Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Double Tough Pony

Informative thread for me. There are many variables at play that determine final results. I put a lot of weight on genetics, appropriate feed and a top farrier. We go barefoot most the time around here but our terrain permits that.

Yep, yep, yep!

Ralphie,

Funny you mention outfitting. This pony came from an outfitter who didn't think he'd amount to much and the feet entered into the decision.
When we were doing it. I'd would have traded 2 typical horses for one like this. AND like you, if the horse or mule made the cut he was used regardless of the color of the feet.


Here's another myth that is busted. "Older horses are harder to start and don't train well"

This Mustang is 9... just went at him like we'd train any other Mustang... shazam! sprinkeled magic fairy dust and we're goin riding...


After riding him again yesterday I'm really starting to like him, I mean really starting to like him. I'm still working on trying to find why they passed on this one. Just goes to show you if you're not shallow and vein you can find a lot of good horses right now. I've always thought too many look at all the wrong stuff when choosing a horse.
We'll see if the name sticks. I usually need to be around a horse for weeks and get a feel for hiom and his personality before I stat thinking on names.

If you don't think that it is easier to start working with a horse that is young than an older one that has never been handled than I am at a loss for words.

Well, all I am saying is that we've started too many to count over the last several years, more specifically 5-7 year olds over the past 2 years that were never touched. There was little if any difference.

Jonsey, was never handled or touched... we were on his back in 6 days, riding him in 13 days. Working him @ 90 min a day.

We've 2 more 6 year olds in the que ... I see no issues with them either. Jus' another pony to start.

The size of a horse has nothing to do with strength of toughness, I have seen too many smaller horse out pull and endurance larger horses. when I played football I benched pressed more than the lineman expect for one and they all out weighed me by nearly 100 pounds, no different with horses

I have been around horses all of my 62 years and there is a difference IME

My comment in no way was a slam on yer ponies foot color. It was merely a comment that over the hundreds of wild horses I've been around, you see few with white feet. Heck, the best horse on this place has 3 white hooves.....

No worries never took it as a slam...

I'd rather have too much horse than too little...

I'm bettin' big'un could/would take many smaller ones... just a hunch... ;-)

Off to ride...

jwp,
Race horses spend their lives on soft dirt and grass and they get the best farrier care. Mountain horses are just the opposite.

The main problem with race horses is that they start getting rides as 2 year olds before their bodies have matured including their bones and cartiledge. They break down a lot and get destroyed because of greed. Investors are too impatient to let the babies grow up and mature so that they can take the pounding they get. One of my close friends was a track vet at Ruidoso Downs, NM each summer. They run Quarters but the story is the same. Lots of drugs and tragedies.

pine, not all race horses are started at 2, the track has a hard base, horses are disqualified if a banned substance is detected they are tested after the race. Running all out is very hard on the front feet. I have been around horse racing a bit sounds like you just heard a bit and jumped to conclusions. Fast track are harder and as a consequence are harder on the horses

It is not all about starting young, cutting horses are also started young some start getting rode a bit a before they a 2 years old. Cutting horses do not on average have the leg injuries of race horse. Reining horse are also started young and they do suffer on average the leg injuries of race horse. Some horses have such of a will to win that they will put out past there capacity just to win

And too many are put out past their capacity to stay sound, let alone win.....

I don't have dog in this hunt, but I have sure seen a lot of smaller horses and mules out work bigger horses and mules.

Go to a lot of horse or mule pulls and you will see most smaller teams out pulling bigger teams based on percentages of pull vs weight.
Years ago when I was still using horses, I had several bigger ones that worked out in 2-3 days and smaller horses go 5-6 day. Pretty much held true with mules also.

We sent two Arabian mules, maybe 14 hds , 900lbs max over to the Amish in MO several years back to work in the fields all summer. The Amish would make one circuit around the fields with a team of Belgiums and had to change out. Those two mules worked all day, were never changed out all day and were ready to go the next day.
I don't know about foot color and toughness, but two mares I had, had white feet and I did have more problems with them than others. Could have been just a fluke, but they did take more care.
If it is an exceptional horse or mule, I might cut it some slack if it took extra care of the feet, but if two animals were equal in other respects, I'd only keep the one with good feet, white or dark

Spot on��

No hunt here jus' a bit of conversation.

