| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Mar 2009 : 8:13:12 PM
|
Holly - it's outrageous, insulting and ignorant for anyone who knows anything about the horse world to say the Arab isn't a riding horse. It's the horse that has been ridden longer than any other in the world! It's why people's horrible old European cold-bloods can do dressage - don't get me started on why the whole world should be grateful to the Arab...
I once took my 14.2hh Arab mare into a Family Horse or Pony class (years ago) and she had just won the best grass kept horse or pony under saddle. The (same!) judge put us 6th, because she said she couldn't see her Dad on him. Had it been now, not 13 years ago, I would have told her in no uncertain terms, that up until 130 years ago, Arabs were only ridden by men!
Bigger brains, denser bone tissue, greater ability to bond with (wo)man, better lifespan - you name it, the Arab has it all in my view. These people need teaching!!!
Edited to say that the Family horse or pony class had 25 entries, and whatever did she say to the 20 of them who were on ponies 13.2hh and less! |
Roseanne |
Edited by - Roseanne on 19 Mar 2009 8:14:55 PM |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 08:34:43 AM
|
luckily for you all I am late for work so haven't got time to rant,but the comment about the Arab ''not being a riding horse'' when it is in fact the finest riding horse this world has ever seen (imho) , has sent me into shock !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very well said Templars, Minhe and Roseanne
Cheers
Lisa |
lisa |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 10:03:42 AM
|
I have been reading this thread with great interest, and one element popped into my head..
if you didnt have Arab what horse would you have?
why would you have this breed or type? e.g. ID X TB
what would you compete in ?
Most would say I want to SJ or , I love dressage..
But when we own a Arab , its almost like we close our eyes that our beautiful talented horses are capable of so much more?
And just show them.. and there is nothing wrong with showing
I have to say i absolutely love showing, but...my horse deserves to DO so much more !
AS and has shah has pointed out some seem incapable of putting the effort in to produce a 'proper riding horse'
that can go out and compete across the board, if i had a worker type for example I would show it , do XC hunter trial etc etc ..
why not with my arab also? they arent delicate ?
why are we so wimpy that we can get on and have a go?
I know if I take ramak in a SJ class and maybe dont get all the way round I will inevitably get the stupid comments from the arab 'haters' they are everywhere but pants to them!
Its all jealously anyway I tell myself
And I am proud of the breed and I am more than happy to go out compete on a level field and re-educate people..
|
   |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
SueB
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 11:30:31 AM
|
I have moved this from another thread!!
All everyone seems to be doing is trying to mend the end product.
We need to start at the beginning when the foals are born, just my opinion here.
The majority of purebred foals born here are supposedly destined for the in-hand showring. If they are not good enough or for whatever reason don't get there, they are then sold on to make a 'super riding horse' (this is a huge amount too)
Because they have had little education, ie handled properly, people looking to buy a sound riding prospect will be shocked that they sometimes can't even go in the stable with the youngster as it climbs the walls.
Is not taught to be tied up, have feet done, open mouths, groom, load, lead without jumping all over you, just have basic manners taught.
This unruly youngster is the problem that's gets us purebred breeders a bad name.
Start at the beginning and teach all show in-hand stock to behave properly will help.
Use the in-hand as part of that horses education, not just a rosette gathering exercise will help.
Realise that by owning or breeding the top in-hand show winning arab does not mean that it is worth so much money it can't be ridden or have basic manners taught.
Achieve some of the above and you might help change the outlook from other breed owners and show secretaries!
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Centaur
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
237 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 12:00:09 PM
|
Very interesting "canter" on this subject. A few further thoughts;
The grass roots Arabian owner supporter has been alienated from showing by the conduct exhibited by some handlers & supporters in the in hand rings. I personally last showed my stallion at the National show in 2000 & was afraid for both his & my safety in both the collecting ring & the main ring because of the outrageous behaviour of some of the other "professional" handlers. I have voted with my feet & now wouldn't dream of showing at C show or above in hand. I'd love to show my filly at HoCoN but won't expose my future ridden horse to the bag waving/shouting/wall drumming atmosphere which will prevail now the show is indoors - anyway she moves well without being "off her head".
