Re: A dark day for Arabians

[K S Swigart <katswig@deltanet.com>]

On Sun, 9 Aug 1998, spencer wrote:

> The prejudice is not just there.  It is everywhere that the qtr horse has
> high population and hence popularity.   For unknown reasons people have
> their own opinion and don't confuse them with facts, they have made up
> their minds.  If one had a negative experience with an Arab, then they
> think all Arabs are bad.  But if they see a bad qtr horse then they
> consider that an exception.  There is not rhyme or reason for their
> thinking.

ONe need only go to an all Arabian HOrse show to discover that there is
indeed rhyme and reason for their thinking.  The arabian horse has a
reputation of being a crazy, useless horse.  Go to Scottsdale sometime and
have a look at the horses that are considered the "cream" of the Arabian
breed.  They are shown as crazy, useless horses that nobody in their right
mind would want to own.  They whip at the horses feet to get them
"animated," the look they are looking for is "terrified" and the
conformation that they are striving for is completely and totally useless
if you want to ride the horse.

The fact that most arabian horses don't look like this, and that many
arabian horses don't act like this does not change the fact that the
Arabian show world has EARNED the reputation that the arabian has in the
rest of the horse world.  Don't get me wrong, the quater horse "halter"
champions are (what I consider to be) equally as useless as riding horses
(mostly because they are extremely overweight and also couldn't carry your
from the barn to the ring and back), but at least if you go to a QH show
the 6 year old stallion that is rearing up and striking out at its handler
will be excused from the ring instead of winning by unanimous decision
from all three judges.

AND, if you are going to show in an "open" show, then you should be judged
against the same standard as all the other horses, not expect the judge to
make exceptions for your horse because it happens to be of another breed.

I just took my half arabian to a USDF Breeders Championship series show
(yes, he was their with all the warmbloods, fressians, etc.) and I fully
expected him to be judged against the same exact criteria as all the other
horses at the show, which is, "suitability to become a dressage horse."

The judge did not even KNOW the breeding of the horses presented, she
looked at each horse as a dressage prospect...and pretty much any show
arabian would have washed out in such an evaluation since they have crappy
hocks, horrible hips, useless backs, and badly set on necks, and ALL these
things are things that show arabian breeders are selecting FOR...because
they think its pretty????

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE arabians; the more I work with them the better
I like them (if you can find one with a good hip...they are out there);
but I have absolutely NO problem with the reputation that the arabian
horse has in the rest of the horse industry (especially the QH bus), since
"top" arabian breeders are selecting for a conformation and disposition
whcih is totally unsuitable for a riding horse, and horses with this
conformation and disposition are being lauded as perfection by the arabian
show world.

So if an arabian horse is losing in an open show because it is a good
"representative of its breed"...well...it should.  However, if the judge
is unwilling to look at the conformation and disposition of the horse
presented to it because it happens to have a dishy face...that's
completely different.

The judge at an open show should compare each horse to his/her ideal horse
and pin the one that most meets that ideal.  At an open show, pedigree
should not matter one whit, and breeding should not be taken into
consideration at all.

If you want to compete in open competition, compete in open competition.
As far as I am concerned, a horse that may be a good arabian by
"arabian judgding standards," can still be a crappy horse.

It is, indeed, a dark day for the arabian horse....but it is difficult for
me to drum up any sympathy for it, since it is the "lovers of arabians"
who have done it to themselves.

kat
Orange County, Calif.

p.s.  The USDF show was very successful, as there is now the owner of a
Dutch Warmblood mare who is considering breeding her horse to my arabian
stallion (because his foals CAN measure up in open competition).  If you
want to promote the arabian breed, don't ask that your horse be judged "as
an arabian"  at an open competition, ask that your horse be judged as a
horse. 

p.p.s.  It is unlikely that any arabian will win against a quarter horse
if the person doing the judging happens to like the QH butt, since the
arabian doesn't exist that can compete with those criteria (however, I
don't think too much of the "ideal" QH butt either...and I don't actually
think that it makes for a very good stock horse either, but there ARE some
judges that like it--you can't show your arabian to that judge, he's not
going to like your horse).