Has riding your Arab given you a deep seat?

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bluewhippet

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I have owned my Arab gelding for 2 months - he is my first horse although I have ridden on off throughout my life. He is absolutely wonderful - never mean - tries hard to please, nosey about everything, beautiful, willing, ... but incredibly spooky.

And I have had to learn to sit deep down in my saddle because he is so easy to come off. I think it is his shape combined with his behaviour. At least once every canter/gallop out hacking he comes to a sudden standstill because something about the terrain looks suspicious, or shoots sideways or some other eel like move. And when I lose balance there is nowhere to regain myself - in front of the saddle is a sheer drop because of his fine Arabian shape!

I have learnt so much in two months and my stirrups have gone down holes and I am always making sure that I am sitting back and deep as possible in the saddle.

Is this a typical Arab experience? Not complaining - I wouldn't change a thing about him.
 
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ha ha! yup! sounds about right! :D whisper was the exact same... everything was out to get her- and i have a right sticky bum thanks to her! :p

although i have always had to ride pretty light with whisp- you can breathe on her sides and she's off! she's 17 now, and pretty chilled out... although some days she reminds me that she is still that same spooky youngster part bred arab at heart! :p
 
I've got a part-bred if it counts?:D And yes, having a secure seat is a must if they are of the spooky variety! They are so damn quick - a 16hh cob spooking is like slow motion compared to mine.:D
 
I think it is the speed of the movement and that way that they are capable of going from gallop to standstill that I have never encountered before, and the narrowness in front so there is nothing to get hold of when you lose your balance.

There is nothing mean about him - I get the feeling he likes being ridden - he wants to go out and he is looking for me when I arrive and calls out - really touching...he's just so slippery!
 
I have a 26 year old pure bred mare who is exceptionally kind,well mannered and genuine in everyway,never naps.rears,bucks or does anything nasty.A small child can manage her from the ground she is so good.However,she has a tendency to look for monsters and can spook.She is comfortable to sit too,and i think more of the old stamp in terms of build,unlike today's rather waif like build.I have had her 15 years now and find her quite easy to sit to in a spook.Cannot say the same for her tendency to shake all over once evertime she is ridden,sometimes in canter.She has managed to dislodge my daughter when she was smaller,once shaking as she cantered a corner.
 
If you are in danger of going over his head when he stops dead from a trot or canter, you can bridge your reins. The bridge will hit the base of his neck and may keep you on board...or not! My arab used to do it occasionally and I sympathise!
 
I would say riding my Arabs has given me a pretty secure seat, but I wouldn't say "deep" - not as in the ideal, desired, good rider deep seat anyway! Yes, you do need to be secure and well balanced on an Arab, simply due to their speed and agility. I actually have a balance strap on the pommel of both of my Arabs saddles - rarely need it, but it's there just in case.

But I've never really developed that much desired "deep" seat. Probably, because my main discipline is endurance, and on a long endurance ride I tend to ride as lightly as possible, keeping as much weight as possible off the horse's back, and in a slightly more forward seat than I would if I were schooling at home or doing dressage.
 
Yes and Yes!

My first horse was an Arab. I got him as a four year old and for the last 20 years he has taught me to hang on:)

He will be galloping along and spook sideways if he finds something disturbing - just like yours.

Arabs are designed as war horses in a harsh terrain with many predators.

Not only are they expected to survive the journey from one end of the desert to the other, they are expected to keep you safe too.

They will do all of that for you - you are just expected to hang on tight;)
 
Hell yes.

My last was a PBA- spooky as hell. My current is purebred- beautiful paces, not as spooky but yeah- very flexible and fluid. Certainly sorts your position out- he responds to subtle weight changes - its amazing. Reins hardly needed.

Very sensitive though- tacked up last night in a rush- saddle wasn't far enough back- which I realised after a full-on broncing session:o Totally my fault - can't blame him for it.

Mine does the 'Bambi' spook where all four legs suddenly splay and you kind of 'drop' downwards.

So - not a 'deep' seat but I would say a secure one.:D
 
Yes.

Don't currently own an Arab at the moment but when I did, she could pull some moves and bust some shapes, I mastered the art of sumersalting over her head and landing straight on my feet facing her along with reins and my crop in my hand :D she used a drop her shoulder like a bad un, but always a joy to ride however.
 
p.s. That is why I am so fond of my treeless - it has a nice, big handle I can hold onto;)

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Thanks. Definitely is the battle horse keeping you safe across the desert if you can stay on. I used to be far more of a reins rider but he doesn't need much controlling in that kind of way, just keeping with him. It is always much better to send him on than to hold him back when he is messing around, and whereas my first instinct on difficult horses used to be to shorten the reins, now it is to sit down deep!

I am learning such a lot...
 
That energy has got to go somewhere. If you don't let it go forwards, it will go up or back;)

I have sat some spectacular acrobatic displays on Obi over the years.

