The future of the Halter Horse.

http://www.turnerranchinc.com/SelfEmployed.htm

This site was sent to me by 7 Ceders, and she made a very good point.
This stallion is so differant then the horses he has shown 5 years ago.

It has been on several other forums with the PH Halter classes that The BIG HEAVEY muscled horses, maybe coming a thing of the past. Ted Turner mentioned a few years back that we needed to start breeding for hoof and bone to carry the mass and size of these horses. That things could not keep going the way they were for these horses to stay sound. Then I thought he was right and from what I can see, he is doing just what he said. He even mentions HYPP in his article.

What do you think the halter horse will look like in the next 5 years?

We've talked about this in length. First and foremost, I think N/H'ers will be harder to sell, and just about the only people that will probably buy them is the paint people... takes them about 10 years to catch up, ya know, to AQHA.

I think with performance halter, they have literally forced these breeders of the huge horses to change; if they don't, they'll be left out of grand and reserve.

I think it will go more on conformation, balance, and foremost, no crooked legs, no over at the knees, etc.

I think the new halter horse will have to look like he can do something; whether he does it or not.

Some people who are already showing are already seeing a huge difference in the type of horses that are going grand and reserve.

I think the normal heigth of a halter horse, especially mares and geldings, will be trimmed down to an average of say 15'2 to 15'3... not those 16'1, 16'2, 1,600 pound horses.

I think you'll see more breeders who have Impressive horses will start breeding more to Skipper W, reining/roping-type horses, but getting more back to the basics. Still keep a pretty profile and conformation, but a ton more bone and leg, and not so much danged in-breeding!

TripleJ, on Turner's website, I can't for the life of me find this horse's pedigree... guess I could pull it up, but I figured he'd have it on there. I have no clue who or what this horse is out of.

It took someone with his clout to start it rolling it seems. To me its as though a regular old Joe, with the same horse, probably wouldnt have made it as far as T.T.

Not trying to sounded rude or jaded, just another humble opinion.

I admit when it comes to Halter I haven't the slightest clue..... he looks the same to me? What differences do you guys see??

I totally agree, B&B. If the big guys do it, then it'll happen a lot faster.

Cindy, the horse mentioned is a rider. Now looking at him straight on, he looks the regular halter, but profile-wise, he's a rider... the hip doesn't come down to his ankles, he actually has withers, he's not posty, etc.

10-5 Years ago, the horses ARE SO MASSIVE. The muscle was like Arnold S horses. The muscle so was massive they looked deformed and the legs were the size of pencils. This horse more refinement and bone to handle his size to where he can stay sound. He looks like you could put saddle on him after his halter days, and ride him. I am afraid that the reason the preformace halter horse class has been added is to force a more modern Halter horse to be developed. One that can be sound, and not only be lead. That is really what halter horse folks had breed for. A leader only. I think this hurt the halter horses and gave them a bad rap. IF, it takes Ted Turner to slowly turn things around then go for it TED. Maybe just Maybe, a sound, healthy horse, will be seen in halter again some day. I don't know if Hypp will ever go away. I am glad about the H/H rule. It was victory for horses. I do hope it will stand and AQHA does not back down. Guess, we will see.

7cedars wrote:

I totally agree, B&B. If the big guys do it, then it'll happen a lot faster.

Cindy, the horse mentioned is a rider. Now looking at him straight on, he looks the regular halter, but profile-wise, he's a rider... the hip doesn't come down to his ankles, he actually has withers, he's not posty, etc.

Gotcha! I looked at him from the forward profile and he looked the same to me. LOL

Cindy, tell ya a funny... next time you're at a roping, look at those suckers coming straight at ya, their chest and forearms... uh-huh, yep!

Guess what's in most of their papers?

7cedars wrote:

Cindy, tell ya a funny... next time you're at a roping, look at those suckers coming straight at ya, their chest and forearms... uh-huh, yep!

Guess what's in most of their papers?

IMPRESSIVE!!!???

Yep!

hmmm no Impressive in my Rope horse most of the rope horses that are roping for the all around competition ie: With All Probability or King of the Hen House (just a couple years ago) don't think either of them have any Impressive either.... not trying to be a brat or anything but the ones Im seeing at the bigger AQHA ropings around.....

yeah i gotta say, no impressive in any of my performance horses either, and they are just as big or bigger then some of these guys out there..

now dont get offended but personally i really do not like that stallion. i am happy to see they are going for more structure and soundess in the Halter horses, as Ive shown halter for most of my life, but honestly, there is something off about this stallion.

honestly i rather go out with my little 15.1 gelding and show in halter, because he is just as put together as anything, and has no impressive, is N/N and is the best all around horse Ive ever had. I can go out, place in the top three in halter, do Western Riding, and then turn around and go into WP and Trail...If he wasnt 13, Im sure he would kill the reining patterns as well....

i think its good to see a horse who can have a job, instead of just standing in a ring looking pretty. I have NOTHING against halter horses whatsoever AT ALL, for my mom and I have raised them for years, i just believe that to have a GREAT horse you should be able to take them out and ride them as well.

anyway, im glad we are getting away from these top heavy, crusty necked buckled knee'ed horses. Its just not fair to keep breeding them to be so crippled.

