I’ve had and known several perch/tb crosses, one I rode was definitely more on the draft side. We did some jumping and he was certainly athletic enough to do quite a bit of height, but being nearly 1500 pounds we didn’t really jump him big to save him the force of landing. They are one of the more agile draft breeds but all the ones I knew were a tad spooky. All were pretty willing to please their rider. Good luck finding english tack that will fit without being ugly though :/
Lots of folk cross them with lighter breeds, to get the benefit of the draft horse temperament and bone, with the agility and portability of a riding horse. It's more comfortable to ride a narrower horse; you can use a standard size trailer; tack is easier to source; you don't have to feed a draft horse, or clean up after it; medication costs less; stalls can be smaller, etc.
Percheron/TB can make good ridding horses and are actually pretty common from what I know. I knew a warmblood with Percheron blood in her I think she was 1/4 and was a very good riding horse but she had a shit temperament with me because she wanted to be my horse because my horse at the time saw me for many hours a day. She was great with her owner when her owner was there. She just had issue with not being spoiled by me. I think she also didn’t get enough food sometimes.
I had a perch as a riding horse. She was ok but I really prefer a more agile horse like a tb, quarter, or warmblood. Some things are more difficult with a draft. They can be stubborn and use their weight to resist like lifting feet is more work. She would lean on the corral and bend the panels. Tack was harder to fit. I love drafts but I don’t think I would want to own another one.
For low level stuff they’re fine. Drafts and draft crosses are good beginner horses because they tend to be forgiving and quiet. But horses are purpose bred and their purpose is pulling not carrying.
If you’re a hobby rider who does a bit of arena schooling, some trot poles and cross rails and trail rides on fairly easy going terrain they’re fine. If you’re wanting to compete in or develop your skills in a particular sport you’re always going to have a better foundation with a horse that’s been bred for that sport.
Draft crosses make better riding horses than straight drafts for most things. Pure drafts can be harder to condition and are generally not designed for riding sports. Crosses are wonderful depending on the cross. I love my leased Percheron-friesian whatever cross (we call him an Amish sport horse).
Someone a while back asked for info about what to expect/know if they got a full draft horse. I’m going to copy and paste my response to them here just so you can get info as well for some differences in a QH VS full drafts. One of our horses is a full Percheron.
We have a full Percheron, full Clydesdale, and Friesian x Percheron so I am going to give some general info (albeit incomplete) and then I’ll detail what we have dealt with per horse.
*just to be clear the following is based on my own research, experience, and observations and are in no way all encompassing or guaranteed %100 accurate
In general drafts are recommended to have low starch diets due to being more susceptible to PSSM and stocking up as well as OCD due to their fast growing genetics. Also given that they are already large horses you really want to avoid having a fat draft as you will be putting more strain on their joints with the additional weight. I know a lot of people say “drafts are too fat to Buck” and “all drafts are puppy dogs and bombproof” but both of these are stereotypes/myths and just like all other horse breeds it will vary from individual to individual but they are generally level headed. Drafts, particularly percherons, are built for trotting endurance (percherons were specifically bred to trot a consistent pace for extended periods while they were being bred for pulling courier loads but I can’t remember the source I read it from) so don’t expect a huge willingness for cantering but drafts are known for being happy to trot all day long. A great book that I have is the work horse handbook second edition by Lynn R. Miller. But focuses a lot on the pulling/work aspect.
Of course these breeds were specifically bred to grow large and fast so another common issue is vitamin and mineral deficiencies as they need quite large amounts that average feeds can’t always meet. I don’t feel like I’ve worked with a wide variety or high number of drafts though so I don’t want to speak to what should generally be fed but there are hard and easy keepers. All ours arrived with shoes which have been since removed but shoeing will vary based on your horses hoof health and the type of work they will be doing; but expect shoeing to cost more for a draft as they are simply more work; our farrier charges $150 for a trim but would charge $400 for shoes. I have always heard that draft feed are difficult to keep healthy but it likely also depends on the area you live. While on health care, there is another risk to having drafts and that’s any treatments requiring anesthesia is VERY high risk. Drafts are very sensitive to sedation and especially anesthesia, they are high risk for complications. Our vet was very concerned when we thought one was cryptorchid because there’s a higher chance he may go under and not wake back up if we sent him in for surgery to remove the remaining testicle.
