"Of course, there is a chance that all the above is true. If so, I
should sell my Arabian horses and start breeding Mongolian ponies
for AERC competition."
I wouldn't sell your Arabian and trade it in for an
Mongolian pony just yet... I've watched a few Mongolian movies and the ponies
look to be a cross between a mule and an Andalusian. Just shorter,
hairier, and worse looking. Yeah, I know they're not actually, "ponies", but
anything under 14 hands is a pony to me. And if they are half as smart as a mule
or Andalusian, the biggest problem will not be over-racing them, but getting
them to go at all. I think the riders will have a hard time getting them to go
in a straight line, much less trot and run for miles, away from their herd.
Those ponies are crafty and self-sufficient, and I wouldn't be surprised if a
few of them buck their riders off and head back to home ASAP. Or how about
getting ditched when the pony decides it's grazing time and comes to a fast stop
to "forage". Then there is the problem of keeping them with you at all times.
Have you seen how a horse rider has to catch these ponies w/ a loop of
string on a 12-foot pole? And can you imagine the jolting ride on those little
legs? No wonder Mongols ride mostly standing up in the stirrups. No, the ponies
won't be the ones having problems.
