# Percheron Mare...how does she look?



## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

She has a nice big shoulder on her with a good angle, though her neck ties in quite high.
Strong looking front legs with short cannons
High in the wither with an ever-so-slightly roached back and smallish, sloping hindquarters.
Really hard to judge her hind legs as she is not standing square in any of the photos but she is either close to correct or slightly camped out, in which case this can be common of drafts.
None of her flaws are severe however
Looks like a good solid mount


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## Chopsticks (Mar 11, 2012)

lilruffian does a great job as always with the finer points.

She looks like a lovely typical Perch. I like her face, looks kind and also fun.

The only thing I'd keep an eye on are the feet. Most drafts have huge dish feet, hers are rather tiny. Perhaps they trimmed too short, at any rate, I would engage a farrier that is familiar with her breed, with no exception. Drafts are built different and move different than TB, QH, etc. Therefore she must have special attention to her gait and foot wear. Ok, done with my rant. Enjoy the beauty!!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I like her. I'm not seeing a roached back. I'm not seeing camped out either. She's a nice looking mare.


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks, everyone! That's all good to hear. Chopsticks, thanks for pointing out her feet. I'll start looking for an experienced draft trimmer, and read up on draft feet.

One thing's for sure...finding tack and equipment to fit drafts isn't going to be easy! No more dropping by Southern States for a pair of bell boots...
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## Chopsticks (Mar 11, 2012)

thank goodness for ebay? lol!


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

She is lovely! I will second that Draft feet are tricky. You will most likely need your farrier to make more frequent trims then with regular saddle horse. Drafts are prone to significant flaring and they also tend to get pancake feet. Many farriers try to compensate by adding toe or quarter clips. Obviously like everything in horses the value of that is debateable. If you want more info I would suggest posting some hoof critique photos. Then you can get an idea of how her feet are now. There are some great contributers on there.
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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks, Roux! I'll get some pics when I get her home and post them. She just got her feet trimmed, too, so they'll be nice and fresh =]
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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I saw the feet immediately. not sure we are seeing the whole foot, or is some covered by hair?

will she be shod?


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

draft tack is not necessarily that hard to find. My cousins have two mare and a gelding, the gelding is thick and about 16hh, the one mare is 17.2hh and looks a lot like this one, and the other is 18hh and a bit more elegantly built, the result of crossing the first mare with a modern 'carriage' type stallion. all three fit full qh bar western saddles, and one is in a wide aussie saddle. The cinches are draft size, and of course the headstalls, breast collars and bits are bigger, but surprisingly the saddles are not. The one mare is in a 6" bit and would probably fit a warmblood sized headstall.

plus draft tack is fairly easy to locate on line.


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

tinyliny said:


> will she be shod?


Ideally, no, but I will if she needs it. She's been barefoot at least the last four years with no soundness issues, according to her owner. 

Do the second two pictures look any better than the first two? Those are the ones I took the other day when I went to look at her, so they're more recent.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

> plus draft tack is fairly easy to locate on line.


^^unless you're picky like me, then nothing mass produced in "supersize" is quite good enough LOL.

I agree that she's a nice example of a percheron. Well built with a good shoulder. Her neck is short but it ties in about right for a perch. She might be ever so slightly back at the knee, but I'd need better pictures to say for sure. Her back is a nice length and her hindquarters are very typey with a steeper croup. Her hocks have good angle.

I was also curious about the feet. They seem rather odd in the first pictures but in the 3rd look fine so I wonder if maybe it's a combination of them being hidden by mud and feathers that make them look funky. Of course, good pictures of her feet would clear that up quickly .

I'm not seeing a roach back but I do notice that she's lacking muscle all over, specifically along her topline. Her coat has a bit of a coarse look, so she may need to be dewormed.

Do you know what she's been fed? What are you planning to feed her? Drafts have to be fed differently than a standard sized horse because they are prone to EPSM. Basically, they need a high fat, low carbohydrate diet which means no grains _ever_. IME, the very best diet for them is free access to good quality grass hay and, if they need a bit more to maintain condition, adding alfalfa pellets with a bit of canola oil mixed in. I stay away from the processed "complete" feeds because most of them are grain based, therefore high in carbs. Any kind of _hay_ pellet/cube that is mid to upper percentage protein (12%-16%) is a good choice.