Due to the decrease in grass root support the C shows have seen declining numbers and the European qual system is now farcical with all or nearly all the exhibits qualifying.
All breeds go though periods of rise & fall in popularity - just look at the coloured sections. Since so many of the Arab horses now bred are unfit for ridden purposes as they are physically & temperamentally unfit for this purpose I believe thatbthe breed is going into a popularity decline(my saddle fitter told me yesterday that she finds it increasingly difficult to fit Arabs due to the preoccupation with the short back, coupled with the increasing size of the human backside leads to an unfortunate conflict & pain for the horse)
I'm afraid the in hand arab fraternity are killing their own market. Very soon the middle east will have bought all the stock they need to beed their own top class horses (as hapeened in the TB racing world) & that market will dry up for all but the very elite.
The judges now going on the in hand panel often come from the fashionable side of the in hand world & instead of upholding order in the ring and promoting arabs which are both typical & good horses the problems are being perpetuated.
The arab horse society seems to have little or no influence on all of this.
What a tragic situation for a fabulous breed |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
SueB
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 12:29:52 PM
|
In no way am I knocking the in-hand showing as I really enjoy it as a competitor.
I expect my stock to take the bag waving, rattling and whooping they can and do enjoy it all and they then come home sane ready to be ridden or do other things in life. All because I have chosen bloodlines that I know are fun but sane.
My homebreds have been taught from birth to behave, but allowed to enjoy the fun of showing. Only once in my life could I not handle my foal when I was ill, then she was sent to a real horseman to do it for me.
Educating the purebred is often forgotten as innocent onlookers just think the arab has to snort and blow all the time!
Mine can switch it on or off and behave when asked to.
We need to educate new owners and even breeders to 'start' their foals properly and teach them good manners before they even think about the show ring in-hand.
People must learn that in-hand showing can be done at any level and the horse can still go on to be sane, be ridden and have fun.
We can list loads that do do this, but we have all been here before.
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Centaur
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
237 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 12:41:46 PM
|
There are a great many examples of ridden horses who previously exposed to the rigours of in hand showing have not reached their potential in the ridden sphere or have been retired early because they cannot cope with an atmosphere in which they have previously been put under severe stress & did not enjoy it.
Just because a horse dances about snorting with his tail in the air doesn't mean he is comfortable with it. No horseman in any other breed or discipline would think that encouraging this would be a sensible preparation for ridden work. Some horses manage in spite of their former experiences NOT because of them! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
SueB
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 1:18:53 PM
|
Centaur, I am not advocating that we continue with the bag waving which by the way absolutely hate, but if it is there then the horse has to deal with it and carry on.
I applaud those horses that do cope.
There is so much in-hand bashing at the moment it is no surprise that entries get lower and lower, negative posts and threads in my humble opinion do no good. We need constructive advice and suggestions to put forward to the AHS.
Most of us know the problems out there but doing something about it is difficult ans sometimes slow. Getting the message over is another matter and this is the hardest thing to do.
There are so many other contributing factors as why shows and entries are down, my idea of starting to educate owners about the importance of teaching manners to an Arab from foal to adulthood is a start.
Arabs are just horses and need to be treated the same.
If we look at the big Cob shows the shouting and whooping there is incredible, I think Nick once came on here and told us about it at the Welsh Show. I never believed until one day I witnessed the masses. The noise was deafening!
Look at the miniature horses being shown, the handlers wear tiaras at the Championship shows and ballgowns!!! Two extremes I know.
We are not alone in doings things differently, but not that differently.
I don't want to go back to dragging a horse out of the field presented muddy, fat and yawning away, I want to see some sparkle at least but we need limits and I do feel the AHS are doing their very best to implement them now.
It's just the owners who need guidance, how do you achieve that? |
Edited by - SueB on 20 Mar 2009 1:28:39 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
templars
Platinum Member
England
1852 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 3:18:43 PM
|
Sazzlepants and Centaur - bless you both! You've summed up the situation beautifully.
