Re: RC: Flat racing arabs for endurance

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Thu, 13 Sep 2001 11:54:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Leonard.Liesens@cec.eu.int writes:

> OK Heidi, but what typical defects should I look for with typical racing
> arabs. 

In general, in my experience, a race horse may get by with poorer feet than I'd want in an endurance horse.  However, I think racing is even more devastating to leg faults than is endurance, so if the horse is sound, my main concern with legs would be the feet.  I do think that endurance is harder on horses with poor body balance than is racing.  So I'd worry most about feet and balance of body in selecting a horse off the track.

The main difference I see in racers vs endurance horses, though, is metabolic--and those differences can't be assessed by looking at the horse standing in front of you.  And that is where I've seen the most differences in the family lines that DO make the conversion vs the family lines that don't.  But sorry, I don't know much about the specific family lines you see in Europe...

Heidi