Another interesting mounted civilian...

[Lance Stifle]

Re: Another interesting mounted civilian...

Thanks Patrick

Pelhams both military and civilian are commonly used over here for showjumping and formal equitation events.

I'm unsure of what your period correct guidelines would be over there for Pelhams, perhaps nickle coated? Currently over here they come either stainless steel or chromed which can be removed.

If you PM me a postal address I can send you some pages out of a catalogue and you can choose something I can send over.
Additionally an email address and I can send on our horse images as per the types I'm describing.
We breed, work and show the Australian Stock Horse (ASH, pretty much a refined Australian "Waler" type which was the Aust Light horse mount).

I agree with your preference for shorter backs, although we have in the past selected a couple of nuggerty Thoroughbred mares for breeding, we have a top quality stallion who throws good backs and almost everything else we're looking for into his progeny.

I like the Morgan type, if you were going to compare yours and ours the Morgan would be closer, although much like our ASH's they can get a little too heavy at times.

We run between 15 and 20 brood mares here, one Crabbet Arab mare who throws out great "Arab-Stockhorses" (recognised derivative and much in demand hereabouts), I follow my grandfathers example and cross a fourth generation filly back into our ASH line, that with selected thoroughbred mares of the right type.
We're lucky to have a yearling colt (half brother to our stallion) who will give us the option to line breed without closing ourselves into in-breeding, it's the three generation rule here.

Although we show regularly, we avoid the trap of following show fads and trends.
Confirmation, intelligence, disposition, and vigour always dominates our long term direction. It works we don't have any shortage of wins and sales.

Our oldest ASH brood mare stand just under 15 hands, and just turned twenty and has had 11 foals, still comes in season every year. Her grandsire was the great Foundation Sire "Chan" his blood is much prized, for many reasons.
(He could trot backwards as fast as forwards...remarkable.)

Apologies for writing at length...I could bore you all for hours about "Orses".

Cheers mate
Kim.

Thanks Lance thats good stuff. Joe also posted an interesting reference there. A pelham ,correct for the period , is what I am looking for. I dont want to use the bridoon/curb combo since that gets a bit more complicated and to me too much "stuff" to hassle with. Also then my regular civilian bridle will work just fine. I like pelhams but havent found a period correct one for sale anywhere yet.
It is also interesting about that 14hd horse. Personally I would not want a horse anything over 16hh and that is pushing it to the upper limits. I prefer about 15-15.2 for the very reason you state..easier on and easier off and in my experience height has nothing to do with strength. In fact, some shorter horses , with shorter backs Ive had, were far stronger IMO than some of the taller, heavier muscled ones are. Arabians and Morgans are probably good examples of it. I imagine your Aussie cowponies are not unlike ours either. Theyre not tall either or are not supposed to be anyway.

Ill have to shoot you a PM. I have more questions about some of that gear yall are using down under.

Patrick