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Kes
Platinum Member
 England
1819 Posts |
 Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 7:18:29 PM
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I have heard different opinions from different people about whether they consider the Arabian breed to be a tough and/or hardy type. Certainly I don't see them as a Welsh for example who everyday I see barge through fencing without a mark on them and live on fresh air, mine doesn't have those abilities, unfortunately.
For horses that came from the desert or lived in the desert it was dry and hot in the day but very cold at night, and they survived fine for centuries. Yet a bit of rain last weekend and I had to rug my horse!
My vet was one of the people who commented on the toughness of the breed. This was after me jumping up and down on the spot about a cut on Kes' leg after he had a fight with the field boss.
So, do you think they are tough really, or are some more than others for various reasons?
Carole.
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Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
Australia
795 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 7:43:37 PM
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I am not sure I would call it tough, but I would say Eba is certainly hardy. She lives out 24/7 and has the smallest of feeds most of the year and seems to live on thin air. She is rugged in the winter, but once the weather is above about 8 derees goes naked whether it is wet or dry. She is barefoot so far, and seems set to stay so, her hooves are great, despite living in a knee deep clay quagmire in the winter time when it is wet. In her field she is the only one that didn't get mud fever, and being black she is protected from sunburn. She is great at self preservation, so keeps out of field fisty-cuffs, and generally is fit and well so the vet is a once a year fixture for her jabs. I guess arabs just looks delicate compared to the cob types that are more common on the yard.
B
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 7:47:00 PM
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You've hit the nail on the head; they can cope with heat and dry cold very well - but most Arabs are not good in the rain! Having said that, only one got the shakes after the torrential rain last Sunday and that was Snoopy (Kaprice) a little ex-endurance gelding at my yard. Roger and Chips were OK and didn't need rugs, even though Chips had been fully bathed on the Friday for HOCON; mind you, they have so many different fields/thick hedges that they can usually get out of the worst of the weather.
Roger is certainly tough in that he heals well after injuries and isn't a "wimp" but I suppose it depends what you mean by tough.
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 |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 7:52:20 PM
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| I seem to have the opposite of you BeckyBoodle! I have grey who has had mud fever, picks fights, needs a good size feed everyday and needs a rug if he is wet and cold. Having said that his feet are very hard and didn't chip or flake when he wasn't shod, I haven't needed the vet for anything other than vaccinations (the vet was already coming when Kes got kicked) and the thing I like watching most - when the field bullies want to pick a fight they can't catch him!! |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 7:58:38 PM
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Yes, I think the wet/cold combination is what made him shiver. I didn't actually think it was that cold on Sunday, how bad did I feel when I got back to the yard and found him shivering.
As Kes was introduced to a new herd 2 months ago I have had antibacterials/washes/soothers and any cream you can think of out of my vet kit and permanently kept in my grooming kit! But the one thing I have noticed is that he does heal very quickly and his fur grows back quickly as well. |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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Fee
Platinum Member
2601 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 8:20:02 PM
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Bred for war and excel at endurance I would say they are very tough for work but I do think their kryptonite is wind and rain together 
Fee |
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LadyLuck1
Gold Member
England
730 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 8:51:59 PM
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Kirstie lives on fresh air and can cope out without a rug on the windy day but during the cold winter she wouldn't want to be out for anymore than an hour before she would be at the gate screaming to come in. Not that I blame her i hate the cold wet weather.
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 9:15:31 PM
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LMAO at their "kryptonite", Fee! Roger would certainly agree with you....we'll have to see this winter as it'll be Chips' first living out.
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 |
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hazelcat74
Silver Member
472 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 10:09:49 PM
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| My mare copes with the cold with no problems and grows a thick coat, but hates the rain. The other day I was down the field when it started raining and she went right under the trees, none of the other horses were bothered. Coming from a dry climate I think they are just not equipped to deal with wet weather very well, like donkeys. She has excellent hard hooves and can go over any surface and is never footy and doesnt need much feed in winter either, just lots of hay. I only rug her if its wet. |
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Pasch
Platinum Member
2277 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 11:05:33 PM
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My gelding lives out 24/7 with a shelter,eating lots of hay and very little feed(some more when it's cold)I don't clip him and he never wore a rug.True our winter is mild,we hardly go below zero(celsius)2 or 3 weeks a year and only at night!He doesn't seem to mind the cold and a small rain even in winter,he only goes in if it's raining hard.