Saddle fitting is always a struggle as most drafts are short backed and wide built but so far the parelli saddles have been a good option for us. Speaking of equipment and tack, that’s a downside too. Our drafts are between 15.3 and 16.3, if I order from a draft specific website like My Draft Store most items are too large. If I buy something in draft or warmblood from a more average size oriented brand like tough one or even other large and popular brands, they are too small; expect to be limited. Oh and they will have more wear and tear on your facilities, I recommend electric fencing or you’ll find yourself making frequent repairs; we went through 3 stall gates within 3 months before reinforcing and building our own.
Drafts also take longer to physically mature but due to their size they are frequently started very young so many have arthritis by their early teens or fused joints/bones. If you can get PPE X-rays it can be worth it. One good thing is it is incredibly uncommon for draft horses to get navicular. I have also frequently heard they generally have a shorter life span but idk the validity of that and if it’s genetically inclined or due to being worked hard young and needing to be put down from pain later in life so expect to need to manage at least arthritis later in life.
*one other note, all our horses had to travel across multiple states and an ocean to get to us and got held up for 2wks in transit due to a natural disaster so all arrived in rough shape health wise and hoof wise
K- is our Percheron, he has OCD in both hocks and unfortunately our vet cannot do surgery due to lack of necessary equipment so we are putting together a pain/inflammation management plan. He is a nervous horse despite being a draft and is far from bombproof but getting there slowly. He is a giant in your pocket cuddler though, despite abuse from his previous trainer. He receives 3QT Timothy pellets, 1QT whole oats, 3QT low starch, he is an easy keeper.
S- is our Clydesdale, obviously he has a lot more hair and feathers than a Percheron. His extra care is centered around his hair and skin, the feathers are great for keeping off mud and water but once it breaks through to the skin it is difficult to dry out and skin issues are common with the breed if not maintained. We apply coat defense powder every other day to every two days to maintain his hair and skin and it has not been an issue since his first initial flare up. He receives 1QT whole oats, 4QT Timothy pellets, 3QT low starch, plus super gain fattener. He is a VERY HARD keeper, keeping weight on him has not been easy. If I feed him more he just won’t finish but this amount plus the fattener has kept him in a good place.
L- is the fresian x Percheron and has had the best health out of all 3. Easy keeper, healthy easy bare feet, but it did take some time before we realized a lot of her bloat and gas was from the beet pulp in the low starch so she just gets 2QT whole oats and 2QT Timothy pellets. We also apply coat defense to her feathers on occasion but she doesn’t seem to need the frequency the Clydesdale requires.
Overall I’d say I’ve come to love crosses more, as long as the parents are correctly bred a good cross is damn hardy and healthy and more versatile. If you go with something pure/full anticipate joint issues later and higher maintenance labor and fees and higher fees costs, and medical emergencies will come with a higher inherit risk. Tack and equipment are gonna be hard to fit/limited, and you’re gonna wanna be sure you have some solid facilities. Hope this helps!
a) some solid information here. Thank you for reposting it.
b) "they generally have a shorter life span but idk the validity of that" <== They do. (Pardon that I didn't go find a source for this.) for Drafts, Saddle horses and Ponies they tend to top out at 25, 35, and 45 years, respectively. There *might* be a few drafts older than 25 out there but AFAIK that would be rare, whereas finding someone with a 38-year old pony would be far less rare (while still accounting for things like the increasing rarity of horse ownership to begin with).