Sue, I agree totally about the education.
You all agree on one thing - the temperament - and as someone who competes regularly at performance disciplines, you have no idea how vital that is.
I nearly split my sides laughing recently when I read on another forum about someone who is aiming their show produced youngster at eventing (an entire). I may be wrong and this particular horse may be suitable but it is the totally glib way that some people say these things. I have pure breds that I know are not suited temperamentally for performance work (I have a thoroughbred who's just the same) and I have pure breds who are ideal and have the skill.
But the education and the temperament are critical success factors and just because a horse moves nicely or can make a decent outline over a jump does not mean it will be a performance horse.
The education is so sadly lacking and like Sue says, I'm not sure how to go about addressing that.
More than anything, I would love to see more Arabian bred horses out and about competing in all disciplines but my biggest fear is that people who have no concept of performance work will expect the quick results (just like they do with showing) and there will be a glut of badly behaved, unsuitable horses pushed out to compete.
The temperament and education of the owner is just as vital as that of the horse!!!
There are no quick wins in performance. Someone has suggested on another thread that if the owner can afford to pay for a professional rider then they will get the results - wrong!!!!! It takes years to train a performance horse. I believe this is different from a showing horse who can be trained in three or so months prior to a showing season - and that show preparation doesn't necessarily involve educating the horse to be well behaved.
But you are so right in what has been said - any other breed than an Arab and you wonder what you can compete at. Get an Arab and 99% of owners don't think beyond showing.
What we now need to do, is educate owners that there is life beyond showing but it needs time and dedication and there really is no short cut and no guarantee of success. |
   www.eviepeel.com    |
Edited by - templars on 20 Mar 2009 3:24:43 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
MinHe
Platinum Member
England
2927 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 3:49:09 PM
|
I think there are possibly more folk out there breeding "proper" Arabs than is often believed - however, with one or two exceptions (eg the Guinnesses), they are not the folk with money to throw at big splashy colour adverts in the magazines.
Perhaps those of us who DO breed "proper" Arabs ought to club together to promote ourselves? I am willing to (as a pro designer/marketing person) to donate time to putting together something impressive to run in TAM/AHS News!
Keren |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 7:16:40 PM
|
We've got several threads all contributing to the Arab showing/performance discussion at the moment. This was about Arab showing classes being abandoned - leading on to the concern about the Arab's reputation in the UK. It's an old chestnut I know, but it seems to be snowballing.
The discussion's gone rushing on to a subject that's (understandably) very fiercely felt by those who breed and produce performance Arabians, Anglos and part-breds; and many of those achieving success in the open horse world feel undervalued.
I do understand that argument but I think there are alwys going to be people who don't have the ambition (or in my case, youth and energy!) to go eventing or hunter-trialling or team chasing. Many people spend most of their year hacking, doing a bit of flatwork and going to a few local shows in the summer. I don't think the only solution to loss of Arab classes at shows is for people to go taking on the eventing world. For a lot of us it's a process that isn't even a glimmer on the horizon!
I for one like ridden showing at local, regional and national level. A lot of work goes into it to do it well - you have to have a very obedient, well trained, stable, level-headed horse as well as an attractive one. Most have invested in a lot of training and do dressage, and they use their ridden horses like anyone else does in between - hacking, sponsored rides etc.
I think the majority of Arab owners are 'generalists' like this and although we are all hugely proud of the few who excel in performance, we can't all be seen as inadequate because we want to, or need to contain our performance to the less adrenaline-charged sports!!
People are all different; Linda Hannaford (mentioned in Alistair's Arab Performance thread) is now infamous for running the only purebred Arab team chasing outfit - but before she did that, she spent years doing what thrilled her most; jumping, showjumping and hunter trialling. She much preferred jumping to flatwork.