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

smrobs said:


> Do you know what she's been fed? What are you planning to feed her? Drafts have to be fed differently than a standard sized horse because they are prone to EPSM. Basically, they need a high fat, low carbohydrate diet which means no grains _ever_. IME, the very best diet for them is free access to good quality grass hay and, if they need a bit more to maintain condition, adding alfalfa pellets with a bit of canola oil mixed in. I stay away from the processed "complete" feeds because most of them are grain based, therefore high in carbs. Any kind of _hay_ pellet/cube that is mid to upper percentage protein (12%-16%) is a good choice.


She's currently on about 2 lbs. a day of a (I think) a 15% protein/5% fat pelleted feed. I can't remember what exactly the owner said. I was so in love with her I was a _horrible_ horse buyer :-( And then she gets 3 feedings of a flake or two of grass hay, but I'm not sure about the weight. Not much pasture, mainly a dirt lot. 

I plan on weaning her off the pelleted feed completely. After researching colic and ulcers, I hope to stay away form grain for the rest of my life! She will have 24/7 access to good quality grass hay round bales, good pasture when it comes in, and alfalfa if needed. 

Beyond that, I'm not completely sure yet. Any experience with Remission or Quiessence? After reading reviews and seeing the ingredients, it sounds like Remission has some good stuff in it (pre-and probiotics, biotin, yeast, magnesium). She's never foundered to my knowledge, but it seems like a decent "wide-spectrum" supplement. I've got a lot more research to do, though, and I'm really glad you mentioned EPSM!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I've never used remission or quiessence. The only horses of mine that get probiotics are my elderly critters who have trouble holding weight, but it couldn't possibly hurt to go ahead and get her something like that.


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Okay, I'll try one of those. Thanks for the input!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I really look forward to seeing how she looks this summer after you've got her back to a healthy weight and in shape and she's slicked off and shiny!


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## OliviaMyee (Jul 31, 2012)

The size of the feet are affected by the weather, if the ground is wet the feet will be larger, so that the hooves dont sink into the ground if the ground is hard the feet wil be smaller, because the foot will be tighteneing to protect itself from the hard ground . Her conformation is a fine representation of the breed. She is not the ideal looking dressage horse as they are built with heavier shoulders for pulling, and a hind quarter which is smaller than the front end


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Two Horse tack can make bridles or all types and breast collars sized to your horse no extra charge. They can make tack using biothane that looks and feels like leather, or you can get actual leather. 

I love drafties lol! is her tail docked?


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## Atomicodyssey (Apr 13, 2014)

No real useful input, just want to say I love her and I'm jealous! I've always loved and wanted a draft but I only get one and I like something with a little more speed! When I was a kid I went out to a job with my dad and the man owned a six pair black Percheron team. Been a fan ever since, awesome horses.


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## Heleen Strydom (Sep 2, 2013)

I want her!!!


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Hehe, thanks everyone! KigerQueen, her tail is docked. I'm going to get her a fly sheet...plus it will help keep that pretty color  

OliviaMyee, it's definitely been dry around here. And as far as dressage, we'll just be doing it to improve her fitness and responsiveness... maybe a walk/trot test every now and then to get off the property and have a little fun 
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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

I will say that sometimes they can be ROUGH. They(if I remember correctly) were bred to be a fancy, heavy carriage horse, and they have a lot of knee action. I was riding my cousins mare the other day, and a more willing, good natured animal you will not find, but we were out on a 2 hour ride along gravel roads, and I was one of the more experienced riders. We were one saddle short, so I got to go bareback, and most of the ride was at a good trot. We'll I've ridden drafts and warmbloods, ottbs and my arab with her jack hammer trot, but it took everything I had to stay on without bouncing on this mare. Her walk was nice, her lope was decent(if a bit 'big', but that was to be expected) but that trot was HORRID. I couldn't walk straight for a week and a half afterwards:shock:. Who knew you use the muscles that run over your rib cage and your neck muscles to sit a trot:shock:

oh, and if the bugs get bad, you could always braid something extra into her tail, like a sort of temporary extension.


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Lol! I did notice that her trot wasn't the most comfy, but it wasn't TOO bad. I chalked it up to just being used to the smoothest TB in the world =P But I guess that's the way they are!
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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL, not all of them are rough, but some can be. I've got 2 full drafts and 2 crosses (one colt from each full). 

My Percheron has the most awesome walk and lope you could ever hope to ride but his trot is about like Bluespark described; riding a jackhammer in the back of a truck with no shocks going 40mph over a row of speedbumps LOL. His son has a big trot but he's not rough like Daddy; however, his lope leaves a lot to be desired. It's very wish-washy with a lot of forward backward movement but I believe it will get better with more saddle time (I've only ridden him twice).

My belgian mare has an awesome trot, so easy to sit and so comfortable. I've never loped her because I've only ridden her once but it looks smooth in the paddock. Her son is my current main riding horse and all his gaits are super nice. His jog is smooth and easy to sit and his lope is awesome, long and flat and slow. The only thing that's hard to sit is his extended trot. He's not _rough_, but when he really stretches out and moves, he moves _big _so it's a workout so stay down in the saddle.


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## GallopingGuitarist (Jan 8, 2013)

For roughness of gaits, I've actually found the Percheron crosses that I have ridden to be very smooth. Now the Belgian crosses on the other hand... 
I love the look of your new gal! I personally really enjoy riding draft crosses (I haven't ridden a full draft yet). You feel like you're riding a mountain! For fun switch up between your draftie and an Arabian or Arabian cross. I had a Belgian cross and an Arabian cross and I'd go back and forth with which one I'd ride. Kinda fun!


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

You could braid bail twine into her tail and unravel the twine so its like hair. Then you can make her tail multi colored XD!

I did it to my mare's tail bag


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

That's a good idea! I feel bad that she's got no tail, but I also feel bad that I think docked tails are cute =\ ugh!
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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Here we go, I'm off to go get her!
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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

How did it go?


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

CrossCountry said:


> How did it go?


Great! She was calm as can be, hopped off the trailer and dived for the grass. She's been pining for it ever since =P Not too interested in her pasture mates once we put them out together completely. She just wants them to leave her alone so she can eat! I felt terrible pulling her back into the dry lot last night...

Overall, a very relaxing arrival =D
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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I used to work with a team of two black Percherons. One gelding and one mare. The gelding was much bigger (not just taller but very broad and massive boned) than the mare so they were not a perfect matched set. They were being taught to drive but I was allowed to ride them under saddle to keep them in shape for the owner. Chief was a rough ride. He preferred to walk instead of trot and everyone who rode him agreed. You could stick anyone on him and he would babysit but I don't know if I would credit that to good training or just his inclination not to argue much since it took so much effort to work against gravity.

Kelpie, the mare was smaller and she was a pleasant horse to ride in all gaits. Her personality was spookier than Chief on the trail. She liked to move to and would lope along quite nicely. Her trot was not the same as a regular saddle horse but it was not rough and I thought she was a fun horse. 

Both horses wore shoes and front shoes with clips.

Congrats on bringing your girl home! More Pics?


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

I'll post some when I get back into town! We're definitely going to have to work on ground manners, too. She has learned that she can go wherever she wants just by using her strength.
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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

She's lovely. I don't see a roached back either, although I am certainly not well skilled in confirmation critiques. I also don't know how anyone can say anything about her feet. The pictures aren't clear enough, IMO, for that plus it looks like they are muddied. I don't agree that draft feet tend to pancake and flare any more than any other horse unless not properly cared for, which again - is just like any other horse.

Glad to hear she is home safe and sound. Looking forward to hearing more about her!


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Well she is fat, happy, and loving her new home! She's already gotten attached to her pasture mates, which has led to some interesting new tactics arising on her part (such as dragging me all over the farm on Friday, once even pulling the lead out of my hands!). So I put a rope halter on her today and worked on basic "whoa" and "walk on" and she was fantastic.

AND she didn't run away from me as soon as I unclipped her lead! She even stayed for a face scratch. Progress =D I still leave her turnout halter on in the pasture though...she's a runner! But today she walked up to me when she saw me, THEN ran. Again...progress =P 

K, now let's see if I can post pics...


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## BeachinIt (Apr 17, 2012)

Here we go!

First one is her bonding over the waterer =P 

Second and third ones were taken today, and the last one was taken the day she got here. I swear she looks better already!


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