Seriously SecureNice colour and chrome, but I can't decide whether he is morbidly orbese, or just a cross between some Quarter Horse mare and a Belgian Blue bull. 140 Open Halter Points, 27 Amateur Halter Points, 27 Grand Championships, 10 Res GC's, PHBA World Champion, APHA World Champion, 3 APHA Res World Championships, 2003 Honor Roll Yearling Stallion, 2004 Honor Roll Open and 2yo Stallion? What's this world come to?! He is THE definition of over-muscling, he's post-legged... I can't even articulate all his faults - I think I'm going to be seriously sick...and whatever happened to flat bone? Or, you know, CORRECT LEGS??? How, again, did he win Worlds? And Championships?? Of course, he is Hypp N/H - yes, let's keep passing THAT on. Seems his kids are just as "successful" as he is... if that is how you define success, anyway.
Here's Mighty Clue, another World Champion stallion. He's already got World Champion kids, as a 2005 model. We're not breeding for longevity and long-term soundness here - I want to see this guy WORKING under-saddle, and I want to see him in ten years. Oh, he's also HYPP N/H.
Just when I thought halter horse people couldn't get any worse, I see the most hideous mare I've ever laid eyes on - Sonny's Red Lace (top photo), being bred to Shanes Bake (middle photo). He's HYPP N/H too. The grey mare (bottom photo), also N/H, is a classic example of what Shanes Bake produces (she is proudly displayed on the breeders' website!). C'mon, halter horse people, shouldn't you know better? I want to know how these horses make it to WORLDS with such hideous conformation!?!! HOW ARE THE JUDGES ALLOWING THIS?!!! Why are the REWARDING it with championship titles?!?!! If I had have seen Cool Stylin Star: (second photo of him as a mature stallion):
as a yearling (top photo) in my barn, I think I would have cried. In between vomits. He would have been instantly gelded. What I want to know, is what happened to stallion Sir Cool Skip:
I think I could honestly mistake him for an elephant in the above photo. He died at 17 years of age. And was HYPP N/H. The breeders of these horses even go so far as to claim their horses are athletic. Yikes!!!
Is this a current, 4yo photo of this stud? I can't pick out a single quality trait in him that I would like to see passed down to one of my foals. Especially those legs. This is a stud - shouldn't we be a little more picky?? I don't care if he's a natural green, nevermind perlino! Shitty is still shitty, regardless of colour.
I realize this is old news to many, and I do not like to directly bash, but man, I just had to rant. Don't even get me started on these "World-class" breeders purposely breeding horses to pass on the HYPP gene. Shame on you. And shame on you, AQHA, for allowing these horses (N/H) to be registered and to compete. This isn't something new. Any last remaining speck of respect I had for the AQHA? Vanished.
A HYPP attack:
...a very mild one.
So, I'll leave off with that, and with a video of yet another AQHA favourite, Carribean Kid:
57 comments:
That is just disgusting. At first I thought for sure that the pictures were photoshopped. These owners and judges must be doing some kind of hallucinnogenic drugs if they think this is acceptable, let alone attractive.
ya know what i think.. You act like you have some kind of entitlement to judge what is beautiful and what is not... i'd rather see 1'000 "ugly" horses than to hear one word come out of your stupid face. These horses really don't even look that bad, what kinda person would have so much hate over a horse with some muscle, really? i get you wanna rant ,but your not really mad at the fucking horses, are you? who the fuck are you to judge beauty when you act ugly?
If you want an animal that looks like this, you might as well buy yourself a big bull. This is not beautiful, it's just a typical american crazy thing. Those horses are neither healthy or beautiful.
In England they are breeding lurchers called bull lurchers that look just like this, they think speed and muscle can work together. Trouble is the dogs end up in pain as they are too muscle bound. I have painted and drawn horses all my life, this is everything that I would not put in a drawing! Unnatural, I bet they cannot even do the job they were originally bred for. Man fiddling with a thing that nature has spent millions of years creating.
I think some muscling on a stallion and other halter horses is good,but it must be balanced and in proportion with the horse's body. These halter horses are out of control and are not useful for anything else.