I just would rather people might reflect a bit on the view that if you don't race over fences, you aren't really riding usefully or showing the beauty or versatility of the Arab. |
Roseanne |
Edited by - Roseanne on 20 Mar 2009 7:17:26 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2009 : 9:27:21 PM
|
Having done the horses etc this morning before work, I nearly choked on my porridge reading the comment about Arabs not being riding horses ! Now at the other end of the day I am too knackered to make a useful contribution to this thread but as usual Centaur I agree with you, and with the others who have posted on this and related threads. I think Minhe is absolutley right, there are many of us privileged to have ridden these horses who 'fly without wings' and who fear for the future of a breed cursed by it's own beauty. We can whinge and rant all we like but far better to do something proactive.
We should compete at whatever ridden discipline we and our horses enjoy at whatever level, on well prepared happy horses, enjoy ourselves and turn a deaf ear to Arab haters... (I have always felt anyone who doesn't like Arabs is very likely an unworthy person to own one).
Even hacking out I, as I'm sure you all, have been stopped absolutely countless times and complimented on my horse, I have always pointed out that he /she is an Arab and my horses always do their bit by being friendly and polite to that person, and maybe doing a little trick like kissing or raising a named foreleg on command. So while I admire and absolutely agree with templars about the immense value of competing at open level in the big wide world, even the most mundane outings are an advert for this breed AS A RIDING HORSE.
It is the concerns raised on this and other threads regarding the ridden Arab that prompted the setting up of RAGW which is growing steadily and puts on twice yearly performance shows as well as pleasure rides etc... we have to take matters into our own hands and DO something. Interestingly RAGW had a talk from a man who had worked for Lady Wentworth at Crabbet who had later lost touch with the horse world, when I asked him what he thought of the fashion victim type of Arab being bred today and its suitability as a riding horse he looked at me as if I was mad, clearly thought it a stupid question and said .... 'surely the Arab is THE riding horse'... how much have views changed in 50 odd years!
I am not a breeder but think that Minhe is right about being proactive and cohesive in promoting the performance Arabian. (Even that term is ridiculous.... peoples lives have depended for millenia on the agility, loyalty, speed and intelligence of these horses in war and here we are talking about ridden Arabs as though they are a separate subgroup.... arghh!!! how bad is that!?)
Anyway I am rambling and tired so will go but one final point... I was thinking of your comment Roseanne that Arabs have lost their 'Royal' status.. well I don't know about peoples' perceptions but watching the proud bearing of my (to my loving eyes)beautiful, horses, I am certain...in their own minds THERE IS NO DOUBT, they KNOW that they are horses of the highest class and ancestry... its written all over them ... they don't need mere humans to confirm the obvious!
Cheers
Lisa
PS as I've said before if you need cheering up about Arabs being seen to be doing, just go to a top level endurance competition
pps Maybe it's just me, I am NOT refering to this thread but I have found the tone of some of the posts on some of the performance related threads a bit harsh and confrontational between individuals, I totally understand peoples' frustrations and obviously ideas need to be discussed, refined, supported or rejected frankly and openly.
But surely we are all on the same side we love the Arab horse for the same reasons and should work together to safeguard his future.
|
lisa |
Edited by - lisa rachel on 20 Mar 2009 9:50:57 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
firstlady
Gold Member
Wales
767 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2009 : 12:16:42 AM
|
once again well put Lisa Rachel,centaur,sazzlepants,templars
the arabian has to be the most versatile riding horse - what other breed can race,long distance (or in Lisa Rachel's case an extremely long distance  ),event,dressage,x-country,team chase,show jump,western,le-trec,drive,show both ridden and in-hand,be loyal,intelligent,caring,strong,powerful,graceful,agile,brave,the list is endless - many Arabians doing more than one of the above
I am not a fan of the current in-hand showing and I'm sure it's not a help in promoting the arabian as a serious riding horse to the uninitiated but for some reason the prejudice goes much further back - I remember as a young child ( a few years ago ) at pony club being told to avoid an arab or anything with arab blood in - and when questioning why - was told that they were flighty,stupid couldn't jump and wouldn't go through water !!! funny though because at the time one of the top 14.2hh jumping ponies in the area was a bay arab gelding called 'my saaba' !!! but of course he was the exception  
Sue b had a valid point about educating young horses but perhaps we as arabian promoters should stop with the them and us (performance and non-performance )and educate our young humans to the virtues of the wonderful arabian Templars - Evie is a shining example who is 'flying the flag superbly' |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
SueB
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2009 : 10:09:18 AM
|
There some very passionate owners here, this can only be good.
