| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
missy
Gold Member
 United Kingdom
637 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:10:44 PM
|
cus people say to me that they are? 
|
Edited by - missy on 01 Jul 2009 4:19:52 PM
|
|
Report to moderator
|
|
|
Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:19:27 PM
|
NOT MINE!!!
Pasha (Russian x Polish) has been 100% in traffic since we brought him as a 6yr old - he is now 22!!! He will have the odd shy at a leaf or something equally silly if he is bored, but merrily goes past road works, huge buses, lorries, motorbikes, cyclists - you name it!!! In fact, he is the preferred 'nanny' hack of the yard! he is also one of the few horses on our yard who doesn't spook in the school! All the WBs, ISHs and Heinz 57s on our yard spook in the school, but not Pasha! He is impeccably behaved at 'un-known' venues and happily and calmly strolls through all the trade stands etc at County Shows!
Shesk (Crabbet x Egyptian) is also proving to be 100% in traffic - since i've had him (end of April) he has seen cars, motorbikes, cyclists, walkers, nearly been squished between 2 buses and even come face to face with deer! I trust him 100% and would let a child hack him out! He isn't spooky in the school either and I have been reliably informed by Louisa and Angie that he is also 100% at events - apparently he led everyone else through the trade stands at the RIHS!
Like with everything I think it depends on the horse! Arabs have been tarred with the brush of flighty and spooky - YES they get excited, that's part of their charm, yet with my boys it's a few jogs and leaps which never turns into anything more! |
    |
Report to Moderator  |
|
|
missy
Gold Member
United Kingdom
637 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:23:09 PM
|
i hate it when people say to me that they are |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:26:01 PM
|
People who dont know arabs will say this , I say Arabs are aware of danger where there may be none, all it takes is time and patience to show them there is nothing to be afraid of.
This behaviour helped their Beduin owners and alerted them when danger did approach, this was very prized by them and was encoureged and bred for . so now they live in a country where there is no need for this, people call them skittish !!!! those people do not understand Arabs or need them , those who value their inheritence ' long history, beauty , intelligence and uniqueness should get one and join the legions of arabian lovers |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
zaminda1
Bronze Member
177 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:26:22 PM
|
| Mine don't tend to look at anything, although they might pretend sometimes. Mindy has been perfect since she was first sat on and has never looked at anything in her life! |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:29:02 PM
|
Old, old chestnut. Some (like my old Ahmoun mare) and lots of Linda Hannaford's Old English Arabs that I rode are not 'spooky'. But I think Arabs are very intelligent and have a very acute sense of instinct so they are naturally very aware of all that's going on around them, and they can be very suspicious of things that are not familiar to them; hence they can appear spooky as they shift away (sensibly) from strange, unknown things that are possibly a danger to them. They are clever!
The other thing to think about is that they are horses that evolved in the desert. Therefore, deep in their psyche, they are not used to having high hedges/trees and lots surrounding them to obscure their 'desert' wide view. Their natural predators are mountain lions perched on high rocks, and snakes. My Arabs haven't liked skid marks on the road (snakes??) and I am aware of that if I see them so I am ready for it and expect it.
If you get inside a horse's mentality (and for Arabs it's not the 'native' evolutionary nature) you can anticipate how they will behave and then you get the very best ride in the world - in my view!! |
Roseanne |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
abz87
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
230 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:30:02 PM
|
They are never spooky at things you would expect like lorries, buses etc. but like pasha said may shy at something like a leaf. One of mine has a thing for dafs. Always thinks they are gonna eat him lol. Always walks past just gotta keep an eye on them just incase.   |
   
www.crossbowarabians.moonfruit.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:46:24 PM
|
I agree with the rest of the A Liners.
My stallion was not spooky at all, but he would be able to tell you if there was something around the next corner, well before you could hear it or see it
Generally people, who 'diss' Arabs, have never owned one |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
    |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Gerri
Platinum Member
England
4211 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 4:46:42 PM
|
| You will hear alot of negativity from people who neither know them or have them, so the best way to get to know the breed is go and meet them and see for yourself and make up your own mind but everything that has been said on here in reply to your question is the truth and its from people who know them, have them and have a wealth of experience of them and they are exactly the people you should listen too, Good luck with your search for YOUR Arabian |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 5:18:22 PM
|
Oh Roseanne, I never thought of arabs thinking 'desert view' all the time - it explains why Amelia definitely seems to be claustrophobic and LOVES her views! Duh! Especially as she frequently stamps around going 'I Am A Desert Horse - I Don't DO Rain'.
I don't think arabs are any more spooky than any other breed but they are sensitive and intelligent souls who do, I feel, need understanding - but boy! do they reward your efforts!
|
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
rosie
Platinum Member
England
3662 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 5:31:46 PM
|
Agree with what other people have written.
My old mare isn't spooky, but I would say she is intelligent. For example:
If I go out on a hack & she sees a stone that wasn't there yesterday she will look at it!
Once you forge that bond with your Arab it is the most amazing experience.Generally with Rosie, I know what she is going to do before she does it - if that makes sense? |
     
