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Re: Giant/midget (Maria, you should know better than to give me an opening like that ! LOL!)



----- Original Message -----
From: Kathy Mayeda <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>> It is a personal thing and I
have to admit that I am really beginning> to like the taller horses, despite
the vertical challenge.  More for
> the shock effect than anything else.
>
> Becky, I guess you are just partial to short horses, maybe!> > Kathy

Yes, my personal horses are in the smaller range, but I don't know that I am
really so partial to *short* horses, so much as the 'total packages' that
fit me seem to fit in that category. I like a horse that has correct,
performance built bone... depth and width, intelligence and good temperament
("etc, etc, etc..." <waving of hands> Yule Brenner - The King and I).  The
horses that have come to me with the best packages have been in the
13.3-15hh range.  You are right that it is a personal thing and I don't mean
to slam tall horses at all, or short riders on tall horses (REALLY!!)  I
have no problem at all with someone who *prefers* a tall or large horse. But
I think a lot of adults don't realize that they have the option of a
smaller(shorter) horse *without* sacrificing other good qualities.  I don't
know of they are afraid of being teased for riding a 'pony', or if they
think that they are too heavy (25-30%?) or if they think anything under 15
hands will have choppy gaits - but none of that is true.

I like to think I'm still a youngster in the grand scheme of things, but I
have been 'into' horses for about 30 years - and I have seen and do see an
overwhelming number of riders overmounted - and the 'Mom' in me goes nuts.
I see a lot of people who do *not* seem to be having a good time because
horses are so much work for them, from grooming to tacking up to mounting
and unmounting - horses require a level of dedication, but why make it
harder than it has to be?

Maria is right that the Original Bedouin horses were about 14-15 hands...
some over and some under, but they did average in the 14.x range.
**Those** are the horses I prefer...  and those are the sizes they come in.
They have great gaits and there is no question of their ability to carry my
weight and size - and I'm smart enough to realize what kind of treasure I
have !! <G> (in spite of many people considering them 'ponies'! LOL!)

I have three straight Desertbreds (no Egypt or other breeding) here now, two
adult mares 13.3 and 14hh and a 14.3hh 2yo - so there *is* originally and
naturally a range of size.  I have three mares that have 1.5%-7% (*FADL -
Egyptian) that *stick* at 14.3 1/2 and 15hh - *barefoot*.  I judge my stock
on many things before I consider size, but in my program I consider anything
under 13.2 or over 15.1 to be 'off type' and would probably cull it. - <VBG>
guess I should advertise those 15.1+ culls on ridecamp!!

(Now Maria - see what you have done!! started me going on about my horses!!)
((BTW, the ones I have for sale are going to be in the 14.3-15hh range - so
I'm not trying to sale a small baby with this thread!))

Back to the original topic - it didn't sound like to me that Marlene's mom
was having a good time - and I tried to offer a helpful suggestion since
they indicated they hadn't purchased the 15hh yet.

Becky Huffman, Cleburne, Texas
Huffman's Arabians ~ The Original Series ~
http://www.htcomp.net/Huffman/

"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from
doing something worthwhile." Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865--1940)




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