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Re: [RC] breeding standards - SandyDSA

We are absolutely against any one entity designating this sort of thing - since we already have specs in place, standards -w hether observed or not - which leave it to the buyer, breeder, owner, seller - whatever - to select whoat best characterizes the classic Arabian horse. Settin aside the fact that far toomany people are either uninformed, don't understand type OR confomation, or are only n it for quick bucks :), the fact remains that we already HAVE a demonstrable ideal - if only people would conform to THAT!

Aside from that, the "throwback" quality can hampr good breeding unless genetics are well understood into several generations past. The Paint mare might be a perfect example - the mare is  a conformational disaster, but ehr foals can be quite nice. My question would be - what are the parents and grandparents of the mare like, and what might the mare's own grandbabies be like? Having had the experience of a very nice mare bred to a very nice stallion producing foals that just were not useable nor exceptionally demonstrative of Arabian quality, clearly one needs to examine genetics as they affect multiple generations, not just one generation on either side of the horse. Finally, if one does not want to learn about this, and that is understandable, then perhaps fewer people should be breeding horses of any kind at all. I would much prefer to BUY a good horse - and we do - buy our mares and our stallion - than produce a couple of crops of foals only to find that they demonstrate throwback parrot mouths, club feet, nasty minds....you get the idea. I guess if all one wants is a halter horse, party on. But many of us actually want to ride and that requires more information than who won the National halter title or even how typey a stallion or mare is and how much presence they exhude.

When I walk into my barn, there is no doubt that our horses are Arabian. But they are also clearly athletes, pets and truly family members - they can sleep in MY tent anytime!

S