Quote:
Then what you want is either an old-style Morgan (type) or a smaller draft or draftX. (e.t.a. - or old-style ranch type horse, if you can find one). Most of these real drafty-shaped horses (like Vanners) are indeed pretty broad in the back... but you know what, how painful that is to ride depends a lot on your saddle and on how correct your seat (riding) is. From what you describe, I can think of a number of horses that I've known that would probably have suited you quite well, mostly Belgian crosses and Percheron crosses and "miscellaneous small drafty types".
Really truly, leave this Gypsy Vanner bit to the people who want trendy labels on their clothes. You go out and buy the exact same darn thing, except without the label, for a zillionth of the price, and you will be just as happy and a lot better off financially
Then what you want is either an old-style Morgan (type) or a smaller draft or draftX. (e.t.a. - or old-style ranch type horse, if you can find one). Most of these real drafty-shaped horses (like Vanners) are indeed pretty broad in the back... but you know what, how painful that is to ride depends a lot on your saddle and on how correct your seat (riding) is. From what you describe, I can think of a number of horses that I've known that would probably have suited you quite well, mostly Belgian crosses and Percheron crosses and "miscellaneous small drafty types".
Really truly, leave this Gypsy Vanner bit to the people who want trendy labels on their clothes. You go out and buy the exact same darn thing, except without the label, for a zillionth of the price, and you will be just as happy and a lot better off financially
I never have had a horse and have very little hands on experience.
If you are thinkig of getting a horse someday, hands-on experience is EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT to get. Rather than playing "look at pics, think about what I might want", it would be very much more valuable to go clean stalls for someone, help turn horses out, take some riding lessons on a wide variety of horses, and get to know what kind of horse type you actually *get along well with*. Which may be a draftX or may not. No way to tell from purty pictures
BTW, what "work" are you wanting a horse to do? Pretty much any horse with a good brain (and a beginner shouldn't get any other kind) can be trained to pull stuff, like a sledge or cart or cultivator or logs or whatever. People with limited horse experience should not be thinking in terms of plowing with Belgian teams or anything like that... so it is not clear to me that there is likely to be any 'work' you should be doing with a future horse that ANY horse couldn't easily do, once trained to harness.
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
If you are thinkig of getting a horse someday, hands-on experience is EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT to get. Rather than playing "look at pics, think about what I might want", it would be very much more valuable to go clean stalls for someone, help turn horses out, take some riding lessons on a wide variety of horses, and get to know what kind of horse type you actually *get along well with*. Which may be a draftX or may not. No way to tell from purty pictures
BTW, what "work" are you wanting a horse to do? Pretty much any horse with a good brain (and a beginner shouldn't get any other kind) can be trained to pull stuff, like a sledge or cart or cultivator or logs or whatever. People with limited horse experience should not be thinking in terms of plowing with Belgian teams or anything like that... so it is not clear to me that there is likely to be any 'work' you should be doing with a future horse that ANY horse couldn't easily do, once trained to harness.
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
Last edited:
