Photo of Big Ugly are in (FINALLY) LOL!

[ASB.Immortality]

Ok, we do love him but he is kinda ugly. I will get some conformation pics of him later this week. He just recently had a haircut and shoeing. He has been standing the pasture for over 2 years now. In other words, seriously tender. We aren't really sure what he is but he is fun. We think he is half saddlebred, half Standardbred. You make think Saddlebred while under saddle but his conformation says probably a little something else in the wood pile. LOL!

Some background on this strange guy...
One of the farriers around Loudon, TN found this horse showing at Saddle Club around 8 years ago (give or take a few years). He showed up showing on the Racking Circuit that I show with as an ASB very sporadically for about three years and then disappeared. We then found him about three weeks standing in the pasture and hadn't done anything for over 2 years. We figure him to be around 14-15 years old.

He is a great racking horse with a fantastic headset. I didn't get to get any pics of him racking but will later this week. I couldn't run my smoking, out of shape self to the ring fast enough. LOL!

Shall we play a game? The "What do you think I am?" game?

Here is a headshot. Please overlook the flash that makes him look blind. I swear he isn't, but that really is the color of his eyes around the pupils. They are just really odd.

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/monica_norton/Big%20Ugly/DSC_0125.jpg

Under saddle. He has a nice headset trotting but it is far better when he is racking:
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/monica_norton/Big%20Ugly/DSC_0073.jpg

Remarks, snide comments, laughing, pointing, snickering. I will take it all. LOL! ;)

[qltrlori]

I don't think he's ugly, but what do I know? What are you going to use him for?

[motorgypsy]

If that's ugly then I must like ugly:biggrin: He LOOKS FAST for sure.

Standardbreds are supposed to be really nice horses - responsive, many are gaited, willing, very trainable, have good sense, pretty spook proof, fast and fun. Just too darn big for me!

[Heidi]

I think I luff him! It must be that roman nose...reminds me of my old Appy. :D
His eyes sure are an unusual color. For that matter, I like his muted bay coloring, too.
What do you call the Old Boy?
h

[lisa l aka marci]

Holy crap look at that NECK!

Nice looking piece of horseflesh - looks like he at least had some decent care (food) while out on pasture!

Looking forward to the updaetd pictures of him!

[ASB.Immortality]

We are going to use to him show a little bit and pleasure ride some.

I don't think they fed the pasture horses, the mare that was out there with him was ginormus. She looked like a seriously overweight QH and she is actually a half ASB, half TWH. LOL! But now, they have a really good pasture too.

As for speed, I am not sure quite what it is like. I think it is going to be awhile before he gets any back. I know before he was turned out, he could book pretty decently. Wasn't like Turbo but still pretty decent.

Name... I just haven't come up with one yet. When he showed, his name was Snake Eyed & Wicked (and everyone just called him Snake Eyed). He doesn't have any papers so I guess we are free to call him whatever we wish.

Those strange eyes. I was told last night that some people call his type of eyes, ebony eyes? Has anyone every heard that?

Although, there is like 7-8 feet of tail matted up in a big nasty mess on the back of him. It was like they turned him out on day for some exercise, and said to heck with it, leave him. His tail was still braided up and in a sock when he was turned out. There was a small remnant of sock left and you can tell that it was braided but now it is just a wreck. The Barn Owner said to get fabric softner, dilute it down and work it in really good, and leave it. He said that after a little while it would turn loose but wouldn't hurt anything that was still attached. I will let you know how that works later on.

[Linda Y]

I don't think he is ugly, either. He has eyes like my Desi. No idea what they call that. I think I like him a lot!

[baileyholc]

I think he is good looking m.. uhh... horse. :v:

[sporthorse]

looks powerful. is he a saddlebred /standard bred cross? or possibly a peruvian/singlefoot -(Rowdy bred) cross? or third &1/2 tryTWH or saddlebred/ pasofino(Coral- bred) cross?We have some paso finos that a racking horse commissioner offered to register racking horses since they had that gait as well but why pay for another registry ?

