Tall narrow natives, Arab?

Cortez said:
Hard to articulate (especially without being rude about people's riding:p), but they tend to become upset with unbalanced, unclear, insensitive riding. They are sensitive, responsive and try really, really hard to please. If they can't understand what you are "saying" they can really lose the plot. Some get frightened and spook, some just lose the will to live.

They are brave (let's not forget they were bred to be war horses and to fight bulls), but unclear, heavy handed, and - not to put too fine a point on it, incompetent - riding scares them.
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TBH, I feel that this is the case with sensitive breeds in general! I can think of many Thoroughbreds who this could describe, as well as a number of Welsh Ds: all brave and willing horses who want to please, but begin to struggle when they don’t understand what’s being asked of them. I think that’s why it’s usually a good idea to familiarise yourself with any breed that you want to buy before you start looking.
 
milliepops said:
i think the welsh ds can be clever and sensitive like many other breeds that seem way more fancy. Because they are not expensive and there are lots around they are accessible. people end up getting overhorsed and "training" them in a way that allows them to use their energy for evil rather than good ;) I've only ever had examples like that where they've gone wrong in the past and need sorting but I would definitely like a blank canvas like yours at some point palo :)
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I hope you have that chance too :) My very sweet and honest blank canvas last summer, learning about 'visiting' whilst we long reined round the local lanes and tracks. Please forgive all the tack - we were at that bit of training! :) For me she is beautiful and so interesting to work with. :)

https://scontent.flhr4-2.fna.fbcdn....c24ebc67157a867510326fb222a9&oe=5EEE2D81&dl=1
 
palo1 said:
I hope you have that chance too :) My very sweet and honest blank canvas last summer, learning about 'visiting' whilst we long reined round the local lanes and tracks. Please forgive all the tack - we were at that bit of training! :) For me she is beautiful and so interesting to work with. :)

https://scontent.flhr4-2.fna.fbcdn....c24ebc67157a867510326fb222a9&oe=5EEE2D81&dl=1
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She's a cracker. Lovely mare.

I want something interesting and even a little challenging to take my mind off where Muffin is headed. Not a complete nutter. I hope I will be able to judge when I see the colt which side of the line he is likely to be on once his balls are gone.

My plan is to find something as soon as I can that will 'do'. It doesn't have to be perfect and if I don't gel with it I will sell it.

And meanwhile I take up Cortez' offer to find me a PRE, however long that takes. To ride, what people are describing is just like Ludo temperamentally, but very different physically, which would be great. And I have now set my heart on retiring from my riding days with a PRE and Ludo getting old with me, if I can keep them in one piece.

Now I just need to give myself a slap and get some motivation for a trip to Rossendale.

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This thread makes me want to relate my personal experience with a Welsh D. Nearly 50 years ago (!) when I was but a stripling in my 20's I had a friend who moved himself and family out to Wales. not too far from Crickhowell. BF and I went to stay and I was so thrilled to find he had a pony. The friend couldn't ride one side of this pony, not helped by the fact he couldn't even put the bridle on properly, however, we got over all that and went to see a local farmer to borrow another horse for me to ride out with him. This was a sorrel mare, probably 14.1hh ish, no shoes, tangled mane, goodness knows when she had last been ridden but farmer said to take great care of her because she was actually sold (for the huge sum of £200.00) to Swedish RDA. Well,I didn't have to go far to know why, she was so comfortable, amazingly sure footed, just perfect over the rocky tracks, I could not have been happier than riding her. So has the breed changed in temperament since then, or was I just very lucky??
 
Chinchilla said:
This thread is making me want an arab as a little happy hacker ...ooops. And we still haven't found ycbm a horse!
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No, you are all letting me down ? And I found the colt myself ?

To be fair, there's not a lot for sale if you aren't looking for a sports horse, is there?
 
