RE: Horses 16 hands and over doing endurance

[Karen Webb <kwebb@GSSB.com>]

Certainly the majority of the other horses were under 16 hands, but I also
noted a trend at 15hds or better.  And I am not trying to breed a larger
Arabian as I agree that if you just try to increase size you lose type and
other important characteristics that make the Arabian what it is.  

I just wanted to know if tall "Half-Arabians" can be competetive, assuming
that they are proportionally structured with adequate bone for their height
and being oval shaped and not barrel shaped.


-----Original Message-----
From: Becky Huffman [mailto:TOS@htcomp.net]
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2000 12:16 PM
To: Karen Webb; ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: Re: Horses 16 hands and over doing endurance


my horses are in the 14.3-15 hh range, so I don't know that I am qualified
to answer., but just to play devils advocate.

> horses?  And what I want to know is do they do well?  I noted that a 16.2
> hand half Arabian came in 65th at Tevis and Ruby, the 17 hand molly Mule,
> came in Top Ten

what were the heights of the other 63 finishers?  if they were under 16(?)
I'd say that 2 out of 63 is not the best odds.

I think that Susan G's research indicated that if the *total* body
*weight*(horse+tack+rider) (regardless of height) went over particular
number they saw increased incidence of lameness, (did I also read that
cannon bone circumference tended to be within a very small range, regardless
of height/weight of the horse)

and I'm sure we could generate some discussion regarding the generally
accepted information that while there were occasional individuals that were
over 15-15.1 hh, that the original Arabian types were relatively smaller
horses, in the 13.3 to 14.3 hh range, and that when you breed them taller,
many time (*NOT* always) you loose some of the other valuable
characteristics such as strength/density of bone (same bone spread over
longer distances) and that some angles (shoulder, etc.) can become
distorted.

Becky Huffman
Huffman's Arabians ~ The Original Series ~
http://www.htcomp.net/Huffman/
"Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to
cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind
is not as important as how we have lived." --Captain Jean-Luc Picard


----- Original Message -----
From: Karen Webb <kwebb@GSSB.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2000 10:49 AM
Subject: RC: Horses 16 hands and over doing endurance


> Okay folks, I posted a query yesterday about doing endurance on tall
> half-Arabians.  By tall, I mean 16 hands and over.  I only got one reply.
> Surely I can get more input than that?  Don't any of you have some big
> horses?  And what I want to know is do they do well?  I noted that a 16.2
> hand half Arabian came in 65th at Tevis and Ruby, the 17 hand molly Mule,
> came in Top Ten.  Am just wondering if height is a drawback, especially
when
> it comes to P&R's, since you would collaterally have more mass; or it
could
> be a plus especially for a taller rider.  Since the two mares I have are
> both half-Thoroughbred, when crossed with my Arabian stallion, that would
> hopefully produce a tall half Arabian with increased bone and good
stamina?
> Any thoughts.
>
> -Karen Webb
> Epiphany Arabians
> Palmetto, GA
>
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