On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 01:43:41PM -0400, Karen Thomas wrote: > >>> *grin* i used to lease a good arab. she was plenty smart, but not, umm, > >>> very *sensible*, if you see the difference... > > My experience is that many/most Arabs reflect the personalities of their > riders/handlers, probably more than any other breed as a whole.
the arab's first owner was definitely afraid of her -- i'm told she was rarely ridden before i came along and (in-barn) leased her. she was also used as a lesson horse at the time, though i don't think that was a particularly good move for her. but the exercise definitely helped. i had a three-day-a-week lease, and when she was sold (and i continued my lease for several months) her new owner was a horse-crazy ten-year-old who rode every day. i don't think the horse became any more sensible -- any coke bottle or corner of the ring could suddenly turn on her, and if you sneezed while mounted she'd bolt -- but with more exercise and more love she definitely became a lot *happier*, and that was great. i really loved that mare, but i knew she wasn't going to be "the one" for me, which is why i didn't buy her when owner #1 put her up for sale. i sneeze once in awhile and i hate it to be a big deal to the horse. and she HATED trail riding, which i rather wanted to learn to do. (i admit i took this word on reputation, but the trails were a few blocks down the road, and i wouldn't consider her traffic-safe.) last i heard (xmas) she and her new owner were still very happy together, and the young girl had learned to negotiate princess's gazelle-like springy canter :) so it's all good. but i still think stjarni's more my type. > Icelandic's however, tend to be less honest with us, often swallowing their > feelings and keeping a stiff upper lip in spite of what happens to them. *grin* stjarni is extremely expressive, although extremely accomodating. our last ride out involved a lot of water crossings, and the tossing of the head and the bouncing of the rock-star mane! but i think he'd take all of maybe one step sideways or backwards, and if i just sat quietly and said "come on, love, walk on," he'd drop his head after a minute and and walk carefully through. --vicka