True they originally came from the desert,but some of them have been bred in cold countries for generations now,I wonder how much of their original nature is still there..
He actually seems to suffer the heat on very hot summer days more!
No big problems from flies,unlike some Warmbloods,very good hooves and no mud fever even though most of the time ankle deep in mud during wet season. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jun 2011 : 11:25:31 PM
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Pasch, you said something that reminded me of what someone said to me the other day. I was moaning about the lack of grazing at our yard, I was then told by someone (knowledgeable) 'your horse came from the desert, he doesn't need that much grass'........um......Kes was born in England........
So, like you said, how much of their original nature is still there, I wonder? |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 01:46:26 AM
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They are strong and tough, they have very good quality hooves and good clean legs, and amazing stamina. The one thing I have found is their inability to cope with wind and rain, freezing temperatures are not a problem. They do have different pain thresholds as far as injuries are concerned - generally the mares are much better than the geldings on that front.
They are also able to do very well on almost fresh air, and our 20 year old gelding chested the field gate open the other night to let his favourite pony and older arab mare into the main field with himself and the other three...the telltale marks were on his chest. I have a welshie x tb and I would rate them at the same hardiness and dietary needs |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 10 Jun 2011 01:55:13 AM |
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Eeyore
Gold Member
1181 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 10:57:54 AM
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Both of mine can survive on fresh air Despite my best weight watchers efforts and the two of them being fenced on half and acre at the moment they are both too fat. It's a nightmare and I would love a poor doer.
As others have said they can cope with the cold no problem but hate the wet. Mine have a field shelter and head straight for it as soon as a drop of rain falls. We had bad hailstorms the other day and I was so glad they had their shelter!
I find they have very sensitive skin so are prone to mud fever or sweet itch. Neem is very tough in terms of pain threshold (mare) whereas Marim is a total wimp (gelding) but Marim is a much faster healer. |
Heléna
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lulu
Gold Member
763 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jun 2011 : 12:01:16 PM
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| At our mini yard we have 1 welsh cob, two part bred welshies, 1 shetland and one arab (mine) the three welshies are usually the first to want to come in whilst arab and shetland are happy to wait. Wet and cold is def the one thing she hates. As a sidestep, we have two black horses and they seem to be the ones that are always covered in flys whilst the two chestnuts and the skewbald have very few in fact the skewbald hardly has any. |
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MinHe
Platinum Member
England
2927 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 7:13:04 PM
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Tough and hardy don't necessarily mean the same thing. When I think of an Arab as 'tough', I think of them being able to compete in various activities without undue injury, and to be able to carry on when other horses would have thrown in the towel. I also think it means a kind of mental 'toughness' - able to cope well with *really* scary situations (as opposed to the beast in a bush variety...) and to cope well with things that would faze other horses. So that doesn't necessarily equate to not needing a rug !
Keren |
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Zenitha
Gold Member
England
1078 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 8:51:38 PM
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Agree exactly with Minhe !!
With regard to the hardy aspect, also agree with everyone else - cold isn't a problem, but the rain is .
Slightly different, but I also believe Arabs would be great survivors in the wild (as long as it didn't rain too much  ) The 'flightiness' and 'highly strung' temperaments they often display are just some of the qualities I admire about them. Horses are prey animals - and who better than an Arab to flee at the slightest sniff of danger, fleet, sound and with stamina to burn - who is going to catch him ? A born survivor  |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jun 2011 : 9:31:02 PM
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Minhe, I agree with you also. After all, in the desert it was survival of the fittest.
I also agree that tough and hardy can mean 2 different things, hence why I put and/or in my OP. I see my horse as being tough but I wouldn't class him as being all that hardy, mostly due to wet weather. |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 08:32:11 AM
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Yes.
They have fine coats and don't like wind and rain but......
I have ridden mine in temperatures from -40 to +45C, over the Alps and the Carpathians and Balkans in winter as well as desert in summer.They not only remained in good condition but absolutely cheerful, enthusiastic and good company the whole time.
If you are still in doubt about their toughness, go to the finish line of a 160km endurance race  , tough doesn't cover it!
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lisa |
Edited by - lisa rachel on 12 Jun 2011 10:14:44 AM |
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lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 08:46:49 AM
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Sorry I hadn't read Minhe's post, she is dead right, as usual.
