What do people have against Arab horses?

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millreef

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This really is in connection with a thread by jessamess where she showed some truly beautiful pictures of her Arab. All the posts were really nice...BUT, prefixed with things like "Arabs are not my cup of tea", or "I don't really like Arabs"... I just wondered why? This is a genuine question from an Arab lover - please don't be mean (I'm shocked by some of the threads and how they've disintegrated into an all out battle). Thanks in advance.
 
No idea
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I personally think Tiger is quite lovely and J has done fantastically well bringing him on.

They do appear to be the breed that people seem to feel free say they don't like for some reason or other, more than any other, so why bother saying it at all? It is actually quite rude, kind of like saying, "oh what a cute baby, but what a shame s/he has red/blonde/dark/curly/no hair..."

I am not at all keen on a particular type of horse but I don't feel the urge to go on threads about them and say so, maybe people like to comment on the marmite-ness of arabs because - well, because they can.

Hmmm, what do I have against them? Nothing, especially now that they come as near as dammit purebred in pretty colours :)
 
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I quite often get people saying that they don't normally like arabs but they like Harry, because he's not a 'typical arab' is he. I never know how to take that.

Actually, he's kind, generous, bold, bombproof, tough and willing to have a go at anything. I'd say he is a typical arab. They're meant to be war horses - firey enough to take you to war, but calm enough to live in your tent. Neurotic and spooky and insane isn't going to help you carry out a desert raid.

Typical arab:
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He was hunting regularly at that point too, and had a right little fan club following him at the meets.
 
It's a really strange reaction to Arabs as they are the reason we have so many beautiful wonderful horses - So many breeds have had Arab introduced into the breed to improve the quality. Racehorses, Warmbloods, just about every pony breed has at one time had an arab stallion running with them.

Intellegent, Athletic, Speed & Stamina they are wonderful.
 
I think they're ugly. I don't like their extreme tail carriage and overly dished face. I personally think it's too extreme. I wouldn't want to own one as I don't like the way they move either. I don't have anything against them or their owners tho as others have said just not my cup of tea. I don't expect most ppl to like my cob and u probably can do more stuff with an Arab but the world would be a boring Place if everyone liked the same thing.
 
It's really strange that people don't like them, I think they are amazing beautiful dream horses! Now those disgusting coloured fat cobs that people seem so fond of nowadays are a different story.
 
I do think the extreme in-hand show type of Arab has done the breed no favours in the eyes of the general public.

I compete in endurance, so of course I adore Arabs and understand what tough little horses they actually are. Very few endurance horses have the extreme dish, hooky necky and spindly legs of the show Arab. I think they are quite misunderstood as a breed.
 
Ha ha yeah actually, I notice that Millreef!

No idea why, I think it's similar with cobs... people say the same about mine. "Ah but he's not your typical cob"

huh????

for the record I love arabs and keep threatening to buy one! one day.....
 
I have very limited experience with arabs but the 2 I have know have been psychotic and one was my ponies field companion and was horrible to him, so it puts me off the breed.
I'm sure if I was to meet a nice one I would like them more.
 
I wonder if there is a fashion for horse breeds and the Arab just isn't in vogue right now? I do agree there seems to be a lot of people with Cobs presently (when I was young and growing up in Yorkshire hardly anyone owned a coloured cob, now the price is astronomical for a piebald or skewbald cob).
 
I love Arabs. I think they are beautiful looking horses. But I don't think think there's a breed I don't appreciate to be honest.

I am lucky to have only known nice ones
 
I think half the time it's because they can be quite sensitive- they seem to have the same 'love or hate' raection as TBs do

Personally, I love both breeds, and whilst I think cobs (not singling them out, just they've already been mentioned on this thread) are very lovely and can be quite sharp and clever, they're just not for me ATM- I'd far rather have an Arab or sports horse :)

I tend to find the neurotic Arabs are those with owners who aren't always the calm and most sensitive of people (not always but usually) whereas I also know of several owned by calm, quiet horse people and their horses are sweet and relaxed most of the time
 
RDO said:
It's really strange that people don't like them, I think they are amazing beautiful dream horses! Now those disgusting coloured fat cobs that people seem so fond of nowadays are a different story.
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Posts like this annoy me. Why on earth is it necessary to prove your admiration for one type of horse by slagging off another type? It's totally unnecessary, and a little bit stupid. Just as stupid as posting a derogatory comment on someone's pic, for no other reason than because you can. If it's something about the horse' welfare (such as hugely obese, bit upside down etc - although even then people take things too far IMO and it stops being about the horse and becomes about someone making themselves feel good on an internet forum) that's different, but it seems to me that people are mean here at times for no better reason than because they can be.