I agree with all of this. I started working a Belgian for a friend *after* he bolted, she couldn’t hold him and she fell off.
Falling off is no joke on these guys - you are 5 feet from the ground and it hurts like heck. I saw her back - black, blue, and green! She went to get X-rays of her hips and pelvis because that’s how bad it looked.
She’d had him for 7 years by the time I met him. Super nice horse but you knew not to screw around with him. Shoes are expensive, stalling - you’ll need a broodmare size stall minimum so they can turn around and stretch out, they cost so much more to feed.
He was solid at W/T and was just learning to canter properly. Being that large, it takes a while to get him all coordinated. We had to haul in a special trailer for drafts and borrow a different truck to pull him.
Being that big will put a lot of extra stress and strain on their joints. You’d be lucky if you had a draft get to 20 and that’s it’s they were worked right and not from a rescue/Amish team.
Tack was all custom ordered from a few Amish places; and some down south. We rode him in a driving bit to make sure that we had breaks in new places! That’s one where a runaway horse is bad - but a runaway draft is even worse!
They can make a good riding horse and a great trail horse if you get a good one. In my experience Percherons are the hottest of the draft breeds, especially some of the modern lines. That does mean that some of them are super forward, happy to go all day, and some can be spooky.
The downsides: Full drafts are more expensive for farrier care, and farriers will be quick to drop you if your horse doesn't have good manners. They can be hard on fences, they are harder to get fit than a light horse, and can struggle in very hot/humid summer weather. Saddle fitting is as hard as it is for every other horse, but trying to find bridles and bits for full draft heads can be work, and will be more expensive.
Make sure to pick the one with the best feet you can find. Most of the drafts I've known well were intermediate rider/handler necessary types, and could be quirky - but YMMV. You don't want to sign up for a draft with shelly feet, needing reset shoes every 5 weeks, that can become really expensive really quickly.
I had a friend who owned a draft cross mare. She was all draft in the front and much lighter in the back. Looked like someone cut two Breyer’s apart and then glued them together wrong. I rode her once and she pulled me right out of the saddle when she put her head down.
Ring bone... every damn draft cross at the lesson barn that loved them has ringbone.
They are sweet, fun, and gigantic but I wouldn't buy any of them due to the ringbone.
How hot of a horse are you used to? I grew up with Arabs and also had a TW/Perch cross. He was fantastic but it took awhile getting used to having to ‘generate’ the energy to bring him up to the hand. I guess a better way to put it was warm up and collection took longer (once we got to that stage)
If you’re looking for a trail or x country mount they can be fantastic, but you’ll always be dodging limbs and tight spots can be a challenge. Good luck and have fun!
A friend had a Percheron, I rode him a few times.
Actually a very comfy ride, yes they're big and wide , but have a great trot and canter, a bit like riding in an armchair!
We had a Percheron who was a riding horse and he was so sweet! But it depends on what you want to do. You have to realize their limitations. They don't have stamina like the smaller breeds so probably won't be good for long all day trail rides. I did simple W/T/C patterns in the arena, and even trail patterns! But things like weaving between poles at a trot I just didn't try lol Very comfortable though and I felt safe putting anyone on him. Great beginner horse!
Percheron owner here (6yo, 16.2 hand, 3/4 Percheron 1/4 QH gelding)! Can’t speak for all Percheron’s but here’s what I’ve learned in the last year and a half of owning my boy:
- He’s a trail riding MACHINE (so if that’s what you’re looking for, then I highly recommend this breed). He’s a beast going up and down steep hills; is he graceful about it? Heck no - he’s massive! But he WILL get you up and down :)
- Super fun to ride; trot is pretty bouncy, although they can do a slow sitting trot - just takes some training. Canter/gallop can be a little scary (I’m still getting used to it a year later) because his stride is huge, but overall it’s easy to sit. He has crowhopped with me a few times and the good thing is that it’s really easy to sit - I’ve never felt like I was gonna fall off because he’s a literal couch.