It made me so sad to watch that video. That poor horse can't move very well. The hind end is monstrously large, as is the rest of his body... but there's no way that horse can comfortable. It looks like an obese person trying to move around. Poor horse.
Man, I own a halter mare, and she looks nothing like a poorly conformed buffalo, considering her horrific halter breeding.
Her grandfather's are RH Mr Imprint, and the rhinosouraus Kids Classic Style. If you want to see poorly conformed famous halter horses, look those two stallions up.
People, NEVER buy a halter horse, it's taken me six months to get my mare to be able to have a slow-cadenced and smooth lope and jog. They have HORRIBLE gaits.
I have a foundation mare she is naturally muscled and looks the way the original quarter horse should. However I am showing her in halter this year to get her used to the show ring. I bet I will loose to some of these huge horses that can't do anything but stand there. My mare is broke to ride and can do everything from rope cows, run. Barrel pattern and go on trails. Shes the true definition of a quarter horse shes versatile and has a easy going attitude
You better call your attorney. You have violated copyright law by using pictures without permission and committed the most heinous example of liable ever seen. Lets see pictures of your ewe necked, sickle hocked, cat hipped bag of spare parts you call your horse before you sling mud at someone else's. See ya in court!
Seriously Secure just sold for $130,000. Yes you read that right..130 THOUSAND dollars. What's your piece of shit in your profile worth? Bet you couldn't get kill price for it.
Next time you want to rant about someone else's horses who are earning money, not just crapping it on the ground, you better check your facts.
I hope they sue the shit out of you.
You'd rather had a horse that is too big to walk on its own tiny hooves? Who are unsound the day they're born? I'd rather have an "imperfect horse" then have a halter horse any day. Enjoy all of your soundness issues, if it isn't lame by the time you're able to sit on its back.
This is so sad. It would be different if these halter horses were natural but their not. Why do we have to mess up a good thing? These horses just look uncomfortable.
If all you care about is money than you don't need to be involved in horses. It bugs the crap out of me how people breed for money. Not just horses, but dogs, cats and so on. With not so much as a second thought as to how the animal will be treated or what types of health problems they will face in their lifetime from weird breeding. And lastly (this will piss some of you off and if it does than you most likely have benefitted from it) I find it more and more that it's not what your animal looks like or how they behave that helps you win, but what relationship you have with the judges.
So crazy! These horses look like their bred to eat. What a shame, what we do to animals. This is not normal. My brother purchase a halter horse named Arnie. He had to be put down at 7 years of age because his ringbone was so painful.
Thank you for telling the world what apha and apha are doing with the halterbreed in USA. This is disgusting, and is simular to Belgian Blue, destroying a good horseline, pumping the horses with steroids and drugs. What about health and usability. No, all they are thinking about is money, easy to see, comments over! They dont give a shi. About the horses :(
Tho those of you that are attacking the author of this blogs, you obviously know nothing about horses or halter horses in specific. You just think, "Oh, it's pretty, so why is she attacking them??"
I've 15 years in the industry. By now, I would hope that I know what is good conformation and bad conformation. Conformation effects EVERYTHING on a horse. From the way that they stand, move, looks, etc.
HYPP N/H is a hideous DISEASE that CRIPPLES horses, as well as the possibility of being fatal. Horses that are HYPP N/H positive SHOULD NOT be being bred.
It's just like breeding dogs, you don't want to breed two dogs together that have hip displaysia, as it'll most likely be passed down to the pups.
Horses like this SHOULD NOT be winning titles.
The point of halter classes were originally to judge conformation and see which horse had the closest to "perfect" conformation. It's gone from that, to seeing which horse looks the shittiest. OBVIOUSLY. The horses in the above blog look like CRAP.
Their legs are entirely too upright. Do you know what that causes?? It causes them to not be able to pick their hind legs up very well for things like WALKING and TROTTING and just being a horse. It also makes it extremely difficult to do normal hoof maintenance as they can't pick their legs up high enough to be trimmed normally. I KNOW THIS FROM EXPERIENCE! My one and only trim job on a halter horse was one of the most interesting trim jobs I've ever had. The horse had to have his hind hooves done on a wooden block because he couldn't pick his hind legs up high enough for me to trim him properly. On top of that, he was having an HYPP N/H attack the entire time. His shoulder muscle was twitching like mad the whole time, and no, it wasn't because of flies.