If you completely took all the in-hand classes away from any of our shows what would be left? think long and hard on that one.
We would lose some breeders, probably most of them. I think if truth be known most hanker after doing well in-hand.
We would have no shows to go to as the in-hand does support all the other classes too.
Please don't start this as another war thread. I am generalising here.
We would have little to inspire those that are not the died in the wood, or is it wool? performance oriented, that includes me to start with!! (too old and infirm)
The in-hand does enable those that dream of breeding a performance arab that has had the first three years of it's life being taught how to load by going to a show,
how to behave in company by going to a show, how to cope with noise and excitement by going to a show, what education would you give a youngster without our shows?
We need our shows. We need the camaraderie that goes with showing and the family feel you get at the show........OK some fall out I am generalising here again.
It is more than just a show it is a way of life for some.
We also need shows to maintain that any arab bred actually looks like one.
I think someone else stated look at the French racing Arabs (are they pure Arabs?) a good example of how we would and could go without our shows.
We all have different ideas as what an Arab should look like how it should behave, how it should be shown, but there is no dictatorship around(thank God) to stop us from breeding or showing our stock bred.
There is and never should be any dictatorship that stops us entering a show just to see if our horse matches up to what everyone else has bred.
This is a free country (I think) and we can all have a go at something we enjoy with our horses.
Maybe a performance show done separately is a good idea, and I would be one of the first to offer some support, but I really think that as we are in such a deep recession the time is not right at the moment to stage one.
Some people can't afford to put fuel in their lorry, some can't afford lorries! Why all argue when times are so hard it is at this point we should all pull together.
I don't go to shopping Malls much, but went to one a couple of weeks ago in our nearest town. I found nearly every other shop closed down, boarded up, many people are losing jobs.
First thing to suffer in a recession is luxury items and I'm afraid a horse is rather a luxury item.
Our shows will recover in time, I feel confident of that, we just have to cut a few corners to help it all tick over. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Sahir
Gold Member
England
847 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2009 : 11:38:39 AM
|
Very well said Sue............I'm in total agreement with you
Elaine xx |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
templars
Platinum Member
England
1852 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2009 : 12:09:08 PM
|
I agree Sue (and all the others) that it would be massive loss to lose the showing classes - as I've said, my original comment was tongue in cheek. And you are so right that different people want different things.
Forgive us more performance oriented people - we've suffered the demise of our discipline and yet we are still there.
It's a shame to see the showing world go through something we've been experiencing for years. But the Arab will survive. Classes will come back. It won't happen overnight but it will happen. |
www.eviepeel.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
vanbro
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
93 Posts |
Posted - 21 Mar 2009 : 1:25:41 PM
|
Babs R.
You are probably right . Show organisers may be put off as so many of these horses are, to the non-arab fraternity, viewed as lunatics ,spinning round on the end of a lead,whinnying their heads off, hyped up and appearing totally unsuitable even for the most experienced horseperson. Sometimes even dangerous.
How can they be promoted as a sane, sensible and intelligent small family horse or as an 'improver' of other breeds when it's advocates don't promote it as such.
My girls are all well bred with excellent connections(so they tell me)...I can leave them for ages without riding then pop on a saddle and go for a quiet hack. I can take them in-hand without them acting as hot-air balloons whilst still showing their quality,and win prizes in good company, in fact I can do almost any thing that any other family , happy hacker or show person would want to do with their horse.
The sad thing is that the arab horses and people that are often seen in public eye achieving the high levels of bad publicity for the breed ,are the 'professionals, who have a totally different agenda for their horses.
A friend of mine has backed and trained many arab horses and her comment was that those who had been shown at high level , in-hand, were frequently the most difficult and sometimes near impossible to handle.Too much incentive these days for in-hand showing.
