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