It has gone ‘pouff’.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8240031]
It has gone ‘pouff’.[/QUOTE]
Still there for me… I even refreshed my browser just in case.
Some of that video is nice: When the stallions are on a long lead with their necks all arched and they move out. Then they have the shank yanked and the nose is pointed to the sky and they pull back. I just have no idea why the do all the shanking, and they have been doing it for years.
The video is working for me. It doesn’t start until about 24 seconds.
Stupid question, I know, but is the judge dressed in middle eastern garb for the showmanship of it, or because he originates from the middle east?
[QUOTE=findeight;8239909]
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.[/QUOTE]
They are registered with the same registry as other Arabs in the US; however, participation in the EE is limited to horses acceptable to the Pyramid Society.
[QUOTE=twelvegates;8240065]
Stupid question, I know, but is the judge dressed in middle eastern garb for the showmanship of it, or because he originates from the middle east?[/QUOTE]
Looked up the judges and that would be Talal Al Mehri from Kuwait.
[QUOTE=twelvegates;8240065]
Stupid question, I know, but is the judge dressed in middle eastern garb for the showmanship of it, or because he originates from the middle east?[/QUOTE]
He’s from the middle east.
My good friend and barn owner has shown a few of her horses at this event. Apparently it is a heck of a party!!!
Her (drop dead gorgeous) 3 year old won his halter class this year. Check out his entrance at 0:50 (number 210) He had some serious style. And yeah, they want them UP when they enter to really catch the judges eye. All part of the show!
The barn has a small herd of his siblings, and they are an absolute hoot in the pasture. After all, there is no point in walking sedately to the water trough when you can run! and squeal! and head toss! and rear! and snort and blow! Showtime all the time with those horses.
Y’know, I’m a dedicated hunter-jumper person, who can watch an entire conformation hunter class fascinated, and…
I think these things are really cool. Yes, they’re presenting VERY differently from how we show in hunterland, but it’s a good show. And I don’t see anything from a quick survey of the video that makes me scream ABUSE or BAD MANNERs.
Sunsets, your friend’s colt is gorgeous, and during the entrance I thought his handler the best one between both classes linked here. When he was standing the colt up, though, he started yanking on that chain. I don’t get it. Under the chin chains are going to make the horse throw their head up and back away. If you want them to do that to reset their feet, well, once should be enough. I see how they’re using the whip; that makes sense, but the yanking is too much IMO.
I really enjoyed their entrance, when the colt worked around him without ever getting his face snatched.
Yeah, I don’t get the chain yanking either 
.
His handler has a great story - he worked his way up from stablehand at the show barn in Waco. It’s clear he’s got a nice rapport with the horses and that they are familiar with him.
That colt (his name is Mantis) - from the day he was born he had “it”. You could tell. His full siblings are nice, but he’s something else.
Nice to hear about the handler 
Wow. I feel like I just walked into The Black Stallion Returns. When the winner of the race got his choice of the others’ horses.
I’ll take any of these guys anyone wants to give me! But that bay roan … wow. Just wow.
First let me say I own and adore an Arabian. I love the breed but feel it is the halter classes that have lead to the negative stereotypes that as a dressage rider I try very hard to dispel.
I live in Scottsdale AZ the Mecca of the Arabian horse and I have seen first hand the truly awful things some halter trainers do to get their horses ready for shows. Some might argue it doesn’t rise to the level of abuse, but cruel nonetheless. Ever wonder why Arabians hold their tails high in classes? A burning agent is smeared around their but holes…doesn’t sound nice, but it is done. Trainers are always looking for a new agent that doesn’t show up on testing. (It’s against the rules but still done). A real eye opening experience is watching the in gate. “Brio” is created by having a groom literally scare the crap out of a horse by whatever means necessary, cracking whip, bags etc. as the handler leads them in. I can’t stomach when they do this to the yearlings. It’s easy to understand why some halter horses are neurotic, spooky, head shy the list goes on. The stallion classes usually draw the biggest crowds. The handlers are purposely standing too close to each other to try and create a stallion rearing/striking show down. Unfortunately this image of the crazy eyed halter horse is what many people believe all Arabians are like.
I’ll chime in on the chin chain. For the record, I have never shown Arabians, although I have shown Miniatures/Ponies but we use the same show ring procedures and exact same halters and sometimes the same trainers. 
You use the chain to get them up, rock back on their hocks, drop their backs and get off you. But if you do it too hard/too much, they’ll suck back and sort of fall apart. There’s an art to using the chain.