I know of quite a few rope horses, and even a few barrel horses around here that have Impressive. But then again this is Texas... One of my friends has a rope horse with Impressive as the gramps. That huge gelding could stand and look pretty and then turn around and burn up a cow, all with his head screwed on right, and a level willing attitude.

Actually now that I think about it, there are quite a few Impressive performance/general riding horses in this area. Some of them turn out to be some of the best family horses.

not arguing that point Ive seen some but just not that many competiting in the top level AQHA roping competition out there- the example of With All Probablilty- considering he is probably one of the greatest rope horses in the history of the aqha 1889.5 pts... look in the world show program and you won't see Impressive represented in the roping sorry he just isn't....

You're right, it may just be a Texas thing... HA! So many halter breeders down here, the ones that don't make it in the halter ring, end up going to ropers for little or no money. Definitely got a point there.

I know my vet, who's a roper, if he buys a horse that's got Impressive in it, he won't sell the horse with the papers, even though they're N/N. Course most of the ropers could care less what the papers are, it's the getting the job done that's most important.

And, Standby, you're dead on - I don't particularly like this guy either - his profile is not what I'd expect to win congress, much less reserve at the world. He definitely looks like a do-er rather than a I'm purty horse.

It's definitely going to change, I'm just not sure to what.

i think the Halter horse should change,i like the fact our breed can do everything,isnt that what they are bred for.
My horse pictured shows Halter,pleasure,trail and has now taken up showjumping doing 3ft 6.She also had ago at reining but isnt cut out for that.
The judges that come over though dont like her to much for whatever reason,the fact she stands dead square on her own accord and is the typical leg in each corner type,dont get me wrong they pick her out but she towards the end of the lineup.Whether its her age(13) or the fact she only 15.1hh i really dont know.

Give you a tip there, Shazegoff, and for goodness sakes, don't take this wrong, please!

Need to pull her back legs up under herself more, she's too stretched out. When a horse is stretched out like that, it hollows their back. To up a top line, either work 'em loping, or put a saddle on them for their work-out.

And I've seen that brand before... who's is that? I like that mare, though - course I'm always looking at mares how they'd cross on Kid... HA!

good pont 7c.will tell the daughter.

she was brought from Montana,harding ranch i think.i like this pic of her it reminds me of the quarter horse on the posters,plus heres another of her.

just realised pics in wrong order,oops. the pic of her on the hill is the one that reminds of the quarter horse on the posters etc:lol!:

From my point of view,the AQHA and the Judges of the AQHA determine what wins and what does not in the halter classes,for years they wanted those big muscled tall halter horses andf they got them why do you think all this line breeding started thats what was winning ,and everyone wants to win the closer they bred to the line the better the horses got ,as far as over at the knees and being crested in the neck those aren't my type of halter horses either ,that is the fault of the owner poor management and poor use if judgement,did any ony ever consider the AQHA has a performance halter to cut down on points you can recieve at a show I have know halter horses to stand in a class of 60 aged geldings and after a weekend of showing come with 90 points on a gelding after a show lets face it the halter classes are smaller now because of the break up of the classes there fore less incentive money to be paid out I do know of places that you have to show a halter class not preformance halter to win a club circiut award scooter ,saddle ,buckle etc and those will probally be your bigger shows and I know some of you aren't going to like that either having to show halter to get a award but that show is probally going to have the bigger classes riding and halter because of that prize being offered the future of the halter horse may change but why now with the new performance classes why did they not just keep everything the same and just set a new judging standard?Because they don't want to loose those big halter horses showing in that class.I have a big halter horse and
I'm proud to own it.just the reaction I get when he walks by to go to the pen is enough to put a smile on my face ,he is a awsome animal and the AQHA must think he has been awsome also the have been kind enough to award him over 1,000 halter points .....

You need to show us a photo of this big hunk of Love! Got to see this good lookin Man in your life!

I would love to If I can figure out how!!!!!I'll try to post one on here give me a few minutes .

Don't think I have it ,but here it goes

You can send me the pics and I can post them for you if you want.

jandrewes@sbcglobal.net

I e mailed those pictures and you should get them soon sorry for all the trouble ,can't wait to see them