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SallyEllis
Bronze Member
 England
95 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 12:43:03 PM
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Hi, I was wondering if anybody shows their pure bred arabs in anything other than non arab classes and if so, what classes do you enter and how do you feel they are received by judges?
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:14:05 PM
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hi really good subject sally!!!  - I havent been out much this yr sadly for various reasons but have done riding club horse class (with a jump!) and had very positive feedback from judge about how good his manners were especially as the cobs ( lol) where thundering around out of control.
got a 3rd not bad !( and jumped clear)
I have done dressage too, but then I purchased my boy as a 'riding horse' to do all activities! and again had very nice feedback encouraging and nice marks barr one judge who clearly hated arabs and may as well have written ' I hate arabs '! across the score sheet!
but , hey ho we cant convert everyone 
I really wanted to have a go at the Balanced horse feeds champs and do the 'riding horse class' but then i guess i cant ..although he is a 'riding horse'...but isnt 'true to type' but is a riding horse..???
still see plenty of cob types in that too!
would be very interested to hear other peoples experiences! - |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:14:21 PM
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| Yes!!! I have done Veteran and Riding Horse on my boy - must say the non-arab judges were very impressed by him - we were in the ribbons every class we did over 2 years, usually coming 1st (these were unafilliated though as tend to stick to the Arab classes at County Shows - might branch out though with the new boy) |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:17:48 PM
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Sazzle DO IT!!! There are qualifiers at the SEAHG Summer!
As an aside - too late for this year, but if anyone in the SE wants a very well run arab friendly unafilliated show, I highly recommend the Horley Lions Club Annual Show at Felbridge Show Ground. It's usually the last weekend in May... I went two years on the trot and did various classes (they have an Arab one too) and had a great time |
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Pink Minx
Junior Member
34 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:17:52 PM
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I have showed my purebred in non arab classes, usually at riding club level, and have done veteran, best conditioned, equitation, style and appearance, best ridden etc. On the whole he has usually been well placed but you always get that scenario with judges in mixed classes placing their favourite breed highest sometimes rightly so and sometimes not, and you get the odd arab hater who will put you last even if you can do piaffe and two time changes in your display!!! (I can do neither by the way). But then again that is showing and you have to accept that it all boils down to personal preference.
My arab was a fab jumper and he could go out and win against any breed and no-one can dispute that! Unfortunately he's had a bad accident in the field and won't be doing very much in the future as his tendon is knackered.
I would say have a go at some other classes, there arent that many riding clubs running arab classes any more and if more people took their arabs out the classes might be reinstated. |
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Cage Alma Arabians
Bronze Member
England
226 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:19:09 PM
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I once took an 18 yr old purebred gelding (chestnut pictured below) in a pre-veteran class at a county show. It was late starting so we had to hand around for 2 hours after the arab class had finished even though it was supposed to follow straight on. It was a husband and wife team judging and the class was huge so they split us all up and made us all do two run ups etc. Independantly they both told me they don't usually see arabs in this class and that they personally didn't like them much! They pulled him 10th out of 35!!
Wouldn't bother again!! He was bored, I was bored, and I wasn't impressed that while he looked fantastic for his age, (nobody ever believed how old he was), he was pulled in behind 2 that were coughing all the way through! We only entered the class for fun as soemthing to do after the arab classes had finished so I wasn't too bothered but a waste of an afternoon!
By the way- he'd come 3rd in the mature arab class in the morning!!
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www.cage-alma-arabians.com
Derbyshire. |
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SallyEllis
Bronze Member
England
95 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:19:09 PM
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| Thanks for your comments still waiting to hear from others can I ask do you plait up to do riding horse classes? I used to show my part bred in these but obviously he had to be plaited anyway. I have a 2 year old and I have taken him to 2 shows to do youngstock classes but both judges were M&M judges and although we got fab comments from them we have only been placed 5th so I am wondering if its because he is an Arab, as one judge told me in an arab class he would have won! |
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Pink Minx
Junior Member
34 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:28:59 PM
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I never plaited mine up (never did riding horse class though) but didnt plait him for any of the other non-arab classes, I thought you showed to your breed's standards (as you would if you were showing it in its own class). Good luck with yours.
