# My new Canadian mare



## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

I bought this girl from an online ad in July from only pictures and one video of her in a round pen. Not the best idea but I'm extremely happy with my decision!!

She's 10 years old, 15.2HH and broke to ride. I had my first "ride" on her yesterday and she definitely needs to have more groundwork done and broken of her herd bound issues. She also needs to lose a fair bit of weight (truth be told we both do ) before spring as I'd like to breed her.

I'm going to start ground driving next week if I can get to the tack store, she'll make a really nice harness horse for logging or maybe a cart.

Canadians are a breed exclusively developed in Canada from horses sent by Louis XIV. They were the do everything farm horse that thrived despite harsh winters and hard work, they earned the nickname "Little Iron Horse". They were also used to develop Morgans, saddlebreds and standardbreds. They nearly went extinct on more than one occasion from exports, in 1981 there were only 400 registered animals. Today there are around 6,000 and are finally being recognized as an important and versatile breed in our history that still has its place today.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Interesting breed and history. She looks a little grumpy- what had she been doing for a living prior to you buying her? Is she miffed about being put to work? 

She definitely needs a diet, I'd guess she's 200-250 lbs overweight.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Looks like a very solid, reliable all-purpose horse, much like some of the old Morgan types. I've read about the breed and known one or two people who had owned one or more and were very happy with them.


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Nice horse! Looks like she is built to do some work.


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## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

She was being used as a trail horse by the person I bought her from. Before that all I know was she was mostly ridden bareback.

She's actually pretty layed back, just not happy about my cell taking pictures, or dogs barking up at the house


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Camera shy, I totally agree with her and loathe having my picture taken. 

She's a nice stout mare that should work well.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I think she's really pretty in a good solid way. Once she is fit up a bit, I'll bet she's gorgeous! Cool breed too.


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## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

little bit on the history of getting the Canadian recognised, Donny has been gone for years but Alex is still kicking!! http://www.agrinewsinteractive.com/archives/article-4128.htm


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

Nice mare!
You'll enjoy her a lot I'm sure.


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

We used to breed and raise draft ponies. My old posse horse was a belgian/QH cross. I prefer a chunk type of horse but then I am not riding miles at a long trot daily as some chunks really have a rough trot! But dual purpose horses are excellent around a small farm. Very nice looking mare, wouldn't mind a team of those working on my farm.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

I can see why you went thru with buying just off the ad, she's great. enough bone/leg/hoof to handle her size. yeah, a bit of a belly but that's an easy fix. nice mare, congrats.

her name???


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## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

Thanks everyone, I think she's put together really well. Her registered name is Pauline but I hate that so still working on a barn name lol

I found someone in town that has a couple harnesses and a cart for sale(looks like a pony cart, not a horse cart though). The horse it's on in these pics is a 14.2 HH halflinger, and the collar is a 19". Said it fit his 16HH Canadian perfect, and since the taller Canadians tend to be a bit slimmer build I'm thinking it might also fit my mare, but I'll measure her tomorrow. 

What do you guys think of prices? And can an english riding bridle be used as a driving bridle or is it completely different?

http://bc.kijiji.ca/c-pets-livestoc...d-cross-country-horse-cart-W0QQAdIdZ518926065


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## Sam Burton (Sep 17, 2013)

Nice!


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Nice mare. I'd say she looks more like a 21" or 22" collar but it's hard to tell the scale of the animal.

Here's some information on measuring for a harness: http://www.chimacumtack.com/measure.html

The breastcollar harness shown in the photo looks like a typical Amish-type standardbred harness. My main concerns would be the length of the britchen and the heartgirth. Your mare has a pretty good-sized "motor" on her. She'd probably want a britchen that is 50" long (from one ring to another). I can see that the crupper doesn't have any buckles, which I find to be a hassle. $300 seems a bit steep for that simple, light harness with no bridle. I might pay $150-$200. But I won't buy a harness I can't go measure and lay hands on. Too often the leather is worn in spots, needs parts to be replaced, or doesn't fit. 

If she's trained to drive, she's mostly trained to go in a closed bridle (one with blinders). A horse can usually be trained to go in either an open bridle or a closed bridle, but if they're used to one and you use the other, you can be in for an unpleasant surprise.

The collar harness is nice. Maybe not $900 nice, though. That's nearly the cost of new. Maybe $600.

The cart looks like it is the right height for your mare. It's a little flimsy-looking to me. Do you weld or do you have a friend who can weld? You might end up needing to further reinforce where the shafts meet the cart. That is usually the weak point in these little pipe carts. That's a $500 Craigslist cart in my area.

Have you driven?

Midwest Leather has good inexpensive leather work harness that will last you many years. They are Mennonite and do not have an online presence but they will send you a catalog. My 2007-2008 Midwest Leather catalog has leather single horse harness with hames, bridle, lines (no collar) for about $850. Their phone number is 1-888-211-3047 and they are based out of California.

Big Sky Leatherworks out of Montana sells a little pipe cart similar to the one shown in the ad - $625. Nice breast collar buggy harness about $600. Neck collar style buggy harness $625 (no collar). 

Samson Harness in Minnesota makes VERY nice harness. Single buggy harness from him is $800 for breastcollar or neck collar. Work harness more like $1400.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I buy most of my driving horse stuff at the Small Farmers Journal auction in Madras, Oregon each spring.