I love the breed. I look at stallions for'the girls' and these days first impressions are what I take into account.
Not just a pretty face!
If it can't behave and keep all it's feet on the ground forget it !
I want to see them ridden, jumped, hunted , content , well behaved etc.etc. Guess what. The best stallions I have seen are ..RIDDEN.
You can't really blame anyone for being put off the breed when most are incapable of any of the above in the hands of their current owners.!!
Right I'll get of the soap box now , enough said. |
VANBRO - |
Edited by - vanbro on 21 Mar 2009 1:41:11 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2009 : 10:43:37 AM
|
A bit of a cliche about the in-hand horses.
Most of the line up today in ridden Arabs were former in-hand successes .
What impression do the ridden Arabs give/
I suggest mannerly and pretty to watch but not exciting
that is why I am focussed on Ridden Pure-Bred Performance as an answer to the problem of poor perception of our horses .
Arab owners have been doing to fit in with other equines for 100years so now it is time to refresh the Pure-Breds as a priority.
See other thread. |
    
blue moon |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
MinHe
Platinum Member
England
2927 Posts |
Posted - 22 Mar 2009 : 7:41:53 PM
|
Roseanne, I am 'guilty as charged' of being one of those who doesn't event etc, BUT it is by having a high level of visibility of those horses who ARE playing with the big boys that we change other folks' perceptions of what the Arab can do. That is why we need to give them all the exposure we can, and why an Arab-only show is no advert at all.
I did not get into Arabs through looking at static pictures of something on the end of a leadrein. The horse that stole my heart as a child and married me indissolubly to the breed was an Olympic showjumper who was one of the top horses on the international circuit in the 1970s. He was a first cross Anglo with an Arab's head, guts and intelligence - his name was Rex the Robber and he belonged to Paul Schokemohle's elder brother Alwin. What little girl wouldn't want to have a horse like that when they grew up? He truly was a dream horse - not just one to play with but one that could DO things!
That's why we need to get the doing horses out there in the wide world - to show little girls (and boys) that the don't have to settle for second best.
Keren
(BTW: By a strange co-incidence, my foundation mare had the same grandsire as Rex The Robber - Oran. And SHE was a doing horse too, as are all her family!) |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2009 : 09:50:41 AM
|
Keren it seems to be a feature of the breed that you fall in love with them as a young person and the fantastic looks and qualities of the Arab stay with you then for life. I was the same - became totally attached to the breed as a child. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why others who are not attached despise them? Because they see them as big My Little Ponies and prefer the 'earthier' type of horse that as kids we called 'clodhoppers'.
Whatever the discipline, you can always tell which one I'm going to fancy because it will have the Araby head and demeanour.
I also wonder whether there is a distortion of that sense of wonder in the upper echelons of inhand showing - where people with bigger bank balances who have perhaps become attracted to the breed can wind up those visual elements (the dishy face, the movement, pop and elevation) to a more extreme level - a spectacle which is putting other people off!
I must say, I was going to post three weeks or so ago, to express my slight disappointment that William Fox Pitt (who I admire and respect hugely) was quoted in a wonderfully big feature article in Horse and Hound, saying how difficult Tamarillo had been to train and produce, because of his spookiness - which ran alongside his Arab breeding. I'm sure it was quite true and he was within his rights to say what he feels, but what an opportunity lost...
|
Roseanne |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
templars
Platinum Member
England
1852 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2009 : 10:08:24 AM
|
Hi Roseanne
Yes - an opportunity lost but there are other Arabs out there competing at top level eventing and getting placed at Badminton and Burghley.
Kanga Black and Fachoudette.
