There is so much written about the history of the Caspian Horse, tho capitivating and very interesting, one important aspect is always overlooked. Why a Caspian Horse? Why should we care? What good are they?
A Caspian is not for everyone, I do agree. For an adult who is looking for a performance mount. Lets face it, tho the caspian has all the athletic abilities of it's full sized cousin, he is just not capable of carrying most adults.
Most children tend to be overfaced with horses much too large for them, and ponies, NOT ALL ponies, lack the athletic ability and temperament suited for children. Thats where the Caspian comes in!
He has an almost doglike devotion to his handler, very giving, trusting and gentle in nature. The Caspian is VERY trainable, we have taken caspians straight from the field with limited handling, done a bit of round penning, and joining up, and we were off riding usually within an hour or so. They are very quick learners, very forgiving of human error, and very intelligent.
The Caspian is a narrow breed, built to perform. A Caspian should never appear stock like or pony in type. He is more refined, narrow built, slim and slender. Because of his build, he is a much easier ride for short legged children, they are better able to use thier legs, and have much better placement. Because of the Caspians build, his long, slender legs, good wither, long neck, narrow, slim body and deep heart girth, he has all the athletic abilities as his full sized cousin,stamina, incredible jumping ability, smooth, free flowing gaits, which have been described by many as floating on air.
The Caspian is well suited for Pony Club, Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, Endurance, Driving and even western events, such as gymkana.
The Caspian as a Sport Pony producer, For those who love the caspian and it's attributes but are much too tall and heavy for them, the next best thing is a Caspian Sport Pony! The Caspian Sport Pony is created by breeding a caspian to a full sized horse producing a taller versian of the purebred! Here on our farm we have bred Thouroughbreds, AQHA, Arabian, and warmblood mares. The results have been spectacular. Many of these foals have matured between 13.2 to 14.2 hands!
Most all of these Caspian Sport Ponies have gone to become successful in hunter/jumper, Dressage, and Endurance.
Because the Caspian is so prepotent, he tends to reproduce himself, in a taller package. Stamping his crossbred foals with his type, temperament, and exceptional athletic abilities!
So why not try a Caspian for yourself or your child? I promise you, once you do, you'll be hooked!!!!
