# Best farm horse? Bloodlines & Breed.



## Farmer2B (Oct 20, 2011)

I'm looking for a bloodline or breed that would make a good farm horse. The horse would need to be able to put pretty well, be pretty tough, preferably be cowsmart and hopefully be between 15hh to 16.3hh.

I've been thinking Mustangs, especially the remount crosses.

What do you think?


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

put? pull?

I like loads of horses for around the farm work but would love to know what you want to do with the horse before I answer further


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

For an all around cowhorse with cow instinct, and in the size you are looking for, can't go wrong with a QH. If you want them to pull, some of the draftier horses are smallish in height but big on power.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

If you want a ranch horse you would probably want to look at a ranch raised Quarter Horse. Many of the show lines are loosing their cowy instinct.
If you want to put an animal in harness for farm work, I would look closely at Sulfolk Punch. They originated in England. Its said that they are "bred for the furrow". They are really level tempered and probably the best feet I've ever seen.


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## 1sttimemom (Mar 1, 2005)

How about a Morgan. They are the "original" all around work/farm horse. You can see pics of old fashion type Morgans on my web site to give you an idea. Most have great disposition and are very sound. Trainer I used a few yrs ago raised QH. Morgan were the ONLY horses they would allow in full training without shoes. They generally have really tough hooves. And they are usually also SUPER easy keepers, very little grain needed. Most of my mares are never grained and raise foals even with good pasture and very little else. They are very well known for ability in harness and even hold their own as endurance mounts. Lots of ranchers use them for cattle and many old time morgans were in the basis of the AQHA registry. Just really a nice all around type horse.

Only problem, you might have a tough time finding one in the taller height. Most are around 14.3 or so. Of course, the same holds true for most foundation QH so...


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I would ask you to define "pulling". If you mean a rope horse or light carting by all means get a ranch bred Quarter Horse. I would avoid Morgans like the plague. 

If you are talking draft type pulling, you really need more than one horse.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

I second Morgans for all-around farm work and for their tractable nature. I've seen plenty of bad tempered QHs in my career - there are good ones, but I would certainly do an extensive trial period before buying.

Neither Morgans or QHs will be much over 15 hands, unless you get a show horse.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

without having you clarify the first two horses I thought of were also QH and Morgan 

I've driven really nice steady Morgans and QH both 

a long day of working cows and a long day of pulling really do require different skill sets- may be hard to find a truly dual purpose horse deciding on which you will do more of might influence your final choice


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

My cow ponies were all broke to harness and put a lot of miles in pulling a cart. You don't see too many cow bred Quarter Horses in the 15-16.5 hand range, though. Tall horses can't usually move their legs fast enough to keep ahead of a cow.

Some of the King Fritz horses are up over 15 hands and they are really cowy. Stingy, too, which I don't care for too much in a driving horse.

There's a herd of tall mustangs in Eastern Oregon. 16-17 hands. Nice natured, pintos, mostly. I don't know if they are agile enough to work cattle, but they jump nice and would be good in harness.

The BLM doesn't harvest a lot of them and they are _not_ cheap to buy, if you can even find one. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the herd.

If you want to spend the money, a Chilean Horse would do what you want.


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## 1sttimemom (Mar 1, 2005)

I wonder why someone should avoid morgans "like the plague"? Can you explain what is the problem with Morgans? 

I realize we all have an opinion and everyone like something a bit different and I'm not trying to convert anyone. I was just kinda surprized to read this statement. All breeds have their good and bad points as a while. And each has superior and inferior individuals. I've raised and worked with Morgans for many yrs. I've also worked with lots of other breeds (appy, QH, Paint, Saddlebred, and arabs mostly). I find the morgans generally to be very easy to work with, sound, easy keepers, very few health or personality issues for the most part. 

The morgan breed has influenced just about every other american breed, including QH, so lots of people obviously saw the value of them besides me!


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

1sttimemom said:


> I wonder why someone should avoid morgans "like the plague"? Can you explain what is the problem with Morgans?
> 
> !


 yeah, huh? just askin the morgan's ive been around have been very willing pleasant workers.

as for QH's we have 2 well over 15 hands. mine is 16.1, hubs is right under that and more agile than a cat. depends on the bloodlines. those for cutting aren't much bigger than a large pony! either mine or hubs could so some pulling, and are great at cattle work. but i would fully agree on the suffolk if i were to do a bunch of real serious pulling/ploughing. the fella i got my best dairy goat from raises them and we'd like to get one someday. that deep liver color and thick manes, mmmm!