J&S said:
This thread makes me want to relate my personal experience with a Welsh D. Nearly 50 years ago (!) when I was but a stripling in my 20's I had a friend who moved himself and family out to Wales. not too far from Crickhowell. BF and I went to stay and I was so thrilled to find he had a pony. The friend couldn't ride one side of this pony, not helped by the fact he couldn't even put the bridle on properly, however, we got over all that and went to see a local farmer to borrow another horse for me to ride out with him. This was a sorrel mare, probably 14.1hh ish, no shoes, tangled mane, goodness knows when she had last been ridden but farmer said to take great care of her because she was actually sold (for the huge sum of £200.00) to Swedish RDA. Well,I didn't have to go far to know why, she was so comfortable, amazingly sure footed, just perfect over the rocky tracks, I could not have been happier than riding her. So has the breed changed in temperament since then, or was I just very lucky??
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I live quite near Crickhowell so know the terrain you mean!! :) I think as the Welshies are essentially a working breed they actually need work in order to be at their best. Having to think where they put their feet and probably working over considerable distance or in formal hard work such as dressage/jumping/eventing/other (!!) probably works well for their minds and bodies. I am not sure that walking round a 3 mile block at weekends sort of hacking (nothing wrong with this at all btw) or repetitive low level 'schooling' cuts the mustard for them physically or mentally. Arabs similarly...!
 
ycbm said:
No, you are all letting me down ? And I found the colt myself ?

To be fair, there's not a lot for sale if you aren't looking for a sports horse, is there?
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Actually, everything is grey, chestnut, or dark bay.. Or too young or old.. Or too expensive and/or abroad.
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Bay would be lovely, just not the ones that are dark brown all over. though I could possibly be persuaded if everything else was perfect.

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palo1 said:
I live quite near Crickhowell so know the terrain you mean!! :) I think as the Welshies are essentially a working breed they actually need work in order to be at their best. Having to think where they put their feet and probably working over considerable distance or in formal hard work such as dressage/jumping/eventing/other (!!) probably works well for their minds and bodies. I am not sure that walking round a 3 mile block at weekends sort of hacking (nothing wrong with this at all btw) or repetitive low level 'schooling' cuts the mustard for them physically or mentally. Arabs similarly...!
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Absolutely this. Mine has got easier and more enjoyable the harder the work has got. She couldnt be arsed with going round a prelim test. Ask her for some piaffe steps and she will decide if she thinks you are worthy and then get stuck in. I think they have a work ethic that just needs channeling otherwise they work for themselves. Its that pony brain ;)
 
milliepops said:
Absolutely this. Mine has got easier and more enjoyable the harder the work has got. She couldnt be arsed with going round a prelim test. Ask her for some piaffe steps and she will decide if she thinks you are worthy and then get stuck in. I think they have a work ethic that just needs channeling otherwise they work for themselves. Its that pony brain ;)
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I think Kira is probably quite special as well as being very lucky!! :)
 
Cortez said:
Hard to articulate (especially without being rude about people's riding:p), but they tend to become upset with unbalanced, unclear, insensitive riding. They are sensitive, responsive and try really, really hard to please. If they can't understand what you are "saying" they can really lose the plot. Some get frightened and spook, some just lose the will to live.

They are brave (let's not forget they were bred to be war horses and to fight bulls), but unclear, heavy handed, and - not to put too fine a point on it, incompetent - riding scares them.
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Brave? Ha! Tell that to my 8 year old PRE ? He's such a dramatic little chicken at times! Part of me thinks that he creates drama for his own entertainment.

I let very few people ride him. A friend and I swapped horses, and her WB felt like riding a cement block, and she was frightened of my PRE because he was forward. Well, yeah, when you say "go" he goes. He'd never run away with anyone, but when you ask for trot, he cracks on, and he's got a nice big swinging walk. He also feels faster than he looks, I think.

Another friend and I swapped while I was schooling her horse and she was far too unsteady for him and didn't have enough body awareness. He was fine, but a bit tense and confused.

He really responds to your body language. I'm not the most graceful of individuals but I am aware of my body and its so easy to speak to him with my body on the ground and in the saddle. So many riders and handlers are so unaware.

On occasion, whether it be in hand, in his field, or under saddle he will spook or startle at something. He does what I call the "Spanish shuffle" where he moves his legs very fast, yet goes no where ?

But through all of his weirdness and antics, he's taught me so much. He has taught me to ride with my brain. I bought him as a just started 5 year old and I've been his only rider aside from the man that started him. When I ride other horses, I just...cannot. They're so dead and unresponsive.

If you're a mindful and skilled rider, you'll appreciate the abilities of these horses. They learn so fast (which is both good and bad) and the relationship with a PRE is like no other - sounds cheesy, I know. Someone once said this to me and I thought "yeah, yeah, whatever" but now I know what they were taking about.

