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<< Is the idea of breeding
*only* for health and performance, regardless of looks, colours and what we
think is beautiful, for a closed gene-pool breed, so dumb? Haven't the main
and most important warrior nomad nations breeding enduring horses in the
past
taught us just this? >>
Have to disagree with you here AT While of course I would not choose looks
over soundness, nor a fine head over good legs--with the arabian we do not
have to sacrifice one for the other. I do not "sign off" Trish & "pretty
David" for nothing--David is very "typey"--and he is beautiful. Once a
non-horsey friend came over when I went out to feed--all the horses coam
flying in from the back pasture, David in the lead; neck arched, dished face
tossing, big old nostrils wide open and his tail up and "flagged"--when he
passed us he switched into that floating arab trot, and my friend said, "Oh
my God Trish! Is that your new horse? Is that David?--he doesn't even look
REAL!" Made my heart stop!
David IS pretty--but he is also functionally correct. Could I find a
big old ugly QH who was functionally correct?--Sure. But why ever would I,
when God gave us the Arabian?>g< (there IS a reason that the Arabian is the
breed most celebrated by artists in paint and sculplture--and it ain't
because most artists own arabs, or, then again, maybe it is!)
As to the French Arabs--most, (not all) of the ones I've ever seen have
been built like true sprinters--NOT like distance horses. i.e.; an endurance
horse's function is a cross between a riding and a racing type horse. He is
required to be able to bear a rider's weight over a considerable distance of
ground, arriving sound enough that he could do the task again the next day
should the need arive. the conformational structure best suited to do this
is one in which :
1. the loin coupling is broad, and set halfway between the ideal for the
riding and racing types, that is, not as far back as on a racing horse (speed
comes from a loin coupling set BEHIND a line drawn from one hipbone
projection to the other--the further behind this line, generally, the
faster--and WEAKER--race breeders knowingly sacrifice back strength for
speed, which, in their sport, makes sense I guess--). but not as far forward
as on an "ideal" riding horse (in gaited breeds such as TWH the loin coupling
is often directly on top of this imaginary line drawn from hip one to
hipbone--makes for a strong, smooth coupling, and strong back--but, this
horse will not be as fast as one with a more behind coupling--their muscular
leverage is functionally stronger--but not geometrically as great--)
2. The overall body balance of an endurance horse is level, rather than
"downhill" as in a sprinter, or "uphill" as in a smooth walking gaited breed.
The more "downhill" of a body balance a horse has, the more on his forehand
he tends to travel, and the faster he is--racehorses travel almost entirely
on their forehands. Not only are they trained and encouraged to do so--they
are built to travel that way. Gaited horses, contrarily, are built much
more "uphill"--this gives them the ability to "collect" themselves, and
travel with their loins and hindquarters "engaged" much more easily. The
reason why so many modern dressage riders have given up their TB for
Warmbloods and other European breeds is because the modern TB is NOT built
like the classic runner of old--selection at the tracks has favored 2 and 3
year old sprinters, and most modern TB are sprinters. They have trouble
learning to "collect"--it is not in the framework--FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION!!!
It never works the other way around!
An endurance horse needs a frame somewhere in between these two extremes, and
the best ones have it---
3. The chest is narrow from side to side but deep from top to bottom.
Sprinters tend to be barrel chested--i.e. their chest is barrel shaped. Look
at the chests of one of those classic sprinters, the QH. There is a barrel
chest for you. A horse with a narrow but deep chest has more lung capacity
to body mass, and also some studies indicate he uses his lungs more
efficiantly--a QH can run like the wind for, oh, how long do those races
last--15 seconds? Heck, those horses don't even have to breath--15 seconds!
Nothing in the world will catch 'em for those 15 seconds though!
4. For obvious reasons, the limbs of the best endurance horses show perfect
alighnment of their componant parts, as well as enough limp "substance" to
sustain carrying weight for all those miles. I would reject as an endurance
prospect any animal with less than a cannon-tendon circumference of 8 inches
per thousand pounds of body weight. A racehorse can get away with less--and
the fastest ones HAVE less. 7 inches per 1000 lbs is typical. It is my
feeling this is not enough even for a racehorse, but their short term of use
on the track allows most of them to get away with it. My horse spent a
summer on the track, and I saw those legs---you want an education in lameness
problems, spend a summer on the backside of a racetrack. How many lamenesses
were due to faulty training, and how many due to structural unsoundness, I
cannot say--but there were plenty of examples of both. Once more I would
refer folks to The Chronicle of the Horse, March 14th issue, and /or Jan.17th
issue "Why do Thoroughbreds Seem to be More Breakable?"
By the way, most horses called "cow-hocked" really arn't. If a horse stands
with his hocks pointing towards each other he is not, necessarily,
cow-hocked. Many, many arabs are called "cow-hocked" who actually arn't.
True cow-hocks are a misalignment of the bone structure--a break, or change,
in the angle from one joint to the next. Watch out for any changes in
angles!--there is trouble in the making!
5.An endurance horse needs large, smooth joints. A racehorse can "get by"
with smaller, structurally weaker joints. Many, many modern TB--too many,
have little, tiny joints, esp. hocks!--go look at a few TB, you don't believe
me! Compare the size of their joints with your endurance horses--you'll see
the difference, I guarentee it.
NOW--with all this in mind, the French Arabs I've seen tend to have "rearward
oriented loin couplings, which tend to be more peaked (like a modern TB's)
than broad.
Be barrell chested.
While some show good cannon-tendon circumfrerence, many, many show legs which
look, ahem, thoroughbredy in their slimness--I'm looking at a good color
picture of the French Arab "Cheri Bibi"--listed as a "leading French
sire"--he is narrow legged, with the long, weak cannons of a TB (did I
mention an endurance horse should have short cannons?)--and he is actually
tied-in behind the knee, a common racehorse failing--such a horse cannot
extend freely--
He shows a slightly "downhill" body balance--most French racing arabs do,
though I have seen some with a nice, level build--some I've seen are built
like many modern TB's, so "downhill" they scream "sprinter!"
Well, now you know why I don't have time to look up that info you requested
AT--I spend all my time on ridecamp!---
Trish & "pretty David" ps; Why do most folks ride a QH? Answer: They can't
handle a real horse, but are too proud to ride a Holstien! Ouch!--sorry
Qh's folks!
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