They are not sheep or mountain ponies! They are not made to stand on a Welsh hill with horizontal rain but there never has been, or will ever be, a tougher riding horse. For instance after Napoleon's winter retreat from Russia, an officer commented that many officers had noted that after the terrible attrition and loss of life only their Arabs had survived, just one example, there are innumerable others, both from his long hard history in his homeland to European warfare. I think this toughness is the part of the very essence of the breed and should be actively selected for. Endurance performance is a good guide which tests the physical toughness of a horse as well as his generosity, another essential Arab characteristic. |
lisa |
Edited by - lisa rachel on 12 Jun 2011 10:17:11 AM |
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 09:40:55 AM
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I agree about the difference between tough and hardy. Arabs are tough. No doubt about it. You only have to look at Buffy's story and some of the skinny horses we have seen lately who hang on to life in appalling conditions. They are also tough competitors who will give you their last ounce of effort.
Welsh ponies barging through fences just because they can isn't tough, it's stupid. Arabs only do that as a last resort. As to wind and rain, well you can always put a rug on an arab, or clip the hair of a welsh if they are too hot, but what you get between the ears is there for good. I mean you can't make a soft horse tough or turn a tough horse into a wimp. There I'm done.
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lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 10:13:06 AM
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Agree with you about rugs etc, it's our responsibility to keep them comfortable.
I would never call Mountain ponies stupid though!! I see a lot of their behaviour as there are several herds that live on the mountains behind my house where I do most of my riding they are very wise little ponies and certainly tough!
My only point regarding them was they are 'designed' ('round' shape big belly,thick coat etc) for wind and rain whereas Arabs are 'designed' for extremes of heat and cold. I certainly don't think there is a breed that comes close to the Arab for intelligence, but I have to defend Welsh Mountain ponies!!!
Cheers
Lisa |
lisa |
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 1:41:07 PM
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| Sorry lisa, I didn't mean to insult the welsh ponies, I was just referring to the behaviour that kes talked about at the top of the topic. I was a bit surprised at welshies barging through fences, none of the ones I know do that. |
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Fee
Platinum Member
2601 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 2:58:08 PM
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I think re welshies and I'd like to add Highlands to that, I think I know what Quarabian means, it's not that they're stupid and I'm sure she didn't mean that. They are intelligent but it is different to that of an Arab by how we humans consider what intelligence is and how we measure it. Using our criteria there's no doubt that the Arab is the leader in intelligence in the horse world.
For example, my Arab will watch how I undo a gate or door and try to replicate it whereas a HiPo will barge through it to open it. They both use their assets and get to the same end, just different ways. We would consider the Arab more intelligent because of how we measure intelligence but the HiPo probably thinks it's more intelligent because it doesn't faff around and gets the job done quicker!
Fee
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 6:08:16 PM
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That tickled me fee. I also never thought of highlands as HiPos before  (closest thing to a I could find to a hippo)
So my quarter horses come a close second to arabs, they do the clever thing too. Opening doors, turning on taps etc. |
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connormum
Bronze Member
175 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2011 : 6:35:07 PM
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Well I went down to Freddie today and he was cold and miserable (been raining and windy all day), was stressing about any sparrow that moved, not settling. So I moved his hay into the sectioned off bit of his paddock which has some natural shelter, but that was scary (near public footpath) so he insisted on standing right in the wind/rain. I had brought him a light turnout rug yesterday, but it was hot and sunny yesterday evening so didn't leave it on (and it was very scary for him fitting it, although he had had one on over the worst of the winter, I don't think it had been put on/off very much, as the reaction was a bit extreme), took him a feed up and he stopped shaking, I think half of it was he was just scared of anything. Went down and got soaked for a second time later and got him into the other field (which now has grass) and put some more hay out a bit further from the footpath, he wasn't shaking when I left, but definitely edgy.
A question, with these new breathable rugs (remember I come from the green Newzealand era) can you put them on when the horse is wet? Though in the mood he was in and the scary rug, not sure I'd of got it on anyway!
So I'm now going to stress about him all night, couldn't bring him in cos he stresses in the stable if his next door neighbour isn't in ... and it's started raining again. |
Edited by - connormum on 12 Jun 2011 6:53:44 PM |
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Fee
Platinum Member
2601 Posts |
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Arabs, are they tough?