[ASB.Immortality]

There is actually no telling what in the world he is. When you first get on him and he all worked up, he will almost gait like a Paso. It will be really quick but not really stepping out with it. And the Peruvian may also be something to. He has a strange leg movement he does on the front that reminds of them. I know this sounds strange but we are about re-adjust his shoes. It almost seems as though he wings in instead of winging out, if that makes any sense.

I do remember when he showed that he could boogie on down the rail fairly well but that was a couple of years and he was in shape. Right now, he doesn't have too much speed. I figure a month of trotting him should give a good start on getting back into shape. He really needs it. He looks pregnant. Nothing really around the back bone but all stomach.

The shoes we put on him are his original shoes just minus 4 ounces of lead that was nailed in the toe. He did have one foot almost pasture clubbed that the toe was cut back a little farther on than the other foot but we had too.

I can't complain much about him or expect too much though... he was only $500. LOL! I just figured we would see what we had once we got him back into shape.

[Soltera]

I thought Akhal Teke on the first picture, tho they are still rare. Not the second pic! Was the picture under saddle before or after the lay up?

[Ginger]

... Akhal-Teke? Differently-colored eyes? (Gee, how long before THAT gets edited- meh, *someone* will see/save/share it. If you want it, just follow the link to photobucket through the others.)

He looks all ASB to me, just not the typey contemporary masterpieces of the show-ring. He's reminiscent of the type you see plugging merrily along the pleasure division at your saddle club "circuit" shows, and the Academy classes at charity shows of the lower-tier. A lot of the older ASBs were a-typical in neck, head, etc. I cite Dame Roxie Highland herself as being remarkably... unique... facially speaking, and also McDonald Chief as being rather roly-poly in contrast to, say, Olivier.

If I had to say he was mixed with something, I'd go with old-school MFT, TWH, or Morgan to get the neck. STB's too TB, and TB is too Akhal-Teke (it's not just about the color...try to find a fat one somewhere, it's nearly impossible) in the long, lean lines, flat muscles, etc. but... I don't think he is. I'd have to feel his gait with my own seat to determine how mechanical or not it was. Even then, who knows. I'm not to be taken seriously. That face, at least 3/4 of it, is ASB though. Even the eyes (It's called flash-bulb+aqueous humor= animal version of red-eye).

Here was what was supposed to have been a full ASB. He *was* 5-gaited, but he's too "heavy", has too much substance. His lines weren't refined, they were coarse in comparison to the green-shaving dragons. I think that's why he wasn't registered, because he wasn't 100% anything, but the biggest mistake I ever made in letting him go. Maybe he was all ASB and some BYB was too cheap to make paper with him, I'll never know. He looks old-school in some of the photos I have, but his ears- long, and totally un-ASB.
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4/pasodancer/horse/asb.jpg

And for neckers, this is not Connemara...
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g4/pasodancer/horse/iberickis.jpg
Nice semi-rollkur, hmmf.

That's The Old Bastar- um, Man... at 18 or thereabouts.

[Mystic Fire]

I would agree, looks like a Saddlebred/Standardbred cross to me. He looks a little hollow in the back though, and ventroflexed in the neck. Slow work on circles with a simple snaffle will help to strengthen his back and hindquarters and get him to collect better and drive from the rear with more power (however, he looks prett powerful already). Since he's a slightly older horse I'd work to preserve his back and hind-end with slow Dressage work.
But I likes him. Very pretty.
D.

[Colette C]

Is he related to Wild-Eyed and Wicked?

[Colette C]

I must say on another note, if he is related to Wild-Eyed and Wicked, what a horse he was!

I remember when this happened-what a great horse lost......tragic....... One of the World's Greatest.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Kz4m_XyaE

[motorgypsy]

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/monica_norton/Big%20Ugly/DSC_0125.jpg

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j199/monica_norton/Big%20Ugly/DSC_0073.jpg

Some interesting history on The American Saddle Horse who became the Saddlebred horse.


Gaines' Denmark, sired by Denmark and whose dam was a natural gaited mare, established the Denmark Family of American Saddlebreds. Over 60% of the horses in the first three registry volumes of the American Saddlebred Horse Association trace to Gaines' Denmark.

http://www.american-saddlebred.com/gallery/denmark.jpg

Despite the fact that during this period of time the American Saddle Horse was still very much a using animal, the rivalry between breeders at horse shows and especially state pride between Kentucky and Missouri, was intense. Gifted horsemen began making a living at training show horses.

