Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> As an aside, while Secretariat was a "disappointment" as a sire of race
> horses, this is more because he didn't produce horses as good as
> himself, not because he didn't produce good horses.  His Stallion
> Production index was 3.43 (average is 1)
This is a point that many fail to realize.  Just because he has not sired
a Triple Crown winner does not mean that he has been a "disappointment" 
as a sire by any means...

> It is entirely possible that the reason that CMK horses appear often in
> the pedigree of arabian endurance horses is because arabian horses of
> CMK breeding are generally not very successful in the show ring and/or
> race track and consequently are more likely to even START an endurance
> ride because they don't have any other viable career :).
That would be a nice theory, if it were true.  But it isn't.  I kept track
of starting pedigrees to some extent for quite awhile on rides in our
area, and the CMK horses were in a distinct minority.  But on the whole
they had far better longevity, as well as better success in getting to the
top.

> Owners of valuable "top pedigree" show horses are unwilling to "risk"
> their horses at endurance rides.  It is possible that if they chose to
> do so, that these horses would easily defeat the "crop outs" that we are
> currently using for the sport :)  Not saying that this is the case, just
> that we don't have enough data to say that it isn't.
Actually, the "top pedigree" show horses are bred in such high numbers
that they are the primary pedigrees represented as entry level horses in
our sport.  There are scores of them bred for every one of them that goes
on to be a show horse, and it is actually the more "correctly" conformed
representatives of that breeding that come out on the endurance circuit
(and the ones with better dispositions, often times!) because they didn't
have the "stretch" or the Loch Ness Monster neck, or the dishy face (at
least the times when that is in vogue--sometimes it isn't) or the ability
to look like a crazed maniac so they were culled from the show strings. 
We see them in droves starting in this sport, and they are one of the
major reasons why Arab prices remain so low.  The monied folks who play
the show game don't mind if they breed 50 to get the one stellar show
horse, and the other 49 are dumped cheap.  Not my idea of a "breeding
program" by any means....

As late as the 70s (when the changes in the show ring started to become
more extreme) one could go to most show barns and purchase good riding
stock.  But as the show standards became more and more bizarre, and one
had to play the pedigree roulette of the fads, the solid using stock (not
just CMK, but also old AK breeding, old Polish breeding, etc.) got shoved
out.  As this was happening, one could by REALLY GOOD horses for cheap. 
But now the stuff being shoved out the door is the mixed-source crap shoot
stuff with "show" pedigrees.  Oh, sure, one can still find a bargain from
time to time--but the overall quality is depressing.

As to the numbers--just pick a dozen or so rides and check pedigrees of
the starters.  It isn't difficult to see the trend.

Heidi

Heidi


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There is something really special about getting to ride all day, and all
night on your horse. I know that a lot of people like to get finished, and
get it over with. Yes, it is a lot of work. But, realize that each ride,
especially a 100 is a really special gift and savor it for all it is worth. 
~  Karen Chaton

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