I am thinking about buying an Arab in the next couple of years and would like to know about the different types.
Having not owned an Arab before (I have a 5yo haflinger and a little welsh youngster) it would probably be best not to get too thrown in at the deep end! I would also need something pretty chunky as I currently weigh about 14st (I am tall, would hopefully get down to 13 by the time I buy). I know that Arabs can often be very wide but would also be interested in Arab Xs and Anglo Arabs. I just read a thread that mentioned a Highland x Arab which sounds just amazing! I have seen some Haflinger x Arabs which also sound great.
I have minimal experience of arabs other than one used at a riding school I worked at (very chestnut mare!) and an anglo I shared who was pretty high energy! I have fair experience of TBs though.
Anyway would love to hear of and see pictures of your Arabs to compare the finer with the chunky, and the showy with the more 'performance' if that is the right term!
Good evening Carrob & welcome to AL :D Well you have come to the right place for info regarding all Arab horse Personally I would go for the old fashioned type of Crabbet Arab... wonderful horses, bred to put a saddle on & ride!!!! Most of my mob are high % Crabbet ... of the old fashioned sort.... :D Good luck in your search for your Arab... I am sure you will get a lot of advice & help here :D
Hi Judith, thanks for the reply! Yes I have seen quite a few crabbet that looked like the type I am after - are these the ones originated from war horses in the old days?
This may be a silly question, but do you get 100% crabbet? I noticed that some are 85%, some 98% but not seen any 100%!
What sort of height could they go up to? I think I would like something about 15.2 ideally which seems fairly achievable :-)
I agree with Judith, but I would slightly widen that to Crabbet/Old English - there are several other British breeders from the early days; these two articles give some information:-
There are a limited number of 100% Crabbets around, but getting stuck on a percentage is a mistake - it is the horse in front of you that is important.
We own a 91% Old English 84% Crabbet gelding (the other 9% is Polish), he is just over 15hh, rides much bigger and needs an XXX wide saddle, and is often mistaken for a partbred because his body shape is so different to some of the more modern ethereal type of Arab.
On the other hand my mainly Egyptian mare is 15.3hh, and quite a different body shape - more like a tb than a crabbet. She still needs a wide saddle. Despite being mainly Egyptian bred she is still over 20% Crabbet, because the Crabbet horses were exported all over the world and were used in many breeding programmes (Russia, Egypt, America, Australia, plus a number of others).
I am sure you can find what you are looking for, but until you actually go and meet the horse in question you will not know if it is right for you - also bear in mind that they can be slow to mature - some need to be babied until they are 6 or 7, both physically and mentally - the up side being that they last a long time - often being ridden well in to their twenties. My mother is still taking our 22 year gelding (mentioned above) to endurance training rides.
Good luck with your search and welcome to AL
P.S. If you want to see Crabbets then why not attend the Parade on 20th July at the Crabbet Convention - there is also a stud tour available - see the Crabbet Convention website for details.
Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta) Linda East Sussex
"Despite being mainly Egyptian bred she is still over 20% Crabbet, because the Crabbet horses were exported all over the world and were used in many breeding programmes (Russia, Egypt, America, Australia, plus a number of others)."
Actually, the early Crabbets were straight Egyptian which is why some Crabbets are "straight Egyptian" as well as being 100% Crabbet not the other way around. Many of the later Crabbets were not mainly Egyptian and would not classify as SE.
Carrob, I would suggest you go to a few studs and look at their horses and see what "lights your fire". For me it was a photo of the SE stallion Ruminaja Ali; I was hooked, that was what I wanted, although it was a vey long time before my dream came true. I have some fine SEs and some not so fine. Where in the country are you? I am sure there must be some studs in your area you could visit but don't be swayed by a "hard sell". If you tell them you are just looking they should respect that and discuss their horses with you. I am always happy to show my horses to anyone; they are not pampered show horses polished to an inch of their lives but horses who enjoy a roll in the mud (yeuk!) and like to be loved.
If you pm me your email address I would be happy to send you some photos of my SE horses.
Mine is egyptian bred (I think), he's 14.3 and takes a medium wide saddle. Looking at pics of himfrom when I first got him 7 years ago to now he looks a completly different horse, From quite thelwelly and pristine to now - a lean machine who is usually mucky
Hi Carrob and to Arabian Lines. I bought Kes as a 5yo ex in-hand show horse 2 years ago and have since turned him into a riding horse. This year is his first year in Endurance, which he's done very well at so far. I had experience of part bred Arabs before buying a pure bred, but I don't find Kes difficult in any way. He isn't SE (Straight Egyptian) but SSE (Straight Sired Egyptian), he is very high % percentage Egyptian and also 21% Crabbet which I think is a lovely type. He's just over 14.2hh, quite leggy but also a M/W fit saddle. He is without doubt the most comfortable horse I have ever ridden!!