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

1sttimemom said:


> I wonder why someone should avoid morgans "like the plague"? Can you explain what is the problem with Morgans?


I've probably worked with a thousand Quarter horses and 50 Morgans. 

About 90% of the Quarter Horses were smart, cowey, calm, biddable, and easy to train. Most of the Morgans were just a giant PIA. I'm not here to discuss the relative merits, just to deliver my opinion, which was asked for by the OP. Take it as you wish.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

tinknal said:


> I've probably worked with a thousand Quarter horses and 50 Morgans.
> 
> About 90% of the Quarter Horses were smart, cowey, calm, biddable, and easy to train. Most of the Morgans were just a giant PIA. I'm not here to discuss the relative merits, just to deliver my opinion, which was asked for by the OP. Take it as you wish.


I've probably worked with about 50 Morgans and several thousand QHs and have the exact opposite experience.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Wonder if Tink's morgans were the "new" lines that look more like saddlebreds; give me an old line morgan with a nice thick neck and some substance to it's bones.

Riding, buggy/cart and light pulling I'd take the Morgan. Small draft..haflinger because they are available locally and about as big as i'd care to handle.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

tinknal said:


> I've probably worked with a thousand Quarter horses and 50 Morgans.
> 
> About 90% of the Quarter Horses were smart, cowey, calm, biddable, and easy to train. Most of the Morgans were just a giant PIA. I'm not here to discuss the relative merits, just to deliver my opinion, which was asked for by the OP. Take it as you wish.





malinda said:


> I've probably worked with about 50 Morgans and several thousand QHs and have the exact opposite experience.


Me too, but I'd like to clarify that to "old type" foundation Morgans some of the "new type" are not as even tempered and quiet. In fact, I'll go on to say I'm not a fan of the "new type" at all to me they look more like Saddlebreds- light boned and tend to be taller and weedy. I don't remember _ever_ working with a foundation bred Morgan that was a PITA.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

The handful of Saddlebreds I've worked with are really nice horses too. They're good-natured, tall and substantial horses, with good bone. (One of my clients has two Saddlebred geldings, of which his new horsey neighbor told him that in no way were his horses Saddlebreds! ...Um, yeah - they're Saddlebreds!)

Morgans have had Saddlebred bred into them for a long time. If I'm not mistaken, the Morgan stud book was an open book well into the 1950s.

I do like the "old style" Morgan, and that's the horse who would be more suitable to farm work v. the current saddleseat type of Morgan.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

My experience with Saddlebreds is limited to a time in the mid 70's when I worked on a farm that bred and raised them. Nuckin' Futs would be an apt name for that line although I can't remember what real line it was now. I do distinctly remember one of the young horses slinging it's head and breaking my nose tho. So, I may be just a smidge prejudiced against Saddlebreds cuz I've never met a sane one...


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

I've liked both morgans and QHs I've met. It usually comes down to lines and training.

I have a 2 QH in the backyard, both are level headed and when they get themselves in a situation, they will stand and wait for help. Both QH will hear fireworks or guns go off and look around before deciding to jog to the other half of the pasture. Where the third, a TWH X will usually panick in a situation(feeling "caught" in the trailer, walking into the hay shelter and feeling "stuck") cause himself damage(rope burns, cuts, etc). I've had QHs that were the more 'modern' lines that would fly off the bat in a panick. Had one that would stress when the weather changed, he would stress so bad it was the demise of him.

I've only been to a couple of Saddlebred barns and those horses were just wild and highstrung. It may have been their management, as both barns kept horses stalled in small stalls, blanketed head to toe, with no means of entertaining themselves. They bared teeth and pinned their ears when horses or visitors walked by, weaved, cribbed, ran in circles. One had dug a good 6ft pit in the middle of the stall. The broodmares kept out in the pasture were on a much different level than the 'show horses', they seemed calmer, but a bag were to fly across the pasture, those gals would really put on a show. 

So it comes down to lines, management, and training in any breed. (Can't recall how many people would hear that I had an appaloosa and EVERYBODY had a negative comment about it. But my experience with apps have always been a very positive one, with the exception of one "show" stallion that was double fenced and was trying to kill people through the fence. He was a psycho and needed to be gelded, but I guess he threw good color and body. A breeder you would want to stay clear of.*argh*)


If I were looking for a good allround riding/pulling horse for a smaller homestead, I would look at the Halflingers. I don't know how they would do with cows. They are smaller, but many still drafty. Their size would make them more economical than a full sized draft for pulling chores around a homestead, and it would be like riding a dinosaur. It would probably be hard to find one over 15hh, I've heard their girth is so wide, you feel as though you are on something taller.