Last picture courtesy of Sweet Photography |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 6:28:50 PM
|
Define spooky! Ash used to have a huge spook in her, and would do a 180 degree turn at speed leaving me carrying on wondering where my horse was. But that was mainly boredom - although even at 20 she does have a nice big shy in her now and again!! Her mother was the least spooky horse I've ever known, her daughter was pretty spooky, but the rest of the family are laid back and certainly less inclined to shy than most non-Arabs that I know. They'll look at things, but I think as long as you've got a good relationship with your Arab they trust your leadership and will cope with most things.
It does annoy me when people say Arabs are spooky, wild, difficult, etc etc. I challenge them to come out for a ride on one of mine (perhaps not Ash on a spooky day!)) to see just what they really are like. Strangely nobody takes me up on that. Ash, BTW, is 110% to ride out in foul weather, gale force winds, snowstorms (got stuck on the hills near us one September in snow - not fun!), but she'll shy at a sparrow flying up .
You could - and I did - put a 2 year old child on my first horse (Arab) and she'd behave perfectly. Sadly there went my plans to dispose of my nephew...... |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
missy
Gold Member
United Kingdom
637 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 7:48:26 PM
|
| hi all, its good to know that arabs are not as spooky as people are telling me. |
Edited by - missy on 01 Jul 2009 7:49:11 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 8:49:34 PM
|
| Yes mine is. But not when hes given a job to do. So when two deer magically shot out of a bush on an endurance ride at the weekend he didnt spook, just gazed in wonder like me, but had two plastic bags tried the same trick it would have been a different story. You become sensitive to the same things they are sensitive to so it doesnt really matter after the first couple of years.. I like Roseanne's desert view too.. |
   
West Sussex |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
andrea.1297
Junior Member
United Kingdom
38 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 9:04:02 PM
|
| hi,arabs are not spooky,every horse spooks at things they fink are scary!my 6yr old is 1oo%in all traffic he better than my 12 yr old!some people just dont understand this breed and their sensitivity. |
a.palmer |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
joanna_piana
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3935 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 9:38:26 PM
|
| They can be spooky but no spookier than any other breed. Shida used to spook when she was full of herself but she never did it if a car was coming only if the road was clear and spooking was her way of having a laugh and making sure I wasn't dozing |
      
Harthall Rashida RIP, Binley Ishara, Bouchan
Chorleywood, Hertfordshire |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 9:47:41 PM
|
My boy is only 4. I wouldn't say he is spooky, he just looks at everything very carefully...!
He is fine in traffic with cars, lorries, motor bikes etc but will 'look' at a rock, a puddle, a plastic bag etc and may go sideways past it, but the good thing is he will always go past it.
My 16 year old Welsh x Arab mare reared up, spun round and then galloped down the road the other day because some people were in the field behind the hedge.... She didn't take time to think about what was there, she just took off at speed. My Arab would have stopped, listened, looked and then with encouragement walked past it. That's where the intelligence comes in and the unbelievable trust they have in their owners.
Good luck in your search for the perfect Arab. |
       |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 9:49:23 PM
|
Just a word of caution though, if you are buying for your 13 year old daughter , get one that already knows the ropes  , so much damage can be done to young horses by the wrong handling , ( I always maintain arabs are so clever they can learn a bad lesson taught, as well as a good one, and its a hard thing to change that once it has been learnt) so if she is new to arabians she may not know how to go about certain things , which is why lots of people advertising them say , not novice ride.  I still say the right one is out there for you, good luck in finding him ot her  |
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 10:11:22 PM
|
My gelding is not spooky in as much as he will not refuse to go past/spin/gallop off etc but he DOES like to look at something strange from all angles - trying to understand what it is/how does it work etc before deciding whether or not to give it a wide berth...which, in my opinion is very sensible! However, while he is getting his head around something I will not push him on; he knows what he needs to do and is 100% honest and will go forwards when he knows it is safe (he's NEVER taken the p*ss).
Abz87 - LOL - yes, Kharidian is always convinced that sticky-bur plants (whatever their real name is), hide the "big-leaf plant monsters" and they have to be given a wide berth.
Caryn |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
Edited by - Kharidian on 01 Jul 2009 10:28:54 PM |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Rozy Rider
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4545 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 10:18:37 PM
|
| Spooky No, not after 100 miles.(In a Mick Dundee joice) |
Sue
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 10:44:17 PM
|
I forgot to say in my earlier post... My boy likes to walk in the middle of the road, or the middle of the track so he has the best possible view of 340% around him.
He is happy to go in front or behind, but always wants to be in the middle of the track so he can see all around him. I'm sure this goes back to his desert routes where he would have been able to see for miles and miles.
Walking next to a hedge is always more scary as in fairness things are more likely to jump out at him or be lurking in there ready to pounce on him... and being the cleaver little bugger that he is he knows this, even though he is only 4.. |
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
debs
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3218 Posts |
|
|
Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2009 : 11:03:02 PM
|
Caryn, Lance is another who thinks a sticky-burr plant is a monster. I find myself wondering how it seems to him to be so frightening to him. But I don't need to know really - to him it's definately like something dangerous...
It's what sets Arabs apart and why I love them, they are so intelligent! |
Roseanne |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
missy
Gold Member
United Kingdom
637 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jul 2009 : 07:53:31 AM
|
| my mum says that we have not got the money to get one yet though. |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jul 2009 : 08:03:07 AM
|
| Thats a good thing really because in the meantime you can learn all you can about them first, there is a lot to learn too !, start by getting some good books about Arabian history, and any Crabbett books you can lay your hands on, maybe you know someone who has arabs in your area ? you can go and visit with them? |
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
radfan
Bronze Member
96 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jul 2009 : 09:33:14 AM
|
The first time I hacked my mare out with another horse who, I hasten to add had been doing it for years. My Lyana had to give the older horse "a lead" past a huge tractor towing a trailer. I was so proud of her but also astonished that when the chips were down she assested the sitaution and realised she was needed here then really stepped up to the plate. I couldn't believe it. However, bless her she was quite a sensitive little soul and was incredibly receptive to my emotional state. If I had had a bad day or was stressed she really picked up on it and often became more spooky at things. TO be expected really. Miss her so much........... Lovely girl
|
| Report to Moderator |
|
|
Topic |
|
Are arabs spooky? help