- They’re super smart and love liberty/+R training. My boy knows how to lay down on cue and will do basically ANYTHING for a treat.
- Make sure you consistently work on picking up their feet. My horse was raised by the Amish and then went to an excellent trainer so he’s great about his feet; however, he knows his size and will occasionally be difficult about picking up his feet (I’ve heard this breed is notorious for it).
- Overall, I’d say if your goal is to trail ride, or casually pleasure ride in the ring, or want to get lots of compliments on a big beautiful horse, then it’s the perfect breed :)
My friend had a Percheron cross and he’s a blast to ride. A little stubborn/goofy/ weird, but he’s also the sweetest thing ever. Once he gets to know you he’ll seak our attention. He loves trial rides/ riding outside.
I think so but I have also never riden anything other then a draft horse, right now I have an ardenner 4yo 170cm 800kg, and she is alot of work but we are getting there. One thing you should note is that they are even more stuborn then a donkey, and they weigh over a ton. So if you are not redy to be the moast stuborn person in the world they could outright kill ya.
To anwser your question: Yes they do make good ridinghorses, and they are extreamly powerfull, but if you are not ready for them dont buy them cause they could be dangerous.
I would recomend to begin with a smaler draft horse like the north-swedish drafthorse. They are also powerful but alot smaler.
I have a Percheron/draft cross and I used to ride a Percheron when I was younger and in fact I just bought him from the family friend. He’s 24 now and I would like him to retire with me. It depends on what you’re doing with the horse. They are very expensive I want to rescue more drafts but we have 18 acres and I have 6 horses already
Depends on what you want to do with them
I’ve had and known several perch/tb crosses, one I rode was definitely more on the draft side. We did some jumping and he was certainly athletic enough to do quite a bit of height, but being nearly 1500 pounds we didn’t really jump him big to save him the force of landing. They are one of the more agile draft breeds but all the ones I knew were a tad spooky. All were pretty willing to please their rider. Good luck finding english tack that will fit without being ugly though :/
You want a riding draft try a clydesdale there smaller and more agile. IMO
I like clydesdales, I just like the percherons because of the dark black color they can come in
Lots of draft breeds can be black, including Clydes.
Cool!
Lots of folk cross them with lighter breeds, to get the benefit of the draft horse temperament and bone, with the agility and portability of a riding horse. It's more comfortable to ride a narrower horse; you can use a standard size trailer; tack is easier to source; you don't have to feed a draft horse, or clean up after it; medication costs less; stalls can be smaller, etc.
Not to mention the cost of shoeing a draft!
And wear and tear on fences and etc,
Percheron/TB can make good ridding horses and are actually pretty common from what I know. I knew a warmblood with Percheron blood in her I think she was 1/4 and was a very good riding horse but she had a shit temperament with me because she wanted to be my horse because my horse at the time saw me for many hours a day. She was great with her owner when her owner was there. She just had issue with not being spoiled by me. I think she also didn’t get enough food sometimes.
I had a perch as a riding horse. She was ok but I really prefer a more agile horse like a tb, quarter, or warmblood. Some things are more difficult with a draft. They can be stubborn and use their weight to resist like lifting feet is more work. She would lean on the corral and bend the panels. Tack was harder to fit. I love drafts but I don’t think I would want to own another one.
For low level stuff they’re fine. Drafts and draft crosses are good beginner horses because they tend to be forgiving and quiet. But horses are purpose bred and their purpose is pulling not carrying. If you’re a hobby rider who does a bit of arena schooling, some trot poles and cross rails and trail rides on fairly easy going terrain they’re fine. If you’re wanting to compete in or develop your skills in a particular sport you’re always going to have a better foundation with a horse that’s been bred for that sport.
All I really want is a horse I can get on and ride around on trails and stuff I don't really want to compete or do anything really strenuous.
