Re: RC: Re: breeder ethics

[DVeritas@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/3/00 6:30:59 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com writes:

> Lady Wentworth, Homer Davenport, Albert 
>  Harris, WR Brown, Henry Babson, WK Kellogg, (to name a few) and in today's 
>  world Bazy Tankersley and a few others merit the title "breeder." 

Now Heidi,
    Crabbet, Maynesboro and Kellogg "type" arabian horses are among my 
favorite, but I KNOW that there have been other arabian breeders who have 
positively "unaffected" the breed,i.e., haven't tried "improving" the arabian 
horse God gave us too much (with a bit of help from a few thousand years of 
natural selection.)
    And I DON'T mean "state" studs.  
    I believe there are individuals out there who, when looking at their 
arabian stud and arabian mare ATTEMPT to breed the best HORSE they can.
    I believe there are individuals out there who wish arabian mares could 
have litters so they could sell 'em all for five hundred dollars and if the 
gestation period could be shorter they could sell more.
    The Arabian Horse may not the world's most perfect horse breed, just 
maybe the most beautiful, and the less we try to "help" it, be it for height 
or type or color, the longer it will remain so.  
    I prefer arabian horses, and I guarantee you, if the only one I could 
round up was a a 14.1 hand mare with no withers, no jibbah, a meaty mitbah 
and ONE white sock, I'd ride her.
    Conversely, if I found one with the same attributes who stood 16.2, I 
ride her too.
     I'd PREFER a 15.1 hand arab, any color, with perfect conformation, nice 
withers, extreme type, a fist and a half between the jowls, with clean, dry 
joints who told all his friends that I was the best human they'd ever met.
    But, that won't happen.
    I think most of us go outside, find the better of our mounts, the one we 
prefer (for a myriad of reasons), and go ride and try to be "proud" of our 
horses irrespective of breed type and the number of buckets, buckles or 
buckings we have survived.
    Heidi, I know you probably care for the horse first and the horseowner 
second, that's why God gave you your calling...we (who are not vets) are 
thankful you and your ilk are out there.

     Frank.