Intro information takes forever before it gets down to the nitty gritty of showing.
It’s icky, I know. The horses are supposed to be “spirited” which in this case seems to mean have atrocious manners.
HOWEVER if you watch really carefully, the thicker-set bay horse who comes in around 5:00 is focused on his handler, and it’s pretty clear to me that the handler is cuing him to be “bad.” He does the same thing every time he’s asked to trot, for about the same amount of time. And those little trot circles with the reverse of direction? It’s a pretty classic exercise in the NH world. In fact, I do exactly the same thing with my mare – but she is much better behaved. :lol:
ETA: it’s also really interesting how much most of those horses calm down after the judge has looked at all of them, around 13:30. I see the handler of the chestnut petting him, a couple of bays on loose leads, and horses that stand in an ordinary position, not stretched out.
And note what happens with the grey who must have been reserve in the most classic head part when his groom (guy in white T-shirt) steps in during the photo session, and leads him out. MUCH improved behavior.
ETA2 for the bay: all the rearing and striking he does on his way out… I’m not sure if the trainer is cuing that or not … but at one point he passes the lead line OVER HIS HEAD, while the horse is up in the air. :eek:. … and watching him get his award, when he settles down he starts licking and chewing… and then poops… and walks away from there mostly on a loose lead.
Well, that was certainly an impressive display of…something
Not that AHA shows aren’t bad, but the Egyptian Event has always been a little “special”…
I’ll play, the game is “Let’s make fun of another discipline!” Right?
I don’t know what you all saw, but I saw some a class full of stallions who were allowed to trot/canter fairly freely at the end of a shank and ‘show themselves’. After that a slew of them stood in reasonably close quarters and didn’t holler or kick.
But, sure let’s make fun of how another breed shows their horses because it looks different than what sport horse people do.
:eek: Speshul fer shur. Yowza! Especially when Hunters are your thing…
Don’t forget, in watching this, that while there are some dark little secrets in Arabian showing, as a breed, they have a tendency to LIKE prancing around and putting on a show.
I loved my little Arab, he was smart and SUCH a ham. No “tricks” were required to get him to strut into the ring in his cable halter and basically pretend he was a kite on a string. He wasn’t as naturally showy as some, but even in the pasture his antics would make you roll your eyes. This also didn’t prevent him from being a perfectly calm, reasonable horse to handle. Arabians are really intelligent and trainable. Mine, even as a two year old, understood that when the cable/chain went on, it was SHOWTIME (JAZZ HANDS!!!) Apply a regular halter and he was pleasant and polite as you please.
I thought they looked really beautiful. It’s obviously a show and they are taught to act this way.
I prefer this over a lot of other things… Like painfully unnatural gaits or beating horses or forcing them to do things that we know could kill them.
[QUOTE=rugbygirl;8239434]
Don’t forget, in watching this, that while there are some dark little secrets in Arabian showing, as a breed, they have a tendency to LIKE prancing around and putting on a show.
I loved my little Arab, he was smart and SUCH a ham. No “tricks” were required to get him to strut into the ring in his cable halter and basically pretend he was a kite on a string. He wasn’t as naturally showy as some, but even in the pasture his antics would make you roll your eyes. This also didn’t prevent him from being a perfectly calm, reasonable horse to handle. Arabians are really intelligent and trainable. Mine, even as a two year old, understood that when the cable/chain went on, it was SHOWTIME (JAZZ HANDS!!!) Apply a regular halter and he was pleasant and polite as you please.[/QUOTE]
I’ve been working this arab/lusitano for my trainer while she’s out of town the past week or two. It’s given me a chance to look back and remember all the arabs I rode as a kid and really appreciate the breed in general. They are showy and flighty but they also have good heads and are really smart and can still haul little kids on their backs.
Yes, I helped prepped a young mare back in the stone age (1968 when I was 12) for halter classes, she was reserve champion in her class at the Richmond, Va Arabian Show and showed in Quentin, PA where we forgot to put on the fly spray and she could not stand still so did not place. There were no such dramatic classes like this, the stallions were showy but never out of hand. I think this stuff is counterproductive to the horse and really dislike how they constantly throw their heads up in the air because of the correction. I am always surprised that no one has been clocked in the head or cow kicked by a particularly “happy” stallion. These classes are like horse porn now.
This is the mare I knew,I helped to leg her up in harness, I rode her with a string over her chest and I also rode her foal Queen Anne’s Tifa. If I ever had a dream come true it would be to have a mare like Shah-Zelle,
[QUOTE=Calamber;8239452]
Yes, I prepped a young mare back in the stone age (1972) for halter classes, she was reserve champion in her class at the Richmond, Va Arabian Show and showed in Quentin, PA where we forgot to put on the fly spray and she could not stand still so did not place. There were no such dramatic classes like this, the stallions were showy but never out of hand. I think this stuff is counterproductive to the horse and really dislike how they constantly throw their heads up in the air because of the correction. I am always surprised that no one has been clocked in the head or cow kicked by a particularly “happy” stallion.[/QUOTE]
No, that happens. There are handlers who cross the line, for sure. There’s a particularly famous incident involving a particularly detested halter trainer that you can find by searching. The other nice part about Arabs, generally, is most of them will eventually get fed up if not being handled respectfully and they will make you pay for your ignorance.
[QUOTE=red mares;8239417]
I’ll play, the game is “Let’s make fun of another discipline!” Right?
I don’t know what you all saw, but I saw some a class full of stallions who were allowed to trot/canter fairly freely at the end of a shank and ‘show themselves’. After that a slew of them stood in reasonably close quarters and didn’t holler or kick.
