What breed of horse would be good for Cross Country but would still be a good trail/pleasure horse? Any info on that breed would help too! Thanks!:)
No offense but the people who said Paso Fino, Rocky Mountain Horse & Tennesse Walker have obviously not done too much cross-country in their lives. There are always the "odd balls" in any breed that do excel in some sport their not made for but with gaited horses, it's HIGHLY unlikely.
My recommendation would be a Quarter Horse or an Appendix Quarter Horse. Not the western pleasure bred QH's but the smaller, more agile ones are amazing for xc & they're super calm for trail riding.
I've evented my 14.3 QH up to CCI * & took a clients QH all the was to CIC **.
Other breeds would include Irish Sport Horses, Warmbloods & I've also seen a lot of great Appaloosa Sport Horses. Thoroughbreds are nice but tend to be a bit too hot for trail riding.
I'm a little breed biased but I have heard Paso Finos are great for cross country. Just get one trained for it (basically a show horse wouldn't be good but there are farms who specifically breed for cross country races). They are also excellent trail and pleasure horses because of their smooth gait, which is completely natural, so you can ride much more comfortably, you and the horse.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
http://www.gaitedhorses.net/BreedArticle ...
A draft cross " ; sport-horse "could be an option because the draft cross" usually "has a calm demeanor. Many warmbloods have great dispositions, and maybe even an appendix QH, but every horse is an individual. I would start my search by evaluating horses with potential for cross country and making their disposition one of your major considerations (even "calm" horses need miles to become good "trail" horses). If you go the other route (a docile trail horse with cross country potential) you are more likely to get discouraged in your search. There are many quality horses with "hot" breeding that somehow don't inherit the "hot" trait.
i would suggest a thoroughbred, very good horse, lots of stamina and very pretty
here is some info on it:
The thoroughbred is a tall, elegant, sleek and slender breed. Thoroughbreds have long slim necks, and high withers. Their long legs combined with their short backs, long undersides and strong, thick, compact muscles (especially in the hind quarters) make them ideal for their primary sport, long distance horse racing.
I would recommend a Morgan/Arab cross if you are looking for endurance, stamina and comfort, unless you want a purebred. in that case i would recommend an Arabian. they were bred to be long distance event horses, and they are extremely agile trail horses. they do tend to have a mind of their own, which is nice on the trail as well.
I would say a Rocky Mountain Gaited horse. They are extremely comfortable to ride, very sure-footed, super friendly around people and other horses, have tons of stamina, and oh, did I mention extremely comfortable to ride?!:)
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com A close second would be a Tennessee Walker. They are just as comfortable as the Rockies and have a lot of stamina, but aren't quite as sure-footed in rocky, hilly terrain. However, they have an awesome "rocking-chair" ; canter, as they call it. Could almost rock you to sleep!
Both the Rocky and the Walker make you feel like you're gliding on air. You have to ride one!
Appendix QH. The thoroughbred blood would make the horse more suited to cross country than a purebred QH and the QH blood should make the horse a bit more laid-back and easy going for trail rides
EDIT: i'm assuming you mean traditional cross country (like in eventing)? I think some people who are answering this question don't seem to be getting that
Arabian-loves pleasure rides and has the stamina/abiliy you are looking for.
http://www.syvaha.com/photos/stallions/a ... http://api.ning.com/files/tcAueSmGspapWj ... pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/1496 ...
All these people have no idea what they are talking about.
Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Hanoverian's are probably your best bet.
Quarter horses are great, but don't have the stamina for it.
Plus, they aren't exactly the best jumpers out there Oo
A quarter horse or paint. They can be easily trained to jump over obstacles, yet have the stamina to be a good cross country horse, trail horse and pleasure horse. They are very willing breeds and usually live to satisfy the rider.
Halflinger, thoroughbred, paint (depends on the horse) or Arabian (I have one: D) I would NOT suggest a gaited horse ...
