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Re: [RC] [RC] Arabian Horse Numbers - Mary Ann Spencer

Interesting.  Would be interesting to figure out which blood lines have that.  However, like CID and HYPP, the big high powered high dollars folks won't allow such information to be out amongs the 'little people' of the horse world. 
 
I have quit breeding and many others quit long ago as can't even recoup the feed bill for the mare.  The IRS changes in the 80s killed the small breeders.  The fancy  breeders have kept their numbers down so demand will keep the prices up.  Horse prices have not changed much over the past 20 yrs.  Cutting horses and barrel horses are where the money is.  The balance sheet has not happened for Arabians.  Also, when Arabians were first introduced, their owners did not do it in a friendly manner but as snobbery.  Also, with the breeding pool so small, some qualities that were not the best were retained. 
 
Had an interesting discussion about dispositon of horses.  In past centuries horses were bred for disposition as well as usuability.   Now all the breeds are going for performance only.  This was a discussion during my group dressage lesson.  Look at the halter horses of Arabian and Qtr horses?  Not much for performance or attitude.  The old Arabians were bred for all.  Qtr horses used to be breed for usability.  The cowboys wanted a dependable mount as walking several miles home was not a good option.  Rank horses need to be culled.  My daughter is a working horse student and she says:  never breed a mare unless you want one just like her.  Behavior modification will help but will never replace the disposition given by nature.  BTW, many of the US warmbloods have nasty dispostion but they have been breeding for 'movement' and so ignored the disposition. 
 
Recently a young trainer said she would rather work with horses who had not been spoiled by another human.  Many say that of the mustangs. 
                                                     Mary Ann
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 8:38 AM
Subject: RE: [RC] Arabian Horse Numbers

Now I know why his tail does that. Not at a walk, But when trotting he has
always held his tail slightly to one side........


>Hmm, seems there is a complaint about crappy horses.  It is difficult to
>breed for what others want.  Yrs ago read an article that said one should
>breed for what one likes.  In US, there are just a lot of people with a lot
>of different likes.  A few yrs back I was riding with a group who mostly
>rode Arabians.  Maybe it is nitpicking but one farm was breeding knowing
>the tails were cocked sideways on the horses.  Yup one doesn't ride the
>tail but it sure looked 'strange' and surely might be related to overall
>balance of the horses.
>

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