A coal black stallion from Missouri, destined to make a great contribution in giving even greater status to shows and the breed, burst onto the show scene at St. Louis in 1893. Rex McDonald was undefeated on but three occasions, was idolized by the public, and visited by Presidents of the US.

http://www.american-saddlebred.com/gallery/rex.jpg


Wing Commander In 1948, Wing Commander began an unprecedented winning streak as Grand Champion Five-Gaited Stake horse for each consecutive year until 1953. The next year saw Lady Carrigan begin a similar streak from 1954 until 1958, with a loss of the title in 1956.

http://www.american-saddlebred.com/gallery/wingcmdr.gif

This history says that Robert E Lee's horse, Traveller, was an American Saddle Horse but I've always heard that he was a TW.

http://www.farfieldfarm.com/sitegraphics/FordMorris/Montrose.jpg

http://www.farfieldfarm.com/sitegraphics/FordMorris/1870-photo.jpg

The early days

Unlike today's horse breeding priorities, however, early Americans horses had to prove themselves in many ways, and the whims of their owners played little part in the success or failure of a breeding stallion The successful stallion attracted mares through the reputation of his offspring, and if they were good, the word would spread for many miles, a reputation carried by his colts and fillies as they worked their way to Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and remote regions. Stamina, energy, intelligence, tractability, speed, and beauty were characteristics that sold the horses that possessed them, and owners brought their mares from great distances to the stallions whose offspring were so admired.





It was a time in which people knew horses the way they now know computers, and were as comfortable on the seat of a buggy or in the saddle as they now are sitting in front of a keyboard. When horses were a fundamental part of the economy, the American Saddlebred was not a horse to be coddled. Just like the hardy people who settled this uncharted territory, he had to do a job and to also be a willing and trusted part of the family's day to day activity. With his keen intelligence and affection for his "family" the Saddlebred endeared himself to the people who depended upon him, and in return as their communities grew and there was time for socializing, they honored him with county fairs and special court days dedicated to the racing and trading of horses. This was not a horse that came out only for the fox hunt in Virginia or for a ride around New York City's Central Park; this was not a specialist horse but a vital cog in the machinery of frontier life, as dependable in front of a plow as he was for the doctor racing to an emergency on a distant homestead. He had to have stamina, strength, speed when needed, and dependability. If he could amble and give his rider a comfortable ride, he was even more valuable.

And the very early ancestors were of course the palfreys of Europe - gaited, comfortable, tough riding horses with thoroughbreds added in later.

http://www.farfieldfarm.com/sitepages/breedhistory.html

http://www.american-saddlebred.com/asbhist.htm

[Jane Hurl]

You ask what he might be based on the first photo: me thinks part giraffe! (No, not just the neck. The face too! Take a second look now.) *grin*

[ASB.Immortality]

I would agree on the giraffe. LOL! He is hoot. We also found that he has no backing skills whatsoever. I haven't really paid much attention to that until last night when we tried backing him into the drying rack. It took alot of jostling around, two lead lines, and standing there looking at each other until finally he said "fine. I'm going." after about 15 minutes. There maybe someway to make him back fantastically but we just don't know what the button is and all the normal buttons don't quite work.

As for being related to Wild Eyed & Wicked, I will definately go out on a limb here and say that I am pretty sure he isn't. They called him that because of his strange looking eyes.

He is a mighty fun horse though! I think I am really going to like him. We just have to get over not standing to get on. You can try putting him against anything and he won't stand there for squat. Maybe we will have him over that in a month or so. :)

[motorgypsy]

So are his eyes dark amber?? Can't really tell from the photo???

If so they are really cool. Our Puerto Rican friends call them "goat eyes".

As far as backing training goes you might ask the Figueroa family how they train backing because Chinook (Munchie Figueroa trained her) can RUN backwards and another Figueroa said he saw a horse almost running backwards and though HMMM that's pretty cool and so actually figured out how to teach it.