Thursday, December 29, 2011

Arabians: Conformation, Craziness and Love



Arabian horses have a certain something. The high tail carriage, the delicate yet noble head, the refined body-- these features combine to make the breed instantly recognizable. Oh yeah, and of course they almost always have "interesting" personalities.

Arabians are often described by their fans and owners as "intelligent," "strong-willed," "spirited,"  and "energetic." Every Arabian I've ever met can be described as... "reactive." Or maybe, "bat-shit crazy." I gave the breed a pretty good shot, and I don't think they're necessarily bad horses. They're just... wound a little tighter than other horses.

Despite my dislike of the breed, however, I continue to fantasize about them. There's that certain something, and they're gorgeous- plus, Arabians are easily one of the best available breeds for endurance, the sport I adore. That's why it's especially disappointing to see Arabians like the one below.



According to this guy's Craigslist ad, he's a "striking" Arabian gelding that's "correctly built." Well, they got the first part right. He's striking for sure-- downhill, camped out, upright rear pasterns... the only thing nice about him is his shoulder. The picture is fairly poor quality, so it's hard to tell, but those front cannons look rather iffy as well. He's broke to ride, but apparently has no show record or other achievements to his name. How much is the owner asking? $3,500. Why? I dunno.

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