Less reactive Arab lines?

2355 Views 47 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Remali, 4 mo ago

Aprilswissmiss

Discussion Starter · 7 mo ago

This is really just for my own curiosity and for the sake of discussion. Of course, every horse is an individual regardless of breed, but does anyone know of performance Arabian lines that are known to produce brave, relatively calm (in the context of Arabs) animals?

My half Arab mare is terrified of the most random and annoying things. Things like semis and motorcycles are perfectly fine, but certain objects that she sees on a daily basis don't get any less scary. Barrels are terrifying. Signs are terrifying. Mailboxes are terrifying. Milkweed plants are terrifying. Painted lines on the road are terrifying. And we encounter most of these on every single ride in the exact same spots they've been in for as long as she's been here. If she spooks at something once, I know she's going to spook at it every single time.

She is perfectly tolerating of desensitization training. I've spent hours throwing hula hoops onto her neck and bouncing exercise balls off of her back and things of the like. She doesn't care one bit. She doesn't care about most things that move and make noise, and wild animals don't phase her one bit. But she hasn't ever gotten any less spooky about the stationary items she has constant exposure to and have obviously never tried to eat her. I can tolerate all her other quirks, but I am beyond frustrated when she throws herself into a ditch because she almost stepped on a painted line and noticed at the last second.

Anyway - the reactivity is a big part of what turns me off from getting another horse with Arab blood in the future. I know brave Arabs exist, but I'm wondering if there are lines that are known for it or if some individuals are just a lot better than others.

@Dreamcatcher Arabians and @phantomhorse13, I know you two have lots of Arab history.

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KharenasMom

· #16 · 7 mo ago

Figured I'd chime in here:

I have my 2nd Arab now. She is young and VERY green, AND was just shipped up from TX where most of her life was spent in a pasture.

I have found she is very sensitive to things. However, she is a smart, and a quick learner and doesn't explode, but rather tries to sort of think out the situation.

Once I realized just how limited her training was, I went backwards with with her training... started with basics, and groundwork.
When I first got her, she was terrified of everything in the ring. Now?
Now I can walk her over tarps, plastic baby mattresses, you name it.
I find the trick is like @RoadRider said... if you do not hesitate or have fear, then she/they will not.
My story with her is slow and steady, I'm building a wonderful relationship with her patiently.

But my post is just to say that I find most Arabs are a bit hot, or spicy if you will... but that is why I love them. They have such a dynamic personality.
I like my people like that too LOL

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KharenasMom

· #27 · 7 mo ago

I am wanting to post my girl’s lineage.
I honestly am not familiar enough to really know how to compare.

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KharenasMom

· #36 · 7 mo ago

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:
Post it, I love looking at pedigrees! I used to get teased that other people took novels into the bathroom, I carried a stud book. It was actually worse, I carried around with me pretty much everywhere. I don't even have Arabians anymore, except for Cloney, and I still love looking at them. I'll warn you though, if she's Egyptian, I'm not as good on those as I am the Russians and Poles.

Here ya go!

Font Material property Paper Parallel Document

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KharenasMom

· #37 · 7 mo ago

She is Egyptian, but give it a whirl!

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KharenasMom

· #39 · 7 mo ago

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:
Your mare is bred really nicely. She is not Egyptian but a domestic cross of different horses. She is Kuheilan in strain but from different secondary families. Of course all Arabians go back to Desert Bred and are Egyptian related but not Straight Egyptian. The confusion is when the horses are moved from country to country and 'claimed' by the country they're standing in. So, *Padron who's Russian to start is also used heavily in Polish breeding and of course, features prominently in American domestic lines.

You have a lot of Bey Shah, Padrons Psyche, Ruminaja Ali in there. Those are all horses that feature heavily in halter pedigrees and are known for their pizzazz. She's also got Khemosabi and Fadjur, both known for the level headedness and sweet personalities. She's probably always going to be on the high side, but she's also probably very sweet. *Padron had quite a temper if he wasn't treated fairly, so I'd expect her to have a strong sense of fair play. As long as you're firm, fair & consistent, I'd expect her to be a quick study and really fun to work with. She's only 5, so just coming into her own.

Well that was VERY interesting! Thank you for that!

And you NAILED her personality... very sweet, will think the situation out (levelheaded), and seems to thrive with patience and kind handling. She will also take advantage if you let her. And she has been a quick study.

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KharenasMom

· #42 · 7 mo ago

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:
And that's why I like to know my horses' pedigrees. You can't ride paper, but it can sure tell you a lot about what kind of ride you're probably gonna get. I'd love to see a picture of her. Her pedigree is interesting, so I'd be curious to see if what I'm picturing from it is anywhere near what the actual horse looks like.

Here ya go:

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KharenasMom

· #43 · 7 mo ago

A few more “real life” photos (previous ones were taken professionally for their website when they had her up for sale):

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KharenasMom

· #45 · 7 mo ago

Only thing I can say to that is they said she didn't seem happy in the ring and thought she'd be happier on the trails.

But thank you! This has been educational! 😁

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KharenasMom

· #47 · 7 mo ago

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:
Then she's exactly where she needs to be. It's funny how they end up where they're supposed to, isn't it?

Yes it is!

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