Your favorite breed’s stereotype – and your response?
Sep 23 2009
I grew up with Thoroughbreds, in a polo barn where they were the primary breed, so I was somewhat surprised when I got out into the “real” world and learned that many people did not like Thoroughbreds and, in fact, thought they were unsafe. What in the world were those people talking about? We routinely rode our Thoroughbreds bareback while ponying horses off of both sides at all three gaits with no issues. Our horses hardly ever spooked and bucking was unheard of. I was baffled at why everybody wouldn’t agree that Thoroughbreds were a very well-behaved and sensible breed of horse. Now, the handful of boarded horses at the polo barn – the Arabs, the Appies – those were some broncs! Those were the horses who would like as not try to buck you off or bolt into next week.
Then I finally started to pay attention to how people in the non-polo-world often managed their Thoroughbreds. First of all, they didn’t work them nearly enough or consistently enough. They locked them in stalls. They fed them waaaaay too much grain. I couldn’t believe how much grain some of these horses got. And when the horse did something that a polo person would have smacked them for, the non-polo person giggled or just whined about how “he always does that.” At any rate, the conclusion I eventually came to was that there was some truth to the stereotype – bad management could absolutely make Thoroughbreds into loons, and working the crap out of them six days a week, feeding lots of hay and very little grain, and disciplining them when they were pushy could absolutely make them into the well-behaved horses I worked with in the polo world. And those boarded horses I remembered from my youth? I finally “got” that they were rotten because they were weekend horses who sat in a no-turnout barn and were only taken out for riding sessions. No wonder they were nuts! It had very little to do with breed.
Also, as I expanded my horizons and rode other breeds, I saw that there were breeds more tolerant of beginner mistakes, like the typical Quarter Horse. I never saw Thoroughbreds (except very old ones in the lesson program) dealing with poor riders, because let’s face it, you don’t see a lot of poor riding around polo. Also, I realized a QH is more likely to behave well if you pull him out once a month and get on him bareback. It’s the rare TB that does well with inconsistent work – we all just assumed that if you gave a horse 2 days off in a row, you were slacking and likely to pay for it with an more exciting ride than normal – whereas in the non-polo-world, 2 days off is common. I see where the stereotype comes from now – it’s just that like many Thoroughbred fans, I like that these horses have high expectations of their riders! (I see this also in Arabian people…they figure if you can’t ride one, well, you are probably not smart enough to. 
)
So, what is your favorite breed and what are the stereotypes about it? Spooky Arabians, stubborn Appaloosas, dumb but explosive warmbloods, rotten ponies…what are you up against? Do you admit there is truth to some of it, or do you think it’s totally off the wall and unfair?
Have your own beliefs about certain breeds changed with time? I admit I used to have no use for Arabians after having some bad experiences in my youth, and now I’ve decided I like some Arabians and I’m seeing patterns about which bloodlines I get along with. Have you wound up owning a horse who’s a breed you said you’d never have in your barn, and you love him now?
Here’s a good question: Has your favorite breed changed as you’ve grown older? I still love Thoroughbreds, but I have to say, I have really come to appreciate owning a Quarter Horse that I can get on in a halter any day of the week, whether or not he’s been ridden consistently, and get the same predictable ride from. Getting older and getting busier changes many peoples’ riding schedule, and the hot horses sometimes just don’t fit your lifestyle anymore.
Do you own a horse who’s just so darn awesome that they’ve been able to change numerous peoples’ minds about a breed? I’ve seen people forge bravely ahead with a non-traditional breed in a discipline like dressage or endurance and earn the respect of their peers as well as boosting that breed’s reputation.
Let’s talk about all the stereotypes – good and bad. What do you think?
266 comments to “Your favorite breed’s stereotype – and your response?”
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Mine is Appaloosas. I have heard they are dumb, stubborn, lazy retarded and called all sorts of names. My appy is super smart, remembers everything taught and tests me daily. People who claim appys are dumb, just arent smart enought to ride them.
Also, belgians. I have heard they are SLOW…. HA SLOW??? I have a 3 yr old that is QUICK as my appy and is SMART!!! She is a work horse, but KNOWS her size and uses it against me. We have the Im bigger battles daily… I love her, if she could she would climb in my lap and sqash me, but in the most loving way!! LOL Gotta love the drafts!!
I have not have a lot of experience with all of the different breeds. Most of the horses I have owned were gaited of some variety. The 13 yr old mare I have now is a Spotted Saddle Horse. Her disposition is wonderful. She is calm enough that if I get too side tracked and don’t ride her for a couple of weeks, she doesn’t freak out when I do take her out. But at the same time she’s got enough to her that I enjoy the ride. She’s an easy keeper and not fine boned like many of the gaited breeds are. She probably would never win any ribbons or points in any halter classes, but she’s enjoyable to me.
My first horse was an Arabian Gelding, when I bought him he was 1-1/2 years old. I showed him in halter until he was 3 and he did pretty well. He qualified to go to the Region show so, I took him but he didn’t place. It was a learning experience, you know, the politics and all. Oh, and not to mention the stress it put on him.
I now have a Quarter Horse Mare, who is totally different than my Arab was. Yes, my Arab spooked now and again but, at least I knew when he was going to. My QH doesn’t give me any kind of clue when she is going to leap to the side and leave me to fall spitting out dirt or crying because I feel like I broke my back. I have had her for 1-1/2 years and have fallen off her about 5 times. In the 13 years I had my Arab. I fell off him about 3 times, and one of those times was when he tripped and fell to his knees.
I had a much better bond with my Arab than I do with my QH and I believe that having that bond is so, so important. My QH and I are having better and better rides but, I have such a hard time trusting her because, I never know when she’s going to cut to the left or right. I have been learning her clues of when she may react to something.
I miss the bond I had with my boy, when I would hug him he would hug me back and smell my hair and call to me when he saw me. Okay….. I have to stop now, this is making cry….
One last thought, I don’t only wear a helmet; I wear a back and chest protector now too.
>>Polo ponies: Most of them were bombs wiating to go off, mainly because they had no turn out and hteir only excericse was plodding up and down on a leading rein. So of course the slightest thing could send them off-one horse shied at cars, horseboxes, horses pulling sulkies, ponies ppulling sulkies, ponies being led, dogs; everything<<
See, that’s SO weird for me to hear because everybody I know turns their polo ponies out as much as possible (SoCal is a bit of an exception because often there’s no place to do it – but in the midwest, everybody I ever worked for who had their own farm kept them on pasture.) Turnout keeps them sound – the last thing you want is for them to play polo and then stand in a stall.
Kaleys Mom – spooking is almost always about attention and where the horse’s attention is. If you keep your mare busy you will find that she spooks less. Keep her collected and working. Throw figure 8’s and small circles at her a lot, rather than letting her go around on the rail. Or trot over poles on the ground. My oldest mare was a total spook when young and she rode so much better when I kept her too busy to think!
my passion in life is horses, but my love in life is arabians/half arabians. i bought my first half arab on january 31, 1969 and i never looked back! over the course of the last forty years i have owned seven horses: three half-arabs, one arab, one quarter horse, one saddlebred and one thoroughbred. right now i am owned by the quarter horse (25), the thoroughbred (22) and a half-arab (12). i have found quarter horses to be pretty true to the old saw that they are steady-eddies. the thoroughbred is one of my least favorite breeds due to their high reactivity level: to me they don’t think, they over-react. i can’t take that on a daily basis, too old! my favorite riding horse (as far as comfort and stability) was the saddlebred. love the saddlebreds. but, my gorgeous arabs/half-arabs, are kind, sensitive, intellegent, willing. i could go on and on, but i won’t! all my arabs have been very aware of their surroundings, and they have all spooked with me, sometimes resulting with me on the ground, but i know that they have the propensity to spook so it keeps me aware. my quarter horse has spooked with me three times over the last 21 years and it has shocked me every time! too funny.
