Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

RE: [RC] arab/qh for distance riding - Snodgrass, Bonnie

I retired an Arab/QTR cross mare last year from doing endurance. My suggestions to you would be to pick your QTR stallion very carefully. So many QTR's have conformation that isn't conducive in my opinion to long term soundness. Avoid butt-high downhill conformation. Avoid a neck that is attached very low. These traits cause the horse to be heavy on the forehand and travel so low to the ground that they can be real toe stubbers on the trails. Avoid small bones and small feet. May be hard to do find a stallion with big feet but it is sooooooo importent. Avoid the bulldog heavily muscled types with really wide chests. There are slimmer, narrower QTR's out there. REALLY avoid horse with upright shoulders, pasterns and hocks! No shocks absorption with an upright build and destined for arthritis.
 
There are plenty of Arabs out there with these same faults except maybe the really low neck thing. I comment on this as my mare had several of these faults. Don't pick a horse just because of his personality and/or color! Good luck.
 
Bonnie Snodgrass