Think of human body builders. How much motion range do they have with all of the excessive muscle that they have? Not much. Most can't even put their hands by their sides because of how big their muscles are. The same goes for these horses. Horses bones are only made to carry so much weight. Usually, because of the excessive muscle on these horses, they can't be ridden because their bones would most likely break.
Heck, the one horse has what's known as a "roach back." He's humped over because his conformation is so shitty.
The gray mare that was also positive for HYPP N/H has a low set tail, straight and upright hind legs, extremely upright pasterns, and entirely way to much slope on her hindquarters to not only NOT be attractive, but also to be considered decent breeding stock.
The image of the next horse after the gray mare. Please, don't get me started 'cause I'm just going to be repeating myself. EXTREMELY UPHILL (for those of you who don't know what I mean, his hind end is higher than his shoulders), upright pasterns, what's known as "pillar" legs (straight up and down), VERY long bodied while everything else (neck, hind quarters, head) are all small in comparison to the length of his body.
Next photo - Not a good conformation shot, but definitely an overly muscled equine.
And on to Sir Cool Skip. I googled a good conformation image of this beefcake, and he's just the same as the last few I've critiqued.
These horses should not be being bred. They can't be used for anything other than halter, and they shouldn't even be being entered in halter shows let alone WINNING. They're hideous, and a failure for the AQHA and horses in general when it comes to good genes to pass on to protégé...
Enough said.
Back in 2007 I purchased a horse to be my new team roping horse. He is built very similar to these, perhaps not quite as extreme. Non-the-less I'd be willing to bet he has some halter horse blood in him. I hade to by an extra wide saddle to fit him.
He is VERY athletic, loves to work cattle. He is a lot quicker on his feet then one would imagine.
I feel in love with him the moment I laid eyes on him. Despite all his amazing qualities, he has begun to have some feet issues. I think that his feet just are not big enough for his size.
It is sad that horses are bred to such extremes. I'm sure the owners/breeders love their horses, but I do wish they would reconsider how they do things.
These horse are looking awesome!
Nylon Horse Halters
They are distorted to the point of being unhealthy. How can a horse built like this be balanced, at all? They can't even stand straight. It
looks painful.
This is terrible. I would consider the practice of breeding horses like these to be animal abuse, but even worse because the horse cannot be rescued and has to suffer their whole life.
What's wrong with you they seems like strong horses...
Nylon Halters -
These horses are muscular to the point where they can barely move. They have a disease that could kill them one day. They can do nothing but stand all day. These are absolutely not strong horses. Horses like this should never, ever be bred. If you want an example of a strong horse, visit a reining barn and put a hand on one of the horses. You won't forget the muscle on those horses anytime soon. And can those horses ever move! There is a difference between "muscular" and "unable to move".
That is ridiculousness! Thoroughbred don't have that much muscle for a reason, neither do any other horse breeds! this shows how completely unnecessary it is for them to look like this they cant work (as they can barely walk so well done you have created a horse that is completely useless! and has on value other than more meet. You want to know the perfect result of selective breeding look at Frankel, 100s of years of natural coverings and no drugs resulted in a horse estimated to be worth £100 million and because of his breeding he is ranked the best Thoroughbred horse of all time! ( sorry but none of your american "racers" have anything on him! PURE CLASS AND CORRECT BREEDING RESULTED IN THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED THIS OVERNIGHT BREEDING IS PATHETIC !!
*rediculious
*meat
Yall are a bunch of jealous babies. Just because you horse is not as amazing as these and your horse is not winning, you like to bash someone else. Many of these horses ride and do ranch work. If you were a real halter person who shows at world class levels you would know this.
I read this blog after i have been down on my luck with my horse, She has PSSM, another shitty gene that breeders insist on breeding, she isn't put together badly and I love her all the same but frankly she is useless. This is not her fault but the breeders fault.
As i looked over these photos i see images that just repulse me. It is not the horses that repulse me it is the breeders and the AQHA for even allowing these horses to enter the ring let alone get placed or win.