Another spook “guard” is shoulder-fore. My dressage teacher says the s/f has saved her bacon more than once. Just do the s/f and it’s like circles or figure 8s. If you’re doing a dressage test and a circle or figure 8 would give you a mark down on your score (off course, error, danger-will-robinson), the s/f keeps you on the “almost straight” and narrow.
My guy freaks out if there is a dry spot in the newly watered arena–on one side of one of the courts where I take lessons, the sun peeks through and dries the area along one long side. FREAK OUT — unless there is a s/f in my bag of tricks. All of a sudden he’s got something to do and his attention is on THAT rather than the booger white spot along the rail. ;o)
Long time reader, first time poster. Have to say I love the blog-funny and snarky and very educational.
When I was a kid, my horse was a pinto grade gelding named Target because he had a perfect bullseye on his face. 16 when we got him, he taught me to ride. We did 4-H shows, and mock hunts. That guy would jump anything, and had amazing endurance. I couldn’t even begin to guess his breeding. He hated my bratty sister. hah!
Well, me having a horse was the perfect excuse for my mom to get a horse. I suspect that was the plan all along. The first was a QH mare who was bent on self destruction. Not what I thought of as a typical QH at all. Flighty and dumber than a box o’ rocks. In addition, Target was gelded late, so when Mabel (the name is not my fault!) came into heat, it was a “Mom, what are they doing? Oh, just playing.” kind of scenario. Mabel went to a family down the road and became a pasture pet.
Mom’s next horse was an Arab, not because Mom wanted an Arab, but because Dad wanted to upgrade the look of our pasture. Beautiful, sweet horse, but was too hot headed for Mom; she was mostly interested in relaxing trail rides, and just wasn’t experienced enough to educate him out of his spooks. He went to one of my 4-H buddies.
The next was a grade buckskin gelding named Gus. He was wonderful, calm and athletic, the perfect trail horse.
Both Target and Gus died in their 30’s in our care.
I was out of horses for a long time; college, earning a living, all that stuff.
Fast forward around 30 years. For my 50th birthday, my formerly bratty sister arranged for me to take a few lessons at a wonderful barn, and, when I was ready, to lease a horse for six months. Took lessons, looked for a horse to lease. Found the perfect one to lease, but she had to be put down due to kidney failure before we could do the deed.
Kept looking, kept taking lessons. After a while, I was pretty much riding one of the schoolies exclusively. Long story short, I fell in love.
Cowboy is a smallish (15.3hh) 8 year old dark bay TB gelding. He was bred and trained to race, but never started. He ain’t exactly a speed demon.
The barn in question is partly a polo barn, so one of the owners brought him in as a polo prospect, but that didn’t work out either. He’s not very competitive, either.
Into the school program at the age of 5. So much for your hotheaded TB.
I’ve had him for 2 1/2 years. We are training in dressage, and do trail rides.
Cowboy is pretty level-headed, and will test me from time to time. He is very willing and smart and friendly. He’s a flirt (with mares and female humans) and has a kind of jokey personality.
Wow, that was long.
I guess I’m a TB gal.
fhotd says:
September 24, 2009 at 3:12 pm
spooking is almost always about attention and where the horse’s attention is. If you keep your mare busy you will find that she spooks less. Keep her collected and working. Throw figure 8’s and small circles at her a lot, rather than letting her go around on the rail.
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Ain’t that the truth. As my old trainer use to say: “You have to get into their head, not the other way around. Keep them busy and mentally focused on you.”
She had a total loon OTTB that nobody could keep from spooking. That horse never so much as twitched it’s tail under her.
I have a gpysy cob, pony size she sticks at about 13.3 but is built like a tank. I knew nothing about the breed when I bought her she was just a dead safe trustworthy large pony for a weenie small teen/young adult (that’d be me). She has feathers all around when not clipped and all that jazz that comes with those hairballs. I know now the sterotype is crazy spotted horses with hair used for nothing other than popping out more crazy spotted horses with buttloads of hair. They actually have a lot to offer as sweet, safe, comfortable mounts. I’ve trail ridden her in a variety of situations, she is currently a well-loved school pony (I think the barn manager will cry when I move her out of the barn) and I competed up to 3′6 jumpers on her a few years ago. They are very level headed and I think would make an ideal mount for a small, perhaps timid, adult looking to do a variety of things, jump, compete, fox hunt, trail ride. I have also owned her for 7 years next march and she has NEVER been lame A DAY in that time. That definitely says something about their sturdiness. Unforunately idiots in America overcharge for them because they have spots and hair but typically they have no riding training. I think it’s actually cheaper to buy one in europe and import it by boat than it is to buy one in america (that is how she got here from the people I bought her from, she was a school pony in england when they bought her…there they actually teach the spotted hairy things how to be ridden! Crazy!).
My first horse was a 17.2 hand 18 year old 5 gaited saddlebred retired from the show ring…he was awesome. Next came an older TB mare retired from the jumping circuit, again…awesome, kid proof and only bitchy in heat. Then came the love of my life…a half Arab, half Welsh pony black and white piebald that was the most awesome horse to ever exist on this earth. Smokey was the best friend a girl ever had and was with me for 17 years until he passed at the age of 32. Simms Charge was an appendix QH that tried to kill me on a regular basis, never again will I do the OTTB/QH thing. Then there was the TW mare, she was ok…Fancy Pants…ended up giving her to a girl that fell in love with her. She was kind of dull and not “into it”. Not much fun to ride. Then it happened…the second once in a lifetime horse…I am so lucky. Tor is a Polish (Bask/Aladdinn) Arabian, he was passed from owner to owner until I found him and I will never let him out of my sight. Best horse EVER. I also have a SE Thee Desperado Arabian youngster that might just be the death of me.
I have learned something from every horse I have ever owned/handled. There is no “perfect” breed, I have seen killer Paints and QH’s and pussycat Arabs and TB’s…and vice versa. A Paint actually tried to take my face off once and I have the scar to prove it! There is no bad breed and there is no ideal breed…so much depends on how a horse is handled, cared for, trained, ridden and loved.
About a week ago someone posted from Craigs List in Ocala a black thoroughbred mare being offered in trade for a bull. Just wanted that poster to know that I paid $200 for her and she will be coming home to NW FL with me on Saturday. She is not tattooed, but they say she has had five foals, two have raced. My husband is not thrilled, but resigned to my need to rescue. We are also taking a percheron to central FL that Santa Rosa County Horse Assistance has found a new home for. Picking up the black TB mare on the way home. Just wanted the original poster to know that the mare is safe.
I am an arabian fan at heart. I was raised with them with one of the best arabian breeders I know. I am very picky about them though. I seem to enjoy working with the Naborr lines. I grew up back east with east coast arabians. I moved to California and I think the Arabians are so different that they should almost be a different breed. I was really spoiled with the Arabians back there. If I ever decide to buy another arab, I will go to the same breeder I grew up with and only buy from her.
We raise quarter horses now. I still use my old arab gelding from back east for anything that any of the quarter horses do. Actually, I prefer to use him.
I am not an appy fan at all. Everyone I have handled are dangerous and I was almost killed by on in 2001. I think some are pretty but I just dont have the time of day for them.