So while I am team Iberian, it is important to make sure that they are right for you and you are right for them.
 
Palo, I agree with you about Arabs and doing a job. They may look beautiful standing there or floating around but what they want is to be out doing endurance or as my father did with his in the Far East, he played polo, drove , hacked for miles, lent the horse to his girl friend, etc etc and the horse thrived on the work. He was called Prince in English but I have the pedigree translated by the chief of Police in Palestine and it has all the Sheiks' signatures on it, dated 1933. He adored his horse and I have an album of photos of "Prince".
 
Flame_ said:
My arab is very capable in the school once he applies himself psycholgically (until then he's preoccupied with imaginary monsters in bushes, whether or not he needs the toilet, what's happening in a distant field, etc). The relationship is a very intriguing mind game, who should be in control type, whereas my last arab was totally straightforward, honest and submissive. Hacking success is variable. I recommend this sort for the entertainment factor alone and for how rewarding it is when they do concede you might be on the same side. Flame fought me and my plans most of the time but when we were in the shit she could and did save both our backsides, and my current arab has the same brain capability. I absolutely love them and I'm still hoping you find a clever arab, OP, it'll be fun to read about. :)

ETA I meant to say I knew I'd buy my horse before I even viewed him just from his photos because I'm a superficial cow and he is, to me, absolutely gorgeous.
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Your Arab sounds like my 2 they school really well but 1 often thinks it's all a waste of time and gets easily distracted, funnily enough he is the one that finds some schooling more difficult, the other one can do some sharp spooks but finds schooling easy and is quite talented and learns things really easily, even my dressage warmblood loving instructor loved riding him.

So I think you can have Arabs that will school quite happily but I think it's all down to how you do it, a bit like the pre they are not for everyone and in the wrong hands can be easily screwed up seen few myself and know a few people turn them around.
 
My anglo arab "hated" schooling when I got her. I suspect she actually hated heavy handed schooling where her head was forced into an "outline" and she didn't get to express her opinion about any of it. She liked expressing an opinion. ? She taught me how to be a diplomatic rider that's for sure. She was a very araby anglo arab.
 
Going to see the blond boy on Tuesday evening. I didn't really want to ring but I gave myself a kick up the arse and if nothing else it will be an evening out.

I think he was bought to sell. I have no problem with that if she had the nous to buy a nice horse and make a few bob on it. Loads, catches and can be seen with tack on, apparently. I'll try and look forward to it and then try not to make a knee jerk purchase just to cheer myself up!

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ycbm said:
Going to see the blond boy on Tuesday evening. I didn't really want to ring but I gave myself a kick up the arse and if nothing else it will be an evening out.

I think he was bought to sell. I have no problem with that if she had the nous to buy a nice horse and make a few bob on it. Loads, catches and can be seen with tack on, apparently. I'll try and look forward to it and then try not to make a knee jerk purchase just to cheer myself up!

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Good luck!
 
shortstuff99 said:
I think he made a nice one when he sired mine ;). His owner is the UK agent for the dilute stud that I mentioned above, all her stud stallions are from him now.
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Yeah, Sam's gone over to the pink side ;) I don't mind the dilutes, but I wouldn't go out to buy one - they got stupid popular with the foreign buyers for a while and the Spanish breeders went all out to cash in. More back to normal now, thankfully.
 
ycbm said:
Going to see the blond boy on Tuesday evening. I didn't really want to ring but I gave myself a kick up the arse and if nothing else it will be an evening out.

I think he was bought to sell. I have no problem with that if she had the nous to buy a nice horse and make a few bob on it. Loads, catches and can be seen with tack on, apparently. I'll try and look forward to it and then try not to make a knee jerk purchase just to cheer myself up!

.
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Good luck, you might get a nice surprise.
Its an outing anyway, a rarity these days.
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Cortez said:
Yeah, Sam's gone over to the pink side ;) I don't mind the dilutes, but I wouldn't go out to buy one - they got stupid popular with the foreign buyers for a while and the Spanish breeders went all out to cash in. More back to normal now, thankfully.
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All of mine are brown with no white, but I do sometimes fancy a strange coloured one, but I'm not sure if I could deal with the cleaning. ?
 
If you have his registered name you can trace him if he has gone through brightwells as all their results are on line. I think he is also on horsequest for £3500 with an equally bad photo!
 
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