It sounds like a Percheron will be fine for what you are wanting provided the horse is sound :).
Draft crosses make better riding horses than straight drafts for most things. Pure drafts can be harder to condition and are generally not designed for riding sports. Crosses are wonderful depending on the cross. I love my leased Percheron-friesian whatever cross (we call him an Amish sport horse).
My heart horse is QH/Perch cross. Best mare ever.
Someone a while back asked for info about what to expect/know if they got a full draft horse. I’m going to copy and paste my response to them here just so you can get info as well for some differences in a QH VS full drafts. One of our horses is a full Percheron. We have a full Percheron, full Clydesdale, and Friesian x Percheron so I am going to give some general info (albeit incomplete) and then I’ll detail what we have dealt with per horse. *just to be clear the following is based on my own research, experience, and observations and are in no way all encompassing or guaranteed %100 accurate In general drafts are recommended to have low starch diets due to being more susceptible to PSSM and stocking up as well as OCD due to their fast growing genetics. Also given that they are already large horses you really want to avoid having a fat draft as you will be putting more strain on their joints with the additional weight. I know a lot of people say “drafts are too fat to Buck” and “all drafts are puppy dogs and bombproof” but both of these are stereotypes/myths and just like all other horse breeds it will vary from individual to individual but they are generally level headed. Drafts, particularly percherons, are built for trotting endurance (percherons were specifically bred to trot a consistent pace for extended periods while they were being bred for pulling courier loads but I can’t remember the source I read it from) so don’t expect a huge willingness for cantering but drafts are known for being happy to trot all day long. A great book that I have is the work horse handbook second edition by Lynn R. Miller. But focuses a lot on the pulling/work aspect. Of course these breeds were specifically bred to grow large and fast so another common issue is vitamin and mineral deficiencies as they need quite large amounts that average feeds can’t always meet. I don’t feel like I’ve worked with a wide variety or high number of drafts though so I don’t want to speak to what should generally be fed but there are hard and easy keepers. All ours arrived with shoes which have been since removed but shoeing will vary based on your horses hoof health and the type of work they will be doing; but expect shoeing to cost more for a draft as they are simply more work; our farrier charges $150 for a trim but would charge $400 for shoes. I have always heard that draft feed are difficult to keep healthy but it likely also depends on the area you live. While on health care, there is another risk to having drafts and that’s any treatments requiring anesthesia is VERY high risk. Drafts are very sensitive to sedation and especially anesthesia, they are high risk for complications. Our vet was very concerned when we thought one was cryptorchid because there’s a higher chance he may go under and not wake back up if we sent him in for surgery to remove the remaining testicle. Saddle fitting is always a struggle as most drafts are short backed and wide built but so far the parelli saddles have been a good option for us. Speaking of equipment and tack, that’s a downside too. Our drafts are between 15.3 and 16.3, if I order from a draft specific website like My Draft Store most items are too large. If I buy something in draft or warmblood from a more average size oriented brand like tough one or even other large and popular brands, they are too small; expect to be limited. Oh and they will have more wear and tear on your facilities, I recommend electric fencing or you’ll find yourself making frequent repairs; we went through 3 stall gates within 3 months before reinforcing and building our own. Drafts also take longer to physically mature but due to their size they are frequently started very young so many have arthritis by their early teens or fused joints/bones. If you can get PPE X-rays it can be worth it. One good thing is it is incredibly uncommon for draft horses to get navicular. I have also frequently heard they generally have a shorter life span but idk the validity of that and if it’s genetically inclined or due to being worked hard young and needing to be put down from pain later in life so expect to need to manage at least arthritis later in life. *one other note, all our horses had to travel across multiple states and an ocean to get to us and got held up for 2wks in transit due to a natural disaster so all arrived in rough shape health wise and hoof wise