But, sure let’s make fun of how another breed shows their horses because it looks different than what sport horse people do.[/QUOTE]
Yep. I see a bunch of horses who know EXACTLY what’s expected of them, which seems to be showing what I’d call “brio” (fire, action, etc) on a very long, loose, lead, then being expected to stand and set up in the way designed to show off their body type to its best advantage. (And God, I feel 424, the flea-bitten gray’s, handler’s pain…I have tried to set up a TB who just WOULD NOT SQUARE because eff you lady, that’s why and there’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you cannot touch the horse, you can’t really fix it, and the horse is just like "What? I like my feet where they are.) And God, 337 (bay with the stripe, nose strip and three whites) is gorgeous. I’ll take one, please.
At 1:43, I see the handler hit his stallion in the head. It is the first stallion in the arena. He is at the bottom of the screen, while the second stallion is being shown.
Another thing that bothered me a bit was the handler who wrapped his lead around his hand. I guess the halter would probably break if the horse took off.
[QUOTE=rugbygirl;8239485]
No, that happens. There are handlers who cross the line, for sure. There’s a particularly famous incident involving a particularly detested halter trainer that you can find by searching. The other nice part about Arabs, generally, is most of them will eventually get fed up if not being handled respectfully and they will make you pay for your ignorance.[/QUOTE]
Not surprising, any good horse will fight back if manhandled too much, but is really asking for it with the stallions.
I would have dismissed the handler at 1:48 for striking his horse.
Disgraceful.
fast forwarded through the rest.
Our old neighbors had Arabians and during the spring farm tours they would do an “exhibition” with this crap. My Dad, who was never that impressed with all the hunter stuff I did, summed up this mess perfectly:
“You’re a real special “Horseman” when your chasing your horse around with a bleeping Food Lion bag is considered showing your talent. They’ve got a multi-million dollar farm to work on THAT bleep?”
Didn’t watch the whole thing, just skipped around a bit…
I’m mostly impressed at how respectful the horses were while still acting like fire-breathing dragons. I suppose that’s the key word–act. They’re obviously high spirited, but they don’t stop thinking and paying attention. Wish my dimwitted (OTTB) gelding could handle multitasking like that :rolleyes:.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Arabian halter class, though my BF’s mother bred some very high end ones back in the 90s and went to the Egyptian Event several times.
Wow.
I won’t bash, because I am currently learning western pleasure, which is dragged through the mud on a regular basis - though I truly enjoy it and I’m not asking my horse to do anything unnatural.
My biggest complaint is what looks like the cue to square up and show. Are they using that whip towards their face to do that? Is that why the one early on got whipped in the face? I’m not understanding. I’ve shown mine in halter and we use the end of the lead line or a snap of the fingers to get their ears forward and expression “right”, so I get what they’re trying to do, but who decided that whip aimed at their head was the best way to get that reaction? (Example from Google Images of AQHA Halter with the lead rope example: http://www.ellisquarterhorsefarm.com/Boots-FEMWVC.jpg )
Obviously, they’re under control – if they weren’t I feel like the bridles would snap in two fairly easily – and you can tell they love their jobs, but what is with the face whipping cue. 
That’s not an “Arabian” halter class, that’s an “Egyptian Arabian” class, not even the same registry although some can be in both.
Not that the regular Arabian show Halter classes can’t be…entertaining…but these also usually show under saddle or in harness, usually there are quite a few more entries in the performance classes then in the Halter. The Egyptian performance classes are very small compared to their Halter numbers.
The Egyptian Event shares the KHP with a AA Hunter Jumper show most years, or has in the past, not sure about the last couple of years. Since I was there, made it a point to go watch those Halter classes. OMG, musical fanfares, velvet curtains hung from a proscenium arch that open to reveal each entrant, an introduction by the announcer, DRY ICE FOG. It’s quite spectacular, so are the velvet draped stalls with margarita fountains and live music. They put the SHOW in horse show. Regular Arabian shows are not far behind, especially the majors, but nothing like this Egyptian Event.
With the exception of the handler who seems to have hit the horse in the video, everybody knows exactly what they are doing and the object is to show off the horse. Funny thing, we get KHP visitors who see this and are totally enchanted by it then wander back to the H/J show to total boredom and no information so guess which one they want to buy???
I suppose the opposite end of this spectrum is the Western breed Halter classes. I’m sure the Egyptian fans view fat horses standing stock still with sequin trimmed handlers standing still for long periods of time with equal disdain:sleepy:
Its different. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Try to appreciate the difference. And shop some of their vendors, the jewelry is spectacular.
BTW, to stand an Arab up you pull them slightly forward to extend the neck. To shiw a stock breed you rock them slightly back to enhance the butt. Shown both, different technique, different goal. But the Ayrabs were a lot more fun to show.
The whip is not really flicked AT the horse. It’s a target type cue. You want their heads way up and you want them stretched with eyes and ears toward you. The way I was taught, we actually played a game with my horse, he had to touch the whip with his nose then got a treat. Then he had to stretch for the whip, and got a treat. Etc. Progressing to the point where he would assume “the position” and be attentive to flicks, to “reach” with his neck and ears. Sometimes if they get distracted (and even at small shows, the halter ring is pretty lively) you need to flick bigger, drawing their attention. The flicking object thing is really effective if it is trained. Some people also put crinkly stuff in their gloves, to make a suspicious treat-like noise which will refocus the attention. Even the Arab show photographers employ this, you get the awesome ears forward roses shot at regionals when the photographer’s assistant shakes the metal box of rocks.
Not saying that’s how all halter horses are trained, but the people who trained my horse and I have experienced success in the big American rings with their horses, so I feel pretty confident that this is kind of the general way the work goes.