I like Arabs, I am not keen on some of the more exaggerated ones seen sometimes in Arab showing, but nor am I keen on any other type of horse that has been bred or produced to show exaggerated characteristics. I love seeing endurance pics in H&H, because the horses always look like they're having a ball, heads up, tails up and off! We need more pics like this IMO.
 
I tend to find the neurotic Arabs are those with owners who aren't always the calm and most sensitive of people (not always but usually) whereas I also know of several owned by calm said:
Yes, I can really agree with this - I have an Anglo-Arab my husband bought as a rescue from a terrible life. He was extremely underweight, had a hogged main, riddled with worms and generally had given up on life at aged only 3! I've retrained him using very mild and sensitive training methods and refused to be harsh in any form with him (I'm not saying I'm a pushover with him). The result in just one year was astonishing. I now have a lovely gentleman, (still a stallion) who is pretty much bomb proof and can box, shoe and jump. Here is a clip of him after his first winter off, just before I brought him back into work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX-nl4SllfE - he looks like he's digging for oil at 1.30!
There are others on the yard with similar bred horses who are nervous wrecks due to the harsh and inhumane (in my opinion) way they are treated.
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I like all horse, exmoor,shire,arab,warmblood. If its a horse its ok. I have owned several pure bred arabs over the years. They are beautiful,affectionate,intelliegent and spirited. They are not every ones cup of tea. I think part of the anti-arab thing is due to their spirit,a lot of folk are afraid of them for it but dont let on, others find them spooky and dont like a spooky spirited ride. Theres a fair bit of arab blood in warmbloods yet the anti-arab people seem to ingnore that. Its a bit like oats,you either like feeding them or you dont,yet they are a very fibrous and protein rich food and very good for horses,but there is a predudice in this country about them. each to their own,as they say. I think arabs are amazing,there is simply nothing like them. Non of mine ever took well to being stabled for more than a few hours a day and were all the better for being kept out,rugged in winter. not everyone has there facilities. I now have a part bred horse,anglo and sec D mainly and also a heavy cob,irish draughtx sec D type. I love them all,they are all different,eachhas their own virtues.
 
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Tbh I find that a lot of people local to me actually have little first hand experience of Arabs. They tend to only have seen them in magazines or showing in hand. When my RI first gave me a lesson on Lou, my Arab, she was amazed! She admitted that she thought she was going to be a fruitloop, not the cute, cuddly, sensible mare that she is! I personally love them and I don't mind that they aren't other people's cup of tea, but I do feel a little hurt when people say they dislike them and think they're ugly because of their extreme dished faces etc. Not every Arab looks the same you know, just like not every cob does :confused:. I think some cobs are ugly and some are gorgeous, same with Arabs. And tbh, most of the Arabs I know have very normal faces - they just look like bigger versions of Welsh As!
 
millreef said:
All the posts were really nice...BUT, prefixed with things like "Arabs are not my cup of tea", or "I don't really like Arabs"... I just wondered why? This is a genuine question from an Arab lover
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I think it's rude and offensive to make unnecessary and often mean things about peoples horses, especially if they didn't ask for criticism regardless of the horses breed. I know i would be gutted if random people who didn't know me or my horse slagged off my horse. He may not be everyones "cup of tea" but i love him.
There are people on here who seem to forget that the horse in the photo is someones else's prided and joy...have a bit of respect.

However, if you don't want people on an open forum to say things about your horse (good or bad) then don't post pics of your horse.

People are allowed their opinion and yes Arabs may not be everyones idea of perfect horse but if they are yours then that's great. As someone else said "it would be very boring if everyone liked the same type of horse"

I personally like Shires & Clydesdale's but i wouldn't get offended if someone else didn't...sometimes on forums like this you need to have a thick skin!!!
 
I think that a lot like TBs people have a misconception that they are all nutty and psychotic. No they are just hot blooded animals and with the right care and exercise are lovely.

I think they are beautiful to look at as well and watching them move freely is stunning. Sometimes you can see the arab come out in my boy like today we turned him into a new field and his tail was up prancing around and looked stunning.
 
blitznbobs said:
I think they're ugly. I don't like their extreme tail carriage and overly dished face. I personally think it's too extreme. I wouldn't want to own one as I don't like the way they move either. I don't have anything against them or their owners tho as others have said just not my cup of tea. I don't expect most ppl to like my cob and u probably can do more stuff with an Arab but the world would be a boring Place if everyone liked the same thing.
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Agree with this. I just really do not like their ugly faces.
 
