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Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:53 am
by Ruffshooter
A lady down the street has Percherons, riding. She says they are a gaited horse. I read they are draft horses, but I also read that they were used by the Knights back in the day for battle. I read they are very sound, intellegent horses, with a good mind.

The Amish have them for draft and buggy. Many trail ride them. This lady uses them for teaching riding.

Is this a gaited horse? They seem to be in all sizes but around 16.5 hands seems the average.

If it is a gaited horse why do folks not use them for trials, etc.? They seem like very nice horses, durable etc.

Just curious as it is always TWH or MFT that mostly mentioned on here. I am sure because they are proven. I would think these horses if as advertised would be as good but as Sargent Shultz says, I know Nooooothinggg.

Thanks,
Rick

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 2:21 pm
by gittrdonebritts
My grandpa farmed with Percherons when he was a boy and raised a few all the way till he retired 5 years ago i know of a few people ridding them but i think there just to big to be practical for just an everyday horse owner. I've only ever known them as a draft horse good horses though.

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 2:44 pm
by Ruffshooter
The ones down the street are TWH and MFT sized. But I did read them to be draft horses, originally till the knights used them for battle. Which were bred smaller.

Thanks,
Rick

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 3:17 pm
by gittrdonebritts
Not doubting you but the only ones I ever knew were huge big enough to pull my dads John Deere 4440 out of the mud one time when i was a kid the must be 2 sections of the breed the larger draft size and the smaller kinda like field and show bred dogs.

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 3:53 pm
by ezzy333
Percherons are one of the two main draft horses that have been used for years and years in this country. We used them and my Grandfather bred a lot of them. He had a team of full brothers he raised that we used to pull in the horse pulling contests and they set a state of Illinois pulling record that stood for many years. You could ride them but they are a big quite tall leggy type horse and I'm sure you would feel butt sprung if you had to straddle one all day. And they are not gaited. The reason they and the Belgians were the predominant horses used in this country is their clean fetlocks that kept them from having mud dry on them and cause a lot of problems. Belgians are a heavier horse but were much slower than the Percherons.

Percherons are usually black but there are gray ones that age into a white plus there are a few brown or Bay ones today that you never saw years ago. They are nice horses with a little more spirit than most of the draft horses which always made them attractive in the field and fit to be used as carriage horses in the big cities.

Ezzy

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 1:42 pm
by Ruffshooter
I am wondering if I heard her wrong. Thanks for the info I will look into this, more.

Rick

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:23 pm
by tn red
As far as i know Ezzy is right on.They are defineatley draft ive never saw one saddle.

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 9:05 am
by Don
A guy that used to provide judges horse's for a NSTRA club provided Percheron's. Big, wide and rough riding!

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 10:04 am
by kbshorthairs
I'd have to jump off the bed of my truck to get on one of those suckers!!!!!

Re: Gaited Percherons?

Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:36 pm
by gittrdonebritts
I rode on one of my grandpas Percheron's once after i used them to pull a float in my high school homecoming parade so sore after that i could barley play football that Friday :o