Spend some time reading up as the Arabian horse makes for fascinating, but not quick, reading. Find out about types as already mentioned and look into Crabbet, Polish, Egyptian, French, Spanish breeding etc. Don't get bogged down in strains, tail female of anything like that in the beginning.
The best advice has been given already, go and visit some studs and take advantage of the Crabbet convention this year. But really, do lots of homework and decide if you like showy, performance, happy hacker, even show jumping, but in all honesty, the Arabian does it all so you won't be disappointed :) Carole.
Just a thought.... don't be blinded by Crabbet, Spanish, Russian etc... at the end of the day its the horse infront of you that matters regardless of its type/bloodlines,breeding etc..... Whats the old saying... "A good horse is never a bad colour" or words to that effect... Buy the Arabian that you feel comfortable with & enjoy it
Hi Welcome, agree just go and look as not all the more substantial arabs are necessarily Crabbet and not all Crabbets are laid back!
This is my 100% mare, she is only 14.2 and i'm just over 5'6 so you can see how she takes up my leg. My gelding is Crabbet/Polish and also 14.2 but a completely different shape.
I have a Polish Russian gelding he will have a very small percentage crabbet, he is 15h and very well built with a very good front and takes an x wide saddle, he is so comfortable to ride can be bouncy though but I quite like that, I would say there are finer types about but not just the high percentage crabbets have a larger more substancial build.
Hi Carrob. Welcome to AL. Whereabouts in the country are you? There are a few breeders that have high percentage Crabbet and performance Arabs. I'm sure if you contacted them they would be happy to help.
Just a thought.... don't be blinded by Crabbet, Spanish, Russian etc... at the end of the day its the horse infront of you that matters regardless of its type/bloodlines,breeding etc..... Whats the old saying... "A good horse is never a bad colour" or words to that effect... Buy the Arabian that you feel comfortable with & enjoy it
Judith
This, absolutely. Unless you're interesting in preservation breeding, you're ruling yourself out of enormous numbers of beautiful arabs who would quite easily do the job you want of them if you restrict yourself to one strain. They are all (in theory at least) purebreds. I used to think that all straight Egyptians were too tall and leggy for my taste but then I met a friend's little very old fashioned straight Egyptian who I have a very big soft spot for - small, stocky, and wide.
Think more in terms of the height and build and character you want and see where you go from there.
paranoid horsemother Photo on far right thanks to West End Photography
Also don't think that because an arab is of show lines that it will be fine and scatty. My boy has wonderful show lines and apart from normal youngsters excitement when going out to play is a dream to handle. Although it looks as if he will only make 15.1 I think his dad is 15.3, one granddad is 16.0 and his mum 15.2 or 15.3 so all quite substantial. I would agree about looking at studs, Its nice to see several family members and get a feel for their personalities, as some personality traits seem to run in families and it sounds as if your looking for a friend for life.
Good idea of Kes's -to go to the Crabbet Convention - there is also a countrywide stud tour afterwards - an ideal opportunity to feast your eyes and search for a new bf
My boy Nadem (Nikkodemus x Roxalah) is 75.1% Crabbet and is standing at 16hh and takes a wide saddle! He is a big lad!! My novice gelding is predominately egyptian / polish and he is also a big lad @ 15.2!!!
I agree with what everyone has said! Dont be stuck on certain types i.e crabbet/russian polish!
There are some seriously outstanding horses out there!
Good luck and enjoy your new best friend when the time comes!
Ive had my best friend for nearly 9 years now
K xx
Nadem (Nikkodemus x Roxalah) & Rokkademus (Nikkodemus x Judals Miamara)
Actually, the early Crabbets were straight Egyptian which is why some Crabbets are "straight Egyptian" as well as being 100% Crabbet not the other way around. Many of the later Crabbets were not mainly Egyptian and would not classify as SE.
Barbara, you have this the wrong way round. The very first Arabs at Crabbet came directly from the desert and had NO Egyptian blood. Later imports by the Blunts did come from Egypt, but they bred both groups together so that the number of Crabbets that could be classed as 'straight Egyptian' (a term not invented until the 1950s/60s) were pretty much limited to their original imports from Egypt.
I have high percentage Egyptians, and they are NOT wide - my highest percentage Egyptian stallion is currently going very nicely in a saddle that was previously on a 13.2h show pony!
I would agree though that after a Haflinger, a high-percentage Crabbet is more likely to give you the sort of "horse" the original poster wants - substantial and correct with plenty of power from a good back end!
Tell me about Arab 'types'
Posted - 11 May 2013 : 7:48:41 PM
Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