We just got an Andalusian in for training a little over a month ago. He was our first to deal with and we fell in love with him. He was so smart and athletic. I cant say if they are all that way but we feel blessed to have had him in the barn.
I currently have four horses; a registered QH gelding, a paso cross gelding, a registered Miniature gelding and a shetland gelding. I had a mare 15 years ago and she tried to kill me everytime she went in to heat, and that soured me on mares.
I love all of mine, although many times I wish I could take the brain of my mini and put it in a full-size horse. He has been so easy to train and he’s wonderful with my small children. I haven’t found anything that he’s afraid of yet! I owned an Egyptian Arab gelding for ten years, and although he was gorgeous and smart as a whip, I was the only one who could ride him and I didn’t fully trust him around my family. He had fantastically smooth gaits though, and a personality to match.
My QH gelding has the best personality. He’s not the best on trails, my Arab was better, but he’s safe and I trust him with any level rider. None of my horses will ever be for sale! I don’t have the time to ride like I did before kids, but I love them as pasture ornaments too. And, I can get up on my two big guys after they’ve had months off, and they ride the same. Whoever started them and trained them, did it right!
Just for the record, neither one of my ponies have a mean bone in their body!
Oh dear… I’ve got to say there’s a stereotype around that Walking Horses are off their nut, and boy is it true.
I’ve not met one laid back walking horse in my life, I don’t know where THAT stereotype came from.
I’ve met ridiculously tightly wound ones, and ones that are just absolutely insane, never any laid back.
Arabians, I’ve found, really don’t deserve their bad reputation.
POA ponies… I’ve got one… I LOVE him. Absolutely sensible, laid back, super mellow, super sweet, super willing to please, curious, adventurous etc.
Hoo boy. Have I got a combo for you—two breeds I had no experience with until I acquired them in the same horse. Morgans: feisty, competitive, opinionated. Paints: hardheaded and loyal. My horse Spot is all that and a load of charm. He’s a three-ringer, good ribbons at A shows, he events, and he drives. I’ve been offered a ton of money for him though I bought him for a song out of someone’s dinky farm in the middle of nowhere.
Not to change the topic, but I sent you an email with a really classic, special sale video. Email address is the same as my account name! Hope you get a chance to check it out, it’s already on COTH.
Most of my experience lies with Quarter Horses, and I have almost all good experiences with them. My biggest complaint would be that some of them can be kind of dead and slow, but I’ve only run into a handful that I wasn’t crazy about. The same goes for paints. I’ve run into a lot of “crazy” Appaloosas, which has given me reason to believe that stereotype, but I’ve run into a couple great ones. Most of my experience with TBs and Warmbloods was with horses who were cramped in stalls every moment of their lives except when being worked and worked hard, and I chalk their behavior up to poor care (I consider being kept in a stall and not turned out often poor care). The TBs I know who’ve had turnout time have all been horses I adored, and I’m determined to own one, one day. Arabians have been pretty much the same story as the TBs, the ones I know that are kept cooped up are horrible and spooky, but the others are great horses. Granted, they do pretty much ALL seem to be spookier and quicker to react to something than my QHs and Paints, but that I think is just the breed. I think any stereotype for a breed is just that, a stereotype.. every horse is different.
Fjords!!!! They can do almost anything from draft work to barrels to driving, jumping, therapy, trail. even dressage and cow work. Also, they are so darn cute. They are very strong, and they quietly let you know.
http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq212/publicalbum_01/BlueEarth207.jpg
http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/qq212/publicalbum_01/BlueEarth223-2.jpg
Also, mustangs.
Dogs: Hounds, especially Greyhound which are too awesome to believe and Afghan Hounds.
I love anything with four hooves that whinnies. My first riding teacher (many, many years ago) had a TB, an Arab, a morab, two Anglo-Arabs, a morgan-bred appaloosa, a quarter horse, a morgan (who moved and looked much more like an ASB), and a POA. I loved them all. The most versatile (and good at everything she did, too) was the Appy. She was twice regional champion trail horse. She showed in reining, driving, WP, English,even jumping. She stuck to low fences because she just wasn’t built for the high jumps, but she was incredibly consistent and steady.
The morgan was probably the most difficult to ride — he was so forward he’d scare people. He didn’t have a spook in him, but he loved to go (and he made you feel like he was going a lot faster than he was). And you had to have good hands or he’d toss his head and clock you in the face. (Broke two people’s noses). He was my favorite.
What I learned from that was that the individual horse was much more important than the breed. That being said, I have seven Arabs and a mustang because I like the way Arabs look (the mustang is an inheritance — though she is very cute). But from their personalities you’d never guess my horses were the same breed.
I have a CMK Arab who changes personality with his rider — from hot hot hot to mellow putz depending upon what he thinks the rider can handle: the ultimate family horse. I have an Egyptian/CMK bred gelding who is a blast to ride — but you better know what you’re doing. I have a Polish mare who is excitable on the ground (she is four– and a former regional top five halter mare), but on the trail and in the arena she is the most sensible horse I’ve ever ridden. At four she is remarkable: calm and unflappable without being a deadhead. We have another mare that, for the right personality type (rider), she is awesome regardless of the ability of her rider. Not a spooky bone in her body –but with a fussy rider she is explosive. I echo what someone else said about “spooky” Arabs — usually it is because they feel they have to take care of their rider instead of the other thing around, though I’ve met a few who do it because they are bored to death with what they are being asked to do: I have a friend to says that doing Parelli with an Arab is like sending a genius to a special ed class — you have to expect misbehavior.
I talked to a woman once who owned an Arab — and she was surprised that people could ride them outside in the real world! Her poor princess lived in an inside stable and went from there to an indoor arena and back.
What I do think, is that the different breeds have different problems: knowledge not stereotyping. I love riding QH (as long as they are not the modern halter-type), but before I’d own one, I’d have to find one with feet that were appropriate to their body size — and get x-rays. I’ve known too many who were retired before age fifteen due to navicular (or arthritis from being ridden too hard too young). If I wanted to breed my Arabs, I’d insist on a Cerebellar Abiotrophy test as well as SCID before I purchased a breeding animal. I don’t know as much about other breeds — but I’d find out before I purchased one.
I took 8 months of riding lessons on Saddlebreds. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. They are just ridiculoulsy smart and they are forgiving and great teachers. I was a little intimidated at first, but I quickly figured out they weren’t going to act up. If I ever own horses, the first one I get will be a Saddlebred.
As for other warmbloods…I am partial to TB’s and warmbloods, Hanoverians in particular. They are soooooo smoooooth and responsive. I like Arabs too…I find that they just love to be around people!!
As for Quarter Horses or Paints, the antics of the AQHA and APHA pretty much ruined these horses for me. Also, since I prefer to ride Hunt Seat or Saddleseat, these horses are pretty much cut out of my preferences anyway. Maybe it’s just the ones I’ve been around, but I’ve found both breeds to be quite bratty and just pretty much unremarkable. I mean hey, anything a QH can do a Saddlbred can do! LOL
I am a long time lurker, first time poster. I grew up with a National Show Horse gelding in a world of quarter horses and hunter/jumpers. While my gelding may have been fresh and spirited, he never acted in the “sinister” ways of his QH buddys. If my gelding was having a bad day you knew you were in for a ride. When his QH buddys were having a bad day, they were gonna throw themselves, rider and all, down on the ground.
I always knew I would be able to catch my gelding in the pasture and lead him to the barn without an issue, even with out a halter or lead. He would then stand quietly to be saddled. He would also stand quietly to be clipped or given shots or dewormer.
