With Approval - Temperment Question?

[StealingKat]

Is there anyone on the board who actually saw With Approval up close and personal?I don't want rumor or speculation, but people who actually worked with or around him. There are so many people who come out to visit "Testimonial" and they all say the same thing. He can't be a "With Approval" he's so calm and sweet. He has an exceptional temperment.

Was his daddy really that bad of an actor? Any "With Approval" offspring i have worked with have been lovely. I find it really difficult to keep my tongue in my head when people are bashing them. Is this another one of those internet rumors or is there a large number of really bad WA horses out there. If there are any bad ones I would like to pull up pedigrees and check out the female lines as well and see what kind of blood we have brewing. Thanks for the help!

[ASB]

Havent worked with With Approval but I can tell you Caro blood is "hot" so I wouldnt be the least bit surprised.

[Loyola]

We saw With Approval at Brookdale Farm the year before he was shipped to England. He was a stunning horse! The handler didn't seem to have any problems with him at all--he led WA out of the barn for us to view and we were able to get close and rub his muzzle. We took several photo's and he seemed to take it all in stride--didn't seem a bit agitated by any of it.

[StealingKat]

Thank you so much for the replies. Mr. T is a clone of his father physically, but I often wondered if his easy going nature was that of his sire or his dam.

[MillyMix]

I saw With Approval on his arrival in the UK and couldn't fault him. He was out in the paddock, they went in and caught him, removed his rug etc with no problems.

He took the whole thing in his stride. He impressed me so much we sent two mares to him. Their foals are due next week

[henthorn]

He was well-behaved when I saw him a few years ago twice. His now 6yo gelded son Motion Approved is a gentle sweetheart. Only reason he was gelded was for pasture management reasons. That's him in the avatar photo.

[BargainBlueblood]

So tell us, when is the first 2007 Testimonial baby due? And who's the lucky mom?

[Toccet02]

Stealing Kat, I've been meaning to congratulate you on Trust Nobody's recent preformances. He's a real gutsy colt!

[Denise]

I've said before how sorry I was that this stallion was so underappreciated in the states, and how lucky GB was to be getting him where both he and his get will be appreciated.
Our two WA fillies were very much alike in temperament. Strong, starchy, game, in your face, but very professional, classy hard workers and tough, durable runners. I'll say this; you knew exactly where you stood. No games, no sneakiness. If they felt like flexing their muscles, you saw it coming and had time to get out of the way.
And they never tied up, which is unusual in fillies. I'd love to have twenty more just like them.

[Maven]

I remember reading this topic and thought I would add to it since I bought a With Approval mare today.

She's very docile, smart, and very aware and kind to people. A big lover. But the moment I put her in the field, she asserted herself immediately against the other horses. She was so assertive I had to put her in a stall to seperate her and let them come to her. We'll see how she does tomorrow.

It might be the Caro blood, or the fact that she's intensely inbred to Cool Mood.

Either way, I had a great trainer once tell me that the true sign of intelligence in a horse is they know to be behaved around people yet herd leaders around other horses, picking up on the difference. Here's hoping.