I honestly don't think there is just one single breed that would be "the best" for an allround farm horse. I think you should find a breed that suits what you want and is pleasing to your eye and shop for a horse that fits the criteria. 

You will find good and bad in just about any breed. What is appealing to you? What type of pulling work are you wanting to do?(At a certain level of pulling, you will have to switch your focus to more of the draft range of horses)


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

I really like Quarter Horse/Draft (I'm most familar with QH/Belgian) crosses for all around horses as well. They're usually in the 15 hand range and stout, same would go for Morgan/Draft crosses.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

You know, when I was a young kid, I took lessons at a local stable. There were two horses they would give me to ride, one was named George...tall, lanky, not sure what old George was, but the other was Mickey, a Morgan Draft cross. Mickey was the coolest, level headed-est, solidly plugging along horse ever.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Our neighbor runs cattle. He and a friend have quite a few, especially good quality bulls for their semen. When one of his horses turns about three he sends them out to Wyoming to learn on a big cattle ranch. He's a young guy who did a lot of rodeo stuff until he badly hurt his shoulder a couple of years ago. Anyway, every single one of them is a QH or a Paint. They're bred for ranch work while Mustangs are not. Quarter horses and Paints (the breed, not spotted horses) are usually friendly horses. 

A friend of mine has several mustangs that she's gotten rid of. Hers came straight from BLM and it took years to get them into decent farm shape. One of them never did tame. Personally I don't understand why people breed them. There are so many good, working horses. Mustangs have uncertain heritage and it's not unusual for them to have conformation problems that would limit their ability to remain sound doing long term ranch work.

Why do you want such a large horse? I've never seen working cow horses that tall. A friend has a show QH that is somewhere around 17 hh it I'd not use a show pony as a working horse.


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## Judith (Jan 10, 2003)

Morgans and QH are both excellent farm type horses. But a good cowie QH is going to be small 14 -14.3. Reining and cutting types are rarely over that height. I also have a soft spot for Appy's. They can be really solid working horses too. But my favorite will always be a Morgan. Easy keepers, solid and great minds. I currently have one parked in the barn as we speak


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

i know several haff/QH crosses and those are also a very nice mix, for this sorta thing. finding a saddle could be tricky, but pm jill, that'd fix that problem! very stout but still ride-able. 

i humbly disagree however at the size of a cow-working QH, we have 4 who are all 15hh or taller, and know countless others. sure, lots in the 14.+hand range too, but that is just whatever breeding it has. but you tie onto somethign with a 16hh quarter and its goin wherever you want to!! the smaller ones are sometimes more agile, but our mare is crazy quick, wins at ranch rodeos, cowboy racing etc., and is close to 16hands and very stout. the gelding isn't nearly as agile but is a real powerhouse if you need one!


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## 1sttimemom (Mar 1, 2005)

Sorry, I didn't mean to derail this thread. There are good and bad in every breed. Honestly, your best bet would probably be to really look around and pay attention to each individual prospect no matter what the breed. When you go look, if the horse is ill mannered or has obvious flaws/unsound/health issues avoid that horse. Some of the best horses I've ever been around have been crossbreds or grades. 

And fot the person who mentioned appys, I have a soft spot for them too! The original foundation type. My 1st horse was an appy and really the BEST trail all-around riding horse I've ever been on. I still had appy's until my last died a couple yrs ago at age 26. I'd had her 20 yrs. She was unflapable even as a youngster, never ever spooked, very smooth easy gait.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

1stTime, I have an appy, and he is a bully on the ground to the other horses, tests us frequently, is impossible to catch, stubborn as a mule. BUT...

I can put any rider on him and he is as solid and dependable as they come, unflappable, even minded. Sid has only ever spooked on the trail one time, and it was because a deer shot out from the brush next to him and ran right across his path. It was the wondeful sideways spook, and he just moved on like nothing ever happened afterwards. He is the point and click horse, not afraid to blaze new trails. I had one scary episode with him where he was half rearing, half bucking, but I know he was getting stung by something, and as soon as I shooed the thing away, he was perfect again.

In fact, I took him and Sunny out today for the first time in over a year, and both Sunny (palomino, probably QH) and Sid were so good they should have gotten medals. As if the year off didn't matter. I was so proud of them.