PS CAGE ALMA - WAS THAT BAKEWELL SHOW LAST YEAR YOU DID THE VETERAN? I DID THE RIDDEN VETERAN AND IT WAS LIKE WACKY RACES!!! |
Edited by - Pink Minx on 08 Jun 2009 1:32:20 PM |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:34:51 PM
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No they shouldn't be plaited - show as an arab and be proud
At the end of the day, with any showing class you are at the mercy of who the judge likes best on the day. If it's not an Arab class and the judge doesn't particuarly like Arabs well i'm afraid it's tough luck! Even Arab judges have a preferred type and there are never any guarantees.... that's showing for you |
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NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 1:50:38 PM
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I have so 'go for it'
Show your Arabian as its meant to be shown, in its natural state - ALWAYS |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 2:31:22 PM
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hi thanks pasha i will definately give it go!
hmm interesting point about plaiting for riding horse - etiquette says plait..but then I would be torn with that, and showing as the breed should be..
Interestingly, in other breeds for example M&M you will see a welsh A up to C possibly, in lead rein( as a example) - plaited, nursey stakes..plaited..maybe first ridden??? and so on you get the picture!Are they then being judged for class turnout & perfomance in that case rather than the breed?
so I think I would plait!!!! to buck ( excuse the PUN)the trend... would I therefore get a different opion as I stepped in the ring barr the ride..?
I would only do this at a non-arab show to see what the reaction would be.... it would be a very interesting exercise to see what happened! |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 3:06:37 PM
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To be honest Sazzle I doubt a non-arab judge would even notice or care, unless they know arab ahowing to some degree I would be very surprised if they had any clue that they should be shown 'au naturel'. The times I have been asked what breed Pasha was or had judges say to me 'but he's not pure bred is he?'. I even had someone say that to me about Shesk the other day (yes she is a judge too - Hunters!!!). Blimey, I was shocked to say the least  |
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SallyEllis
Bronze Member
England
95 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 4:27:21 PM
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| Interesting! So Sazzlepants would you plait using a running plait? as my boy has a really long full mane so no way could it be rolled into traditional plaits? |
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Jamana
Gold Member
England
682 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 5:24:52 PM
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Personally I would plait. If the class demands that an 'ordinary' horse should plait, then why not an Arab? That only highlights how 'different' they are, and perhaps encourages bias in the judging. When I used to show my Sec B as a child, we would plait for the non-breed classes and take them out for M&M. Occasionally there wasn't time and you had to go into a class with the wrong hairstyle, then I was told that I had to appologise for either my plaits or lack of. Don't think Arabs should/would be any different.
By the way I was interested in whether I could get my girls long mane up into tidy plaits, not bad esp as I hadn't plaited a horse for more than 10yrs
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nicolanapper
Platinum Member
England
4247 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 6:46:04 PM
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I do the local riding club show most years with one or other of my young arabs, in hand 3 years and under. Last year we were in a class of 38, and were placed 3rd. Lots of fairly positive comments re my 2 year old filly. But sadly much ignorance, too, the usual, Arabs are too flighty, only good for endurance etc, and the why is the in-hand showing so large, why don't more Arab owners ride their horses not show them like Dogs!!! Well, they do have a point!!
Judges on the whole even though not Arab likers, have always made nice comments, and as yet we have always been placed. I hasten to add we were the only Arab in the class last year.
