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Post by Karon nli on May 18, 2006 15:02:08 GMT 1
Kooky - I agree 100%. But so many top show horses just don't have the conformation, action or temperament to be ridden at all let alone, say, jump or do endurance. I asked one top stud once (before I learnt!) how often their fantastic stallion was ridden. You'd think I'd asked them to sacrifice a virgin at the full moon for me from their reaction I sometimes think that the mares overall look more like riding horses and some of the stallions would make mediocre geldings I know I'm generalising but to see horses with poor conformation, that can't move properly, placed above correct horses with perhaps less exaggerated type makes you wonder whether the judges ever ride. Probably not...
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Post by guestnikki on May 18, 2006 15:39:20 GMT 1
some really good points raised here, i wish you would all join in on the discussion we're having at the moment on arabianlines.com
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Post by kooky not logged on May 18, 2006 15:47:55 GMT 1
I asked one top stud once (before I learnt!) how often their fantastic stallion was ridden. You'd think I'd asked them to sacrifice a virgin at the full moon for me from their reaction
Karon - that is soooo funny! ;D
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Post by muckshifter on May 18, 2006 17:34:13 GMT 1
We have Shires who are shown in a quiet, calm way totally different from Arabs but their spirit still shines through. A grey Shire stallion ran out at our charity event on Sunday and was incredible - crested neck, flared nostrils, floating like a dressage horses as he showed off before the "inferior" geldings present! I've never been to an Arab show so I won't comment on one except to say that I'm full of admiration for handlers of Welsh cobs who show off their animals' fantastic paces with an animated display from both horse and handler - and yet in complete control and without yanking or being off balance. I think Arabs are possibly the most beautiful creatures on this earth and I know they have a naturally high head carriage but they do have a reputation as being the Barbies of the horse world - not deserved I'm sure. Maybe the breed needs to look at how the outside world judges its traditions. In the Shire world it was common to have shaved tails and dinner plate feet that damaged the horses' legs. Our Shires have full tails and their feet are kept to the correct proportions. We'll probably never win at the big shows because of it but that is not my priority. My horses' welfare and happiness is. Nothing changes overnight but you have to start somewhere. Just to shrug and say that's the way it's always been is copping out. Well done to those brave people who refuse to expose their animals to a wall of noise just to fire the adrenalin. I've watched Arabs loose in fields floating across the grass and they are poetry in motion. Showing horses with their eyes out on stops and legs flying out behind them is hardly going to endear them to non-Arab people - and they are your prospective market. You're just perpetuating the "empty-headed" myth. As for Cameo, she is just telling it how she sees it. Perhaps the Arab world needs to wake up to that.
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Post by misty on May 19, 2006 22:08:31 GMT 1
Must say just how interesting this has been! Luckily my Rosie (khassah) will only do local stuff but after seeing the pics realised how great she looks with a straight back and a relaxed neck. It's made me want to go to a show and see for myself. By the way she ignores hercules planes flying round in circles so low you can see you can see the colour of the pilotes eyes!
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heidi
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 3,490
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Post by heidi on May 20, 2006 0:38:41 GMT 1
If the owners of the top in-hand/ridden horses, think that the waving bags, banging and whooping helps to prepare the horses for their ridden careers and that they would know not to "light-up" at waving bags etc under saddle... Perhaps we should put it to the test! Do you think some whooping and waving would be appreciated, whilst the judge is riding their horses in a HOYS qualifying class...
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Post by amma on May 20, 2006 10:18:57 GMT 1
way to go Heidi!
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Post by specialsparkle3 on May 20, 2006 11:54:04 GMT 1
Oh, what an interesting thought Heidi------I'll pack my paper bag ( Better check I don't know the judge personally!!!) ;D
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Post by arabgirl on May 23, 2006 17:39:01 GMT 1
I have an arab and when I first got him I went to an inhand international show at towerlands in Essex quite a big venue - to watch as i didnt know anything about it. i was shocked by the deliberate whooping and shouting and banging that went on clearly intended to bring up the adrenalin of the horse showing . I found it a bit scary to be honest - my arab would freak if I did that he is a very sensitive boy and wonderful I will only be showing at local ordinary shows even though he is a fine example - in my eyes - I cant be a party to something I dont agree with.
