RE: Eastern riders and arab CD

["Maryanne Stroud Gabbani" <maryanne@ratbusters.net>]

Celeste,
I'm guessing that the Gulf Arabs are interested in buying the horses. The
housing and treatment of most of the horses racing in the Gulf...as long as
they are felt to be useful....would probably make you weep in envy. However,
people who can afford to send someone to buy a horse for them rarely have a
truly personal relationship with the horse, and the horses are usually one
of many in a stable. They are cared for and ridden mostly by grooms and
trainers, many of whom are very good. It's just a completely different
lifestyle and attitude towards the animals. I have five horses in Egypt,
partly because it's not expensive to keep them and partly because I don't
want to part with them. My mares have been with me for over ten years, my
gelding was one of the last presents my husband bought me before he died,
and I have the mares' sons. I know these horses personally, down to the
bone. I don't know what happens to horses that don't make the cut in the
Gulf. Egypt still has a lot of working horses pulling carts and so on, and I
wouldn't want one of mine to end up there. I know someone who works there in
the stables and I'll try to find out. This has been a question from many
people in the US that have been approached to sell their horses as well. The
Gulf countries are desert. Forage is scarce as is water. I can't imagine
that "retirement" is much to look forward to. To be fair, it is hard to be
sentimental with scarce resources, and it's not your average horseowner in
the Middle East who is willing to bear the cost of an animal that is not
contributing to the finances of the household. Not a pleasant thought, but
it is real and it is also understandable. While the Saudi's and the Gulf
Arabs have a lot of money now, it was not so long ago that they were poor
and dependent on animals for their livelihood, so the culture does not
really encourage sentimentality about them.

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani (who's probably going to end up in trouble with
someone for that analysis)
Cairo, Egypt
maryanne@ratbusters.net
www.ratbusters.net




l Message-----
From: Celeste Murray [mailto:celestem@badgermining.co.za]
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 2:49 PM
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: Eastern riders and arab CD


Could anyone with the arab -CD please check out the pedigree on the
following horses, I am afraid I am not sure of the reg. no. or age, (1) The
Shah and (2) Gazali

I would also like any information, good or bad, about selling horses to the
eastern countries, any experiences on ride care as well as after retirement
of horses. Any news on competitions in that country and the care of horses
on such rides. I have a friend with the possibility of selling a few horses
to the arabs and she would like to do the right thing. Please email
privately.

Celeste


I'D RATHER BE RIDING !


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