What do you like/dislike about Arabs?

girlmoose said:
To me it's funny that peple say they worry about there legs cos I rode a 25 year old arab who had never had a days lameness in his life. Even when another horse kick him. He didn't go lame and the cut healed in a week. He's very hardy.

But then all horses are individuals. My last 4 rides have been arab-y. 2 anglos and 2 purebreds. All were lovely, kind, generous, but quirky.

I like them, it's a personal thing and maybe I've just not met enough horses, but I wouldn't rule out any breed or type. They are all individual and maybe we can all be a bit too quick to judge. For instance I always think welsh a are not always the best as they are the height for children, but can be very sharp which isn't suitable for learners. But arabs. ...I like the turn of speed on my horse and the 25 year old horse I mentioned at the start of this rather long and rambling post was so kind and gentle that a tiny tot could lead him, he'd jump anything and was incredibly brave. They spook, but it all feels cheeky, not nasty and it doesn't bother me. I love them. I also love new forests.
Click to expand...

agreed with that. my welsh section a was very sharp to ride- i totally clicked with him and adored him, but others wouldnt have!
he looks totally angelic and innocent, but he can be a right sod when the mood takes him- and always very spirited, which some people couldnt deal with. he is very intelligent- too much so really!
and with arabs, i think they should be judged indivudually, like other horses.
i dont know if i would get on with them as they are generally very intelligent and quite sharp- but then i am sure more docile ones exist- and i did ride matrix (my little welshy)- which seemed an odd choice but it just worked!
 
I think they are wonderful, they have been bred to live with man, in tents, originally, and the bond that you have with an Arabian is second to none.
My boy is a pure Crabbet and his sire was Shogun. (Have seen some on the forum who must share the same bloodlines!)
 
He he - I think I'm going to be in a bit of a minority of one here, as my Arab (H Tobago) is one of those dishy-faced, flashy, in-hand champion show-Arabs that nobody here seems to like, and his babies have the same 'exotic' looks...

But I did choose him as much for his very athletic conformation and movement as for his show-ring glamour. It is possible to have both!

Still, I do realise that he's not everyone's cup of tea - and I don't take any offence when people find him rather too extreme for their tastes. Life would be very dull if we all liked the same type of horse, don't you think?
 
Like I've said to you before Htobago, I can fully appreciate your horses very obvious and very intense beauty. Its not my cup of tea as he's not fat, hairy and coloured in like a cow....!
 
Tinypony said:
Great breeding Faracat! I love to look and see what other people's horses have in common with mine. Quite a lot in the case of your foalie.
My boy is a bit of a Barbie horse, he can't help it though, he was bred in America where they like Barbie Arabs. We meet a lady on her horse when we're out sometimes, she always says "Ah! It's the purdy Arab again".
Click to expand...


We call Axel the barbie horse!! He is just too pretty to be a real horse and his nose is barbie pink :)

I'm good friends with Caroline from AV Arabians and I used to look after her horses (before she got that massive stud) She had a beautiful mare by Crystal Magician (Crystal Glimmer), a stallion by Sky Crusader (Crusaada) and also G Shakib who stands at stud in Kent now I believe.
I didn't like Arabs before, I had never really had much to do with Arabs before, but after working with these I fell in love with them.
My friend and YO bought Crusaada and did brilliantly with him, she raced him, did ODE's, dressage, le Trek, hunting and of course showing.
He was very sensible and hardy, as well as being very beautiful.

When I saw Axel for sale (he's 50% Arab by Saker a Crabbet stallion) I didn't hesitate to buy him and he has been a wonderful horse.
My favourite moment was winning a PBA class, my friend won the pure bred class and we were in the championship together, I won and she was reserve :)
 
flamehead said:
Like I've said to you before Htobago, I can fully appreciate your horses very obvious and very intense beauty. Its not my cup of tea as he's not fat, hairy and coloured in like a cow....!
Click to expand...

Thank you - again! I can appreciate a gorgeous hairy coloured cob too, even though they don't have big bug-eyes and seahorse heads...
 
the kindest, most genuine horse I've ever known was an arab-I would pay alot of money for another just like him! you can have a similar bond with other breeds-I have a lusitano who is very person-oriented. I would certainly actively look at arabs for my next horse if I needed one.

