What do you like/dislike about Arabs?

[MosMum]

As a breed (feel free to use generalisations), what do you like or dislike about arabs? Temprement, build, breed standard, general abilities etc?

Or, if you like, what do you prefer in other breeds in comparison?

Thanks

 

[Cedars]

Squishy little faces. Hate them.

But like arabs with more normal faces!

I hate secAs for the same reason though!!!

 

[cloudandmatrix]

never ridden one- but i think they are stunning. i like them to be quite substantial though- not overly spindly and nothing in extreme, i dont like the trend for inhand horses to have overly dished faces, and exaggerated swan necks. i love the old fashioned types
. i am a huge fan of welsh section as as well, and again i like the chunkier, less extreme type-like mine
beautiful horses- they seem very intelligent as well

 

[Fuzznugget]

Squishy little faces. Hate them.

Yup, my reason as well. I do try to look at the horse as an individual, but have never been a fan of Arabs. Too squishy in the face, flighty, and stick thin legs! Keep in mind before you flame me that this is based on the ones I've known and I'm sure it's not true for the breed as a whole.

 

[DH1]

I have likes and dislikes about Arabs,as I do with every other breed too, (mines half Arab so I might be a little biased

I like their stunning looks, their spirit, their amazing work ethic, their desire to please, their loyalty & their intelligence.

I dislike their spookiness, their ability to spin on a sixpence,and the worry over their beautiful but vulnerable legs.

 

[Arabelle]

I love them for their toughness, stamina, loyalty, intelligence, willingness and beauty

 

[Snickers]

I like their paces, agility, hardiness and endurance. I dislike the arabian show circuit, I dislike their funny little faces (especially when they're all covered in oil) and I really have something against their tail set! Also, a lot of the arabs I've met haven't been very honest horses...

 

[Arab_Nutter]

I love arabians!
They are sensative, loyal and responsive rides! Their stamina and toughness is fantastic! If bred correctly they have stunning looks as well as a brilliant ride. They can turn their hoof (excuse the pun) to most things. They are quick to learn! There is nothing more stunning than watching one frolic in the field.
They are also responsible for many breed without them many breeds that we know and like would not be the same. They are courageous and sprited.
As you gather, i could go on

 

[Mugsgame]

I used to dislike them generally - when I was growing up, they alwasy seemed to belong to the strangest owners on the livery yard, experiences including watching every weekend as one woman lunged her horse so badly it often slid over.

Then I grew up and realised in the main it was the owners I didn't like, not the horses!! Several friends and aquaintences own pure breds and they do everything from international endurance to local show jumping, national showing to hunting. And you get so much variation within the general breed too.

So I guess I love their true hardiness and versatility, combined with their beauty and presence. I dislike the risk of producing a weaker hind leg in proportion to the overall animal when crossing with other breeds - but then I guess you are always risking something when you wait for the gene pool to show you what it has up its sleeve!

 

[pintoarabian]

I love the Arabian for its intelligence, courage, stamina, exquisite beauty, gentleness, spirit, snort and blow, speed, loyalty and trainability. I could go on to wax lyrical about its history and the fact that it has been used to improve almost all other breeds. Not everybody 'gets' Arabs, but that is okay because not everybody has the right credentials to be owned by an Arab.

 

[blitznbobs]

Their poncy flippy flappy feet, and their 'unusual' head carriage and their ugly squished faces... Never been a fan -- never will be.

Bx

 

[BuBbleMooJim]

I love the Arabian for its intelligence, courage, stamina, exquisite beauty, gentleness, spirit, snort and blow, speed, loyalty and trainability. I could go on to wax lyrical about its history and the fact that it has been used to improve almost all other breeds. Not everybody 'gets' Arabs, but that is okay because not everybody has the right credentials to be owned by an Arab.

Utterly, with out doubt, the most sensible thing any of the post's have said.I had a 3/4 Arab, she was the most loyal, clever, brave little mare ever, she regularly gave big, super hunters a lead over the bigger jumps out hunting, show-jumped against horses bigger, and more experienced than her, and beat them, she was an angel with my children and they adore horses because of their early experience's with her. But....not everyone deserves the love and loyalty, of these amazing animal's I have never met a bad one, just their unsuitable, and often slightly unhinged owners!! Obviously not all Arab owners are barking, but if they are, and they are few and far between, it tends to make, a human sensitive horse, rather wappy as well!!