And we have just bought an Anglo Arabe who was second at the World Championships in Barrocca and who was on the French, then the Italian team. Believe me, when he and Evie start doing well, we definitely won't be quiet about his Arabian breeding and he's a complete dream to train and so, so "human" |
www.eviepeel.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
eclipse
New Member
Scotland
21 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2009 : 1:49:33 PM
|
i agree that arabs are wonderful horses and are the original riding horse but as far as showing goes a riding horse is a type like a hack or hunter. people hunt on arabs but you wouldnt put an arab in a ridden hunter class.
sorry but it really irritates me when you have a riding horse class with cobs or anything else that is not a riding horse for that matter put forward. its wrong and in affiliated shows they would be put out.
"ridden horse" however is another class altogether and any type of horse can do that
up in aberdeen some arab classes are going at local level but its due to poor attendance and i just saw a schedule for one which i cant do due to them puttin the restriction on that the arabs must be above 15h?! |
     |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2009 : 2:52:20 PM
|
That just shows the level of ignorance about Arabs eclipse!! Someone should write to them to explain. Perhaps to offer to judge, since it doesn't sound as though they know as much as they should.
I think a lot of the confusion is around whether the Arab should be seen as in any way different from other horses, whether it should be seen as equal or better than other horses. A lot of it is about perception and that's where we need to try to find an agreed way of dealing with it for the good of the breed and its preservation. One would hope that there could be a commonly-held view so it would be good to get the approval/blessing/help of the in-hand showing afficionados.
Big questions that aren't helped by the current economic downturn. In the short term we need to stem the loss of the Arab classes at local level. |
Roseanne |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 23 Mar 2009 : 3:23:56 PM
|
I've kept quiet so far as there have been lots of valid points raised and to be honest i'm not really quite sure how I feel on all that's been discussed so far....
On the loss of Arab classes at local shows: yes it is sad, but we only have ourselves to blame through lack of entries! A local venue close to me runs 2 shows a year, all the classes are full to bursting 10-20 in a class except the Arab classes. Last year they went to the trouble of registering to hold BACS qualifiers and invite AHS listed judges and I think they had 1 entry in the in-hand at one show and that was it!
What does this tell us? I'm not sure! Maybe there just aren't many Arab owners in the area? Maybe due to financial constraints those that do compete have limited their outings to the Group shows? Who knows, but is it such a bad thing after all?
We constantly remind ourselves that Arabs are as versatile and as talented as other horses so why not show them in Riding Horse Classes or Sports Horse Classes or Foreign Breed Classes? That's where all the other breeds have to go! Are they complaining? I don't know, but I think if you seriously want to show your Arab and be judged by someone who knows what they're doing, there are shows about! In the SE we have the SEAHG who run 3 shows a year - they have also been struggling with entries recently!
What I'm trying to say is that we DO have VERY GOOD shows for our Arabs, so use them and support them! With those and the County Shows, there are plenty of classes to fill a decent Showing season! Maybe it's time to start to put more effort into supporting the Novice and Amateur classes at these shows which could go someway to replacing the local shows?
As to the point of showing Arabs as Performance Horses and not being judged 'fairly' (not quite sure how to put it), again I think that is our own fault!
Why does the Warmblood dominate the Show Jumping and Dressage Circuits? Because the breeders get their Stallions (and mares a lot of the time) out their competing under highly ranked professionals! Who had heard of the Woodlander Stud before Maria Eilberg started riding Woodlander Rockstar? I hadn't!
And before anyone says we can't afford to have the likes of the Eilbergs competing our horses or that they wouldn't take them... look at Beverly Brightman - she's at the top of her game and I recently saw her winning on a Highland (I think it was)! The truth is, there are professionals out there who would compete them and I highly doubt it is worlds apart cost wise as having your horse in Showing Livery! In fact I know it's not!
It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation: breeders have to start getting their talented stallions and mares out there for the performance world to see, but buyers have to start demanding performance records to incentivize breeders to do this.
I think there is plenty of room in an Arab's career for showing, breeding and competing! My boy did it (and raced too) |
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 24 Mar 2009 : 09:37:23 AM
|
Good points Sasha .
We have a large roster of judges and novice judges in the AHS some of whom are happy to be at local shows .
Would it be helpful to have prior info on where they will be locally so as to increase the classes? |
blue moon |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
Topic Locked 