I dislike the tactics seen in in-hand arab showing, those type of handlers do the breed a great disservice. there's no point bleating about the breed being undervalued when you are responsible for the public image of it.

Htobago is stunning, slightly more extreme that I would generally like but his quality is undeniable!
 
My arab is now 24.5 years old and he has been my soul mate for the last 20 years.

They are mentally and physically tough but still breathtakingly beautiful.

If you treat them with dignity and respect they will look after you and always get you home.

I see my horses according to chinese philosophy:

My Ardennes x ID. He is part of the earth. Solid, impervious. The earth beneath your feet, the tree standing strong against the wind.

My arab is non-empirical. He is made of the wind and fire. Emotion and defiance.
 
peteralfred said:
I dislike the tactics seen in in-hand arab showing, those type of handlers do the breed a great disservice. there's no point bleating about the breed being undervalued when you are responsible for the public image of it.

Htobago is stunning, slightly more extreme that I would generally like but his quality is undeniable!
Click to expand...

Echo your words EXACTLY!!
 
sharon you have dofo not mt the right kind of arab :p:eek::p

here's a pic of my lad at 3 being very flighty!-

15932_1088867560457_1789518655_179641_7130905_n1.jpg


and another at 4 , and remember he is also a stallion and has covered mares, not a bit flighty or nervous ever.

zdown1.jpg
 
Arabs are very enchanting to watch and there's definately something kind of magic about them.

My 1st pony was an Arab x Welsh Cob and he was a sharp little character. In fact, looking back, some of the nicests horses/ponies ive ridden have been Arab or Arab/crosses; a superb little Arab x Connemara springs to mind as being particulary fab to ride. Loved him!.

To ride, it is like you are both floating effortously along, the trot is lovely.
 
Mine is a part bred but is definitely more arab in temperament than he is thoroughbred. I can't imagine owning anything but an arab now. They are courageous, incredibly loyal and very intelligent. They can be a pain in the a*se and incredibly quirky with certain things, but if you can get your head around that then they are wonderful animals. In my opinion (along with the spanish breeds) they are the most beautiful horses out there. They often get a bad reputation of being unpredictable and spooky etc, but none of the ones I've met have been silly at all. They tend to have bags of personality, goes hand in hand with their intelligence.
 
I see my horses according to chinese philosophy:

My Ardennes x ID. He is part of the earth. Solid, impervious. The earth beneath your feet, the tree standing strong against the wind.

My arab is non-empirical. He is made of the wind and fire. Emotion and defiance.
Click to expand...

That is a beautiful quote.
 
Good Grief ! I have just googled Htobago (couldn't resist having spotted amazing the photos in the sig) and he is a bit of a superstar to say the least.

Lots of photos of him and his beautiful foals, which all seem to inherit his outstanding looks.
 
Goodness, this one seems to be going on, in a breed book, it was said about the Arab, that they were lovely, people orientated trainable horses and that the Anglo-Arab was a wonderful horse, with very often the right mix of looks from both horses, but the more amenable nature of the Arab, having owned a PBA, mostly Arab, 75%. And now a TB, the Arab is a more amenable horse, my mare can be a grimpy old boot, and being a TB is usually much more so in the winter, the part Arab would happily winter out, no rugs, and just a field shelter, and she lived to a ripe old age. I would get another Arab like a shot, my mum-in law, says, and I quote, they are nicked in the eade!! But if she looked at the bloodlines of all the horses she owns they all have Arab in them, a couple are almost half, maybe that explains it.......:p
 
bexandspooky said:
I am not sure that I understand peoples comments about hating arabs because they are 'pointless' as they arent out there winning SJ, eventing and dressage etc - does that mean you hate anything that isn't the run of the mill sport horse type?! And dont forget, most of these modern sport horse types have arab blood in them somewhere along the line.
Click to expand...

Erm, so what is the point of them? They are super sound and fantastic at Endurance and seem to be great at "improving a breed" but seeing as they are one of the oldest if not THE oldest breed of domesticated horse it would be unlikely that they would NOT be in a breed way back.

As for Section A's looking like them - well I think you need to look around a bit there are very different "types" of As around if you did your research first...