I rode my gelding english, western, and hunt seat. He may not of excelled at all events, but he was always willing to try.
It was alway quite a sight to see me and my gelding flying around the QHs in our english attire. Somedays we won, somedays we didn’t. But we always had fun.
Thoroughbreds all the way for me. I grew up in a racehorse barn, so that was what I was used to. Some of them were tough to ride (they were racehorses stuffed full of grain after all), but they tend to have great ground manners and not be easily fazed, because a racehorse has been handled since birth and has so much exposure to the complete panoply of sights and sounds. Nothing surprises a tough old racehorse, especially a gelding and I think some of them can make good beginners horses given time and the right handling. No grain and lots of attention paid to old aches and pains, ‘cos they all have them.
I can’t pick a favorite breed BUT I am the proud new owner of a beautiful Haflinger gelding. I’ve known him since he was two(he’s seven now) and he belonged to my friend, so i’m not new to him or the breed when I say this
He always tries hard to please you except when he gets excited and just gallops xD He has beautiful gaits and does good in dressage, jumping, driving, and western OR english pleasure 
I have heard the stereotype “Haflingers were bred for MEAT, they’re worthless” It makes me so angry. Mine is amazing! He has the BIGGEST personality of any horse i’ve ever met, he’s a goof
He is NOT worthless in any way, he’s one of the best horses i’ve met
About Thoroughbreds i’ve only ridden a few and some of them were pretty high-strung but some of them were calm and wonderful
Only thing I really noticed was that they all had HUUUGEE strides 
Oh and about crazy pony stereotype! When I was at an old farm of mine they had TONS of horses AND ponies, so you were fit on a horse by size AND ability, and being the height I am while I was there I was ALWAYS on a pony
The majority of them WERE insane, but not in a bad way! There were a TON of ponies that were completely push-button and not in ANY way crazy as well! The crazy ones would go way too fast or they’d have big personalities and play tricks, and one would even PRETEND to spook and throw everyone, but you know what? I loved it! I loved how crazy they were 
I didn’t love the good ones any less though, they were amazing and taught me my basics! <33
It all depends on the certain horse(or pony), even if there IS a trend xD
I think the main problem was that there was absolutely no where to turn these ponies out, and since they were mostly retired, they didn’t really have any way of working off their energy apart from acting like total wackos. Virtually no one can turn their horses out over here-there aren’t enough fields.
i have to say paints a qh’s are my favorit breeds. i just love how are. some can be crazy but thats just the fun of it. with mine he has his days but im ok with it
i do have one more thing to say about my gelding. he was a rescue horse. that i bought site unseen. i know stupid of me to do, but when i saw how the person took care of her horses that she didnt do anything with i wanted to get him out of there as soon as i could. so i talked to her and made a payment plan. so 4 months and $1,225 later he came home. he wasnt in the best of shape. he had a crapy winter coat so he got a body clip and was blaketed all winter. and the plan was to get back into shap and find him a new home with some one that would love him and spoil him. little did i know that forever home would be with. but im ok with it cuz he is the best horse i could ever ask for.
now he is in training to barrel race work cattle and ropping. he also gets to go on trail ride when i can find some one to go with me.
arabs are my first equine love. i’ve never boarded anywhere where there were a lot of arabs, so i *always* have to deal with people making the most of stereotypes. in my experience, yes there are probably more ditzy arabs than there are in other breeds, but they’ve mostly been of one particular strain (i’m so not naming names because i don’t want to get into a battle about it, i’m just going to say that my personal strains of choice are crabbet and polish).
the thing about arabs is that they have a very strong sense of self-preservation and if you’re not going to be the alpha, they are *more* than willing to take on the role. case in point, i used to have a very intelligent and high-spirited arab mare. she had impeccable ground manners (i don’t tolerate bad manners), but the barn manager always complained that i needed to teach my horse ground manners. one day i sat and watched as she tried to turn my horse out. horse was all over her and BM did nothing to correct her; the horse knew she could get away with it. finally i turned to the 13-year-old girl sitting next to me who was leasing my other arab and asked if she would go save my mare. girl walked up, took the lead rope, looked mare in the eye for a moment, then arab calmly walked through the gate and waited patiently while girl took the halter off and turned her loose.
i’d also like to touch on stereotypes for different riding disciplines. i love to ride gaited horses, specifically speed rackers. i HATE when people give me The Look when i say that. they assume that because i prefer trail riding and speed rackers that it means i don’t actually know how to ride. it absolutely burns me up because i’ve ridden hunter/jumpers and dressage for 15 years.
Standardbreds!! I was a nervous rider when young. Owned three horses. The last one, which was some kind of TB/Pony cross, was the most forward going of the three and we got on very well. But then after starting to go trail riding on hired horses as a middle aged person I have discovered the SB. Reasonably forward going, but not hot like TBs mostly. I love them!
They used to be very much a scorned breed and there was a myth they’d never learn to canter. The first one I fell in love with I was told as I got on him, “he’s got a really lovely canter”.
They also have a reputation for being plain headed and fugly, which I gather is not so much these days. I read something on Cyberhorse about someone’s SB being mistaken for a warmblood at a show.
For happy hackers like me they are just a really nice, honest, unfussy and good sized horse.
this is my first time posting (though i have been lurking for hmmm…a long time) but think this topic is so true. the perception of different breeds varies on who you ask. i am a diehard appaloosa fan. i grew up leasing a quarter horse x and even an american show horse. then i got a job running a small appaloosa breeding/show stable. i was forever more hooked. they make you earn every bit of respect you get out of them. we had a few “come to Jesus” moments but once we got past any issues, they were absolutely positively rock solid. they can do it all. trail, wp, hus, dressage, reining etc. though i will acknowledge that they have earned the reputation of being stubborn. but i just attribute that to the human not being smart enough to figure out the best way to handle/ride them! it’s kind of like that little girl with the curl…when they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are bad they are horrid : )) and i am sorry to admit that i agree with the comment that there is not much fuglier than a fugly appaloosa! that said, whomever asked about finding the right appaloosa stud…it would depend on what you want to produce with your mare! like other breeds, certain lines are specialized on specific disciplines.
I have a very hot TB mare (12 yrs old) rescued her from a very bad situation in aug 08. I have always loved the breed and rode many as a kid. I learned thru doing my own research that this poor gal has been tossed around like a salad all of her life. She has to have daily attention and sometimes that just means a good grooming and a little time. But you cant leave her for days in the pasture and expect her to be calm when you feel like riding. I have found a supplement Quiessence that has really helped a lot. But people need to be aware that these magnificent horses need lots of attention and patience. If you dont have the time to devote to it then do yourself and the horse a favor and dont own a TB. She and I have a bond that has only happend with a lot of time, patience and attention.
http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/Foreclosure-Hits-Horse-Farm-Plea-for-Help/NM37GLj_bEOBqz54TBFptw.cspx
I know alot of people have commented about not liking ponies, but my favorite breed on the planet is a Connemara pony!
I own a 4 year old who is crossed with a welsh/Quarter horse, and he is amazing! His sire won at preliminary eventing and he is only 14.1 hands. I find them to be very smart, bold, eager to please, and very durable.
Amen! I love TBs but not everyone can care for them. Mine is a quiet horse for anyone and can be pulled out of her stall once a month and be perfect, but it took all ten years of her growing up to get like that. I think people forget how diverse they are within the breed and just because they knew one doesn’t mean they know them all.
