Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

The letter to the editor from Raoul Baxter in June Arabian Horse World
raises some excellent points, however I feel that as long as showing
continues to be held to be the end-all salvation for the Arabian breed,
then we are truly and ultimately looking at the end - might as well just
cut our losses, close the Registry's doors and get it over with. 
Showing, in my opinion, is the cause of the problems the Registry finds
itself in today, not the solution.  

Mr. Baxter writes that "The Arabian horse has to stand for something
unique to itself" and further, that solutions to declining new
owners and new registrations of Arabian horses will not be found as long
as those solutions do not focus on the breed's specialty.   The
Arabian horse started as a distance horse, and that, in my opinion, is
it's specialty, it's very own niche that no other breed can compare
to.  The right of the Arabian horse to claim this specialty is
tested - and proved - almost every weekend in the United States and
around the world.  Showing of Arabians has had it's time to prove
it's worth to the breed.  Anyone can see where it has gotten
us.  It is time to focus on the Arabian horse's tried and true
specialty:  Distance riding.

I agree with Mr. Baxter - it is time for revolutionary change. 
Support the Arabian horse's proven area of expertise, support distance
riding, support endurance riding.  Support a use that promotes the
need for traditional Arabian conformation where form follows
function.  Support a use that promotes family participation, outdoor
recreation, healthy bodies and minds (for horse and human!) and the
positive goal of  "to finish is to win" instead of the
negative "everyone loses but the winner".  Therein lies
the salvation of the Arabian horse and the solution to declining
registrations and ownership.  Give everyone a chance to be a
winner.

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   Lif Strand      fasterhorses.com

           Quemado NM
USA


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Arabians were bred for years primarily as a war horse and those
requirements are similar to what we do today with endurance riding. 
~  Homer Saferwiffle

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