Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dumbloods

Around here people have a special name for those behemoth sized horses that people use for English disciplines.... and it's not nice....

Maybe it is their long ears or big brown eyes... or maybe it is the lumbering roll of their walk or maybe that they can be a little slower minded than other breeds but either way, "Dumblood" is an affectionate, if not slightly inflammatory nick name for various warmblood breeds.

I will admit that I've used this term once or twice before!

But while I generally feel entitled to hold any prejudice I see fit, I usually try to due so based on an educated opinion. Which I am sorely lacking in this instance.

What in God's green earth am I talking about?

I havent a clue! That was my pathetic attempt at introducing the fact that I am going to bore you all .... *the silence echos* or the one or two of you who read this.... with yet another breed post.

I've discovered that my knowledge of the various Warmblood breeds is seriously lacking and so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by researching and writing a post about them... . But before I got very far at all I realized that before discussing warmblood breeds we really must explore the difference between open stud books (which the average warmblood breed association holds) and the more common closed book registry's like the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) , The Jockey Club, Arabian Horse Association, Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC), American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) etc..

Actually, we dont really need to do anything of the sort but if I am going to write a long, rambling and boring post anyways, so I mind as well.

Where where we?

Ah yes! Closed Book vs. Open Book. You know I just realized that people have a little registry of sexual partners too! Its called a Little Black Book!

Sorry.

A stud book is quite simply the registry, or records, controlled by a breed association that keep track of pedigrees, births and breedings and issue registration certificates. They also control which horses qualify to be registered within their breed association based on one, some, or all of the following: conformation, movement, pedigree, performance record, and offspring record.


A closed stud book like the AQHA only allows foals to be registered if both parents are registered stock from within their association. Some exceptions apply in a few "closed" books (AQHA allows Thoroughbred registered stock in their Appendix registery, Appaloosa allows AQHA blood etc.) but no "grade" (unregistered horses) are allowed and only very limited outside influence from other registered breeds.

At one point in time AQHA had an open stud book as their objective was to develop a breed. They "closed" the stud book when they determined that they had reached their objective and wished to preserve the breed qualities of that horse by not allowing influence from outside breeds.

Whereas many Warmblood breed association books are considered "open", meaning that they accept a number of specific breeds in to their registry and a few even accept"grade" stock so long as the breeding mare or stallion passes an inspection by the registry. The reason for this is because their objective is to breed a horse best suited for a specific discipline (usually eventing, dressage and show jumping.) and so they do not choose to exclude a superior horse, with the movement, conformation or ability they are looking for merely for lack of the appropriate sire and dam.


Some breed registry's even require their own registered stock to be rated and approved by the registry in order for any of their offspring to qualify for registration. This ensures that all of their registered stock have the physical qualities they are looking for within the breed.

So, now that we have that down, maybe you'd like to consider the pluses and minuses of closed book vs open book registries.

Or perhaps you'd rather not.

Either way this weekend stay tuned for a breed post on Warmbloods.

*cue suspenseful music*

And then next week....

*Count Dracula voice*

My rant about the AQHA...closed book registries and the future (or lack thereof) of the QHs breed!

Bwahahaha!!

Sorry...

I'll go now.

Bye.

10 comments:

  1. I don't know much about warmbloods, so I'll be looking forward to your post about the breed.
    Thanks for all the registry info!
    Oh yeah, the answer to your question, my trail saddle is a Circle Y. Alot of people think it is a Tucker, it does look like one!

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  2. Fazzinating...bwahaha! lol!

    Good one Chels! :)

    I know nothing...absolutely nothing about Warmbloods....er Dumbbloods....or whatever they're called, affectionately or not.
    I cannot wait to read more in your next blog post!

    ~Lisa

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  3. I know a little bit - a friend of mine breeds them. Would love to learn more...

    I know it seemed to me that it was a pain in the ass for her to get her mares approved for breeding....


    Anyway - Happy Friday!

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  4. PS - Please keep in mind that there are other "closed book" breeds that have serious identity issues worse than even AQHA - cough cough (apha - aphc etc....) its easy to pick on the power house...

    Will we be a colorful Quarter Horse or will we be our own breed - that is the question! wink

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  5. She leaves us with a cliffhanger?

    C-don't you realize patience is not a vitue I was bestowed with?

    Well, I'm anxiously awaiting these posts. Aught to make for some interesting discussion.;)

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  6. I am certainly looking forward to your rant! Rant away Chelsi dear!

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  7. I hadn't thought about the Open books for the Warmbloods, I guess that makes sense.. what is funny is the unbelievable prices of those horse!

    I knew a gal who bred her own version which was a Draft/ Arab cross or something like that..

    interesting..

    Jan.. owner of Paint horses from Closed books (sort of!)

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  8. Oh how I do love Warmbloods, even if I think they can be rather homely...sometimes. :) And I do know a thing or two about their registry/breeding process too (or at least I used to...lol!!!).

    This should be fun!!!!

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  9. I rather like your breed posts! Looking forward to this one.

    I finally looked at your art web site - very nice!

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  10. Appaloosa does allow registry of a horse in which one parent is grade under the hardship clause. My gelding "Medicine Cap Command" has full Appy papers, even though his mother was a unregistered $230 slaughter house rescue. To qualify he had to have one registered parent, be gelded or spayed (if mare) and exhibit 3 or more of the 4 breed characteristics (Mottled skin, stripped hooves, white scalara in eyes and of course the Appaloosa coat coloring). My guess is by breed his is Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Maybe part Morgan and a smidgen of Appaloosa. But, he looks and moves like a very loud leopard colored Warm Blood. And can be shown in open breed shows. I'll put his story on my blog in a day or two.

    Regards,

    Angela

    PS --LOVE your Blog!

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