i don't get on with Arabs?

[raychell n red]

hi.
i've hear alot of ppl say they don't get on with arabs? what is ment by this exactly?
just my new (had him 2years) arab has been a whole can of worms. he's bolted with me twice now, last time i took a bad fall. am i not getting on with him? we seemed ok to start with. he was a whole lot more horse that i was used to but i was ready for that - and being a stallion too. ( but he is the most laid back stallion in the word)
i keep forgetting that he is watching me and evaluating me all the time. he is so quiet most of the time but then in a split second he will do something crazy.
i must admit he gave me 2 warnings before the last bolt, clear warnings which i ignored - i wont be that stupid again!!
any help advice etc gladly taken

[theprancingpony]

you're doing fine, just pay attention! i have an arab and she is definitely a hot one and is pretty sensitive to, well, everything. arabs are just intelligent and need to be handled as such. and they are spooky, as i'm sure you've learned :). but yeah, i think you're doing well. just make sure you keep up and learn!

[raychell n red]

thanks. i managed to get him out today, in a blustery gap in the rain. he was so busy looking around he forgot to spook at the puddles and walked straight through them!
i want to do endurance with him, like the golden horseshoe, so i'm not going to give up yet. one day i hope to do the cross desert race with him.
at the moment i'm happy to go on a short walk down the lane and back, i get the same sense of acchievement!!

[Manda]

Arabs are difficult horses to begin with. With their hot temperments and "snobbiness" if you will. I wouldn't get discouraged, it just may take some time. You seem to have realised where you went wrong before, so hopefully you can use that to start moving in the right direction. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[raychell n red]

i took him out today. a couple of things were going on - several cars, man up ladder in tree cutting tree down - and Red got over excited. so i jumped down, and took him into a gateway to settle him down. he looked straight at me - and bit me! he's not a biter by nature, it wasn't aggressive, more naughty. i looked at him and he backed away.
how cheeky. a few montha ago my riding instructor said i had discipline issues with him - i think shes right!!!!
he needs to understand that i'm in charge not him. now is that the arab in him or the stallion in him talking ?? :D

[Manda]

That's both. I would probably say it's more the stallion side, but both are contributing to his behavior I'm sure. I'm having the whole discipline issue with my 4 year old thoroughbred at the moment. Just speak sharply, and hit him (hard) when he needs to be reprimanded (I'm not sure I spelt that right) and he'll back off. It might take a few times, but eventually he should back down.

[miss martinrajus]

yeah i wouldn't so much hit him, but give him a good smack on the neck. never ever EVER hit him over the head. but it sounds like your good for him. if he is a stallion & is getting to much to handle, then you might want to get him gelded. heh geldings are calmer....sort of....lol.

[raychell n red]

i found an american web site from a guy who trains endurance horses. and took some of his approach as well as my natural horsemanship stuf and amalgamated it all with classic equitation. so i've been taking him out every chance i get, and walking him - with a helper for support - down the same path each time. at first he was all over the place, but he has remembered that going out is fun, he is not so heard-bound- and has started to enjoy going out, enen tho its only a 10min walk, and now wants to go further. some times i ride and sometimes i lead him. i am still too nervous really - he is much better behaved when i am on the ground - obviously he is far more aware of my nerves than i am.
lol - i wore a heart rate moniter the other day, and jusst leading him down the lane it was 140 bpm. but after realising how wound up i am over nothing, i have remembered the most obvious thing about horses ---
ENJOY YOURSELF!!!!!!!!
I think i got so focused on not being afraid after my fall, and so determined to go out riding to prepare for competing. and worrying about not controling him,, that i forgot that he's my friend, for life and that its far more important to enjoy your horse than anything else.
so for now im not going to worry about riding - if i feel like it i will get on, but if i don't i'm going to just enjoy his company, cause he really is a fantastic, laid-back, and loving animal - i just need to give him a chance to feel secure enough with me to shine :D

[aub TVF]

Hello,

Your question if I understand you correctly is why the Arabs have a bad name?... First and foremost in your circumstance... Why a stallion? They are such high maintence no matter what breed... Unpredictable, A lot of work in terms of housing, and you must always be aware of your surroundings... No matter how good he might be... Hormones can, and will be out of his control... Unless you have thougts of breeding...(which technology allows you to freeze seamen if you might be interested in breeding in the future) I might suggest you geld him... It is just not worth the unpredictablity... I think this might have a bit to do with the bolting as well... As to the Arab name? I too have always known them to leave a bad taste in ones mouth.. Mostly I will say because I ride hunter jumpers and you do not see much of that breed... Having said that... I think much of the bad rap might be hoop lagh.. I know that the world beaters in endurance are arabs, they also excelle in drassage as well as driving... Having not worked with them much... I think they, like the thoughbred are a bit high spirited and just need to be worked with... They seem to be quite talented as long as they are in their own rehelm... Good Luck...