As for the supporters of these mutated horses, please take a look at other horses, horses that really do perform such as reining horses, show jumpers, dressage horses. None of these horses have conformation that remotely resembles these freaks of nature. All too often horses are being bred for a certain look or color. When did the saying a good horse doesn't come in a bad color get forgotten, or no foot no horse. Line breeding for want of a better word (in breeding) is becoming all to common in way to many breeds, like the sea horse faced arabs. Stop ruining a great breed, people want longevity in a horse, stamina, agility, trainability, healthy, great conformation, good hoofs and talent and NO GENETIC PROBLEMS. If your horses don't tick these boxes then stop bloody breeding them, its cruel and its silly. Just geld it ffs. Stop expecting buyers to pick up the bill for breeders mistakes, eventually these horses are going to run out of unsuspecting buyers and these breeders may as well just become kill buyers because ultimately when these horses become all to common and they go lame that is their fate. Some might get lucky but most will not, most will become that sorry story that is all to common on facebook about a poor rescued horse who has been unloved and underfed and shipped from home to home. These horses are horses for the vain, not a sports person.
Caribbean Kid passed away today. He was hypp n/n.
Also that video of him romping around, he can barely move his hind legs. He looks constipated.
Are you really that ignorant to think these horses "don't even look that bad"? You have absolutely no horse sense whatsoever and belong with the idiots who think these horses are even remotely healthy and athletic. I only wish I could inflict the same torture they put these horses through on them. It's sad!
Absolutely hideous..Br££der$ don't really give a to$$ about the long term wellbeing of the monstrosities they create~ and America especially seems to go all out in producing extremely distorted horses.
Shameful.
Short, unsound lives.
This known as qualzucht, thats intentionally breeding animals with defects deemed desirable but that cause animals to suffer. Like dogs whose muzzles are so that they are exercise intolerant, even mild exercise as they cannot breath easily or cool the body down effectively enough, the same dogs winning ribbons at dog shows.
Seems horses haven't been spared these extremes in breeding fro the show ring either.
I've never seen one of these horses in action, in fact I didn't believe they really existed until I saw the video here. The pictures I've seen before, here and there, I just assumed were photoshopped. So with both trepidation and something bordering on morbid curiosity I watched the video.
First thing that came to my mind when I saw it move was that the skeletal system of such a horse is not strong enough to support the weight of so much muscling. I guarantee these horses will break down with any amount of normal work horses are required to do when ridden. So there is no point really in breeding them this way. Second thing that came to my mind is that it looks incredibly ugly the horse has lost all elasticity and freedom of movement. You would expect enormous push from behind but this is not the case instead you get an odd hopping at the canter where the back legs act almost together putting huge strain on joints. Because the horse doesn't have the skeleton of a Kangaroo this is going to seriously strain ligaments and bone.
So we have a horse that cannot work normally and is likely to break down easily!? Absolutely no point what so ever all it's causing is animal suffering. Even with a perfect skeletal conformation this is going to be the case but with even the slightest deviation in the skeletal system there will be overload in that area and the horse will go lame. A normal horse can compensate for slight deviations these horses are unable to as they don't have the athleticism or freedom of movement to be able to.
I have noticed in other horse disciplines and breeds there are problems creeping in due to specialisation for one discipline. Primarily in the Netherlands. Jumping horses are becoming more and more downhill and dressage horses are becoming freakishly uphill, thats the wither as the highest point, there legs are also getting longer and longer to a point foals are having difficulties grazing unless on bended knees. Both are beginning to look uglier and uglier as they are losing function beyond hind push in the case of jumpers and flashy uphill front leg movement in dressage horses. You lose the balance and all round ability in jumpers and back end in dressage horses. As joints have to compensate for these intentional deformities you are getting what long ago happened to the German Shepherd dog, freaks that move like a cripples.
A balanced horse with a good conformation is far better, stays sounder longer and still has the wherewithal to produce the goods. However breeders following market trends and to make animals more marketable are breeding for these extremes resulting in freaks that cannot stay sound.
Quarter horses never appealed to me because they have since the early days been bred for a more and more downhill build, thats the from end is like a wheel barrow and the arse is like a tank in the air. Their strides have been getting shorter and shorter as a result too. They have lost the suppleness, athleticism and elasticity they were bred for in the first place. To chase and stop that cow and go for days at a time through cattle country. Now they have the burden of extra weight in the form of grotesque muscling on their shoulders it has become debatable whether a showing quarter horse is only worth the dog meat it could produce as a carcass.
