Egyptian vs. Polish Arabs

[Ravenhorse]

Deleted (Double Post! Sorry!)

[Ravenhorse]

Hi Everyone, I just love this thread!

I figured I'd chime in with my "Arab Story"...

My girl is a mix of Polish and Egyptian (Mostly Polish Though) and she has a Classic Arab head, long, flowing mane and tail, moves like a million bucks and is most definately Queen of the Herd!

Before her I had always ridden QH or QH types and kind of was like "uh-huh, sure-" when anyone would tell me about how special Arabs were, how they bonded so well with their owners and at times you had to "out think them" when training....

Then I met Rommie....

ACS Andromeda Ascendant aka: "Rommie", "Shorty" or "Queen B" depending on her mood! I had never seen a horse quite like her and once I was bitten I was hooked! I saw her from the road as we were driving by and thought she was loose (Couldn't see the fence! ) and made my friend stop the car because I was like "Oh My God! That horse is Loose!" We then pulled in, discovered the fence and that she was indeed contained and got ready to drive away.... she followed the car down the fenceline and was so beautiful it took my breath away... I know it sounds cliched but, the silver white tail high over her back, the silver mane rippling like water, that beautiful dished face.... the huge dark eyes.... God I was smitten! She didn't seem to trot so much as float and then as we were pulling away she stood there and screamed..... and that cemented it! I turned to my friend and was like "I'm buying that horse-" She looked at me like I was nuts! Picture the following conversation:
Her: "I thought you didn't want a gray-"
Me: "I Don't Care"
Her: "She was Definately a mare-"
Me: "Yep"
Her: "Thought you didn't want a mare-"
Me: "It Doesn't matter-"
Her: "She's small, I thought you wanted a big Jumper-"
Me: *Shrug* "She's beautiful.... I don't care if I never ride her... I just want to watch her-"
Her: *Sigh* Oh ****... You're hooked....
Me: Oh Yeah....

Long story short, my friend actually knew the owner...after some phone calls and out right begging we were given the go ahead to "Come up and work with her anytime, see if you all get along-"

I went and bought a halter, a brush, hoofpick and lead rope... turns out she was about 6 and pretty much unhandled... First time we went up there she came right over, looking for petting and scratches... she loved being brushed and fussed over, I ran my hands all over her and then for kicks was like "Give me your foot girl-" as I ran my hand down her leg... she looked at me blinked a few times and then picked it up. My friend and I were Shocked.... I was trotting her on a lead and she learned to lunge within minutes.... never a fuss, no drama, just a blink and then "Okay-"

The next time I went to see her I tried leaning against her, resting my arms over her back....all she did was turn her head look at me like ""What ARE you doing?" and watch... soon on a whim I said to my friend "Gimme a leg up-" she blinked... "She doesn't kow anything.... this isn't like your gelding at home-" Me: "I know that! but she won't do anything... trust me... just gimme a leg-" after a few seconds she relented and was like "If she freaks-" "I'll fall off, big deal!" I lay across her back for a minute and while her eyes got bigger, she never moved. I patted her sides and then my friend was like "Ok nice and easy swing over and sit up-" I did and she blinked and then turned her head to look at me and nuzzle my toe.... I leaned up to rub her neck, telling her what a good girl she was being, I scratched her withers and she kind of moved her head rattling the lead rope a bit like "C'mon! Lets move!" and I was like "Walk her-" within 15 minutes I was riding her bareback with just a halter and lead my friend watching aamazed as we wandered all around the pasture her, never spooking, never reacting at all.... after a few minutes I stopped her and slid down and she nuzzled me, looking for carrots....which she of course got! her old owner came out looking amazed... "You rode her-" he said I just nodded...

Training with her was always like that... quiet, and fast! She is by far the smartest horse I have ever had the pleasure of working with! Show her once then wait... she'll figure it out and then improve on it! Lunging took less then a half an hour once she figured it out it was like "Oh! I go around you! I get it!" and then she an old pro! saddle training? a few days only because I went slow and didn't want to rush her...she still prefers bareback. and honestly so do I! She's so smooth to post her trot is more work then not! and her canter?! It's like nothing I've ever known! So smooth, but so fast! She can run faster then any other horse I own including ones 3 times her size andtheh agility....She is fire, she is grace, she is beauty all wrapped in a rust speckled hide...I've never know such aggression and drive in a horse, once we tripped going around a corner, I was sure we were going to fall but she just muscled out of it and then stood there snorting at it, pawing, she was mad that the ground tried to trip her! How dare it do such a thing?!