We don’t run into too many tb or qh stereotypes here, with QH Congress and reining and all. And TBs are probably the second most common breed with New Vocations. Basically the western people ride Qh’s and the English people ride a TB unless you can afford a warmblood! And now that I think about it I have never met a nice paint! They have either been odd (one was practically self-mutilating), lazy, or crazy. Maybe that’s just me but they were different types (one was built like a TB, tall and not stocky at all) and another one was a qh-type overo whose value started out at $25,000 but she kept coming back and being sold for less because she wasn’t a very good horse… she was always getting injured in her stall and had a lot of scars, I don’t know why, and she didn’t show very well…
My only complaint is that they just can’t seem to jump well!
And the Arabians I have met have been nice (they aren’t too popular where I live, the only breeders I can think of are Hughes with the really expensive black arabs up north) but with horrible trots.
I love love love appies! They are so unique and quirky and I love everything about them.
I have an Arabian who is just turning 16. Vet said last year to retire him to trail and he’s hurting from what I’m doing. (40-45 minutes a day – 5 days a week, walk trot canter work only about ten minutes of actual cantering) I do weekly lessons on him and about 3-4 shows a year at training level dressage. He has a bone spur and also ringbone in right fore.
I put him on adaquan and reduced his workload by half. My lazy fat plug turned into a NUT. (but a comfortable spooky nut) So I put him back to work and now he’s lazy again. I don’t disagree he has ringbone but the adaquan has him very comfortable and is always sound.
Arabians are smart and generally need a job. They don’t make good retirees at 16.
We get comments all the time because we have so many Tb’s in our program. “But they’re so SPOOKY!” Like Fugly said, if you keep your horse locked in a stall, feed it rocket fuel and don’t reprimand him for being goofy, you will have a jumpy horse. Yes, Tb’s need exercise and diets appropriate to their workload – but they are kind and sensitive and very trainable. There was a time in my life that I worked around racing Appy’s and QH’s. Now you want to talk about jumpy! Nothing bucks or runs off on the track like a fit racing QH.
Diet, exercise, environment and consistent training. Works for Tb’s, dogs, kids. Just about everything but Arabs
I also take care of a morgan. (most I’ve met were pretty mellow and intelligent) This poor guy doesn’t get worked enough and no turnout as FHOTD pointed out and shies at footprints and any changes in footing color or texture.
The fact that he has not harmed his owner testifies what a good horse he is. I’m riding the crap out of him (literally) lately and he’s getting nicer but 15 minutes a day walking around an arena (with his owner) then back into a small dark stall invites neurosis in any horse, whatever the breed.
When I ride him, he stands shaking and sweating before we even do anything thing. I never met a horse this frightened that doesn’t bolt. I look forward to seeing him in a month when I ride him often and increase his turnout time.
I try to not disregard different horse breeds. Every horse has their own niche, own temperament, etc. Thoroughbreds are my favorite. I have had such positive experiences with the ones I have rode and worked with. Another breed I like are Appaloosas. They think ‘outside the box’ so to speak. One Appy helped me overcome a traumatic experience on a previous horse, and got me back into horses. His name? Pokey. He would NOT go over a canter. He knew I couldn’t handle it. Sadly the farm that owned him has moved to North Carolina, roughly a 5 1/2 hour drive. I miss him.
Long time reader, first time commentor. Love this forum, usually makes my day. I have shown Arabs and Half Arabs my entire life, have much experience in other breeds as my mother wanted me to be well rounded, but have to say my experience with Arabs in similar to yours with TBs. I love my horses because they have great personalities and are a pleasure to be around. I show at the National level, yet bring them home and trail ride and they get turned out daily. Most people that have a bad taste for Arabs just don’t know how to deal with them and my horses will definitely take advantage if given a chance.
Oh, man- the comments about Minis I hear. “You can’t DO anything with them; they’re mutants; deformed dwarfs; waste of space,” ad nauseum. I can do almost anything with my Minis that most people do with their riding horses, except ride them. I have gone on trail rides (drives), barrel raced (driven), parades, shows, clinics, CDEs. They have been to nursing homes, town functions, Homecoming parades, displays IN the local Shopping Mall, exhibited at the Equine Affaire in Columbus, competed (and WON!) in the local Pet Halloween Costume contest-( also IN the Mall), taken into the local PetsMart for the Christmas with Santa (and made their day- the Santa that just got off duty was horribly disappointed), and represented St Nicholas’s horse at the Old Economy Village in Beaver, PA one year.
I was even catechized on a non-horse forum . I hadn’t even brought up the fact I raised Minis- this person looked up my profile and proceeded to tear my breeding program apart. That all my horses were dwarfy. When I called her on it and told her to point out the dwarfs, she said “I only scanned the website, I didn’t really look”. I have had ONE dwarf on my farm, from a mare I BOUGHT bred. *sigh*
I have been a die hard Thoroughbred fan since I started riding oh… Eight years ago? So when I finally started looking at buying a horse, the canter website was up 24/7. Of course this was recently when the website was crashed. A friend of my was looking on craiglists and saw a Belgian Draft that had been stuck in her head for months. She had gone from 800-200obo rather quickly. My friend wanted to go look at her just to get out of her house… So to humor her, we went. A week later I showed up with the trailer. I love my Belgian. She has worked through alot of issues (I upgraded her) and she makes up for her lack of manners on the ground as soon as you get on her back.
I have a Welsh Cob, and I’m not aware of a lot of stereotyping about them. One common misconception is because they look cobby and tend to be fairly steady-minded, that they’re easy, calm beginner’s horses and good for kids. For some reason people tend to forget that they are WELSH Cobs and that they can be clever, sharp horses that may sweep the floor with a beginner or child. My horse’s breeder never sold horses under 10 years old to kids under 14, and only then if they were were experienced riders. My horse is out of a line bred with 4-horse marathon driving in mind. They’re bred to be hard, brave and all Go.
My Welsh Cob’s character bears strong resemblance to a Border Collie. He’s smart, he’s sharp, he’s curious, and you have to pull out all the stops to make sure you don’t bore him, because he will find alternative entertainment if you fail! (10 disciplines and counting here – we like a challenge). He’s 11 now, I can put a beginner on him and he’ll have the patience to just trudge around with them no problem – but only because he has other opportunities to use his body&mind in challenging ways. And if someone started to ask more than pure beginners rides, they could expect to be tested – and that probably wouldn’t work out so well.
Anyway, fab horse, he’s our second Cob and I’m on to this breed for life, but not nearly as draftish and ‘easy’ as people tend to assume.
I’ll try to keep this brief: My first horse was (is, she’s 28 now) an OTTB mare I call Cessa. She raced at a small time local track until she was 9 and was retired to pasture for a few years before I was fortunate enough to receive a call and become her new owner.
I lived in a small town and will never forget the day that I was at work (the local gas station/convenience store/video rental etc etc) and talking about horses with a young lady about my age. We both rode Western and when she found out that my horse was a TB she told me in a VERY snarky voice that I should ride English or “get a REAL Western horse”.
My reply was that she go home and do some research, then come back and apologize after she found out HOW much TB BLOOD was in her wonderful, perfect, registered QH.
Yes TBs (and Arabs) can be a bit hot, especially if not managed well as Fugs pointed out in the post. However there is a reason they have so often been outcrossed to other breeds… to improve/develope them. They are outstanding horses. My mare may not have been a stakes winner but she is ALL heart and will never quit on me.
I also have a red headed thoroughbred mare who I will never ever part with, she is my whole life. She raced, she jumped, she does dressage, she does trails, and she packs the kids around. So I am still a HUGE OTTB fan.
