Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

My first reaction was to suggest that you get a 1/2 arabian crossed with 
something known for "think first, act later."  Second reaction: you 
don't have to have an arabian to do endurance (I ride a Spanish 
Mustang).  A growing number of people are riding a variety of breeds and 
having wonderful experiences.  Third reaction: think carefully about how 
much endurance you will do over the next 5 years, then 10 years and how 
competitive you want to be.  I'd say most highly competitive riders who 
do a lot of rides each year do have arabians - but not all!  If that's 
not how you see yourself, go find a breed you love and buy one of those 
and just get out and do it!  I would stay away from show-bred horses, no 
matter what the breed.  I'd look for a horse that was given plenty of 
room to roam around as a youngster (so it could learn where to put its 
feet) and companions of all ages and sexes (so it could learn how to be 
a horse).  And I would insist on doing my own pre-purchase exam!
Laney

Burnett, Elly wrote:
> I've been inspired by all the question-asking today to finally ask the 
> question I've been DYING to ask for a couple months now.
>
> Some of you may remember a year or so ago I had a question about doing 
> LD's on my Belgian mare, Callie.  We had a wonderful time training last 
> summer, and were ready to do a 25 in July when I had the devil farrier 
> come out and he trimmed her way too aggressively and the ride didn't 
> happen.  (I summer in Idaho and didn't know him very well, but he was 
> recommended). I started school again in August, and figured we'd try 
> again this summer.
>
> When I bought Callie last March, they'd done a pre-purchase exam the 
> previous May and had told me everything was perfect and looked really 
> good.  They offered me a copy and said they'd have it when I paid for 
> her.  It mysteriously dissappeared, but my transport was there so I 
> shrugged it off and paid.  Well, after bothering them for a few months, 
> I finally got a copy of the prepurchase exam in December.  She's got 
> peri-articular ringbone in BOTH fronts and a bone spavin in a hock.  I 
> was...shocked, to say the least.  She's never taken a lame step, but I 
> decided she's being retired to husband duty with a daily regimen of 
> Cosequin and light riding.  I'd always known I'd eventually get another 
> horse that I could do "real" endurance on, but now that'll be happening 
> sooner.
>
> I've ridden for 15 years or so and have had quite a few nasty spills in 
> my days, although I've only been hospitalized once (knock on wood).  
> When Callie and I head out on the trail alone, I know that come hell or 
> high water, she'll take care of me.
>
> So finally, the question:
>
> Can I expect this same attitude from an arab?  I've decided that since 
> we're getting a second horse this summer, I want a horse that will do 
> well with endurance.  But I'm terrified this will be the end of me.  I'm 
> afraid I'll be trotting/cantering down the trail and a log will jump out 
> and try to eat my future horse and that'll be it!  My Callie is a "think 
> first:react later" kind of horse, but I guess you've got to be when 
> reacting involves moving your 1600 lb body one way or the other.
>
> I've not had much experience with arabs, except once when I was 12 and 
> volunteered at an arab show barn.  Their horses were crazy and scared 
> the living bejeezus out of me.  One of them killed the owner's husband 
> while he was cleaning a stall some months after I left.  Luckily, I can 
> attribute my extreme caution around horses to these early days, so it 
> wasn't all bad.
>
> Elly


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