Arab people - Any Tips?

[JAK]

Girls have been given chance to ride resident Arab mare at yard! She's very green & doesn't know much but is apparently very willing & eager to please under saddle, despite being a vile-tempered witch on the ground!
(Girls have already spent several weeks 'making friends' with her & can now pat/fuss her without having their arms ripped off - always a good start, eh? LOL)

Hardly ever ridden due to owner being too big for her (giant 'pet'!) but apparently goes best on the 'soft & gentle' approach, as is very sensitive! (Will only be walking/bit of trotting initially, as mare is totally unfit!)
Girls have never had anything to do with Arabs before (this one's a real beauty!), so any tips on how to get the best out of them gratefully appreciated!

 

[Triskar]

Arabs are still horses, and all the usual rules apply. However, they are so lovely (and intelligent) that they try to twist you round their little hoof so that they can get away with anything. You have to really give them something to think about all the time, so you need to make their schooling challenging, but still fun, otherwise they get pi$$y about it. Jumping is good, although you have to convince tham that there is a point in it, yes, you know that there's another way round, but this is FUN! Arabs are the best of all horses - they are beautiful, amazingly strong for their size (rubbish that people are too big to ride them!), easy to get on and off for doing dropped or locked gates, bright as buttons, brave and kind, brilliant at scratching the itchy place in the middle of your back, and my best friend is an Arab!

 

[sharni]

i have several arabs. they are great horses. they are sharp. you need to make friends and your arab will do anything you want. they are very much people horses and will redily bond to 1 person.just remember they are very intellegent horses and dont repeat stuff too much. if it takes 6 turns around the arena to teach a horse something it usually takes an arab just once, for example. have lots of fun. lucky you.

 

[JAK]

Thank you Triskar & my3!

The girls have been 'making friends' with her for a while now (in preparation!), as she is sadly, not the most friendly of creatures & is very difficult to handle on the ground, due to being rather 'spoilt' as a youngster!

Will pass all info on to the girls, who are getting quite excited now! Eldest daughter especially, loves 'clever' horses!