Arabians as Western Horses

[JOltmann@FANCYPUBS.COM]

I've been reading with great interest the "Dark Day for Arabians" posts,
and I think that Arabians fall into that category of having to "work
twice as hard to prove half as much," much like women in the corporate
world, military, etc.  As the editor of The Western Horse (in which
Sarah Christie's article about the Rushcreek Arabians ran), I have
chosen to include the Arabian as a "western" horse, in addition to the
traditional stock horse breeds--the Q.H., Appaloosa and Paint Horse (and
the color breeds, incl. Palomino). I've had to really stand my ground to
do this, and choosing articles to support this is something I do VERY
carefully. The Rushcreek story was a carefully planned presentation of
the Arabian as western horse. The article received substantial positive
feedback. More recently, another article entitled "Leading Ladies," by
Marcia King, profiled women in the equestrian world who had achieved
firsts--Ginger Hyland as the first female president of the AQHA, Lindy
Burch as the first woman to win the NCHA Futurity and SHEILA VARIAN, the
first (female) amateur on an Arabian to win the Stock Horse class at the
Grand National. Sheila rode a little mare named Rontezza (this was in
1961) to capture the Open class against a field of stock horses. 
Many have disagreed with me about including the Arabian in The Western
Horse, but I will continue to do so, because I continue to see
individuals that excel in the stock-horse disciplines. Sure, not all
Arabians do, but likewise, not all Quarter Horses are bombproof, nor do
all have cowsense. 
As the editor of this magazine, I catch a lot of flack just for owning
Arabians. I used to go to a lot of cattle roundups with my older
gelding. Think I didn't feel out of place? But that horse (with two
Tevis completions) could pull cattle from places some of the Quarter
Horses couldn't go and the cowboys wouldn't go--and he could do it all
day long. So I'd get ribbed about my freckled Arabian, my riding tights
and Orthoflex saddle, but I was the one that got sent WAAYYYY to the top
of the hill for a stray. I catch the brunt of breed prejudices from the
English world as well, as my other endurance horse is also a dressage
horse (who completed Tevis this year--his first 100). 
Arabians have, unfortunately, been stuck with stereotypes that are
enduring (small, fragile, flighty, high-strung, etc.) They are difficult
to shake because they have to be proved otherwise. And I will continue
to seek out those horses that do just that, as I have space reserved for
them in The Western Horse.