- Thoroughbred
- Quarter Horse
- Percheron
- Clydesdale
- Arabian
- Paint
- Belgian
- Shire
The stallions are usually the smaller breeds like Quarter Horse and Paint, and the mares are usually a light horse/Draft Crosses or pure Drafts.
Below is an example. My mare is a 17hh, 1300 pound Thoroughbred/Percheron/Quarter Horse cross. Her dam was a grey Thoroughbred/Percheron and her sire was a sorrel Quarter Horse.
I have trained my mare for Dressage, English Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Reining, Cutting, Trail, and Driving.
Characteristics: Tall (around 15.2-17.3hh), heavy (usually 1200-1500 pounds), calm, sweet natured, suited best for Dressage, Cross Country, Jumping, Eventing, and some Driving. Their temperament allows them to be used for almost anything. They also can excel in Western riding. Canadian Sport Horses are quite common in Dressage and in the Olympics and Grand Prix.
These horses are usually started with riding when they are 2 years old, depending on size. My mare was started at 2 years old and she was 15hh.
My opinion: I believe that if you want a versitile horse that will do ANYTHING for you just to make you happy, then you need to get a Canadian Sport Horse. They are willing, strong, competitive, and can be used for anything from plowing your field to going to the Olympics.