One day I was bored so I fugured Oh what the heck I'll try popping her over a few rails and see what she does.... within one afternoon she went from ground poles to 2'6" and wanted more! There was no power lauch off the ground with her it was like levitation! no bounce, no jolt...
The next day I get a phone call:
"You won't believe what she's doing now-"
"Huh?"
"Shorty's jumping the stone wall-"
"What?! Whose chasing her?!"
"*Laugh* No one...."
"What?! She's doing it by herself??!"
"Yep, you didn't start jumping her did you?"
"Ummm yesterday...."
"Well she's practicing..."
and she was, she'd jump the wall, trot a little past it and turn around and jump back!

She never ceases to amaze me with what she can learn and how quickly! The more you work her the more she likes it! She thrives on challenge and always just wants affection.... I've only had 2 other people ride her and she was a brat! but then I got on her and she was fine (Ticked at me for letting other people ride her) .... She really is a one person type of horse...I used to think all the stories of Arabs and their quirks were just that, Stories, but now I know the difference, it really is true you must always "Ask" an Arab....

Sorry to be so sappy guys but I just can't help but Gush on my Girl!

[Barngoddess]

Originally Posted by LadyAshen

Honey, if you only knew the conversations we have!! Ashen responds just like she truly understands everything I say.

She is not quite as sweet when I ride her as when the kids do. But she trusts me more than anyone and will go with me more willingly than with other adults. Ashen is a trip!

Fire is the same way. He is an incredible creature: reads my mind and my emotions. He knows he has to be respectful with his people, but if you don't know what you are doing, or he doesn't trust you, you don't stand a chance with him. Legacy was the same way. There was one barn we boarded at and we did partial board before having the sense to switch to modified-full board (we supply the feed and grain). We would do the AM feeding and turn out and either a fellow boarder or the barn manager would bring them in (feed was already set up from our AM visit). There were countless times when the one boarder couldn't catch Legacy -- she'd open the gate and let Fire run in because she knew his food would get him into his stall, but Legacy wouldn't play the game. Forget the barn manager -- she couldn't catch either one and the few times she tried to turn them out, they were difficult for her to control. It was interesting that the other boarders that had years of horse experience under their belts had no trouble what-so-ever with either of them. In fact, at our current barn, the BO says she wishes all her boarders horses were as easy and delightful as Fire and Kierra are!

[Barngoddess]

Ravenhorse:

Boy you are hooked now! I have worked with more breeds than I can remember, and I have NEVER seen anything as smart as Arabs. Fire is the same way when I let someone else ride him -- ticked at me and bratty for the other person!

[For8tune]

Well everyone pretty much said what I was going to say...

My boy is Polish bred. He has the best personality and is the most affectioante horse I have ever owned. He is almost human like in his ways. He even perfers humans over his pasture buddies. I can stand at the gate and call him and he will come running to me. I yell at him or scold him and he will pout worse than a child. I reward him and his eyes light up like he is a child getting the biggest lollipop. If he doesn't get his goof off time before a ride, its a battle for an hour. Give him his time and he is a perfect angel. If I even pet another horse in his presents, I have done the worse evil. I am his Mom and no one elses in his book. His big brown sweet eyes melt my heart everytime no matter what he has done. If I had a tent, he would be living in it with me. I just love Arabians and couldn't go to any other breed.

[Barngoddess]

Originally Posted by sarahv

What I like it the typey Arab, I know little of their personalities yet, I use my horses for strictly trail riding but eventually want to get into endurance. There is a lady in town that shows Arabians, but it seems like the dishes on her horses faces are very drastic, just doesn't seem natural; is that something they are breeding for today? I have my Ap. right now and he is a great learning horse, someday I would love to add an Arabian to my pasture.

