Any idea on his breed?

[elise]

This is fun (and what's better than showing off photos of your kids), anyone want to give my big boy a try? He's 16hh, 12 years old, and I have no idea what he is. Previous owners got him at auction in South Dakota or western Minnesota, US. Previous owner told me Appy, but he appears to be missing the requisite spots. QH is my best guess as that is what is common in this part of the country.

http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/01_horses/814_axel_peeking.jpg

His big bum:
http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/01_horses/825_axel_bum.jpg

http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/01_horses/827_axel_rightside.jpg

http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/02/894_axel.jpg

And my favorite photo though I wish it wasn't a still from a video. He tends to hold his tail up like that while being ridden as well as when he's excited, versus my Paint who only holds his tail up when he's completely worked up and beside himself:
http://www.ineedanap.net/farmgirl/photos/video/axel_meeting.jpg

[love4horses]

He is more than likely a quarter horse, seeing how he has the powerful hindquarters and muscular shoulders and neck. His secondary breed might be appy. Just because he doesn't have the appy spots doesn't mean that he isn't an appy. I have seen registered appys that had not one spot on them. So it is very likely, although I really like the apps with the blanket on their rears. Is he a stud, because the way he approachs the other horses makes him look like he is there to strut his stuff...?

[Tangle]

He looks HUGE in that last pic, and quite thoroughbreddy :p

No ideas on the breed I'm afraid, although I'd also doubt the appy. Not because he doesn't have spots, but because he doesn't have any sign of pink sclera round his eyes or stripy hooves, both of which are pretty common appaloosa features.

[BeachRiding]

Definite QH or Mustang! Maybe even some TB!

[elise]

Is he a stud, because the way he approachs the other horses makes him look like he is there to strut his stuff...?

He isn't a stud, but that was the first time he met his pasture mates. Two of which are mares. Up until that point it's just been him and one other gelding. So he was quite smitten with the girls. Climbed up on one even! Here's hopping he's not a rig! ;)

[elise]

I'm gonna say probably no TB. Hard to tell from the photos but he has huge feet. I've been told by various people they thought he might even be a draft cross.

Anyone know if he could be considered a black or if he's just dark bay? These photos are all from September so his almost brown look could be just from the sun. His tail is very black, but the tips of his mane and forelock look almost red. His only white is on his hind two feet.

[Skyhuntress]

I say Quarter Horse. Powerful hindquarters and stocky neck and head

[santana]

TB-QH X TB-friesian, mabey NO appy there by the looks, the feet a you said friesian would be how he would have them (i think )
hes stunning, look like a lovely boy,
just a guess.....:D
rosie

[Kalypso]

He could have appy in him, as Mia has appy and has absolutely NO appy characterstics, no mottling, nothing...but I'd be pretty sure it's probably no more than a quarter or so :) I'm not sure what he looks like, really, but he is gorgeous! :D

[Dreamchaser]

I would guess at least some quarter horse in him.

[elise]

Thanks everyone, for your comments, this is fun to hear what people think of him!

[love4horses]

You know that if he is mounting the other mares that it is possible that he has a Cryptochid(sp?)... which is a retained testicle of course. Usually when they are geldings they don't do the stallion behaviors unless it's been recently that he has been gelded.

He is a very beautiful QH though!

[Sparklie]

how about a bit of standardbred?
his head looks like a standardbred...bit of QH too from the muscles

[iloveshearer]

i agree qh or standardbred or possibly friesan maybe? he is gorgeous

[Just.Jump]

Appalossas, like paints, can be solid. However, I *highly* doubt he is an appy, as he doesn't have the white schlera, and he is definately not built like a qh/paint/appy.

By his long build and his face build, He looks like he's got alot of standardbred in him. I would guess all standardbred, but I imagine you would have cought him pacing in the feild.

[elise]

Standardbred, that's interesting, I never considered that. I don't have a lot of experience with standardbreds, are they usually as stocky as Axel is?

I probably couldn't recognize a pace so I'll have to look up some videos and keep my eye on him.

Heh, I had a dream someone told me he was a shire x. Hehe pretty sure that's not true!

[aBreeze]

Definitely Quarter, that butt is a perfect example! His back is long, but its NOT uncommon AT ALL in Quarters because of the amount of TB in them and hes obviously not foundation. He has a muscular shoulder and a somewhat low neck. You cant go by heads when it comes to Quarter's since theres such a variety. Theres everything from long and lean, to roman nosed, to babydoll, etc... He is a beautiful horse...

BTW I would call him black, though he is not a "true" black because he gets bleached - meaning he's either a black bay or very dark brown... but no ones going to question you when you say hes black.

[Sparklie]

yes Standardbreds can be quite stocky as they race and obviously build up a lot of muscle.

pacing is when a horse trots in a different way. Instead of trotting with their legs moving in diagonal pairs their legs move in lateral pairs, both right legs and then both left legs. you should be able to spot it fairly easily

[elise]

I'm pretty sure he doesn't pace, but I have a video from their first day at the new ranch, if I can figure out how to capture clips from it, I'll try and post them tonight.

[lisae]

Neighbors had a TWH X Morgan cross years ago that looked like him!
Any gaiting in his paces? Especially with the height he has, he might have TWH blood.

Or, I would guess he could be QH X Canadian horse, too, with the dark color which is what the Canadian horse most often has.

[lisae]

I just Googled the Canadian horse and you'd be surprized how much he looks like that breed! I've attempted to attach a pic blatantly stolen from somenoe's website...

[elise]

The Canadian horse looks a bit more refined than my big boy. I'm gonna see if I can peek in his mouth tomorrow and see if there's any tattoos hiding that we didn't know about.

[elise]

I figured out how to get some low quality video clips. These are the day they moved to their new barn. Lots more space than they used to have so they were stretching their legs. Both of them were sweaty beasts after all this running.

The first one is of Axel and a little bit of a trot:
http://media.putfile.com/Axel-Trotting-A-Few-Steps

This one is of Axel running around like a goof:
Click here to watch Axel-Running (http://media.putfile.com/Axel-Running)

[aBreeze]

yes Standardbreds can be quite stocky as they race and obviously build up a lot of muscle.

ok... but he is not being raced which would lead to the fact that hes not being conditioned, which leads to not having that muscle that can make a standardbred stocky.

lol that last video is adorable! he looks like such a goofball!!!

[Just.Jump]

Didn't view the videos, but I can say that he most likely is not a Canadian horse, unless you paid fairly good money for him, since Canadian horses are fairly upperlcass, if not the Canadians wamrblood standard, for home bred horses anyway. And most people don't pay that much for a horse that they aren't planning on showing extensively at the higher levels.

[Dina]

ok... but he is not being raced which would lead to the fact that hes not being conditioned, which leads to not having that muscle that can make a standardbred stocky.

Some Standardbreds are stocky even when they are not racing,like my boy he has been out of work for a long time and he is still really stocky I know alot of Standardbreds that don't race but they are really stocky.
Although he does'nt look like he has any Standardbred in him,
I would say that he has abit of QH in him,so I would say a QH cross,not sure what with though,maybe a draft of some sort.
But anyway he is gorgeous whatever breed he is.

[Jaja]

Sorry about saying something completely different but Freisan or Barb.

[amattox3]

I think he has QH and a very good possiblity of standardbred because my horse has standardbred in her and their heads look very similar to each others. Very gorgeous horse though, love him!!