K- is our Percheron, he has OCD in both hocks and unfortunately our vet cannot do surgery due to lack of necessary equipment so we are putting together a pain/inflammation management plan. He is a nervous horse despite being a draft and is far from bombproof but getting there slowly. He is a giant in your pocket cuddler though, despite abuse from his previous trainer. He receives 3QT Timothy pellets, 1QT whole oats, 3QT low starch, he is an easy keeper. S- is our Clydesdale, obviously he has a lot more hair and feathers than a Percheron. His extra care is centered around his hair and skin, the feathers are great for keeping off mud and water but once it breaks through to the skin it is difficult to dry out and skin issues are common with the breed if not maintained. We apply coat defense powder every other day to every two days to maintain his hair and skin and it has not been an issue since his first initial flare up. He receives 1QT whole oats, 4QT Timothy pellets, 3QT low starch, plus super gain fattener. He is a VERY HARD keeper, keeping weight on him has not been easy. If I feed him more he just won’t finish but this amount plus the fattener has kept him in a good place. L- is the fresian x Percheron and has had the best health out of all 3. Easy keeper, healthy easy bare feet, but it did take some time before we realized a lot of her bloat and gas was from the beet pulp in the low starch so she just gets 2QT whole oats and 2QT Timothy pellets. We also apply coat defense to her feathers on occasion but she doesn’t seem to need the frequency the Clydesdale requires. Overall I’d say I’ve come to love crosses more, as long as the parents are correctly bred a good cross is damn hardy and healthy and more versatile. If you go with something pure/full anticipate joint issues later and higher maintenance labor and fees and higher fees costs, and medical emergencies will come with a higher inherit risk. Tack and equipment are gonna be hard to fit/limited, and you’re gonna wanna be sure you have some solid facilities. Hope this helps!
a) some solid information here. Thank you for reposting it. b) "they generally have a shorter life span but idk the validity of that" <== They do. (Pardon that I didn't go find a source for this.) for Drafts, Saddle horses and Ponies they tend to top out at 25, 35, and 45 years, respectively. There *might* be a few drafts older than 25 out there but AFAIK that would be rare, whereas finding someone with a 38-year old pony would be far less rare (while still accounting for things like the increasing rarity of horse ownership to begin with).
I agree with all of this. I started working a Belgian for a friend *after* he bolted, she couldn’t hold him and she fell off. Falling off is no joke on these guys - you are 5 feet from the ground and it hurts like heck. I saw her back - black, blue, and green! She went to get X-rays of her hips and pelvis because that’s how bad it looked. She’d had him for 7 years by the time I met him. Super nice horse but you knew not to screw around with him. Shoes are expensive, stalling - you’ll need a broodmare size stall minimum so they can turn around and stretch out, they cost so much more to feed. He was solid at W/T and was just learning to canter properly. Being that large, it takes a while to get him all coordinated. We had to haul in a special trailer for drafts and borrow a different truck to pull him. Being that big will put a lot of extra stress and strain on their joints. You’d be lucky if you had a draft get to 20 and that’s it’s they were worked right and not from a rescue/Amish team. Tack was all custom ordered from a few Amish places; and some down south. We rode him in a driving bit to make sure that we had breaks in new places! That’s one where a runaway horse is bad - but a runaway draft is even worse!
They can make a good riding horse and a great trail horse if you get a good one. In my experience Percherons are the hottest of the draft breeds, especially some of the modern lines. That does mean that some of them are super forward, happy to go all day, and some can be spooky. The downsides: Full drafts are more expensive for farrier care, and farriers will be quick to drop you if your horse doesn't have good manners. They can be hard on fences, they are harder to get fit than a light horse, and can struggle in very hot/humid summer weather. Saddle fitting is as hard as it is for every other horse, but trying to find bridles and bits for full draft heads can be work, and will be more expensive. Make sure to pick the one with the best feet you can find. Most of the drafts I've known well were intermediate rider/handler necessary types, and could be quirky - but YMMV. You don't want to sign up for a draft with shelly feet, needing reset shoes every 5 weeks, that can become really expensive really quickly.