Which one of these lines (Polish, Russian, Crabbet, or Egyptian) would work best for what I want?

I don't really care for the overly dishy faces. To me it should be more natural. I am an endurance rider and I have a couple of friends that breed, raise, and train Arabians with an emphasis on endurance. In fact, one of them had her horse place as AHA Horse of the Year a while back. I will PM you the info.

Appys are also started to get recognized as good endurance horses, so don't count yourself out until you find and Arab. One of my endurance mentors loves Appys for endurance -- I'll be in touch.

[For8tune]

Originally Posted by Barngoddess

Ravenhorse:

Fire is the same way when I let someone else ride him -- ticked at me and bratty for the other person!

. Fortune is the same. He will pin his ears and look at me out of one eye grinding his teeth. He will do everything in his power to make the ride for the other person as uncomfortable as possible. Nothing bad just will not listen. Heaven forbid it is a beginner. He just stops and looks at me to say "Get this greenhorn off me now!" Cracks me up everytime!!

[Barngoddess]

Originally Posted by LadyAshen

Thanks so much!!!

I adore Ashen but I will not tolerate anything disrespectful from her in the saddle or on the ground. She knows better than to be pushy towards anyone and is especially careful with children. Ashen is like a baby sitter with kids.

She is firmly told off if anything occurs that I do not like, and she responds just like a little kid and looks chastised and apologetic -- stopping right away. Ashen is in the middle of the her hierachy and is not aggressive towards other horses in general. They even push her aside and take her treats if I am not careful.

The only times I have ever seen any type of aggression are those jealous nips and only if I am ignoring her. She may not want to be with me, but she does not want any other horse taking up her human's time!

If I am there, Fire wants to be with me no matter what. And Kierra is SO funny. About a year ago we had finished a ride and were getting ready to hose down the horses. My husband hosed Kierra first then brought her back to the barnyard and offered to hose down Fire for me. Well, you can't see the wash rack from the barnyard and the minute they were both out of sight, she started to whinnie her head off! I guess I didn't count!

Our BO will often sit up on her deck and watch the horses. Fire likes to be "busy". If she sees him starting to get into mischief, she will stearnly say, "Fire!" and he jerks his head around like, "I didn't do anything!"

[Barngoddess]

Originally Posted by For8tune

Well everyone pretty much said what I was going to say...

My boy is Polish bred. He has the best personality and is the most affectioante horse I have ever owned. He is almost human like in his ways. He even perfers humans over his pasture buddies. I can stand at the gate and call him and he will come running to me. I yell at him or scold him and he will pout worse than a child. I reward him and his eyes light up like he is a child getting the biggest lollipop. If he doesn't get his goof off time before a ride, its a battle for an hour. Give him his time and he is a perfect angel. If I even pet another horse in his presents, I have done the worse evil. I am his Mom and no one elses in his book. His big brown sweet eyes melt my heart everytime no matter what he has done. If I had a tent, he would be living in it with me. I just love Arabians and couldn't go to any other breed.

I think you are describing my Fire! I don't think I can ever have enother horse as long as Fire is alive -- it would break his heart. Besides, I like being able to devote my time to him, with a little to his girlfriend Kierra. The Bedoins sure knew what they were doing by living with their horses!

[Barngoddess]

For8tune:

Sounds like they were cut from the same mold! Fire won't do anything dangerous with another rider, he just won't listen! And he sure knows people. He became head shy at the one barn where we were doing partial board and someone else was bringing him in for me. After we changed barns I got him over his head shy problem and then found out from someone else that the person who had been bringing him in kept smacking him for being "disrespectful". Smack your own horse not mine! Anyway, turns out horses -- especially Arabians -- are WAY better judges of of people. If my horse doesn't like you, then hit the road!

I keep telling my husband that Fire is the only man he ever has to be jealous of!

[Barngoddess]

Fire has progeny out there with Legacy as well as four other mares and it is nice to see how he has passed on his gifts to them -- his deep love for his number one person, his eagerness to learn, his intelligence, and his intense curiosity. Legacy has passed on her sweet, loving nature, her desire to be with her people -- even more than she wants to eat, her fierce love for her offspring and for her mate. Kierra has passed on her eagerness to learn, with her ability to question; her great adaptability to excell in whatever disciplin her person happens to choose, and her great capacity to love all of the people in her life.

