Question for the HHO Dressage Divas

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I agree Jlav

Also there will always be the odd exception, and if anyone wanted to advertise/ raise awareness of a particular breed, with enough work etc, they could probably train most breeds to GP.
The reason they arent popular is because they are difficult to get there, and there are lots of breeds that have a natural way of going that makes the work easy for them.

I think if soeone has a passion for a particular breed and wants to take them to the top, then good on them! Its not for me though! (Although I would be tempted to try it with Oz a 3 y/o Fresian we have in to sell)

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Now as much as I like Oz, I've seen better movement in Welsh Cobs on the farm next door (without insulting him) yet how many Welsh cobs do you get at GP? I do think its a trend and that alot of other breeds aren't given the chance that warmbloods have been given. PSG is only 3 off of GP, its a bit like saying oh you only got a horse to advanced level eventing its not even done a 4*, its still up there doing the job!
 
You probably all know by now that Axey is 1/2 Arab
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I bought him to do dressage.

He is very difficult to get in an outline, but once he does he is fab, although maybe a bit tight over his back, but if that's typical of Arabs then fair enough.
We won and came 2nd the other day, only prelim but I was still delighted with him.
He always gets good marks for his paces
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I'm hopefully going to start having lessons with Andrew gould soon, so it will be interesting to see what he says about him.

Sam x
 
I think it boils down to: if you like arabs and dressage then you'll get an arab to do dressage but if you purely like dressage and want to do well then you're more likely to get a type of horse that's known to have the ability i.e. a warmblood type. Me as an example: I have always liked welshies and dressage so therefore I do dressage with my welshie. It is often said that any horse, given the correct schooling should be capable of at least elementary.

Incidentally from my experience I find the whole judges discriminating against other breeds/types a load of rubbish: if your horse is working correctly then it will get the marks. It may be more difficult for certain types to achieve/perform certain movements but once they do then they'd be marked accordingly.
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I have an arab and just about to start doing dressage with him (it is the only thing he really likes to do). He is 15.2 but very narrow in the front so will struggle more with extension but can do a fair medium trot and canter.

He is built incrediably uphill, has the most fantastic movement and has always found working in an outline easy. Apart from being narrow, his confirmation is as perfect as can be. But he looks like a TB, most people ask me 'does he have any arab in him'?

I think if you get the right type of arab and with the right schooling, they can make fantastic horses on the flat, but there are so many different types. The fact they have less vertebrae can make working correctly more difficult, quite often they will look hollow even though when you are on them they feel like they are using their backs. I found this with my arab mare, but fortunately my gelding isn't like this.

Arabs seem to get a bad press and I can quite see why. People think 'oh its an arab, they all stick their head in the air, won't go in an outline, no point in trying'. This is the wrong attitude to take. I think it is up to the rider to make the best of what they have, regardless of the breed.

It also comes down to the breeders. More status is given to in hand arabs, who, and this is my opinion only, many will disagree, are breeding finer and finer horses who will never stand up to any sort of ridden work. There has been ongoing debates regarding this subject on arabianlines. At the end of the day it all comes down to preferance.
 
All horses with a leg in each corner and is sound in body can do 'dressage' up to medium level. After that then the horse does have to have some physical and mental atributes that will enable it to progress with the training and its development.
As many have said there are Arabs that do dressage they do ok at the lower levels but , due to their conformation they do find the work difficult. In particular the hind leg /croup are not biomechanically set up to 'sit' and load the hindquaters as the higher levels demand. Yes some many be able to 'do' a PSG but merely going through the movements is not actually 'doing' this level.
Frequently ,as you can see from the photo at the start of this post, the use of the hocks is as a propulsive force with the hocks being used behind the point of hip and the back flat and tight.So quaters trailing and tight in back are commonly seen on a test sheet from an Arab.
When the first requirements for the German scales of training is RELAXATION and the next is RYTHMN then we can appreciate why this breed struggle when compared to the development and therefore the correctness of work that other horses can acheive.
Also remember you are comparing a BREED with a TYPE, warmbloods are TYPES in that the stud books are 'open' and they are breeding a TYPE' of horse especially developed physically and mentally able to do the work modern equesrian sport demands. Arabs are a breed and to breed a pure bred you can only do that breed Arab with Arab, iys called a closed book. The case for ALL 'breeds'
Cant say i've seen many warmbloods doing top level endurance!!??? but i dont get bent out of shape about that. I just accept the old addage 'Horses for coarses'. Its not a critsism of Arabs they are just more able to exell in other spheres.
 
I do unaff with mine up to elementary level with lots of success, if i had the funds he would be affilliated by now. Alot of the lower level judges mark harshly as with the high set tail it often looks as though they aren't working over the back correctly so now i am very careful to choose BD approved judges when i compete as they can see past the tail. I don't think arabs get as tight in the back as iberian horses can do and my boy certaintly does not find extension hard, but they do lack elevation in their paces, tending to skim acrross the ground rather than showing the exaggerated knee action of some warmbloods which i would imagine makes for a much less showy passage and piaffe. In my experiance they find lateral work quite easy, but i am struggling a bit at the mo on straightness, having just progressed onto teaching canter changes he tends to become crooked very easily.
 
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As many have said there are Arabs that do dressage they do ok at the lower levels but , due to their conformation they do find the work difficult. In particular the hind leg /croup are not biomechanically set up to 'sit' and load the hindquaters as the higher levels demand. Yes some many be able to 'do' a PSG but merely going through the movements is not actually 'doing' this level.
Frequently ,as you can see from the photo at the start of this post, the use of the hocks is as a propulsive force with the hocks being used behind the point of hip and the back flat and tight.So quaters trailing and tight in back are commonly seen on a test sheet from an Arab.


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Thats what I was trying to say but it didnt come out as well
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