Nicky |
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SallyEllis
Bronze Member
England
95 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jun 2009 : 8:35:30 PM
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| I have to agree Nicola which is why I asked the question, hardly any shows have arab classes anymore due to or so I am told lack of attendance which is a shame as when I got my boy he was met with a lot of prejudice and although he spooks at things he hasnt seen before he is actually very well behaved in the ring probably better than my appaloosa filly who although only one has been out to the same amount of things as him but isnt as nervy by nature - He hadnt done or seen anything before I got him in Sept and was only gelded in April so has come on really well. I do want to do endurance with him but I want him to be an all round riding horse as well so will keep taking him to shows and hope that he can go some way to altering peoples perceptions of Arabs whatever that maybe |
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misterei
Silver Member
United Kingdom
455 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 08:33:43 AM
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We have taken ours to local shows, when they were young, either to walk them on the road and get them used to traffic, or to get them exposed to boxes, trailers and ridden horses walking or trotting about very close to them.
I like it because you can just hose an arab down for these shows and turn up. You will typically get placed without trying, against all these other breeds where you can clearly see young riders have put in a whole day off school, or all of Saturday, washing grooming, pulling manes, trimming tails, painting feet, plaiting tails, manes, feathers, their own hair, (probably the older ones do their armpits as well ) putting rubber bands on anything that might look nice naturally, (we get off quite lightly with the bridle path ), and dressing themselves for probably the same amount of time.
If you do the hopping, skipping, jumping classes then you deserve to spend more time with makeup (for the horse ), and getting them ready as you would for a proper Arab show.
We always have heard how lovely our horses look, or how one of them is 'my favourite', usually from the younger people just outside the ring. We also got told by one very proud owner of a thorough bred that his 10 year old daughter was showing in the prettiest/handsomest class, how it takes two people to lead him and to do anything with him because he's an ex-racehorse. Placed sixth, and I guess he either doesn't care about his daughters well-being, or knows nothing about horses. I suppose he may have entered it into the 'being dragged around by a mis-understood equine class'.
We have been to a couple of County Shows this year, for the first time, so this may not be typical. The Arab partbred and Anglo classes are always on first, so nobody sees us at 7:30. At one we finished the in-hand championship and had our mare back on the box by 8:15 in the morning gave us plenty of time to get the next one ready for the ridden classes, which were later in the day.
The Arab entries were very low in the classes at one of these shows (two and three for the classes we were in), which is partly due to the lack of support from the Arab community. The second show was much better attended, even though it was mid-week (which would normally stop me going).
They did not have mixed classes, otherwise we would have been told by our rider to enter one in those classes as well. However, it is all good experience for the horses, my baby (coming up 4 and so sweet) saw somebody using an industrial hair dryer on a cow for the first time, she won't spook when she comes across one of those in the street now . There were all sorts of things going on, motor bikes about 40 feet up in the air (I have the photos to prove it), with people holding on to the handle bars or the seat, (seems the domestication of horses was before handle bars were invented, they could save a huge amount of accidents .
It is nice to support local/regional events, and if you are not professional, results are not that important, its all about enjoying what you do, getting experience for you and the horse, learning from others in your class with different breeds (what to do and what not to do), visiting the stands and eating local burgers/honey or whatever is available. It also is a change for the horse from being in its field/stable, doing the usual rides, being in the school etc, and they meet other mares/stallions/geldings in the same class, so they get a day out and if they have a good journey and absorb the atmosphere then they probably enjoy it as well.
The biggest challenge is with the judges, who often know about cobs coloured etc and not quite so much about Arab showing. A friend of ours took an Arab to a local show for her first show and trimmed his tail (because it was dragging on the ground). The judge didn't seem to know the arab showing rules specifically, and placed him fourth . Another friend was told off by the judge for clipping her boy, who is normally ridden, and he knew the rules of Arab showing because his wife 'once had an arab', which is a bit like saying 'I understand the pain of childbirth, I watched my wife hatch a squibb once, put me off my sandwiches, I can tell you.'
The judges vary a lot and it can work both in your favour or against you, you can be philosophical when you lose and say 'it's just one persons opinion'. Of course when you win you have to tell everybody how good the judge was, but normally quality shines through, so you can do well even with an Arab.
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Here they are
Emira......Mazie...Fharida.....Shahi......Mazie.....Saffee..Malika...Emira
More at www.purespiritarabians.com |
Edited by - misterei on 09 Jun 2009 08:35:53 AM |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 11:17:44 AM
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In the past I have shown pure breds in ridden, working hunter and riding horse, in small shows, I would always say 'au naturel' for a pure bred.