 

[Cedars]

The other thing I always hate about Arabs is how their owners feel the need to slag off everyone else who doesnt like their horse. Owners of hairies/cobs/warmbloods can often laugh at themselves - hell, I KNOW my hairy looks like a yak - and can laugh at her. Arab owners feel the need to state that they're the best....

 

[zefragile]

The other thing I always hate about Arabs is how their owners feel the need to slag off everyone else who doesnt like their horse. Owners of hairies/cobs/warmbloods can often laugh at themselves - hell, I KNOW my hairy looks like a yak - and can laugh at her. Arab owners feel the need to state that they're the best....

Funnily enough, that has been my experience (and cob owners aswell)
I hate it when they have too-long tails and faces covered in oil. However I think the more substantial Arabs are beatiful horses.

 

[MosMum]

The other thing I always hate about Arabs is how their owners feel the need to slag off everyone else who doesnt like their horse. Owners of hairies/cobs/warmbloods can often laugh at themselves - hell, I KNOW my hairy looks like a yak - and can laugh at her. Arab owners feel the need to state that they're the best....

Really? I'm just getting a feel for horsing in the UK (American, from MT/CA area) and I don't actually know anyone else with an arab right now, but Mo is half arab and if anything I look at others pics and worry that his head is too big, his neck is too short, his legs are too thin and his chest is too shallow :O That said, ALL of my former horse experience was quarter horses!

(But I don't think Mo has a particularly squishy face, perhaps that takes after his cob father!)

 

[Kao]

I love Arabs. Amazing jumpers (normally) make amazing crosses (when done right) and usually have a good temperement (when well trained )
So really. Just like any horse xD

The only things I don't like is...
I don't own one

 

[Tinypony]

Look 'ere. Being owned by an Arab is like having a living legend in your field. Sometimes I just look at my Arabs move and I can't take my eyes off them, it's as if they take flight. My Arabs have both seemed to be one-person horses, and the same goes for my lovely old WelshxArab. (This causes some interesting pushing and shoving when I'm in the field). A good Arab is bred for temperament, stamina and strength. They have hard hooves, strong limbs and stay active into old age. One of my Arabs is only 14.3 hh, quite dainty with a "seahorse" head, which takes a bit of getting used to, but I wouldn't hold it against him as he is the nicest of horses. (He is closely related to Tobago incidentally). My Arab mare comes from a line of top ridden Arabs and was bred for racing or endurance. She is built like a brick s_h_i_t house, 16 hh with a leg at each corner. They are both beautiful, brave, and take my breath away.

There are good reasons why Arabs have influenced so many breeds across the world.
(I like the chunky hairies as well, I've got one of them, Arabs are almost like a different species sometimes).

 

[PonyCrazyGirl]

I think Arabs are very beautiful, one of the most beautiful breeds in the world.

 

[Tinypony]

The other thing I always hate about Arabs is how their owners feel the need to slag off everyone else who doesnt like their horse. Owners of hairies/cobs/warmbloods can often laugh at themselves - hell, I KNOW my hairy looks like a yak - and can laugh at her. Arab owners feel the need to state that they're the best....

Wot a load of rubbish.

I don't think Arab owners "slag" other owners off... any more than vice versa. That's the stuff of the playground when it happens surely? Not very adult. As said above, I love hairies, I love Arabs, I love mules - they've all got their strengths.

 

[mtj]

I'm definitely a lost cause.

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to have bonded with an Arab will always hold them in a special place.

I currently have a warmblood. I was chuffed when I spotted he had an Arabian ancestor, and that he is was related to my late Arabian mare.

Bit baffled by comments about Arabian legs. They are undoubtedly spindly, but Arabs are known to have tendons of steel.

dislikes - inhand showing - yuck

 

[BuBbleMooJim]

I am also rather flumoxxed by the spindly legs remark, Arabs are very tough, they lived in the desert for generations, raging hot in the day, arctic at night. people see them as namby pamby barbie doll horses, yes, I hate to see them with all the crap smeared on their faces in the show ring. I have had, other breeds and loved them just as much, Welsh Cob, Welsh A, and now a Thoroughbred, that most people mistake for an Anglo any way, but I didn't, and don't love them any less than my Arab

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Well here's my arab filly doing her favourite two things earlier today (lazing about and eating )!