I hope there isn't some kind of limit on how many post one person can make to the same thread.....

[Barngoddess]

For8tune:

Great bloodlines! I love the Bey-Sha line.....


Here is the link to my boy's line:


http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ha+le+fire

[ahabarabs]

Oh I know, one of my mares that was bought for show, but became just a pet, was very smart/spoiled, she was mostly allowed freedom around my ex. and I's farm as she was to "special" to be confined with the "others" she was very one person, and usually would not let other people catch/pet her, I taught her to let me scratch her itches, so she would "show me" with her mouth where to scratch, and she loved her tail bone/point of butt, scratched, so she would when loose come to me and shove her butt to me to demand scratched, sometimes I would until my fingernails became squared off on their ends, and when I would try to end our session, by walking away, she would often rush off to block my path, and again present her butt, sometimes with a swish of her tail in irritation that I was ending our session, ( though she never/ever kicked or even threatened to as that would not have been tolerated ) in fact I "taught her" how to "swish her tail" on command, it became so entertaining of a habit when she was put out over something. we would play "chase" out in the yard like a dog would it's owner, she would come when called usually, as she knew her name, ( though a little like a cat, as sometimes she would not choose to come, but would never not allow herself to be caught when told to stop)

She was a bit of a glutton, and one farm where I boarded her for a while, had a large indoor arena, and the stalls opened up into the arena, ( which I did not really like, though it was a nice farm) all horses would be out during the day, and stall doors left open usually, well she had limited turnout alone at that time as I was still planning on showing her at that time, and did not want a bleached coat or nicks, and cuts from other horses, so often the indoor was her turnout, she took great delight in racing around arena, and "diving" into the open stalls, ( she was very athletic, and it was a fun game she liked for some reason ) and then she would check feed tubs to see if any crumbs might be left, they used 5 gallon plastic buckets for water, and they fed a lot of oats
so often there would be floating oats across top of water, and a bunch of them waterlogged and sitting at bottom of buckets, from am feeding, buckets would also still be one half, to three quarters full, as they would dump them later in the day, well one day while I was just "hanging out with her" she kind of lipped the top of water bucket trying to skim off the oats floating, then she proceeded to drink down the half bucket of water, with intent, ( and she was not a big water drinker) then ate the oats at bottom, thought it was just coincidence that she decided to drink all that water as I figured how would she have known that those oats were down there? then to next stall she went forced herself to drink all that water, and ate oats at bottom, I could not believe what I was seeing, then she headed for the third stall's water, and I chased her out as who knows how much water she would have forced herself to drink, and from then on had to keep stall doors all closed or empty their waters, before she was out.

[Barngoddess]

Wow! You are lucky she didn't colic from too much water. Sometimes those appetites get them into so much trouble!

[For8tune]

Originally Posted by Barngoddess

For8tune:

Great bloodlines! I love the Bey-Sha line.....


Here is the link to my boy's line:


http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/ha+le+fire

Thanks. I have so many people say he looks just like his sire Fame VF but to me he looks like his great great grandsire Bay Abi. From what I heard about him from Shiela Varian, Fortune acts just like him too.

Great lineage for your guy too! Le Fire is actually one of my favorite Bask sons and his dam Susecion is an Arabian legend.

[ahabarabs]

Originally Posted by Barngoddess

Wow! You are lucky she didn't colic from too much water. Sometimes those appetites get them into so much trouble!

I know!!! she luckily did not get too much down before I stopped her, I could not figure out ever how she figured that there would be grain below the water, ??? unless she could maybe smell the grain? as of all the horse I've been around/owned, have not seen another do it ( thank goodness, can you imagine ?)

[Druydess]

Originally Posted by ahabarabs

Yes, I will , I am gonna try to get a hold of them today, and will let you know, they did not have AI last time we spoke, so I will see what's up, and PM you as soon as I find out!