My first pony was a shetland. A little brown gelding with roaning on his hips. He was the grouchiest little man ever, and he left me in the dirt pretty regularly. But I’ll tell you somethin, he taught me how to make him move forward, and how to hang on when he did decide to move.
My next horse was an arab/morgan (and quite possibly some welsh pony mixed in there) mare, about 13.3, rescued at an auction sale. She was a little spitfire, took me 2 years to figure out how to keep her busy enough under saddle that she wouldn’t run off with me. She’s 19 now, and is living happily in retirement in the pasture. Got to say, she didn’t exactly suppress the stereotype of high strung arab…
I also have a teenage appaloosa mare that I ride mostly western. She’s got a bit of an attitude, and gets frazzled easily sometimes. She’s got a heart for kids though. She’ll quietly truck around the arena for hours with a kid on board, soft and gentle as you please.
I recently aquired a 2 year old breeding-stock paint mare (sire is a QH, dam is Paint). Before I bought her, she’d never been handled. Period. No halter, nothing. 6 weeks in, I backed her for the first time (Don’t worry folks, its just a little light riding, nothing big – she’s still a baby). She’s the most quiet, gentle, sweet, good hearted horse I’ve ever owned. I’m so far VERY impressed with this mare, and can’t wait to see what she can accomplish as an adult!
All in all, I’m partial to the stock horse breeds… Quarter horses, Paints, and Apps. They’ve all got their moments, but most of the ones I’ve dealt with have been positive influences in my life.
I worked on a H/J farm near my place for a while, and while I enjoyed the German Warmbloods, the TB’s and Dutch’s definitely had issues.
I own a half saddlebred. I would say 90% of judges have asked me if she is something European.. and she’s actually inspected and approved through Canadian Warmblood. I honestly used to hate saddlebreds, and I still am not fond of *some* of them, but I really like most of them now. I read that Saddlebreds were bred to LOOK super hot and showy, but actually be really easy to ride… they were bred like this for aristocrats who wanted to look like they knew how to ride but actually knew jack shit.
Morgan Love! Mine is quite the personality! One thing that does not apply though, she is NOT sure-footed! I’m afraid to ride her on hills b/c she might trip and fall on herself! She trips just about once per ride….there’s nothing wrong with her, don’t worry, that’s just how she is…Her feet are regularly trimmed, although she does get worse when she needs to be done.
She is very opinionated, as someone else had stated. She also tries her heart out. Never had more than a playful buck from her, never a rear….She does spook at the deer that she grazes with though…
I’m so glad to discover this site and read the heartfelt and commonsense comments from horse-lovers who really understand their companions (although some of the American terminology is different, I’m leaning fast!). I’m English, living in the south of France for 20+ years. My riding experience is mostly riding out and enjoying the company of my horses, other riders and the country around here. At thirteen I had a young Welsh pony who forced me to re-learn everything I’d learned at a great local riding school – they are a supremely hardy and canny breed, like many native British ponies, used to living hard on the moors and being bred as pack or pit ponies. So many ponies, clever as they are, and forced to train young humans, get an undeserved reputation for being difficult…!
When my husband (Welsh!) and I moved to France and were lucky enough to have enough land for grazing, I bought a 6 year old, chestnut Anglo-Arab gelding. In France “Anglos” are sought after as jumpers and eventers but have a reputation as being a “handful”. I so agree with earlier comments about horses who are kept stabled, well fed and only get out when worked at their owners’ convenience being mistakenly labelled as problematic – they are being kept, even with best intentions, in unnaturel confinement. My horse (sadly now retired with emphysema), has always been clever, opinionated and easily bored, and takes any frustrations out on bossing my husband’s horse (skewbald, cob-type, breed unknown, but excellent lieutenant and all-round-softie). They are both happier out in the fields and much more amenable when getting regular outings, though they are now boxed at night in winter, as they are in their mid-twenties and less tolerant of minus zero centigrade temps these days.
I’ve lately been riding a neighbour’s Lusitanian gelding and I get the impression that the Iberian breeds, coming from the bullfighting and cattle herding traditions of Spain and Portugal get a very vigorous, classical training, but they (or this one, Athos, at least,) combine a cool head with fantastic impulsion and such a lightness of touch.
Sorry to have written too much, but would be interested to hear other opinions on these breeds and would also welcome any advice on fungal hoof infections and tick fever/Lyme’s disease/piroplasmosis which are affecting our old boys.
Lora said, “Arabians are smart and generally need a job.” That sure seems true. My Arab mare Lexie (MWF Elekcja) is 13 with no training except basic ground manners. Two teenagers asked if they could train her and I said, “Sure. Why not.” In less than four weeks they were riding her, with her trotting along as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. I rode her myself just a couple of weeks later, and found her amazingly responsive to a bitless bridle, leg pressure, the slightest suggestion from the rider. Her whole attitude is like, “It’s about time somebody thought to FINALLY give me a damned job!” I think the sky’s the limit for Ms. Lexie.
I own a mustang and I’ve heard all the crazy stuff about them.
He’s far from fugly or crazy (Unless he REALLY wants to go) He’s not spooky at all and couldn’t harm a fly (Unless he accidentally licked it off your hand) He’s a dork to say the least. He’ll randomly poke you then look at you like YOUR the crazy one or like he didn’t do anything! He’ll throw little hissy fits like a three year old child (lol the little punk is all bark but no bite!) He’s great at dressage, jumping, and is being trained in driving. He’s taking it all in stride and is willing to please.
He’s also a buckskin. So I also get the “You should do western!” comments too.
But my stereotypes are the Arabs and Saddlebreds. I heard you have to be a certain person to like them but I don’t like how they simply look! (When their face resembles an L and they start to have breathing problems is not right in my book. No offense to Arab breeders or lovers but I just can’t find any beauty in that.. But to each their own!) I’ve only known one horse who is part Arab and he’s struck me as a nasty little brat.
I’ve seen plenty of Saddleseat shows and they all seem so wound up! I never met one so I can’t say how they really act but they seem so tense, like some coiled spring!
I also ride a QH and he is the most laid back horse I’ve ever met. I can not ride him for a week and he’ll be just as lazy as before!
On the other hand I also ride an Appaloosa who is blind in one eye and still kickin’ but at 27. I don’t know where some get that Appys are dumb or stubborn. Our Appy is way too smart and is willing to do anything just so he can jump lol Gotta love the old man!
Wow- I’m so late to this thread, probably no one will see this – oh well.
I have POAs, and the comment I hear the most is “THAT’S a POA?!?” So many people have the stereotype of a short, fat, hairy, spotted pony (the kind your parents took photos on in the 50s) with the temperment of a spoiled, sour, backyard Shetland. Nay, nay, my friends. I grew up with a variety of breeds (TB/Saddlebred cross, mustang/Arab cross, Quarter/Welsh cross, TW- not a cross) and we bred family pleasure Foundation type Quarters for a few years until we got our first POA. That was it. We are 100% POA now (after my mom’s old TW finally passed on). They are good tempered, nice moving, easy to train, STURDY, strong, and very easy on the eyes. Of course every breed has the exceptions, but on the whole, most POAs can be described that way. Go to http://www.poac.org, click on their upcoming events, click on the International Sale Catalog – see some very nice ponies – weanlings to finished show ponies. Their annual National Futurity and Sale is in IA Oct 7th through Oct 10th.