However, I really do NOT like them - they are neurotic and unpredictable in my experience and at not really that GOOD at anything (other than endurance where they wipe the floor with every other breed) in particular. SJ - erm no, Eventing - erm no, Dressage - erm no - OK perhaps at RC level but NEVER high up. Sorry, never ever would contemplate purchasing one myself. Not even an Anglo Arab. Would prefer my TB to be crossed with anything but...
 
I have owned Arab crosses as a child but haven't owned a pure bred. I would not rush out to buy one but I really appreciate their breeding. If it wasn't for the 3 Arabs Godolphin, Byerley Turk and the Darley Arabians we wouldn't have today's TB's which are my favourites! I helped out a top Arab trainer one summer riding out. I must admit riding an Arab at a gallop is SO different to a TB and to push one out is even harder due to their head carriage. I was introduced to the world of FEI Endurance this year (great pal is a vet on the gates) and I've never seen SUCH well behaved animals in my life. Also such a variety within a breed. The are tough, honest, race fit and SO sensible. You wouldn't get a TB racehorse stood under a gazebo being iced, massaged etc. It was very interesting and I have even more respect for the breed now. Must admit the Enduro pants were something else!!!! I won't be taking it up anytime soon :)
Silver Zannif (sp) By GOD is your horse snappy infront.... Is it a colt or filly? Couldn't get those forelegs any more out of the way! Seriously athletic through his shoulder - would be good to see some sports horses jumping with such perfect style!! Just scooted through some previous posts.
 
Last edited:
mcnaughty said:
Erm, so what is the point of them? They are super sound and fantastic at Endurance and seem to be great at "improving a breed" but seeing as they are one of the oldest if not THE oldest breed of domesticated horse it would be unlikely that they would NOT be in a breed way back.

As for Section A's looking like them - well I think you need to look around a bit there are very different "types" of As around if you did your research first...

However, I really do NOT like them - they are neurotic and unpredictable in my experience and at not really that GOOD at anything (other than endurance where they wipe the floor with every other breed) in particular. SJ - erm no, Eventing - erm no, Dressage - erm no - OK perhaps at RC level but NEVER high up. Sorry, never ever would contemplate purchasing one myself. Not even an Anglo Arab. Would prefer my TB to be crossed with anything but...
Click to expand...


NEVER high up eh? me thinks you should research before makeing quite such a sweepin comment. i wil accept that purebreds are in the minority for sports other than endurance, but they are out there and very successfull. normally i is thire hight that gets in the way, they dont often grow big enough for top level jumping but there are two seperate stallions , both purebred who have won the sports horse sire of all breeds award in the us , one of which won it on at least three different occassions. Alwin Schockemohle ( sp?) rode an anglo to an olympic silver medal showjumping, and of course the partbreds out there that are successfull are innumerable.

Purebreds are often very successfull at dressage for example FEI-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUJpbHaum-U

and jumping, - this arab has compeated at junior chamionships jumping, and here's a vid of him, another arab that cant jump?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a54Lb4IBT8&feature=related

But thats just the tip of the iceberg there are lots more than you think that have gone up through.

I will give that the arabian purebred is not your average sport horse, but did you know that the trakhner stud book will dual register purebred stallions as stock improvers, so if they are good enough as sport horses for such a big stud book they sure are good enough for me!

i wil also admit that alot of , not all, but alot of arabowners dont help the breeds image out much, i mean 1ft6 sjing at a national compatition , but we wont open THAT can of worms!:rolleyes: but that does not mean you can sweep an entire breed , that has influenced the genetic make up of just about every other breed out there, under the carpet as useless and .. erm no... just not any good, because i think you'll find if you actually look beyond the typical steryotype ( and as i've said , i know the arab has a bad press so i can forgive you for thinking this!:p)you will be blushing about your previous remarks, as they are not only unfounded and if you look at the wider arabian world also very untrue.;)

i accept they are not everyones cup of tea, as someone else has said it would be boaring if we all liked the same horses , but lets not blot thire copy book through ignorance after all some one who knows nothing about arabs could have read that post and thought well thats that , arab = useless and missed out on knowing a most amazing horse!
 
Last edited:
Aces High - missed that sorry:o busy being incenced!! lol;)

Zaanif is 15hh pure crabbet arab stallion, 4yrs first time jumping loose in that pic.

