why are arabs so short?

[crazy4horses]

Why are arabs so short? I have one thats 14.3... when I look online, most of them are under 15.1. WHy is that?

[Raggle]

Not all of them are. The ones that are bred to be sport horses can be up to 16hh. :)

[Max]

They're not all that short. The majority are around 14-15hh, yes, but I've seen some go to about 16.1hh. It's basically the same reason Thoroughbreds are tall, pony's are short, and Drafts are heavy, it's how they've been bred and that's just the breed. If you go looking for the sporthorse types though you'll find bigger ones. My Arab's built a little more heavy than a lot I've seen and she's 15hh.

I agree but also the Arabs are missing a vertibray in their back (that's why their back is short)

[Ruby Rider]

well that is kinda a hard question to anser and if your horse is young you horses may not be fully grown yet... cus i know that twhen i friest got ruby she was 14.1 hh and now she is 15.2hh and that was in 1 year and i still don't think she is done growing!!!!

[crazy4horses]

Well thanks all you guys for helping me!!

[alliekk]

also, think about where Arabians originated... Arabia... if you get a big ol' hulking quarter horse out there chances are he isn't going to last that long (don't say "well Hidalgo did it..." yes, he did do it, and look at the shape he was in when he was done...) Arabians are bred to be more compact so that they can move easier in the sands of the desert and use up less resources to stay healthy... not so with poor Shazzy, lol, I think he eats more than my thoroughbred... haha

[DarkChylde]

Actually, Arabians are one of the oldest registered breeds in the world, and they originated in a very hot and dry climate, where size is not an advantage. For instance, deer in Florida are small, almost dog-like, while deer in Maine are much larger, same breed. Same goes for all creatures. Specialized breeding has definately created strains of larger Arabs, but the oldest bloodlines (the ones still being bred in the desert) produce small, dainty, self-managing and hearty creatures.
The thing about arabs having one less vertebre has been debnked recently in one of my Equus magazines, as well as the one about not giving a hot horse cold water. I still don't feel right about giving a hot horse cold water, but science seems to say otherwise. The one less vertebre has a specific medical term, and it is found in all breeds, perhaps more prevelent in Arabs. That is what the experts say, at any rate.
Blessings to all!

[luvs2ride1979]

Yup, I know quite a few that are in the 15.2-16h range. It all depends on their bloodlines and parents.

That said, when they were bred by people, Arabians were a desert horse. They were bred for traveling long distances (for travel and for war). To do that in the desert, they had to have a good lung capacity and endurance. Typically, larger horses do not have as much endurance as smaller ones, due to weight and size of the muscles. The larger the muscles, the more energy it takes to move them. Also keep in mind that the people breeding them were little people, lol.

We are seeing larger Arabians now, average 15h, but because they do not allow cross breeding to remain a pure bred Arab, it's taken a very long time to get more size out of them.

I like a smaller horse myself, eventhough I'm not a small girl, lol. It's less distance to fall and most smaller horses are "handier" than larger ones. An Arab can pull off a quick side pass, turn on the haunch, or other quick manuver needed to get out of a bind a LOT easier than a tall lanky 16h TB.

My current mare is a 15.2h VERY stocky Appaloosa. Riding her is like riding a battleship, lol, a supple and responsive battleship, but a battleship none the less. My fiance's horse is a 15.2h Anglo Arabian (TB/Arab) and riding him is like riding lightning! You can put him wherever you want him in a flash! And you better be ready for it, because his reaction time to cues is about a nanosecond, lol. They are both very fun to ride, but for very different reasons :p .

[luvs2ride1979]

also, think about where Arabians originated... Arabia... if you get a big ol' hulking quarter horse out there chances are he isn't going to last that long (don't say "well Hidalgo did it..." yes, he did do it, and look at the shape he was in when he was done...) Arabians are bred to be more compact so that they can move easier in the sands of the desert and use up less resources to stay healthy... not so with poor Shazzy, lol, I think he eats more than my thoroughbred... haha

The real life Hildalgo was also a MUSTANG and did not resemble the horse in the movie at all, except in color ;). Most wild caught Mustangs are short with compact frames and dense bone. They are very similar to Arabians in structure, but with thicker bone. Of course, there are exceptions because of domestic horses intrucduced to the wild, either on purpose or accidentally. A friend of mine has a BLM branded gelding that looks like he has quite a bit of draft in him!

[mhoney05]

ya my mustangs about 15 hands (she looks like a monster from the mustangs ive seen) but i like smaller horses too..... for the same reasons. easier to move around unlike thos big stocky quarter horses i used to ride :rolleyes: but ya i think its just the breed.