I have ridden quite a variety of breeds, and shown them too. From riding Morgans and Saddlebreds in Saddle Seat and English Pleasure classes to Quarter Horses and Paints in Western Pleasure and Barrel Racing. I’ve also been on Arabians, Tennessee Walkers, Warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, Mustangs, and many more. I’ve learned that I don’t necessarily have a preference – my only preference is MY horse! If it’s mine, it’s good enough no matter WHAT breed it is. It takes an open mind to ride different breeds BECAUSE they are so different. You just need to take the time to LEARN the horse rather than go off of first impressions. Every horse, no matter the breed, has their good and bad days, as well as their pros and cons. And each rider does as well – some people get along with Arabians better than Quarter Horses, and vise versa. Personally, I’ve found I don’t get along with Arabians that well – I’m not too stupid to ride them, and I’ve ridden quite a few that have been wonderful riding horses – I just tend not to get along with their personalities for SOME reason. Who knows, eh?
The biggest stereotype I’ve run into is regarding my Morgan gelding. Ever since I showed Morgans in Saddle Seat Equitation in college, I’ve been in LOVE with them. They are SO versatile and make wonderful family horses, if you get the right one. Like with any breed, each horse is an individual, and each horse is different. Generally, Quarter Horses have been thought of as the “all around family horse,” because of their tolerable natures. HOWEVER, I’ve met and rode MANY Quarter Horses that act like your stereotyped Arabians, and are “flighty, spooky, and spirited.” And on the other spectrum, I’ve met and rode Arabians that instead of the “flighty, spooky, spirited” stereotyped nature, are extremely laid back and tolerable to most anything. I’ve seen many Arabians, Saddlebreds, and other such breeds that are almost instantly thought of as “hot” horses that turn out as very reliable, relaxing mounts.
About a year and a half ago I bought a gorgeous buttermilk buckskin AQHA 2 1/2 year old filly. She was sweet, loving, and inevitably adorable. She was also bred to the hilt – such foundation, old bloodlines we had to look some of them up! Once I got her I started ground work and desensitizing. She was amazing on the ground considering when I bought her she had never been halter broke, and if you did something she didn’t agree with she had a nasty little habit of biting. We curbed all of that and by the time she was 3 she was successfully green broke to ride. When I first started working with her I knew she wasn’t the horse for me, but I wanted to give her a chance to be rode. She was extremely laid back and calm, the Western Pleasure type of attitude. I’m the kind of person that likes the horses that dance and prance on trail, and LOVES high speed events like Barrel Racing, Pole Weaving/Bending, etc. So, after about 6 months of working with her I decided she just wasn’t the horse I was looking for. It was a tough decision – and if I could have afforded to keep her AND get another horse for my “high speed” guilty pleasures, I would have. However, I was an ex-college student and had too many bills to mention. So I put her up for sale and looked for horses. I found one that caught my attention immediately – (at that time) 7 year old AMHA/AMHR gelding for the experienced rider. Lots of energy. LIKES TO GO. Broke to drive single or double, has worked cattle, and been trail rode to the max. I was in heaven. THIS WAS MY HORSE. So I emailed the owner and asked if she would be willing to trade for my AQHA mare. She responded saying she had someone extremely interested and they were simply waiting for payment/shipping terms to be sorted out. I was devastated. We continued to talk as she still had asked for more information on my filly and the APHA yearling colt we had also offered to add in the trade. For about a month we talked back and forth and she said how badly she’d wished I would have contacted her earlier. She said we sounded like we’d be the perfect match. So one day I called her and asked if I could just come look at him, to ride my dream horse that I could never own, but just wanted to see how we matched… just in case! She said that would be absolutely fine and the next day I drove the 2 1/2 hours to see Payton.
When I got there the owner was so excited she could barely contain herself… She introduced me to all of her horses and then pulled Payton out of his pasture. He was such a character – many say he’s not fancy to look at because of his more modernized Morgan breeding (tall, he stands 15.2, lean, narrow, long legged), with just a small star and two hind socks, and chestnut in color. But I thought he was gorgeous – the way he carried himself high and proud, lifting his head and legs as if he owned the world. I was in love. She handed me the lead rope and we talked about him while he grazed and I just watched him, running my hands over his legs and back. Then she suggested I get on him and see how he rode – now granted, he had just gotten back from being broke to drive and hadn’t been ridden in a couple months. I didn’t hesitate and I jumped right on. We had a blast – he spun, slid stopped, responded to every cue I asked. When we were finished and had him cooled off and brushed out we let him graze a little bit more and continued talking. Then she said the lady that had wanted him called and the arrangement hadn’t worked out – so as soon as I could trailer the two youngins’ her way, he was mine.
I was hysterical! I thanked her a million times and called my Mom on the way home. Her first response: “You’re trading an APHA and an AQHA for a MORGAN!?” She’s the type who’s always been into the stockier horses – but I told her, as soon as you see him ride, and get on and see his ability, she’d become a fan of him as well. When I got him home and settled I tacked him up and took him out. I put my mother up on him and the first thing she said when she was done: “He’s still a Morgan, and I may think he’s ugly.. but DAMN is he fun to ride!” From that point on I was amazed by his never ending love, energy, and humorous personality. I’ve gotten so many compliments on him at shows – everyone is amazed at how I can go from showing Western Pleasure to Barrels on a MORGAN! He truly is the answer to my prayers, and I couldn’t ask for a better horse.
And then there’s my Appaloosa.. who’s more than amazing, but I won’t go into too much detail since I’ve already practically written a book! Needless to say, stereotypes are just that: stereotypes. It all depends on ability, open mindedness, and personal preference on what breed is better. Every breed of horse has the ability to be versatile – I may not be able to compete in 1D, 2D, or 3D barrel racing – but we can go to fun shows and compete quite well against Quarter Horses.
Horses can do anything they put their minds to – no matter the breed!
I love Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. I love the scope and the intelligence that most of them have and I love that when they trust you, they TOTALLY trust you. I heard from many riders that my Warmblood was mean, or stupid or out of control. The fact was though, that my horse and I had a very deep bond. I joined up with him before I ever rode him. He was abused by a previous owner and I could never carry a crop with him and it took months before I could wear spurs (not that I really needed to because it took awhile for him to slow down.) He didn’t trust anyone but me, and he was the most loyal horse I’ve ever been around. Hobnob (that was his name) would bolt if anyone that wasn’t a confident rider was on his back. He didn’t like too many cues at once and if he felt you had given him too much to do he would just stop. When I would clean his paddock, he would follow me around with his muzzle in my pocket because he knew I had carrots. My friends would always point out that he never did that with them and I would laugh. A lot of people that had heard I had a Warmblood (Hanoverian) said that they were high strung and unpredictable. The fact is that they are athletes. When Hobnob saw a 5ft jump, he was ready for it. I loved him for that, he was always on point and ready to do whatever he needed to to get a carrot.
I leased an off the track Thoroughbred for a while and some “former” horse people told my mom that I should be careful with a Thoroughbred, they would then share their childhood “horror” stories about an OTTB that had to be exercised EVERY day or else it was a lunatic. I just laughed because Topaz was the laziest horse (in the arena) I had ever met. He was big (about 16.3) lanky, and dopey. He had a Superman jump with his front legs jutting forward instead of tucking under. If he didn’t feel like jumping he would do little play bucks going into the jump but as soon as he realized that I wasn’t stopping, he would go back to his rocking horse canter and jump it. He never stopped even though jumping wasn’t his favorite thing. When he set foot on the exercise track he was a totally different horse. He loved to gallop and I loved to let him. He was very playful and was like a teenager on marijuana most of the time.
I’ve found that I definitely prefer the horses that I have to pay attention on. I don’t like a horse that I can just sit on, it isn’t fun for me.
