A good horse is never a bad color, but a bad horse can be a good color: Part IV, Grullas

I've been meaning to do this one for a while. I admit I've personally always wanted to own a grulla, and haven't yet. It's a beautiful color. Like cremello and palomino, it has quite a following and plenty of people trying to breed specifically for the color...sometimes without a whole lot of thought to anything else.




Let's start with a nice example of a grulla. This is a young filly who's still growing, so the fact that she's downhill is understandable. She's got a great shoulder. She's compact and well balanced with a nice hip, and a neck that is well defined and elegant. It's low set, but you want that in a stock breed pleasure horse - it makes it easy for them to carry themselves as desired for western pleasure. She has an attractive head and her pasterns are pretty much ideal - sloping and not too long. She is a bit tied in below the knee and looks like she may toe out a bit but it's not extreme. Overall, I really like this filly and her excellent coloring is just the icing.





By the way, it's also a good example of a non pro picture where the horse still looks good - she's not clipped or posed - in fact, she's sleeping, but she's still a quality horse in good weight and condition and that shines through.

I'd place this guy in the middle of the pack. If you like foundation quarter horses, he's a pretty decent example of one. He's compact (which many foundation breds are not), he's got a great shoulder (which many foundation breds do not), his neck is attached nicely though it's short, and he's got good bone. Although I can't see the feet, I can pretty much tell you those aren't 00's down there. He looks like he is built to last and built to work.

I have to knock him down for being back at the knee and downhill (look at the pic - his back hooves are lower, he's on a hill to make him close to level). Stallion quality? Well, he's not necessarily my cup of tea but I'd sure rather see him siring little grullas than many of the straight-shouldered, painfully long foundation horses I see standing at stud out there!

All right - now on to what this blog is all about. Fuuuugly grullas!

All I can say about this 3 year old is that hallelujah, he is a gelding! Despite the strong resemblance to some inbred mustang off an indian reservation, this is a registered Quarter Horse. Um, eek.

He is straight shouldered, short necked (in fact I think his head may actually be longer than his neck), and did he steal that tail off an Appaloosa? He stole the position of it off an Arabian. He's got no butt and he's got this weird super long gaskin with his hock set way out behind him.

Ah well. He is a gelding...but who bred this critter?

Oh...my. This is a QH/Fjord/Standardbred/Arab cross broodmare. Are you wondering WHY? WHY? WHY? Oh trust me, we all are.

I will let the sale ad speak for itself:

"[name] is for sale husband made up his mind [full name] 2002 Grulla Qh X Fjord x Arab X Standerdbred was trained to ride[ trainer redacted] and since then she had a grulla stud colt[her first one sire by our stud [name] -sorrel] ,she has had her teeth done by [dentist][june 30] and upd on her deworming ,stands around 15.1hh she is eligable for registeration by ABRA and IBHA and NQHR.we have owned her since she was born.she has a wonderful attitude she needs more training and miles.she might be in foal to my stud [name][AQHA Palomino stalion] for 2008 her sire is Pocos sunny boy one [Sunny- Dun] Abra eligable too and her Dam is Mickey [QHX Fjord- grulla]Her Grandsire is Poco King Shook[AQHA Buckskin] and her Granddam is Sargeants Rocs[CPAR 50% Arab x STB]she has a good personality and trails well.she normally is great with her feet and with a farrier.[name] would be a good ranch horse and good for roping ,team penning.this girl is not affraid of anything"

I don't know about her, but I am affraid she is pregnant and reproducing her fugliness! Be affraid, be very affraid!

And who are these people who post that the mare MIGHT be in foal? Call out the damn vet, you freakin' cheapskate. It's not exactly a budget buster to check for pregnancy.

*sigh* Seriously, people. Who thought crossing those four breeds was a good idea? I can't think of anything more off the wall that you could throw in there. Shit, just breed her to a Peruvian Paso...there ya go.