A very sad state of affairs indeed.
Absolutely hideous...and so cruel too.
No horse should look like these bulldogs on steroids, Rolling in fat, suffering pain, it is offensive to see.
Breeders should be selecting for soundness, and good conformation, a horse who can do a job, not waddle around an arena.
The Irish produce horses that look like horses, not bulls.
Maybe try to take a leaf out of their books?
These horses are not right. Horse built like this are useless as all they can do stand around looking pretty.
Exactly
Equine Frankenstein, it is obvious this poor stallion is uncomfortable in his own skin; he is lame on all 4 legs and is only 4 years old.
When will backyard and backwards Equine Breeding will be abolished to prevent this type of cruelty? Any person who thinks this horse is remotely attractive has mental illness and needs to seek help instead of Breeding animals that are destined to living miserable painful lives. Please if you are one of those whackos go heal yourself somewhere, you can do it...There are others ways to act out your self destructive impulses. Good luck.
So I just want to say...
to one of the top anonymous people in comments-
she wasn't angry/ upset with the horses, just with the PURPOSEFUL breeding of a gene a lot of people find undesirable, and she clearly mentioned she wasn't hating on anyone. personally, these horses make me fell sick, and I hurt for them, but I can understand that others might judge the horse on its muscle, and think that it was healthy and an athlete, as that is what we associate with the word. they may not actually know how conformation can affect comfort, and that this is not natural. :I
Why would a person spend so much time on a blog that is so negative. If it's not your cup of tea - then move on! Write about something constructive or positive and quite being so negative and constantly saying how you're disgusted or how you find them hideous. You don't have to like it..no one is forcing you to. Go to a topic that you do admire or like. There is enough negativity in the world.
The Belgian Blue is naturally bred like that
As are the horses. It is all genetic & think it sucks that these people cannot see past their nose long enough to see this is abuse & stupidity
Big issue I see is halter horses all seem to die very very young. 7-12 years old. Complications of extremes I am sure. Sad. The $$ keeps this stuff going.
No, they are NOT.
I like my Quarter Horses to be burly, but nowhere near this. I like the all around QH that has good legs, good back, muscling to stop & go quickly. Conformation to score points & athletic to cut, rein, work cattle, trail ride, etc.
Just Sick & Wrong
The first mare is just plain ugly!! No business breeding her to anything. Sir Cool Skip is not a bad looking stud, but still a little heavy for my taste
You are full of shit. These animals can barely move & could not get out of their own way let alone out run a calf.
Someone commented about these 'freaks of nature'....but that's just it....they're NOT freaks of nature...we humans have caused this, same in dogs, cats and other animals no doubt. Seems to be a fashion thing taken to extremes! Horrifically sad!
Aqha doesn't give a shit no more..it's all about money..maybe Peta should step in
Don't know how to say this in any way but direct. It’s gonna be difficult to hear(read) for many I suspect. So just react as you want, or need to at first, it won’t alter what I’m about to say as facts. Maybe you could effect change for the betterment of horses. It’s up to you. I’m just the messenger. Here are the facts.
This is the predictable inevitability of an animal bred for meat. The same reason as the Belgian Bleu cattle. It’s a gene mutation, once realized, becomes a profit motive for humans to reproduce in abundance. For slaughtering for “food”. I use quotes there because over 80% of “food” animals, all inclusive, are not used for food or other commodities, but simply end up in landfills or dumped at sea as industry and slaughterhouse “waste”.
Horses are understood to be "farm animals for meat production" outside America. Livestock. These are the industry terms for it. Not mine.
Although all horse breeds are slaughtered for “food”, the American Quarter Horse, specifically, is actually bred for the premium world horse meat market. Always has been. Always.
Americans prefer to think of themselves as better than that (not a judgement, just an open secret), but denial and self delusion of this global profit reality is the direct cause of such monstrosities. There’s no other reason for breeding an animal with this body mass. None. Everyone knows this outside the States. It’s sad, really, how Americans just are a culture preferring to mass delude itself to uncomfortable realities rather than confront the ugliness so none of it would even exist to begin with.
