Re: RC: Halter defense -- longish

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/9/00 10:42:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time, RhndLev@cs.com 
writes:

<< Okay, I've said this before, but I'll say it one more time.  Halter 
training 
 DOES NOT have to be bad for your horse.  Your horse can still be your buddy 
 AND do reasonably well in the show ring. >>

CORRECT halter training is actually good training.  Unfortunately, it is an 
almost unheard-of thing in the halter ring today, unless amateur owners are 
doing it themselves.  Furthermore, the "pose" expected of the modern Arab 
halter horse develops the body upside down, which IS detrimental to future 
performance.  So--unless you are willing to "train" in a sane manner (not so 
hard) AND show in an older style that IS a more natural pose (and I wish more 
people would!!) the horse runs into trouble.  Even the halter trainers who 
train sanely still try to follow the posing fads--and for that reason, I 
would not even put a future endurance horse in training with the decent ones. 
 

I AM pleased to see more breeder groups becoming disgusted with Class A 
competition and starting "alternative" shows with halter classes--at least 
three CMK groups across the country are doing this now, and that is a NICE 
way to exhibit horses in a manner that is both mentally AND physically 
conducive to future athletic endeavors.  ECAHS has had an annual show for a 
few years.  CAT has had a futurity for a few years and this year started a 
maturity.  The NW CMK group is starting their first show this summer.

Too bad we don't get a "grass roots" effort going at Class A shows (at least 
in the ammy classes) to show in a style that befits the breed and does not 
cause physical detriment--hard to do when so many amateurs still show like 
"big hair wannabes" and have their associated big hairs flouncing around 
ringside "obviously" coaching so that the judge knows whose student is 
which...

As I said in an earlier post, it is NOT the discipline which is at fault--it 
is what has been done to it, and to the horses in it.

Heidi