And then on my Draft horse - a simple buck (but with the power x50% of Obi's) and I'm flying through the air!

I am convinced that Arabs never truley mean to throw us off. It's as much a suprise to them when we part coompany!

I know what to do now - and I am more at risk of falling from laughing too much when he starts than from him unseating me:)
 
Oberon said:
That energy has got to go somewhere. If you don't let it go forwards, it will go up or back;)

I am convinced that Arabs never truley mean to throw us off. It's as much a suprise to them when we part coompany!

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Totally agree with this. It just that we aren't quick enough to keep up with them!
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I learnt the hard way.

I tried using a FLASH on mine:o

Yes he DID stop when I asked - but that wasn't the end of it;)
 
Mines Arab x Cob so there is a bit more in front of me that the pure breds. But she is athletic and alert and LOVES going out. She too calls for me all the time.

I had a moment this morning over a white dumpy bag full of gravel at the side of the road and wish I had read the leg leg and more leg as I took a contact and we bounced past in a very unladylike fashion ;)

I would say I have a secure seat and agree with the slightly longer stirrups as I need to wrap my leg around her at times to stay on :D
 
I agree about the falling off. He looks very surprised and always stands and waits for me - very gentlemanly about the whole thing...

Oberon, did you get treeless because of the difficulty of saddle fitting? i am going through this at the moment. There seems to be only one saddle in the whole world that fits him at all - his present one - and only with a lot of adjustment and still not perfect.

What does everyone else use or do - my saddle fitter is great but says that they all have a great dread of Arabs.
 
My girl is very well sprung in the rib cage typical of the Arab bit of her and she is in a Kay Humphries custom made saddle that fits a dream we are both very comfortable .
 
bluewhippet said:
I agree about the falling off. He looks very surprised and always stands and waits for me - very gentlemanly about the whole thing...

Oberon, did you get treeless because of the difficulty of saddle fitting? i am going through this at the moment. There seems to be only one saddle in the whole world that fits him at all - his present one - and only with a lot of adjustment and still not perfect.

What does everyone else use or do - my saddle fitter is great but says that they all have a great dread of Arabs.
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Oh...theres the pain of arabs and saddles lol.

I have an Ideal WH saddle in an XW fitting- a 16" one as he is the typical round/well sprung - small withered, big shouldered and short backed arab- although how I have described him he sounds deformed...:rolleyes: This fits well - and believe me- any sort of discomfort and its bronco time. I use a Nuumed non-stick numnah which really helps keep it in place and it doesnt tend to slip forward up his neck.

I also have a balance strap on the front of it for ''emergency'' use:D ( or a 's h i t- me' strap as I call it)
 
My arab is soooooooo easy compared to the drama queen sports horses I've had over the last few years. I already had a pretty well developed secure seat.

I was lucky enough to come across a second hand 16.5 inch wide ideal VSD which looked OK to me so I bought it. I've since had it checked by a saddler who said its a perfect fit and it seems to suit us well. Happy times. :D
 
I used to love that Bambi spook poppymoo mentioned. Agree that out hacking if anything he taught me to ride lighter (seat-wise). He was mostly a sideways spooker when not Bambi-ing, and an occasional stop-deader. but really sensitive abt rider balance... throwing myself off balance was a last-ditch emergency stop mechanism because he wd slow until I was secure again ;-)
 
Yep I've had the legged sprawled out spook, the massive leap, the dashing other way, jumping on the spot etc. I've only fallen twice off her and both times were spooks I wasnt ready for. But since Ive had her for quite a while now I'm ready for most things she spooks at and can sit to it. Even the gallop to barell stop spook!
 
I got it (back in 2002) because I wanted a saddle with a secure seat but without the weight of a western.

Obi was a great size when I was 14. But I grew to 5ft 9" - so have to keep the weight to a minimum.

I've been so happy treeless, I've just carried on....
 
millreef said:
You need a deep seat AND deep pockets;) $$$!!!
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I don't get it? Deep seat, yes, but deep pockets, not really?? Not in the UK anyway! You can buy a nice Arab for a reasonable price (mine cost considerably less than my sister's Welsh D and TB) and they're pretty low maintenance too!
 
HashRouge said:
I don't get it? Deep seat, yes, but deep pockets, not really?? Not in the UK anyway! You can buy a nice Arab for a reasonable price (mine cost considerably less than my sister's Welsh D and TB) and they're pretty low maintenance too!
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I would agree....no shoes, bit of chaff with pink powder....jobs a good 'un. Did well over winter with extra hay and a MW rug.

Sooooo not just a pretty face:D
 
Mine was very cheap. If he'd been a connemara, or cob of the same age/height and with all that tack he would have been double the price and the only things I have had to spend money on above the normal have been saddle related, adjustments/reflocking and the back lady out because his saddle had been hurting him so much previously.

He was thin when I got him and now looks great thanks to just grass and exercise.

I'd say he's a complete bargain.
 
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