Well, I am an arab fan from waaaay back. My personal theory is that since they have been selectively bred for thousands of years as partners of Bedouins, they lived in the tents with them, and were bred to be family members. An arabian needs someone to bond with, and IMHO tend to be more “forward” thinking than other horses. It is the difference between gazing longingly at the green lawn grass on the other side of the fence, and actively seeking a way to get there, messing with the gate latch, climbing up the no climb gate, pushing lower herd members thru a fence, then stepping carefully over the down wires…… My old man was a huge handful, and I see that in my young one now.
When the old man spooked for real, he would scoop me up and take me with him, when he fake spooked because he was bored, he would spook at the big boulder that we would go by daily, once every few weeks or so. Just to let me know that I was not paying attention. Then put his eyeball on me, all innocent, like he hadn’t done it on purpose… Too funny. I miss him.
It does take a special person to manage an arab effectively, and if they take a dislike to you, it will most likely last a lifetime. They are very brainy creatures. I love them all.
Clearly I prefer Arabs
So I have to say: “Spooky Arabs”…BAHAHAHAHAHA . That is the stereotype that I find the most bizarre and amusing. Go to a big Arab show and watch what we expect of our horses and how they behave. For God’s sake, check out a costume class! These animals are saints. I mean, my warmblood friends will give you a look that could kill if you breathe too loudly while they ride, while we wave a plastic bag at our horses while we ride, or ride them through fire extinguisher “smoke” when we want ears for a photo shoot or video. I can ride a hunter or western horse while a costume horse gallops by and a driving horse comes at him on the other side and not have a care in the world. And the way an Arab can carry an amature around the ring…. Many of the amatures at Nationals only ride their horses when they fly into a show, and the horses are FLAWLESS.
The stereotypes about Arabians bother me. Some are wound up crazy little beasts, mostly the ones that you see shown in saddleseat. If you own one and work with it properly, they can be calm as the stereotypical quarter horse. I have an arabian who lets me put sheets on him to be a ghost for a costume class, he will go into a horse show and not bat an eye, then become a gaming horse who is raring to go. He goes on trails by himself, spooking rarely. He ground ties and puts up with much more then the average horse. I have met very FEW arabs that are the hot and spooky horses people think they are.
I agree and disagree with you, Foofy. The Saddleseat arabs may appear wound up, but they are just performing the way that they are trained to. They are actually incredibly easy to ride and go on auto pilot once trained. Google any 55 and over English division at US Nationals or any walk trot English division at Youth Nationals and you will see saddleseat arabs doing their job with not a whole lot of help from the rider.
From a trainer perspective, I am the most hesitant when someone wants me to help with anything with stock horse breeding. Nothing will hurt you faster that breaking a stock horse that wants to sull up. Give me horse that will go forward any day.
i dont agree with the sterotypes about arabians. I own one who does,of course, spook occaisonally but almost every horse does. My arabian is a calm well mannered horse who will go byherself practicly anywhere and she would never harm a fly.
I love it when people are amazed to see what I can do with my Draft-cross. He’s pretty athletic for a big guy.
He came from a barn where he was pretty much ignored because they thought he couldn’t do more than jackhammer his legs around a ring with a kid who loves to kick and pull slamming on his back.
I cannot wait until next show season show I can show those same people just how amazing this guy really is.
Oh did I mention that because he is rather large, they thought they had to use the harshest bits they can find just to keep him from taking off? I’ve been riding him in a loose ring snaffle… And half the time I just clip my western reins to his halter and we hack around.
Here is my Arab, Nova. I bought him when he was 4, he is 9 now. He was my first horse and has just been incredible to learn on. He is my “halter and leadrope” horse…I can pull him out of the field after the winter off or even within his work schedule if he has a week off, he is no different than the last ride. He goes out to shows and walks into the warm up ring and the show ring like it’s his arena at home. Sure, he’ll look at stuff or maybe throw in a spook every once in a while…but I wouldn’t say any more than any other HORSE, not even any other Arab. He is my beginner mom’s horse now. They are moving into Training Level dressage now after a very successful Intro career. =D He is also the LEAST surefooted horse I know on trail, as well as having very little stamina. Took him out on a trail ride with 7 other horses, they ended up leaving us behind (I told them to) because Nova couldn’t be bothered to go any faster than a medium canter while they are off galloping ahead. At one point they all took off any I just waited to see what he would do, he trotted and then needed me to ASK him to canter.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/TurningPoint/Nova/springbegins025.png[/IMG]
With my beginner mom, in the middle of winter, with just a halter, in the wind.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/TurningPoint/Nova/nova29.png[/IMG]
Doing what he does best.
Just to be totally nitpicky:
“…7 year old AMHA/AMHR gelding for the experienced rider.”
AMHA/AMHR refers to minis, not Morgans. Both breeds have an AMHA, but only minis have an AMHR.
I’m own one of those once-in-a-lifetime Thoroughbreds that can do everything and changes most people’s minds about TBs. We’ve done the typical TB stuff like eventing, jumping and dressage. But we also have done really fun stuff like cowboy mounted shooting, parades and horse fair demos! Oh yeah…and we’ve done a lot of those things in a sidesaddle too! One other thing, she’s also a colic surgery survior. She suffered from a twist a couple years ago. We caught it early and she has made a full recovery. Here are pics for anyone who cares to take a look: http://picasaweb.google.com/horsepix/Jewel
I am very much a TB lover for life. I have owned 3 of them and find their personalities to always be challenging at times but fun and they are such love doves. I had a QH/ Haflinger Pony as my first horse and he was incredible as well. Personally will I ever own a Arab, NO NEVER WILL I EVER. I will be a TB owner for life. I love the horse that needs a 4-5 day a week riding program. My horse right now, doesn’t spook at anything. He loads on the trailer like an angel and is willing to learn anything. Our first trail ride when I first purchased him went off without a hitch. He is a TB and not the flighty silly ones most people claim to own. I agree if you ride your TB more than 2 days a week your problems will decrease like nobody’s business in the behavior section. My horse knows there is NO funny business to happen. No cookies before I ride. It’s all business until after our workout, then there is lovin and cookies everywhere. He knows not to rub on me after I take his bridle. I wish I could say the same for the girl in the stall near me.
I have to admit it. I’m a snob. After riding a Paso Fino there is no way I could ever ride a “trotter”.
If I ever switch breeds it would have to be to another gaited horse. Most of the Paso’s I’ve had the pleasure to be around were easier to train. Our first two were in fact stallions and while the round-pen work was smooth we weren’t quite up to giving them their first ride. The trainer we brought out couldn’t believe that these were stallions and were the easiest he ever rode. The palomino’s (Delgado) first ride off the property was 15 trouble free miles.
I am a Morgan horse fan all the way! That doesn’t mean that I don’t have appreciation for all breeds though. Stereotypes I have/had were of T-breds. I always just thought they were very high strung and hard keepers, however I have no experience with them, so I still wait to be proven wrong. I do kind of think Arabs tend to be flighty, but also that they are lovely horses and I admire them for their versatility (just like Morgans).
As far as stereotypes I’ve heard about Morgans, there haven’t been many. I do hear misconceptions about Saddleseat. Alot of Saddleseat horses are desired to be “hot” as it gives them a more animated appearance. Most Morgans are quite sensible, though they may appear to be coiled springs in the saddleseat rings, it’s just for appearances sake in alot of cases. I show Morgans in the western pleasure as well under a hunt saddle. In my eyes, there’s just nothing prettier than a nice Morgan
.
Here’s in example of what I love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3QmFPMJIV8