Arabs, have a higher bone density than most horses. They were bred to cover long stretches of terrain in unfavorable conditions. Crossed with a mule I could see that they would be very well suited for long days. I wonder how "legged up" the belgiums were? I grew up in Amish country ( Lancaster Co. PA) saw a lot of teams working fields.

I guess this BLM pony ain't tough in everyones eyes, but I like my odds that he is. He's wearing 3's or 4's on his feet he's heavy boned, Deep chested and muscled up. Odds are that he'll cut through the mtns fairly well once he's legged up. Based on his stride and ability to move out. He may be able to keep pace with these rockies. Who knows maybe I'm making another myth... hehe

No problem here, just commenting. A lot of folks think just because an animal is bigger they work harder and do more work.Not necessarily true in all respects

One thing they forget is working in mountainous terrain especially, those big animals have to carry all that extra weight around. Efficiency goes down.

In MO, they have lot bigger fields than PA( I grew up in that country back in the 50's)

These belgiums were definitely in shape. The Amish work them all year and work them hard. Mowing hay is about the hardest work a team can do. People think plowing is, but mowing is a lot more work.

In my own experiences ,I have worn out big walker mules, 15+ hds in 3 days and yet have used little 13&1/2 or 14hd mules all week ,sometimes 10 days in the same terrain, with no days off and all of them being in the same physical condition before starting.

I surely hope what you think comes true with that big horse.

It is the same with dogs, the Iditarod the 1100+ mile sled dog race in Alaska uses a smaller dog than the Husky or Malamute for endurance. There is always an exception to the rule but in general it holds true. This also hold true in people, you just don't see many big people running long endurance races

Not really after winning a race... just want a double duty pony that has the build to handle mountain work. If I want speed, have somewhere to go or need to cover country with my hair n fire there's Jonesy. ;-)

Who is also headed towards double duty.



It would be a bit unfair to throw the hind 1/4's of an Elk on a "leeteler" horse in my opinion. I also like the odds "Big'un" will pull a downed tree to camp for misery whip duty.
Not say little ones can't pack but again. I've always leaned towards bigger is better and having too much is better than not having enough. That experinece and that hands on opinion comes from working for several outfitters over the years. There was a theme through out the guys who work the hills. Little ponies were for kids and duffel.

Reached out to previous owner and this "big-un" has already packed hind 1/4's and then some. Which makes sense why he was easy to be riden.

bullshit.......

hehe... thought for sure someone would step on that. Being that he has a lower center of gravity it's easier ;-)

Kudos to the lil guy...

I have little experience with race horses. But there is no comparsion between mustang and mule feet, and race horse feet.

Have worked some really good Spanish mules (small usually black), and Arabians. Small but mighty. Great endurance and handy in the mountains. They are easy to load and easy to get on. Bigger animals tend to be calmer and handle fording rivers better.

A good horse or mule in the mountains is any color and any size.

On a pack trip in Colorado back in the 1980s I worked as a wrangler with a ragtag bunch of critters that had not met each other before the trailhead. We had two small mules that were barely broke. Lots of snorting and rearing to pack them especially with elk blood on my hands. We used a blindfold and Scotch hobble. I came out with them with nearly 300 pounds apiece after 10 days in the snow. By dark they were dragging ass but easy to handle. I had a big mare that I could dally the lead rope with and pull them up hills. We made it to the trucks by midnight in a blizzard. I would trust those two little buggers anywhere because they were "double tough." I started calling them "Killer' and "Lightning" by about day three.

Nice!

Spot on on the fording rivers aspect. Wondered when someone would mention that in respect to a "big" horse. Not all are knee deep and slow.. some are knee deep and raging ;-) Some are deep enough to make you wet..

as in you ain't wet till your under britches are wet... deep...

Tough to take a lil one through that packed or riden...