Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I've noticed that my Arab mare, Cissie, notices anything moving off in the distance, cars, boats on the lake, other horses, etc., when the horses riding with us don't pay any attention to it.  A couple of the trails we ride give a view of a road in the distance and she always stares at any cars moving along it. 

 

Patsy

----- Original Message ----
From: Rae tallcarabians@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [RC] Horse question... (really long)

 

 I?m deaf and my mare Scarlet is extra aware and I?ve learned to pay attention to her because she does her best to let me know what?s around us out there in the woods.  She?ll notice things in the distance long before the rest of the horses in our group will.

    

Rae

Tall C Arabians - Central

 

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From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Burnett, Elly
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 10:55 PM
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] Horse question... (really long)

 

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