So I have a love/hate thing with Appys, but must grant that Sid is the singlemost calm and unflappable horse I have, patient with new riders, eager to please. In fact, he had a double whammy today, first time out AND I took my DD with us in front of me and he didn't bat an eyelash. He is a HUGE boy, 16.2h at the least.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

QH/Paint/Appaloosa = same horse, different color.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

malinda said:


> QH/Paint/Appaloosa = same horse, different color.


Definitely now but Apps used to be a different critter from the other two. :grump:


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## DaynaJ (Dec 5, 2007)

Missouri Foxtrotter Horse..They are awesome! there is a website MFTHBA.com you can go to to check them out. You can do anything with them..


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I don't think that the best horse for ranch work or anything else comes down to breeding. In my opinion, the best horse for the job is a horse with conformation suited to one's needs and that has been well trained to handle the tast at hand. I've done more than my fair of ranch work and have found just as many outstanding grade horses as those that are papered to death.


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

nothing quite like a lovely grade (or mix) horse


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Best cow horse that I ever had was 16 hands. He was a Texas ranch horse. Probably more or less QH but roman nosed, strong willed with crooked front legs. He was a cow eating machine and had no quit in him. Later in his life I wagon trained with him (as an outrider) and there was nothing he loved more than a good wagon runaway. He would cripple himself to stop a runaway team. I packed 4 calves at one time with him in a Montana blizzard. If I could rope it and get a dally he could pull it. I loaned him out once as a rodeo pickup horse and he did a bang-up job. I once wore out a set of steel shoes on him in 2 days. I've cried when I lost dogs. I've cried when I've lost people. He is the only horse I ever cried over.

Sigh...........


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I would think a good old foundation quarter horse, other than the height you are wanting (sure about that? height ain't everything, shorter horses can be very powerful).


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I had a couple of Appy youngsters many years ago - foundation bred I'm sure - they were sweet, easy fun horses. A friend broke them for me (30 days, amateur rider) and my newbie husband and I rode them for a few years until we moved. Never had a bit of trouble with our 2 - 4 yr old babies. I've always loved the breed, but I live in the heartland (Palouse country!) and know the foundation type. Definitely not QH's with spots, they tend to be small horses, more lightly built, even tempered, not always as pretty as the QH's in head, etc, but just good horses. I was so sorry we had to sell them, but my husband had a job... ya know. I'd have a little rat tailed Appy in a moment!


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## wolffeathers (Dec 20, 2010)

Irish Pixie said:


> Definitely now but Apps used to be a different critter from the other two. :grump:


The app I grew up on and have my most fond memories with, was different than the more modern quarter horses. She carried her head higher, had an arched neck and was small. Maybe 14 hh.

One of the only pictures I had of her. She was my heart horse and is sorely missed. She is the red roan with the star, registered Paint stallion on the road and a grade paint to the rear. She wasn't spotted, but she had mottled skin everywhere and her filly was a blanket app.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

I would think most folks looking for a horse to work cattle and/or drive would have spent enough time around horses to have a serious idea of the kind of horse they wanted. If not, you might want to find a way to work with or have lessons on several types of horses before buying one.

If by tough, you mean one that needs little care, horses do much better when they are taken care of. If you want to use one for a specialized job, they need to be worked on a regular basis. While there are many breeds and grade horses that will have individuals that will fill the requirements, it will take knowledge on your part to get the job done.


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## Farmer2B (Oct 20, 2011)

Sorry, pull.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Farmer2B said:


> I'm looking for a bloodline or breed that would make a good farm horse. The horse would need to be able to put pretty well, be pretty tough, preferably be cowsmart and hopefully be between 15hh to 16.3hh.
> 
> I've been thinking Mustangs, especially the remount crosses.
> 
> What do you think?


Do you have any horse experience?


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

malinda said:


> QH/Paint/Appaloosa = same horse, different color.


Not always..

my stallion is registered APHA..his grand-dam is from unknown stock..she was hardship registered. While she MAY have come from QH lines..no way to prove it..and why he would never be able to be registered AQHA.


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## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

You know..the morgans I've met remind me of my chincoteague ponies..there is no forcing..but rather convincing..

Its like trying to force a river backwards..you simply cant..but, you may dig a ditch which changes it's direction..

We have QH's..my husband's breed..and they do a great job on our place, helping with the cows. All of ours are cow bred..many are accomplished horses in the show pen too. these are our girls
http://coyotecreekranch.weebly.com/quarter-horses.html

I personally like riding my chinco's for work as well..super hardy, go all day attitudes...but they sure wouldnt meet your height requirements.


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## bluebird2o2 (Feb 14, 2007)

My picks are quarter horse,morgan,appaloosa.our apppys registered but shes got a lot of QH blood.


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