Some handlers really overuse the chain (sort of like some riders use a horizontal curb), but othertimes when you’re standing at the end of the lead you can see the horse really about to squirm or wiggle or come forward too much or leeeeeeeeean. They can also be leaning on the chain, playing with their lips or about to tilt their heads and generally being pills. It can be hard to see from the spectator side, especially if you’ve never been at the end of the lead.
You can arrange the chain so that if you snap it, the chain doesn’t actually hit them under the jaw. The show chain slides through the cheekpieces. This puts a length of chain against the jaw, and two dangling ends.
If you buckle the lead to the dangling ends, it puts the loop up against the jaw and you can snap them. But if you buckle the lead through the dangling ends AND the loop under the jaw, you can pull down DOWN and it will just bump the nose (and not snap the chain against the jaw) If you snap OUT, you will pop the lip with the end of the chain and buckle.
If you look carefully at the video, you’ll see most of the stallions use the double loop and are not actually getting snapped with the chain under the jaw.
I did see two handlers being REALLY rough with their horses and really abusing the chain.
[QUOTE=rugbygirl;8239931]
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. [/QUOTE]
I was taught this as well. The idea was to attract the horse’s attention and “dare” him to come forward a bit. “Dare” was the word used by the guy who explained it to me. FWIW, he was a good horseman. He kept his stallion in the barn with mares, rode him out even if that meant risking some dings here and there and lower placings in halter classes. That horse was kind, well-behaved and smart. They bred and managed their horses responsibly, always caring about the horse’s mind.
I just miss normal heads.
:{
[QUOTE=Haybert;8240542]
I just miss normal heads.
:{[/QUOTE]
:applause::applause::applause::applause:
I said the same thing just last week!
I came across a picture of Aladdin last week. He was a pretty horse & looked like a horse.
[QUOTE=JLR1;8240371]
First let me say I own and adore an Arabian. I love the breed but feel it is the halter classes that have lead to the negative stereotypes that as a dressage rider I try very hard to dispel.
I live in Scottsdale AZ the Mecca of the Arabian horse and I have seen first hand the truly awful things some halter trainers do to get their horses ready for shows. Some might argue it doesn’t rise to the level of abuse, but cruel nonetheless. Ever wonder why Arabians hold their tails high in classes? A burning agent is smeared around their but holes…doesn’t sound nice, but it is done. Trainers are always looking for a new agent that doesn’t show up on testing. (It’s against the rules but still done). A real eye opening experience is watching the in gate. “Brio” is created by having a groom literally scare the crap out of a horse by whatever means necessary, cracking whip, bags etc. as the handler leads them in. I can’t stomach when they do this to the yearlings. It’s easy to understand why some halter horses are neurotic, spooky, head shy the list goes on. The stallion classes usually draw the biggest crowds. The handlers are purposely standing too close to each other to try and create a stallion rearing/striking show down. Unfortunately this image of the crazy eyed halter horse is what many people believe all Arabians are like.[/QUOTE]
That stuff is absolutely not true of all Arabian handlers. The gingering/burning is against the rules, and if you’re aware of it going on, you should report it. People are punished for that. The hazing is something I disagree with, and refused to do with my horse. I mean, we did not exactly excel at halter, but some of the people who DO shared my outlook. There are LOTS of problems in the Arab show world, but gingering and hazing are two that the AHA actually tries to address.
My Arabian flagged his tail like a deer ALL THE TIME. I was taught by my mentors that they do it when they are alert and happy. What was really cute was when I had my Arab boarded with my young pinto stock horse. About the most mellow, stock horse stereotype you can imagine. When the Arab and him would get to playing, the pinto started to lift his tail too. Which looked REALLY funny. It just didn’t work on him as well, somehow… Lol
Also agree on the chain description. We connected ours so that it didn’t pop the horse in the chin at all, and couldn’t tighten around the nose. I used the lead to make the chain jingle under his chin, the noise usually got the result. The chain didn’t even touch him.
Are they breeding for taller Arabians lately? A couple of the stallions in that first class looked pretty tall. I guess I’m used to seeing really dainty 14 hand Arabians.
On other discussions, I have seen the same people complaining about bagging halter horses who drink the NH koolaid…
Don’t you think if they are bagged at every show and at home they just get used to it. And even if it is just at the shows, they would eventually get used to it. It is just a cue for them to get ready for the class.
Now I do agree that sometimes perception is reality and if it is truly scaring off people then it needs to be toned down as is happening.
Also agree there are bad eggs out there.But they are in every discipline and breed.
People seem to love to hate on conformation horses of all breeds.