And i think thats another point i should make, most sports horses are owned by peole produceing them for sport... so from day one they are handle and preped in a more proffesional way. Zaanif though arab has been brought on carefully from day one to be a sports horse and as you can see he is one, no denying that jump! But most arabs are owned by people that want a frien , or a pc pony so are not preped in the same way, it makes a BIG difference, and i would put money that we could make just about any arab jump like that, they all have the ability , but dont often get to shine:)
 
enfys said:
Nothing worse than a mismatched horse and rider, no-one is happy.
Click to expand...

I think those are very wise words regardless of breed.

I would love to own an Arab, I think they are simply magnificent and charismatic. As I'm just over 6 foot tall, I would favour a Crabbet or maybe a Polish and was recently offered the loan of a young PBA gelding who I would love to ride and bring on. BUT, I have Harry, he is 8 and I am 51, so without a lottery win or kind benefactor, the chances of me owning another horse are remote.

I will continue to admire them though, and feed the occasional polo to those I encounter :)
 
mcnaughty said:
Erm, so what is the point of them? They are super sound and fantastic at Endurance and seem to be great at "improving a breed"

However, I really do NOT like them - they are neurotic and unpredictable in my experience and at not really that GOOD at anything (other than endurance where they wipe the floor with every other breed)
Click to expand...

Well you've partly answered your own question. They are a refined, lightweight breed, yet they are tough and sound.

Why should they have to be sports horses suited to the top of the main three disciplines to have a point? By that logic do cobs have a point? Spanish horses? American Quarter horses? I think endurance is a point actually in the same way dressage is. However horses don't have to be all about competition to have a point anyway. Arabs, like welsh cobs, connies, appaloosas, etc make great general riding horses, which a lot of amateurs will enjoy much more than a strapping warmblood.
 
DH1 said:
Good Grief ! I have just googled Htobago (couldn't resist having spotted amazing the photos in the sig) and he is a bit of a superstar to say the least.

Lots of photos of him and his beautiful foals, which all seem to inherit his outstanding looks.
Click to expand...

Gosh - thank you!

As I said, he's not everyone's cup of tea, but actually many serious sport-horse breeders love him and are using him.

I do think it's a bit unfair to criticise pure-bred Arabs for not being 'at the very top' in, say eventing or show-jumping. After all, although they are classified as horses, the vast majority of pure-breds are, in terms of size, no bigger than ponies. Most are between 14hh and 15.2hh at the most. It is very, very rare to see a pony/horse of this size - of any breed - competing at the highest level in adult eventing or sj, or even dressage.

Pure-bred Arabs far outclass every other breed at the sport for which they are designed - endurance racing - in the same way as Warmbloods dominate in dressage and show-jumping, TB blood dominates in eventing, Quarter Horses reign supreme in cutting, roping, barrel-racing and other stock-horse disciplines, etc., etc.

Arabs are also second only to TBs in terms of pure speed - and Arab racing is a highly successful international sport in its own right.

I don't see anyone calling Warmbloods 'pointless' because they don't do high-level endurance.

The phrase 'horses for courses', springs to mind!
 
Last edited:
I have a purebred polish type gelding.

He is honest, genuine, lovely to look at and most importantly has a fab little attitude and will have a go at absoloutley anything put to him. He is definatley the most loving horse on the yard, calling to me every time he sees me and he is very much a one person horse which I like. Yes he is slightly excentric but I like that too...

I would love another arab and I have never actually met a bad one!
 
silver zaanif said:
Aces High - missed that sorry:o busy being incenced!! lol;)

Zaanif is 15hh pure crabbet arab stallion, 4yrs first time jumping loose in that pic.

And i think thats another point i should make, most sports horses are owned by peole produceing them for sport... so from day one they are handle and preped in a more proffesional way. Zaanif though arab has been brought on carefully from day one to be a sports horse and as you can see he is one, no denying that jump! But most arabs are owned by people that want a frien , or a pc pony so are not preped in the same way, it makes a BIG difference, and i would put money that we could make just about any arab jump like that, they all have the ability , but dont often get to shine:)
Click to expand...

Very well put!

And by the way, I think your Arab is super: fantastic jump and he clearly has a lovely temperament too! I have just recommended him to someone who was looking for a Crabbet stallion.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top