[arabianwoods]

Horse Breeds are as individual as each horse, and each have there own personality. Breeding Arabians, Paso Fino's or any breed that Requires a motor for the particular discipline such as Endurance or Fancy Footwork to create this type of riding requires a powerful churn of motor and tons of stamina. Just like the cow horse needs to have the power for there turns and a quite meandoring demeanor to approach there herd of cows without frightening them.
In searching out the traits unique to the individual horse and taking in the underlying breed specialties then creating a regimen that fits there particular needs.
It sounds like a ground work excersize program would solidify your partnership with your horse would be your first step to success.
Stallions especially need to be kept busy, they are only domesticated by our training and the seperation from the herd.
You are on the right track, also, if you have a trainer in your area that is fluent in the good training habits I would suggest getting together with them and setting up a consistant lesson program to keep you on the right track.
Goodluck in your indevor,
Donna

[StarGirl]

hi.
i've hear alot of ppl say they don't get on with arabs? what is ment by this exactly?
just my new (had him 2years) arab has been a whole can of worms. he's bolted with me twice now, last time i took a bad fall. am i not getting on with him? we seemed ok to start with. he was a whole lot more horse that i was used to but i was ready for that - and being a stallion too. ( but he is the most laid back stallion in the word)
i keep forgetting that he is watching me and evaluating me all the time. he is so quiet most of the time but then in a split second he will do something crazy.
i must admit he gave me 2 warnings before the last bolt, clear warnings which i ignored - i wont be that stupid again!!
any help advice etc gladly taken

I just have to say, stallion or not, any horse that bolts with you, or will do something crazy in a split second - is not a laid back horse. Geld him. You'll enjoy him much more and he'll be happier that his hormones aren't out of control, he'll be much more even tempered. :)

[kelly_tate]

Hey, I've got an arab x thoroughbred, had her 6months now, and she is progressively getting naughtier and naughtier as time goes by! She's very spooky, silly and also bolts, I find if i ignore her, sit quietly and don't interfere when she's tarting about she stops! not sure if it's going to get you anywhere but with K she mainly does it for attention, and the more of a reaction I give her the wrose she gets!

As for the bolting, not safe and not fun, The more you ask him to stop the more he'll go! Seems daft but I give K the reins and push her on, she soon stops when she realises that I'm asking her to go! And secondly does he do it in the same places? I've found alternating what i do where helps! I do alot of transitions out riding so Kharna doesnt expect that every time we go out it's to gallop, some fields we walk half then trot half, some we canter a couple of strides then walk the rest etc! It's alot of work but touch wood K hasnt bolted with me for weeks! And she is now constantly focused on me and what i'm going to ask her to do next!

Although if you follow any of my advice and it goes disasterously wrong dont sue me :rolleyes:

[raychell n red]

thanks guys.
with te bolting, i feel he just got wound up and as is in his endurance blood, he just had to run. for him it seemed the only way to calm his nerves! pushing him on wouldn't have helped that time he just won't run out of air - thats whay i obught him!!

but i am pleased to report that i have just collected him from the vets, after a week of being adored by the nursing staff at the hospital. he is now a gelding. but many of the 'problems' i have seem to be just the breed not the testosterone. but time will tell.
hopefully, as was mentioned above this will help him focus more on me and get less distracted, that would be enough
the groundwork is going to be my start point. i am very nervous of him taking off now. i ride a tb and she fusses with the bit and tits aboput, but i trust her and just sit quietly on the reins, but when he does it i clamp down, making it worse!! so, my aim is to wander round town lots showoing him as many sights as possible to reduce the chance of him having another panic attack.


yesterday morning he was laying down in his stable, so i went and sat with him scratching his head and throat. he streched his neck out, and fell asleep with his head in my lap! i hope i can learn to trust him as much as he does me!

[littlefilly]

I would seriously think about why you want a stallion and how experienced are you. You could get hurt. I was raised on a farm that had 92 arabs at a time. They stood 4 arabs all different types. I ended up with a Stallion named Terra Nova. He was was too much to handle so I weighed my options and gelded him. Best thing I ever did for that horse! He was able to enjoy life and be with his friends. He still had a stallion mannerism. Arabs are hot blooded and there stallions are even more so. They are very smart and you must have horse knowledge and experience to own a stallion. I prefer Quarter Horses anyway!