Georgian Grande Horse is a new horse breed being developed from

crossbreeding A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to main ...

the American Saddlebred with the

Friesian horse The Friesian (also Frizian) is a horse breed originating in Friesland, in the Netherlands. Although the conformation of the breed resembles that of a light draught horse, Friesians are graceful and nimble for their size. It is believed tha ...

and assorted

draft horse A draft horse (US), draught horse (UK) or dray horse (from the Old English ''dragan'' meaning "to draw or haul"; compare Dutch ''dragen'' and German ''tragen'' meaning "to carry" and Danish ''drage'' meaning "to draw" or "to fare"), less oft ...

breeds. The aim of the breeding is to create a Saddlebred-like horse that adds the best qualities of heavier breeds. One goal of the

breed registry A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeder ...

is to recreate a historic type of Saddlebred which was common prior to the 20th century, but that has been less emphasized in modern times.

History

The first attempts to create a new, heavier Saddlebred-type breed were made in the 1970s by George Wagner Jr, in Piketon,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. His ambition was to recreate the stockier, sturdier look of the Saddlebred of older times, such as the animals used as cavalry mounts during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He considered this the original type of the Saddlebred horse instead of the prevailing modern, lighter type. Wagner's breeding succeeded in creating horses of the desired type, and the breed was named after him as "George's great horse". The breed association International Georgian Grande Horse Registry was founded in 1994, and was later accepted as member under the United States Dressage Federation All Breeds Council and the American Horse Council. While not a national recognized breed affiliate with the USEF, Georgian Grandes may compete in any open all-breed USEF division, and a Georgian Grande that is also a

Friesian cross The Friesian cross (also Friesian/x and Friesian Sport Horse) is a horse breed produced by crossbreeding the Friesian horse. The breeding of Friesian Crosses has become increasingly popular in the United States, with various registries often bei ...

with 50% or more Friesian breeding and one purebred Friesian parent may compete in part-bred Friesian classes.USEF Rulebook 2009, Rule FR 101
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Breeding

The goal of the breeding is to combine the refinement of the Saddlebred and the temperament of heavier breeds, and to create a "baroque" style of horse that is suited for multiple equestrian and

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to f ...

purposes. To qualify for registration with the International Georgian Grande Horse Registry, the horse must either be of registered Georgian Grande Horse parents, or be have a blended bloodline of American Saddlebred and any of the following:

Clydesdale horse The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire. The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century, ...

Percheron The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Huisne river valley in western France, part of the former Perche province from which the breed takes its name. Usually gray or black in color, Percherons are well muscled, and ...

Shire horse The Shire is a British breed of draught horse. It is usually black, bay, or grey. It is a tall breed, and Shires have at various times held world records both for the largest horse and for the tallest horse. The Shire has a great capacity for ...

Irish Draught The Irish Draught horse is the national horse breed of Ireland which developed primarily for farm use. Today, they are especially popular for crossing with Thoroughbreds and warmbloods, producing the popular Irish Sport Horses (also called ...

or Belgian draft horse. Drum Horses and Gypsy Vanner horses are accepted as an influence if they are registered with their own breed registry and have a proven pedigree. No non-draft horse influence other than the Saddlebred is accepted. A Georgian Grande Horse is expected to have at least 25% but no more than 75% of Saddlebred influence in its pedigree.

Conformation and qualities

The height of the Georgian Grande Horse ranges from or higher at

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

, and the weight from . All

colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

of coat and eyes are accepted. The desired overall impression is a horse that is tall, strong-boned and of striking appearance. The desired character of a Georgian Grande Horse is alert and intelligent but calm. The horse should be easy to train and very cooperative. A Georgian Grande Horse is not considered mature until the age of six years. The breed standard describes the forehead as being broad, and the eyes large and set wide apart. The profile should be straight or slightly concave, with a delicate muzzle and large nostrils. The ears should have a good shape and express the desired alert character of the horse. The neck is long, arched and well-muscled, flowing into well-defined

, and a

back The human back, also called the dorsum, is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck. It is the surface of the body opposite from the chest and the abdomen. The vertebral column runs ...

that is level and relatively short. The shoulders are deep and sloping to allow for good movement. The croup should be slightly sloping rather than level. The hips should be wide and round. The legs are properly angled and well-set, and their conformation should allow the animal to be good at

jumping Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotics, robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, gallo ...

. The joints should be large, flat and clean. The legs are desired to be thick with good bone; the circumference of the cannon of a mature horse, measured just below the knee, should be at the minimum, and a larger circumference is desirable. The

hooves The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rumi ...

should be large and in proportion to the size of the horse. The

trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...

should have great lift and impulsion, with good extension. The horse should move its hocks deep under its body. The

canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait po ...

should be balanced and round, and the walk should be very energetic. Gaits comprise 50% of the scoring in shows. When grooming a Georgia Grande, the mane and tail should normally be kept at full length, though the mane may be pulled for hunting or jumping purposes. The tail is kept natural, and is not to be docked or cut.

Feathering Feathering is a technique used in computer graphics software to smooth or blur the edges of a feature. The term is inherited from a technique of fine retouching using fine feathers. Paintbrush feathering Feathering is most commonly used on a ...

on the legs is acceptable, though the legs may also be clipped.

References

{{Horse breeds of Canada and the United States Horse breeds Horse breeds originating in the United States