A Breed of Our Own Making

At Rocky A Ranch, We raise and train our own breed of horses. We call them "Triple drafts". This breeding has taken us over 15 years to get exactly what we want.

We start with a good mare. Not just any horse will do. We do not use "brood mares." We understand that the disposition of the foal will closely follow that of his mother. I am not sure if that is the result of nature (the dna of the mare) or nurture. Probably both, but it is quite pronounced to anyone paying close attention. We select a mare that is smart, responsive and spirited, but with no agressive behavior.

You can't know about the mare and her traits without training her. So all of our mares are fully trained. If you like a foal and want an idea of how he will act when mature, you can ride his mom. foal.

This mare is then bred to a Clydesdale giving us a Clydesdale Cross. Sometimes these are referred to as "half drafts." We love Clydesdales with their easy going disposition. That disposition passes to the Clydesdale cross who is as gentle as his sire, often more athletic because of his dame, but who will stay fat on a third of the feed of the pure blood Clydesdale. The Clydesdale also gives the offspring height and thickness that is useful in some tasks such as strength to pull, stoutness for roping, yet retainig the flexibility, energy and athletic ability of the mare. Added benefits of the Clydesdale Cross is that it shows little of the "horsing" when the mares are in heat.

The geldings from this cross are trained and prepared for their new home. The fillies will, at the appropriate time, be bred to either a Fresian or a Gypsi to give the new foal the lush mane, tail and feathers for which those breeds are noted.

We also breed, raise, and train mules.