She also likes to be nosey (has to investigate eveything) and then prancing about is probably fourth on the list. She is the greediest horse that I have ever known and that includes the Fell that I had on loan. She's also calmer than him, so not all arabs are flighty and spooky. She doesn't give a toss about the alpacas that cause my mare so much angst.

Here's the alpaca fearing one today.

She is an anglo-arab and is totally different in temperament to my filly. She needs to trust the people around her and if you are not calm and confident she can panic. However once you get her trust, she is the most fantastic horse to be around. Brilliant in traffic (even skip lorries that clang) but spooky with flappy plastic and of course, alpacas! She knows if I feel bad or am in pain and will go past thing that normally spook her, so sometimes I wonder whether she enjoys spooking and pratting around.

 

[Chico Mio]

What's not to love? OK he is an Anglo, but 60% Arab.

 

[Quadro]

I have to say i think they are terribly ugly! I also see them as slightly pointless.....................but if you can point me in the direction of a purebred that has reached the top in sj, eventing, dressage i will take it back!
Just my opinion of course

 

[Enfys]

Really? I'm just getting a feel for horsing in the UK (American, from MT/CA area) and I don't actually know anyone else with an arab right now,

MosMum, Swansea area is crawling with arabs, absolutely seething with them. One of the best studs in the country is just along the road from you (Bychan)If you get the chance do go along to their Open Day in the summer.
Hope you are settling in to Wales and are getting to grips with the accent. Wonderful place to live.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am an arab convert, and they do say that converts are the worst.

Over the years I have met all sorts, types and temperaments and that's just the owners! Worked with them for years, some of them very famous in their own spheres, and wouldn't be without one somewhere on the place now.

At the end of the day though, a horse is a horse is a horse, it isn't the end of the world if they aren't everyone's cup of tea.

I couldn't give a hoot whether people like them, or not, if an individual doesn't, then an arab would be wasted on them, just like some types would be completely wasted on me for various reasons.

 

[Cedars]

But Enfys that horse is gorgeous because it doesnt look like someone ran over his face.

I love the floatyness, thats lovely, its the face that looks like an RTA that bothers me!

 

[Abbeygale]

I was never overly fussed about arabs - I learned to ride on an arab x welsh - but I have never felt particularly one way or the other about them.

Until I got my boy, who is now a 4yo. He is so endearing, loving, frustrating, fantastic and a downright nuisance all in the space of about 5 minutes! Life is certainly not dull with him around, and I wouldn't change him for the world. I have started riding him this year, and he has been so much better than I had anticipated - as my expectations were rather coloured by the stereo typical arab - with the running around with the head up like a giraffe and generally being daft!

He is a little star - going fab on the flat, and started jumping. Yes he has spindly little legs (matchstick legs we call them!! ) and he has a squishy face, but he has a fantastic temperament, and truly loves life.

Why would an arab - or any other horse breed for that matter - need to reach the top in SJ, eventing or dressage to be worthy???? Plenty of arabs do compete in these fields - maybe not at the very top levels - but how many people are actually competing at these top levels?? Surely the vast majority of riders want a horse that will do a little of everything, and something that they can have fun with?

And, while I know other breeds also do well, but there are plenty of arabs competing at top levels in endurance - so surely not pointless???

 

[Enfys]

I hate it when they have too-long tails But, to explain why their tails are kept long here - if you trim an arabs tail to a 'normal' length when at rest when it moves the tail is a foot above the hocks and looks even more stupid. North American show horses are the worlds best for long tails, have you seen the one with the 12' long tail that drags on the floor? Now that is ludicrous!

and faces covered in oil.Yes gross, they look like teenage girls out on the razz QUOTE]...

 

[Tinypony]

I have to say i think they are terribly ugly! I also see them as slightly pointless.....................but if you can point me in the direction of a purebred that has reached the top in sj, eventing, dressage i will take it back!
Just my opinion of course

Problem is, I have no interest in competition, so I wouldn't have a clue about sj etc. Of course, Arabs are born to do endurance, which is a heck of a sport I think.
For those who hate the Arabs, here are some boring Arab photos. (The last one is a very first time ridden photo).

 

[Enfys]

But Enfys that horse is gorgeous because it doesnt look like someone ran over his face. One of mine? ROFLMAO, love the description that's good Some are a bit too much aren't they?

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