Re: arab/percheron crosses

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Jasmine was kind enough to send me a link to the American Warmblood Society
and in their FAQs section, they had an excellent paragraph about
cross-breeding and what *can* happen when you cross different types of
horses, ie a draft and an Arabian.  Here it is:

Question: What is meant by "mixed bloodlines"?

Answer: This is a very good question, and one that definitely needs a
thorough explanation. What we really mean by "mixed" is "unconsolidated" and
it refers not so much to breed, but to type. For example, the breeds which
make up the group of horses we commonly think of when we refer to European
warmbloods have been bred for generations for specific traits & aptitudes
which ensure their dominance in the competitive sport horse arena. That is
why, regardless of how many breeds are in the average European Warmblood's
pedigree (and there are usually several), his ability to perform remains
intact. He was bred true to type. Many of the breeds we have in this country
have been bred for nearly as long for completely different tasks. Because of
this selective breeding, they excel at the tasks they are asked to perform.
Let us use, for example, a Quarter Horse bred for cutting. In fact, you
could just as easily use a world-class quality cutter as an example. This
horse would obviously be an athlete whose conformation would be dictated by
its job, which in this case, is working cattle. There are few who would
argue that the conformation of a world class cutter and the conformation of
a world class dressage horse or jumper the same. In fact, their very
specialized jobs require conformations that are radically different without
deeming either superior. When two athletes of two different types are
crossed on one another, the results are often inconsistent. Furthermore, the
breeder has decreased the consolidated reliability of the bloodlines for
either sport! It is a genetic possibility, in fact, a mathematical
probability, that such a crossbred horse, even when bred back to another
consolidated warmblood lineage, will produce some foals which are less
suitable for sport than the original crossbred. The proof of this can be
found in any college genetic textbook. Because of this, and because of the
tremendous influence a stallion can have on a breeding population due to the
number of mares he can cover, "mixed types" need to be regarded with extreme
caution when considering breeding potential. This does not mean we are
summarily discouraging the use of Quarter Horses and other specialized
breeds in warmblood crossbreeding. For many amateur riders and breeders in
this country, an outcross to a warmblood represents a huge step in the right
direction toward their competitive goals. These horses will fulfill these
goals. For the most part, however, they need to be regarded as sport horses,
which they surely are, and not as part of our ongoing breeding program. We
are not trying to re-invent the wheel; we are trying to see it roll smoothly
in this country over our native terrain.