Hey Thanks for the PM Ahab!!
It's so nice to speak to knowledgeable Arab owners. There are too many who lock theirs up days on end, think they know everything about Arabs and horses in general, yet been thrown/reared, or bucked off regularly, arms broken, use the same dangerous horse for a lesson horse, call themselves trainers, lie about what ACTUALLY happens, and tell anyone who'll listen how wonderful their horses are...
I'm SO glad my 5 NEVER even think of acting so disrespectfully.
You guys are SO refreshing...

[Barngoddess]

Originally Posted by Slim Pikkens

This is an interesting topic. My boarder's Arab is Egyptian and was started by people who were used to training the colder blooded quarter horses. They failed miserably. When this little gal came to me, a past Arab owner, we proceeded very slowly with her training and the training of her new owner. There is now a marvellous bond between them now that I never tire of watching.

Great post, Slim. Unfortunately, the opposite is true too -- there are people who are so used to working with Arabs that they expect every horse to be like Arabs. I've worked with clients who have told me about trainers that claim to be so knowledgable but on the third training session started hitting their youngster in the chest reapeatedly because he was being "disrespectful". Consequently, they never called the "trainer" again. The same trainer told another client to sell their horse because she (the trainer) wasn't able to do anything with their horse. It is a shame that so many "wanna be trainers" are able to waste peoples' time and money before the client figures out the trainer is full of bunk. You can read all the books you like, watch all the videos ever recorded, and attend clinic after clinic, but a few years of "crash learning" is no substitution for an actual hands on life with horses.

[sarahv]

Originally Posted by Barngoddess

I don't really care for the overly dishy faces. To me it should be more natural. I am an endurance rider and I have a couple of friends that breed, raise, and train Arabians with an emphasis on endurance. In fact, one of them had her horse place as AHA Horse of the Year a while back. I will PM you the info.

Appys are also started to get recognized as good endurance horses, so don't count yourself out until you find and Arab. One of my endurance mentors loves Appys for endurance -- I'll be in touch.

Thank you for the info, i am looking forward to hearing from you! I have always loved the look of the Arabian, for as long as I can remember I thought they were probably the most beautiful horses around, but I had no idea that they were this different from other horses. I do want to wait unitl my skills and knowledge are better so when I look for my dream horse I am not hampered by riding level.

[walkinthewalk]

This thread is great reading

I was always an Arab and Morgan person sitting amongst the QH and Appy owners

Re-schooling too many Widowmakers and then re-homing them caused me to buy a gaited horse 19 years ago if I wanted to keep riding.

However, I will always have a soft spot for the Arabs, so I couldn't pass up rescuing a little bay Arab 16 years ago that was a head attached to a skeleton and had an injured vertebra. He even came with his papers, which are fairly respectable with three crosses to the Brothers Raffles and Raseyn, some IBN breeding, and I think Al Mirah (sp?). I'd have to dig his papers back out.

Even with his vertebra injury, he is still breath taking on the days I catch him "Arab Floating" across the pasture

The vertebra injury kept him from being a trail horse for me, but it didn't take long to figure out that he would make an excellent lesson horse for young children and be the passive leader in the pasture.

His little 875# self is always instigating mischief with my big and stout-built 13 yo Tennessee Walker who weighs in at around 1200#.

It has never occurred to him to bite or kick, but to this day I have to be in slow motion to do anything involving his head. If he's mad he makes the best monkey face I've ever seen on a horse. If he's happy he will touch that monkey face muzzle ever-so-slighty to my face or neck for attention.

He has a great sense of humor that took many years to come out because it became apparent to me that he had been separated from his human at some point and did not want to let go. He has always said "thank you" every day of these 16 years, but it was with reserve for a very long time.

He is the one horse I own that, if he got loose, he would trot just far enough ahead of you so you couldn't catch him and the neighbors would have to set up a road block to keep him from heading to the local roadhouse for a Coors Lite and to watch a Clint Eastwood western. Just watch, he would not want to be in it

No one has mentioned the Shagya Arabians. "-- the Arabs that aren't Arabs but a separate breed of Arabian horse--"

Is anyone familiar with them or know someone that owns one?

http://www.northeastshagyas.com/aboutshagyaarabians/