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Post by muckshifter on May 29, 2006 0:00:18 GMT 1
Good on you, Arabgirl!
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Post by jackiedo on Jun 7, 2006 13:49:59 GMT 1
In the late 1970's I was out riding my Arab, friend on NF, another on a TB. We were doing very well, not so much traffic then, sunday morning amble through centre of village Until we were met by the Salvation Army marching brass band coming the other way. TB set off like a rocket. NF never moved, and my girl, without any training at all started dancing to the music, head up, tail up and stepping out. They saw us having problems and carried on. Maybe I'm mean, and I'm really glad my girl had rythm, but I've never contributed to them ever since that day!
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Post by katefox1812 on Jul 22, 2006 23:44:44 GMT 1
Hello! I've just joined. This thread was mentioned on Arabian Lines, so I thought I'd have a look. Some really interesting points, and it's helpful to see how we Arab people are perceived by others.
Even as the (very proud) owner of a successful pure-bred Arab 'show' colt, I am inclined to agree with the anti-noise lobby here. Whether our horses get used to it, or even in some cases come to enjoy it, is not the point. I think there are 2 points:
The first point is that it makes us and our horses look silly, and there are enough prejudices against Arabs already.
The second is that it is, or should be, completely unecessary. My feeling is that if a horse needs all that noise and nonsense to get it to put its tail up and show off, then it does not have much natural 'presence' and should perhaps not be a show horse.
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heidi
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 3,490
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Post by heidi on Jul 22, 2006 23:58:43 GMT 1
Hello and welcome!
Well said! Tell us more about your boy...
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Post by katefox1812 on Jul 23, 2006 10:28:37 GMT 1
Thanks! My boy is a chestnut 2yo colt called H Tobago, by Psytadel out of Teeba (Gonorar x Queen's Topaz) - so he's of mixed Russian, English, American and Polish bloodlines. (Sorry - Arab people always recite pedigrees first!) I only bought him about 3 months ago, after a long search which took me all around Belgium as well as the UK. It's worth menioning that some of the show nonsense goes on 'at home' as well: almost all of the breeders I visited used plastic bags and in some cases rattling tins, umbrellas, etc. to get their colts to show off for me. I found this quite distressing. When I went to see Tobago, however, his trainer simply led him out of the stable and into a field. He came out of the stable with head up, ears pricked, tail over his back, and pranced along to the field, where he gave the most spectacular trotting display I had seen! His trainer just allowed him to show off naturally, for fun, because he felt happy and pleased with himself, without any artificial hyping whatsoever. I should mention that Tobago's trainer (from whom I bought him) is one of the leading Arab show trainers, and an international judge - and he doesn't believe in using plastic bags etc. His name is Mark Gamlin. So there are still some kind, gentle horsemen involved in the Arab show world! And they prove that the artificial hyping is unecessary by being very successful - Tobago is already an international champion. Tobago was most emphatically not for sale, but I pleaded and begged and finally managed to persuade the Gamlins to part with him. The condition was that I would leave him with them for the rest of this show season - at no charge for either training fees or livery! There is nothing in this for them, they are just very fond of Tobago, who they bought as a foal, and couldn't bear to part with him so soon. Seriously nice people!
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heidi
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 3,490
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Post by heidi on Jul 23, 2006 23:58:58 GMT 1
He sounds super! I saw his photo on SE.com and he looks gorgeous.
Egaan (Balon x Ega) the sire of one of my mares, came from the Gamlins! I believe they had to hand rear him.
I hope you have a lot of fun with Tobago and that he carries on proving that you don't need outside interference to show off!
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