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## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

I'm in Northern Canada so ordering a cart from the USA is prohibitively expensive. There is a Company near Vancouver that makes NICE carts, but new they're around $9,000+. My husband is a welder, but he simply doesn't have the time. With the snow due in a couple weeks I won't have any use for a cart until May, so I'll build a small sled to train her with lol

I've never driven, and she's not trained to drive. I'm hoping I can find someone in the area who can help me out, but for now I can work on ground driving and desensitizing her. 

Very few people here drive, if they do 99% of the time it's with a mini or pony


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

I'm guessing that's Pacific Carriage. They make GREAT carts but, yeah, spendy. Way out of my price range at least.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Oh and to answer your other question - a driving bridle primarily differs from an English bridle by having blinders (AKA blinkers or winkers). Most driving bridles also have a way of checking the horse up; either a sidecheck (my preference) or and overcheck (more common with buggy type harnesses). A checkrein on your bridle allows you to prevent the horse from putting his nose down far enough to graze or pull a lot of slack into the lines.

If you are driving for pleasure and always attending the lines, this will not be an issue for you. In working situations, however, you may find it convenient and helpful to have a loose checkrein at your disposal - particularly if your portion of the work requires your attention to occasionally be diverted, such as when you are clearing a jam from the mower, chaining up to logs, forking hay or clearing trash from under the plow beam.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

Totally off topic but every time I hear "checkrein" I remember sobbing hysterically over Black Beauty and Ginger. 

Sorry, childhood trauma.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

The dreaded bearing rein!

http://aso.gov.au/titles/tv/black-beauty/clip1/

Plenty of people still check their horses sky-high and it nauseates me, as it is done for no reason other than fashion. There is no practical reason to check your horse high.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

I dont know squat about horses, but I think she is pretty!


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

She's plump but she isn't 200 pounds over weight. That's a stout build mare. Most of that size is her, not blubber.

She's got a nice glaze of fat over the surface, though. Some work to get her into shape should take care of most of it.

She's a pretty thing.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I have a leather driving harness that should fit her. I'd have to get it out and be sure it is in still in good shape. Other than oiling it occasionally, we haven't used it for years, driving in the mountains is not our thing. I don't know what shipping would be but I'd sell it cheap.


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## CraterCove (Jan 24, 2011)

Irish Pixie said:


> Totally off topic but every time I hear "checkrein" I remember sobbing hysterically over Black Beauty and Ginger.
> 
> Sorry, childhood trauma.


Loved the book when I was little. Did any of y'all see the remake they did in the 90's with Alan Cummings as Black Beauty? That one had David Thewlis (whom /I/ liked before he was in a Harry Potter film) and Ian Kesley (I always thought he looked like Christian Bale) as Joe when he grew up. 

I remember being very upset about the check rein incident and many others as a child. I think it's a reason I have a problem letting go of animals even now. I can't trust other people to take care of my animals! :ashamed:


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## tailwagging (Jan 6, 2005)

i like!


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## elizaloo (Jul 5, 2010)

Ooooh pretty! I learned to ride on a Canadian 35 years ago - I will see if I can scrounge up the picture of us winning a ribbon at a show. Her name was Mae and she was such an awesome horse. So easygoing and let me build my confidence as a rider.


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## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

She is horribly overweight, she carries it well, but you can't feel her ribs with your fingers, no matter how hard you jab. She's got a good 2ish inches of fat :s

Girth measurement came in at 89" just from wrapping my lunge line around her and then measuring that with a tape measure...online calculator put her around 1,700lbs!!!

My knee has been bugging me so I just did some groundwork today. She's really good about being touched anywhere, ropes wrapped around her anywhere, following without a lead rope, etc. Tried lunging her today but had some issues with sending her out, she wouldn't stop backing up/moving sideways to keep facing me. Lunge whip got her going but I still see future issues trying to work her from behind lol. She backs up nice and easy, almost no pressure at all. I also got her up into a trot for awhile, she moves so beautifully, when I can hold the lunge line, whip and my camera I'll get a video 

Pretty girl with her new lunging cavesson, I did tighten it up after the picture.


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## fffarmergirl (Oct 9, 2008)

I love her! My husband's new horse looks a lot like her. Big, all black, solid like a tank. He's not a Canadian horse, though. I love those big heavy bones. He is really overweight too but he's lost a lot of weight since we brought him home and he's looking way better. He was round like a barrel - hard to keep a saddle from sliding.


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## cedarcreekranch (Nov 24, 2010)

She is a good looking girl! I like the looks of her - she looks like she'd be a good one for whatever work you put her to.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Hey Rattery, we bought an adorable cart from a place north of Calgary a few years back. It was called Crossfield Carriages. Nice people. Where are you located in BC? We are in far northern Idaho close to the BC line. Very pretty girl, by the way. I could get interested in Canadians.


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## Rattery (Jun 27, 2013)

Way way northern BC, 3 hours west of Prince George and 1 hour east of Smithers. 13ish hours north of the US border lol.

I'm actually thinking about starting her in dressage. She has a lovely level trot and is picking up on verbal cues a lot faster than I anticipated.

It'll be a couple weeks before I'm able to work with her again but she's already looking like she's lost some weight


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Rattery said:


> Way way northern BC, 3 hours west of Prince George and 1 hour east of Smithers. 13ish hours north of the US border lol.
> 
> I'm actually thinking about starting her in dressage. She has a lovely level trot and is picking up on verbal cues a lot faster than I anticipated.
> 
> It'll be a couple weeks before I'm able to work with her again but she's already looking like she's lost some weight



Good gravy....you are up there!


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