Makes me not feel bad about my 14.2 arabs. Where I horsewalk evryday there is an arab, halter horse(retired). He is tall, very long cannons, a cribber,can't keep weight on. HAs to have special , built up aluminum circlular shoes. And he is just a pleasure horse now. They kept him a stud for 8 years becasue he was so 'good". Makes you wonder.Maybe Rascal isn't such "average arab" after all. Laurie and Rascal ----- Original Message ----- From: SandyDSA@xxxxxxx Sent: Wednesday, July 24, 2002 11:35 AM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] FYI--long response
The whole point behind the use of ET is to increase the ability of superior
females to influence the gene pool, and of course, it is frightenign to consider who decides what constitutes superiority - HALTER horses?? Yikes!
I think there are too many dog,
cat, and horse breeders who make decisions based on pleasing judges, absolutely too true.
we preach conformation as being a key issue in breeding decisions, too many
breedings are still driven by halter class placings.
Indeed - and I for one, as a SMALL - and I MEAN SMALL - breeder who wants athletic Arabians who are unmistakeably Arabian, I am floored by the bad breeding choices being made by the biggest breeders on an ongoing basis, thereby training new people to the breed to do the same. Ouch. I can go BUY a quality athlete cheaper than I can put one on the ground and raise one, so I better know darned well HOW to produce said athlete who also has to be an Arabian of style. At the risk of offending anyone (we DID show our stallion and mare halter back when it actually spoke to the quality of the horse), halter horses in the current state of fashion and fad do NOT represent what a breeder of sport horses should be looking for, nor do they consitute the best qualities in an Arabian horse. Show crowds are now calling halter a "performacnce class" and I would agree - on the part of the HANDLER, it certainly is. Sad but true, that the actual quality of the horse takes a distant back seat to WHO is on the lead, and how well the horse trots and fl ails and spazes out and bolts about the ring. "Snakey, hooky necks, hocky action, some weird concept of expressive eyes (doped), flat toplines, long canons, small hoofs with low heels, bench knees - all these things are turning up in our halter champs - and SOME of these things are SOUGHT AFTER! I for one do not want either the breeders af such vreatures setting the standard for mutliple breedings on one mare, nor do I want them breeding so many of these that few will then breed a true Arabian. These concepts are why we left the A circuit. It is frightening what a bit of greed and ignorance can do.
s
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