Horse breeders are the supply chain for the horse slaughter industry, just as the dairy industry is the primary source for the beef slaughter industry. Outside of the States, everyone knows that's the role of horse breeders and why there exists horse slaughter. Humans enjoy the animal for some time, many making substantial wealth off of it, but don't want to deal with long term costs, responsibility and end of life humane dignity for them, so humanity, collectively, have normalized, and accepted, the lie of "humane slaughter" (of every animal, not just horses) so they don't have to confront the ugly realities of where all the over-bred abundance of animals go and are really used for.
Just because Americans have “banned” horse slaughter within its borders, doesn’t mean those that get rich from its existence have been the least bit slowed down. In fact, this disturbing development in horse meat breeding openly signals the horse slaughtering business is expanding. Which it is, btw.
People should listen to their immediate gut response to seeing something like this more often. Rather than going immediately into denial and try to “explain it”(away), perhaps it could actually be prevented by removing the demand, whether for money or taste.
I’m just saying......
this is not natrual my horses barrel is verrrrrrrrrrry long and dosent even move that poorly. halter bred horses already arent the most attcractive but this is just disgusting.
I have a question about carribian kid. What is wrong with him specifically. I get that he is over muscled and has legs that are way too straight to function normally but he is not as bad as some of the other horses that are in the halter ring.
Erin Miller, have you ever considered "therapy" for your volatile dislike of halter horses. I don't like ewe necked nags either but I don't rant against them like you obviously do.
Ugly or no if you watch videos of thier movements its strained and stiff and poorly balanced. in the video provided that horse could hardly trot its not so much the muscles as the skeletal structure is off.
Never fails to surprise me the way people try to justify their breeding choices...German Shephard and British Bull dogs, miniature horses...and these poor creatures. It is all about money and nothing about animal welfare. Wake up breeders, what next?....No legs...just a stump of muscle with a hoof on the end....because the judge said so. I despair!
Never fails to surprise me the way people try to justify their breeding choices...German Shephard and British Bull dogs, miniature horses...and these poor creatures. It is all about money and nothing about animal welfare. Wake up breeders, what next?....No legs...just a stump of muscle with a hoof on the end....because the judge said so. I despair!
I hope your mare placed in the show. Keep up your positive training for your horse. I know halter people can be snooty. I bet your foundation mare is awesome. Thats my choice for breeding correctly- foundation bloodlines are the American Quarter Horse.
These horses cannot do anything else. Getting a saddle would cost a fortune to have custom made. The animal would have a very choppy stride and very imbalanced.& no flexible. The animal could be reined or cut off of because they cannot move or use their neck to help steer or turn enough to lead with the head
I had a 17.1 QH mare that weighed around 1300. Was well muscled, but nowhere near these. She had a great stride, flexible, balanced changed leads very well.and was very fast & quick. Very laid back girl that could march in a parade & not.blow up. Could out run & out move cattle, rope & out strength cattle for hours on end & plenty fast for speed events.
I know I am late in the game;
Foundation AQHA was a wonderful mix of Thourobred, Mustang, Arabian and a secret breeding of Heavy Horse aka poss Percheron. I find the AQHA standards of late look like shorter Thourobreds, thinner, long muzzels, and nothing like the giant puppy dogs this breed is to its human caretaker whose honor and privilege it is to own one of these magnificent creatures. What you have displayed as ugly are gorgeous horses.
ICE, Australian AQHA was the only horse I have seen that had all the boxes ticked for FOUNDATION looks and disposition; 15-16 hands tops, wide body, beautiful Barbie horse head, and personality of a giant puppy. I had not seen such since I was 15, looking at a magnificent Dish Head, wide Eyed, Tiny Muzzle, Pit Bulled Jawed, built like a tank, chest and hind quartered so muscled he could bumper car a full grown bull out the way, sparkling Sorrel aptly named "Trucker."
I was indifferent to Quarters till I saw him up close and realized what all the fuss was about. I think you would be happier if you changed breeds. AQHA needs mares like that first Pic you posted, not thin muscle toned look alikes of other breeds. AQHA FOUNDATIONS are the perfect horse for this American girl.
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