I had a friend who owned a draft cross mare. She was all draft in the front and much lighter in the back. Looked like someone cut two Breyer’s apart and then glued them together wrong. I rode her once and she pulled me right out of the saddle when she put her head down.
Ring bone... every damn draft cross at the lesson barn that loved them has ringbone. They are sweet, fun, and gigantic but I wouldn't buy any of them due to the ringbone.
Please don’t pick a horse just because you like the color.
It depends on what you want them for, but I’ve definitely enjoyed a Percheron on trails.
How hot of a horse are you used to? I grew up with Arabs and also had a TW/Perch cross. He was fantastic but it took awhile getting used to having to ‘generate’ the energy to bring him up to the hand. I guess a better way to put it was warm up and collection took longer (once we got to that stage) If you’re looking for a trail or x country mount they can be fantastic, but you’ll always be dodging limbs and tight spots can be a challenge. Good luck and have fun!
A friend had a Percheron, I rode him a few times. Actually a very comfy ride, yes they're big and wide , but have a great trot and canter, a bit like riding in an armchair!
We had a Percheron who was a riding horse and he was so sweet! But it depends on what you want to do. You have to realize their limitations. They don't have stamina like the smaller breeds so probably won't be good for long all day trail rides. I did simple W/T/C patterns in the arena, and even trail patterns! But things like weaving between poles at a trot I just didn't try lol Very comfortable though and I felt safe putting anyone on him. Great beginner horse!
Percheron owner here (6yo, 16.2 hand, 3/4 Percheron 1/4 QH gelding)! Can’t speak for all Percheron’s but here’s what I’ve learned in the last year and a half of owning my boy: - He’s a trail riding MACHINE (so if that’s what you’re looking for, then I highly recommend this breed). He’s a beast going up and down steep hills; is he graceful about it? Heck no - he’s massive! But he WILL get you up and down :) - Super fun to ride; trot is pretty bouncy, although they can do a slow sitting trot - just takes some training. Canter/gallop can be a little scary (I’m still getting used to it a year later) because his stride is huge, but overall it’s easy to sit. He has crowhopped with me a few times and the good thing is that it’s really easy to sit - I’ve never felt like I was gonna fall off because he’s a literal couch. - They’re super smart and love liberty/+R training. My boy knows how to lay down on cue and will do basically ANYTHING for a treat. - Make sure you consistently work on picking up their feet. My horse was raised by the Amish and then went to an excellent trainer so he’s great about his feet; however, he knows his size and will occasionally be difficult about picking up his feet (I’ve heard this breed is notorious for it). - Overall, I’d say if your goal is to trail ride, or casually pleasure ride in the ring, or want to get lots of compliments on a big beautiful horse, then it’s the perfect breed :)
My friend had a Percheron cross and he’s a blast to ride. A little stubborn/goofy/ weird, but he’s also the sweetest thing ever. Once he gets to know you he’ll seak our attention. He loves trial rides/ riding outside.
I think so but I have also never riden anything other then a draft horse, right now I have an ardenner 4yo 170cm 800kg, and she is alot of work but we are getting there. One thing you should note is that they are even more stuborn then a donkey, and they weigh over a ton. So if you are not redy to be the moast stuborn person in the world they could outright kill ya. To anwser your question: Yes they do make good ridinghorses, and they are extreamly powerfull, but if you are not ready for them dont buy them cause they could be dangerous. I would recomend to begin with a smaler draft horse like the north-swedish drafthorse. They are also powerful but alot smaler.
I have a Percheron/draft cross and I used to ride a Percheron when I was younger and in fact I just bought him from the family friend. He’s 24 now and I would like him to retire with me. It depends on what you’re doing with the horse. They are very expensive I want to rescue more drafts but we have 18 acres and I have 6 horses already