Seems to me that in the past 40 something years, working with various
breeds, and enjoying input from some of the top trainers, breeders and riders of
my time (no i am not going to admit age!), the one thing that I am sure of - and
there IS only one thing - is that just when you think you know it all, you get
clobbered. In addition, there is no one pat characterization of a breed, and
indeed, the Arabian, known for it hardiness, intelligence and lightness of foot,
can indeed produce a clumsy individual. Given the NUMBERS of Arabians around,
and the huge number of poorly bred Arabians, I am sure that anyone can and
probably does "trip over" a few bad movers. That said, more often than
otherwise, the most common reasons for a "bad mover" or a clumsy horse of ANY
breed tend to be - bad shoeing, bad development in youth, poor horsemastership,
inattentive riding habits, bad rider balance, poor training, lack of fitness or
preparation for the job at hand. Anyone with a young horse or who has themselves
come off of a debilitating injury will attest to many of these.
To simply come in here with the limited experience of this age and expound
the deleterious characteristics of a breed is not logical, and in addition, can
be almost guaranteed to engender a strong and well-founded response. There are
people on this list who - though they may not admit it - lol - are of an age and
experience level that they see things like this position and they cannot help
but chuckle.
To admit one's own stubbornness then also tends to negate any real support
of the initial statement, simply because a closed mind tends to NOT learn.
So....in the VAST experience of every other person who has responded to this
individual's statements, there must be more truth and fact than not. If I were
simply reading this as an outsider with no experience of my own, I would have to
agree with the majority. Aside form some poorly bred, poorly built and poorly
ridden Arabians, in the main they are one of the most exceptionally gifted
athletes in the equine world - and I was brought up thinking they were CRAZY!
Had to open my mind.....40 something Arabians later.....I learned. You will
too.
