileydog6 (Mar 2, 2011)

My little norwegian fjord toril does eventing and started endurance
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TBrider (Aug 6, 2012)

I rode a perceron cross in hunter jumpers


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## Hailey1203 (Dec 12, 2010)

I had a dutch warmblood that i used on a ranch for a summer. We chased cows, trail rode and barrel raced!


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## LikeaTB (May 28, 2012)

I am currently working with an OTTB that I ride for roping/barrel racing.


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## EquineCookies (Mar 22, 2012)

I know at least three reining Arabians. 
A WP and halter bred Arabian mare I ride that belongs to my coach competes in hunter pleasure/sport horse divisions.
One of the things my Arabian does is pleasure trail riding - not endurance, but pleasure. She's also a backup lesson horse for the kids as she's so quiet, tolerant, and her bouncy trot encourages kids to start posting!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

My first horse was a stock 'bulldog' type Quarter horse. I got him when I was 11, and he was a 3 year old unbroken ridgeling. All I wanted to do was JUMP. EVERYONE said he couldn't do that, and to train him western. 4 years later, he was a nationally ranked jumper. He even had plenty of working hunter points - he had a very sooth way of jumping, but becasue of those big hind end muscles, he could also jog up to a 4.5 foot fence and pop over it. He was great!


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