Re: long backs & arabs...questions

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

Hi, Kimberly--

To address your questions about backs, let me answer your second question
first.  No, Arabs are not being bred with long backs for dressage--it is very
important for a dressage horse to round his back in order to properly carry
himself, so the same desirable conformation applies to them as it does to
endurance horses.  The long back thing comes from breeding for a particular
look in the halter ring.  Unfortunately, all too many horses on the endurance
trail are the castoffs from the show breeding programs--hence, the near
epidemic we are seeing of back problems.  No, I don't think this is just
happening in the USA--I see the "look" in Arabian publications in other
countries, and certainly saw the same problem with the Arabs I saw while
endurance riding and vetting a ride in Germany.

As to measurements, length of back is not a simple thing to which one can put
a tape measure.  It all relates to the rest of the  horse.  First, imagine
that the horse's body is made up of three circles, one for the shoulder
region, one for the back and barrel region, and one for the hip region.  These
circles should all be equal.  To achieve this, one must have many factors in
the right proportion.  First, one must have a long, well laid-back shoulder.
Second, one must have a short back and strong loin.  Third, one must have a
long, strong  hip that ties into the loin well.  If any of these factors are
out of kilter, one finds that the shoulder and hip "circles" are squashed into
upright ovals and the back-barrel "circle" is elongated into a horizontal
oval.  The next measurement one looks at is the back in relationship to the
underline.  When measured from the withers to the point of the hip, the back
should be considerably shorter than the measurement from the elbow to the
stifle.  A horse with a short back but a corresponding short underline has
these measurements because of an inadequate hip and shoulder, and will often
interfere.  Not so for the horse with the appropriate long shoulder and hip to
go with the short back.  The third measurement that is worthwhile is to
compare the length from point of nose to withers with the measurement from
withers to tailhead--these two distances should be approximately equal for the
horse to be balanced.

This system is not just an Arab system--it applies well to proportionate
individuals of virtually all light breeds, despite their other differences in
appearance.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)