I'm prejudiced but Arabian horses are everyone's dream horse. which is why they get so much criticism. 
Misterei, love your post! |
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Edited by - Goldenmane on 09 Jun 2009 11:26:06 AM |
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Di Ellis
Silver Member
United Kingdom
415 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 12:00:21 PM
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I used to show my Arabs in everything when I was competing and found that an Arab Plait would help to show their neck off to advantage at the poll and was approved of by most of the judges. It also kept the mane out of my face when I was doing x-country and showjumping. Good luck Sally - you will be pleasantly surprised and the more arabs that compete in open competition will encourage local shows to perhaps consider a class for the arabs in the future.
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D.S. Ellis
Somerset
marbonarabians@yahoo.co.uk |
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Silvern_Scepris
Gold Member
England
1084 Posts |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 4:52:00 PM
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I thought there was a turnout 'rule' for riding horse classes in which plaiting (a certain number of plaits too!) is the correct turnout. I love Arabs au naturel and mine don't have half-hogged manes, but if I were seriously going to enter my boy for a riding horse class rather than take him into it for experience, I would go along with the official turnout and plait mane and tail conventionally. We wouldn't expect to be accepted with a western saddle would we? Nothing to stop you, but if you want to compete in that specific class, the judge should be looking at the overall turnout/conformation/rideability/manners etc that is recommended for that class.
I guess what I'm saying is, there are ridden horse classes and 'riding horse' classes. You need to check what's expected formally and go for that unless you're just giving your horse a fun day out for experience. As we know in the Arab world, doing things as professionally as possible increases your chances of success. |
Roseanne |
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Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2009 : 6:36:02 PM
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I took Ash in the veteran class at a local show 5 years ago - never again! To be fair to the judge she had nothing against Arabs at all, except for the large chestnut one who tried to flatten her during the trot up (ie Ash)!! Ash was bored witless and used the showjumping in the next ring as an excuse to mess about, I don't think the judge was impressed
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sazzlepants71
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3536 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2009 : 11:24:40 AM
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Hi sally bearing in mind this is at 'local level' which has benefits as well as downfalls in judging! I Think I WOULD try and go for the traditional plait if it will 'work'
but its interesting to see many others use the running plait and have no problems its good advice about the SJ as well as my reins get stuck!
My point is if RC judges arent entirely sure what they are judging then (breed wise) then surely a well turned out horse with a good show should stand a chance??
Again I dont think a purebred arab would be well accepted in a county show level riding horse class..! but then i am sure ( correct me if i am going completely loony!!) that many years ago some rather well known ladies used to compete their purebreds in Hack classes..???this is going back a while though!!
Like they say, there's no such thing as a bad colour just a bad horse..! food for thought!! |
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Mazza
Junior Member
England
49 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2009 : 10:52:36 PM
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Hi Sazzlepants - I was 2nd at the Balanced Horse feeds Championships 2 years ago on a pure bred stallion, and he was unplaited. It came down to way of going, ride and conformation, rather than breed or type. So no reason you shouldn't give it a go on your pure-bred. But we did happen to have 'arab-friendly' judges that day, so that was a bonus!
I would say that for any classes affiliated to the British Show Horse Association they should be shown per the standard for the class though, ie plaited. |
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bey_sirocco
Bronze Member
87 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2009 : 11:18:15 AM
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This is a really interesting thread; as an utter newbie to the arab world it never crossed my mind that we could go and try other things! 
How exciting!
Off to go find my Show Directory issues of Horse and Hound |
My Beautiful, my beautiful,
That standeth meekly by,
With proudly arched and glossy neck,
With deep and fiery eye...
  
http://angelonhorseback.blogspot.com/ |
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SallyEllis
Bronze Member
England
95 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2009 : 6:52:13 PM
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| Good Luck to everybody and maybe we can post if and when we compete in other classes and how we got on? |
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Showing pure breds in non arab classes?