I think a lot of people don't like Arabians as they are sensitive horses and they don't accept rough treatment the way many other breeds of horses do.

It is hard to "shut down" an Arab, whilst cobs and warmbloods tend to close down mentally and give up their fight, Arabians tend to keep their spirit until the bitter end.

They need to be handled and ridden by humans whose aim isn't to take their Arabian spirit from them. If treated well and handled kindly they are amazing creatures and nothing can beat them.

In my experience crossed with natives they make fabulous children's ponies, gentle, honest and reliable.

Anglo-Arabs/PBAs also make amazing competition horses, you only have to look to the pedigrees of some of our champions. Lets not forget Tamarillo's grand-dam was a Purebred Arabian, and his sire was Tarnik a part bred Arabian.
 
I don't particularly like arabs. I don't like their action, the face and the way they hold their tail. And I think a lot of them are ugly.
But I appreciate they add a lot to breeds, and without them we wouldn't have tb's ;)

But then I don't really like welsh a & b because of their dished faces :)

Appearance is means quite a lot for me - I have to like a horse's head as chances are I will be looking at it over the door for the next 10 years or so :)
 
I like arabs!

They are highly intellegent, beautiful, graceful, strong, hardy good-doers with excellent feet. They are very sound and tend to be long lived.

The fact that they are so intellegent, sensitive and emotional means that they will not get on with everyone and are not as stoic as a lot of other types.

Personally, I don't like poor quality, badly marked gypsy cobs, but each to their own. ;)
 
I am going to admit that I thought all arabs were like the type that are shown in hand and was not so keen on the overly dished face but apart from that thought they were ok. Untill I met a girl I knows ex racing arab now he has the attitude of an arab and he has a less dished face he totaly changed my opinion of arabs as he is calm as they come to handle but has that spark when needed. I would have one like him without question and one like the one in the picture thread as he is stunning :)
 
I think it might be just ignorance in a lot of cases (it was with me!)

I thought they were a bit 'bonkers' and flighty and didn't like the look of them. But my YO breeds them on a small scale and there are quite a lot on livery there, so I have got to know them. And I must say my opinion has changed!

There is one who is just the sweetest natured horse you could ever meet! He has intermittent lameness and has to be on box rest every now and again and even then, he is just a poppet! One of the nicest horses on the school (used by all abilities and ages) is an arab mare and the YO's own is used as nanny on hacks almost every day.

There are one or two that I would say are more sensitive, but the majority are really 'nice' people! And as I have got to know them, I have grown to really like their looks, too! I think they are very 'pretty' horses and when they are doing their thing in the school, look so impressive!

I would say that as I have got to know more horses (of any breed), it is their individual personality and characteristics that appeal, or not.
 
I think it's partly a matter of personal taste and partly a case of people disliking the breed on the basis of their experience with the less successful examples of the said breed. Say, show type arabs as mentioned earlier tend to look quite freaky to a lot of people, but many people mentioned how much they liked Tiger's type - perhaps this type should be what the breeders should aim at - representing the true best qualities of the breed. Within each breed/type there are better/worse examples of the breed and sadly the Arabs that most people see are far from the true Arab, to my mind, therefore people get the idea that they are all like that. Any breed has its poorer examples - nobody likes lazy cobs, stubborn Welshies, dumb warmloods, but everyone likes a nice functional example of each of the abovementioned, right? I have a PRE and I actually dislike the high knee action of most of them but mine doesn't have that, so he's the horse for me. It's not about making people bad by saying you don't like the breed but more of a question of your personal experience and I think breeders should listen to that as a form of constructive criticism. I mean, I'm Russian and I'm not offended when people say they normally don't like Russians because I know how many rude and terrible Russians people meet on holidays and I like to avoid them myself. However that doesn't stop me from trying to embody the best qualities of my nation rather than the worst.
 
When I was young, I don't think I ever saw a 'good' or correct arab, and the owners weren't too impressive either!
Years later, we were persuaded to have one to break and school on for ridden showing.
Quite simply, I was converted. He was kind, intelligent, quick to learn, tried really hard to please - just a joy, really. And I got used to his extreme head and tail - his lovely eye and attitude overcame all my pre conceived ideas about the breed.

He taught me a lot about how I think about horses.
 
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