Arabian horse face shape

Desert_rider

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This is my brother inlaws little mare in Egypt. She is a high percentage Arab and hardly has a dish.
I visited an Arab stud just outside Cairo many years ago. The horses were absolutely beautiful, so much so they took my breath away but none had the extreme dishing seen on some examples of the breed. I think it is definitely a look that is popular in America and not a nice look. They almost look like cartoon characters.IMG-20191026-WA0001.jpg
 

JoannaC

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There are several different strains of Arabian horses and different breeders have bred for different types. Typically the Old English and Polish lines are the more substantial performance type ridden horses whereas, as previously said, America have taken to breeding extreme dished heads and whilst they are usually associated with Straight Egyptian you can get the more old fashioned type within the Egyptians. This is my crabbet/polish mare and she can look like she has a dish but actually her profile is quite straight but not as straight as my pure Crabbet mare.

Georgie Pig.jpg
 

Mule

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This is my brother inlaws little mare in Egypt. She is a high percentage Arab and hardly has a dish.
I visited an Arab stud just outside Cairo many years ago. The horses were absolutely beautiful, so much so they took my breath away but none had the extreme dishing seen on some examples of the breed. I think it is definitely a look that is popular in America and not a nice look. They almost look like cartoon characters.View attachment 37968
This is my brother inlaws little mare in Egypt. She is a high percentage Arab and hardly has a dish.
I visited an Arab stud just outside Cairo many years ago. The horses were absolutely beautiful, so much so they took my breath away but none had the extreme dishing seen on some examples of the breed. I think it is definitely a look that is popular in America and not a nice look. They almost look like cartoon characters.View attachment 37968
I like her. They are very pretty horses in general. I used to ride one years ago, in a riding school. He was very smart. He was very gentle and quiet with beginners. When he sensed the rider knew what they were doing he'd zoom about :D.
 

JoannaC

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This is really interesting JC.
I just looked at my boys papers and it says Hadban Enzahi !

Lovely to see photo's of your horses again:)

Yes I found this chart much more useful than Polish, Egyptian, Crabbet etc as you can actually find the different types in these categories. Any excuse to put pictures up :)
 

Mule

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They'd be the perfect height for me. I'd be tempted in the future when the beast has to retire. The beast is tall and long with a very big stride. I find the more compact, narrower horses much easier. There doesn't seem to be many Arabs in Ireland though. The only one I've ever seen was the one in my riding school decades ago.
 
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Shady

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This is a modern bred little Stallion who I think has an exquisite head but compared to my old fashioned type is so weedy! He was 14.2 the same as my gelding but I look huge on him and this was a few years ago so I was a good stone lighter than now.
View attachment 37976
Gosh he has an exquisite head but yes he does look quite dinky!
Those legs....wow. x

eta better in the second and he is totally gorgeous
 

JoannaC

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Gosh he has an exquisite head but yes he does look quite dinky!
Those legs....wow. x

eta better in the second and he is totally gorgeous

He was only 4 and could have done with being turned away to mature, had a super temperament he was really sweet. He was given to the people that had him as they worked for the Princess of Dubai and she didn't want him as he was too small so just gave him away! They weren't particularly knowledgeable so not sure what happened to him as they were hoping to make money breeding from him. He was by Ajman Moniscone, I hope they gelded him and sold him to an Arab home but they were friends of a friend and were looking for someone to ride him hence why I went to see him but don't think they agreed with me when I said to turn him away so didn't hear from them again.
 

GSD Woman

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I used to ride a few Arabs at different riding schools. None of them were freaks like what some American breeders are producing. My understanding is that the freaks aren't much good for anything but halter showing. 2 of my friends ride Arabs and do dressage and they have a slight dish. The endurance horses I see aren't extreme either.
Trust me, there is a subset of Americans that will mess up anything by making it more extreme. See our American show lines GSDs, halter and western pleasure Quarter horses, Rottweilers, racing Thoroughbreds.
 

Shady

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He was only 4 and could have done with being turned away to mature, had a super temperament he was really sweet. He was given to the people that had him as they worked for the Princess of Dubai and she didn't want him as he was too small so just gave him away! They weren't particularly knowledgeable so not sure what happened to him as they were hoping to make money breeding from him. He was by Ajman Moniscone, I hope they gelded him and sold him to an Arab home but they were friends of a friend and were looking for someone to ride him hence why I went to see him but don't think they agreed with me when I said to turn him away so didn't hear from them again.
I hope he went to a good home too. Impressive pedigree. Straight back to El Shaklan again!!
I totally agree that he looks like he needed to bulk out some, beautiful horse though.
 

ihatework

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One of my first horses was an Arab, he was by a stallion called Hanif, but I confess I don’t know much about Arab breeding. He started life pony racing then then finished life mostly showjumping with me, he could turn on a sixpence. He was quite highly strung mind!
Must try and dig out a photo of him
 

JoannaC

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One of my first horses was an Arab, he was by a stallion called Hanif, but I confess I don’t know much about Arab breeding. He started life pony racing then then finished life mostly showjumping with me, he could turn on a sixpence. He was quite highly strung mind!
Must try and dig out a photo of him

Wow bet he was fabulous, Hanif was bred at Crabbet and then stood at the Imperial stud I think. Seren Arabians in the Lake District stood his son Hanson so lots of relatives out there. Do dig you pictures out, would love to see them.
 

ihatework

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Wow bet he was fabulous, Hanif was bred at Crabbet and then stood at the Imperial stud I think. Seren Arabians in the Lake District stood his son Hanson so lots of relatives out there. Do dig you pictures out, would love to see them.

Only found one, rest must be in the loft.

He must have been about 18 in this picture
 

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