I think there’s a horse personality for everyone. I will say I value talent for the job more than a cuddly personality, but that’s me. And I’m also very lucky because the Dutch mare I own now is the snuggliest, most personable horse I’ve ever had in 30+ years of riding. So they’re not all dopey and dumb. My trainer has a couple WBs that are absolute hams. There is truth to the old story about Arabians being bred to be “in the tent” and a lot of them are very personable and can be people oriented, so if that’s your thing, it can be great.
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Not with any sincerity. It’s likely for their lack of popularity but I have yet to see any at the upper levels in dressage. This horse would be expected to go third at minimum.
I like a thinking horse and a sound horse. And so many warmbloods don’t meet that criteria. If the right one came along, I would absolutely consider it, but big-brain sportscar types are definitely my preference. If it’s a mare, even better.
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Ha. I called my last Half-Arabian (and half-friesian) “Elva”. She wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she was like riding a sportscar.
I have ridden Arabians, half Arabians and Shagya Arabians all my life and the only thing that kept them from achieving the upper levels was my life circumstances…lack of support, $$, lack of access to an instructor that wasn’t 2 1/2 hours away, etc.
As others have said, no horse is perfect, but Arab bred horses have a lot to offer. My current mount is an Arab WB cross. She looks like a warmblood in an Arab suit. She is athletic, willing, forward, rideable, with 3 excellent gaits, a good mind, and sound. And she was wliling to bond with me.
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I’m not saying it’s the norm, but it’s not out of the question!
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OK, I wouldn’t have considered a mustang either, but go to the mustang forum here and look at some of those. They are all too small for me, but they have improved mightily over what they were a few years ago in terms of movement and balance. I am at a place where I am too old to tackle anything unbroke and not sure I’d want to start with feral.
I saw several nice Hispano Arabe in Spain, and not priced too high.
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I took a Anglo Arab to I1 and he was schooled through GP. Smartest, kindest horse I’ll ever have in the family. He took my daughter through 4th level as a young teen. He had a super canter. I suggest looking for a half Arab - there are a lot of affordable, rideable Arab crosses out there with 3 competitive gaits.
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Yes, @eightpondfarm and I have been discussing their functional conformation at length. I’m also not that excited about starting with feral and shipping them to me would be a big part of my budget already. So it just doesn’t make sense.
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Importing is way, way out of my budget.
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What is your budget, ballpark?
Less than 10k for a 3-4 year old. Not much in today’s market but things do seem to be slowing down and I’ve inquired about multiple that fit my budget but were too far away or didn’t seem like they’d be the right fit.
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I know Heather and Ernie! Small world!
Sheilah
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Not to derail this thread but Sheilah did you ever ride with either of them? I did and enjoyed them both!
I kept trying, but I did not have a trailer to get Noodle to one of them and the school horses were always booked when I was available.
I have sat in on Heather’s lessons and Ernie’s clinics.
Sheilah
I rode with Heather for about 3 years until she moved back to Oregon and my body fell apart 
. I loved her lessons. She was so good at diagnosing issues then prescribing exercises to help with said issues. My horse is an Andalusian/QH cross. No WB here. My sole WB was probably the least athletic horse I have had.
My first ‘real’ horse (one I purposefully bought when I got out of college) was a handsome Arab.
Mahogany bay with 4 socks and a blaze. Not the the most typey dude but gorgeous nevertheless. Oh and this was back in the 80’s. I took him and my trainer (just happened to be Ernst) to Albuquerque and the Arabian Nationals. Unfortunately, prior to the show he had some NQR episodes but none of the vets here could see anything. So by damned, I checked something off my bucket list. It showed up on our 10m trot circle right (2nd level) at the nationals but we competed and completed in 1st and 2nd level. He didn’t get rung out. He had a lovely canter (so said Hilda Gurney). Later he was diagnosed with early onset hock arthritis. I was able to re-home him with a friend who had a different gig for him…back country trail horse and he never let her down. His hocks fused and he had no problems doing this. He passed at 30yo.
My next horse was a Arab/Hanoverian cross mare but Sherm was the better horse both in conformation and movement (Polish bloodlines). I have seen some really nice crosses. You just have to look at the individual and not impulse buy like I did 
. I prefer the 15-15.2 sized horses. I have found the warmbloods just too much work for what my fragile body wants to do.
If I found another like Sherm and wasn’t on the high side of 60, I would snap them up in a flash.
Susan
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I lost my heart horse, a PB Arab gelding, when he was 25 years old. He has been gone for two years now. He was a wonderful para horse who never put a hoof wrong in the 17 years we had together. He was game for anything.
Sheilah
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I rode in several clinics with Ernst both at his place in Eagle and also at Joyce’s in North Plains. One weekend at his farm I got to use Skippy in my lessons. (was Spinaker sp?) the Arab cross?
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Very cool! I rode with him at Joyce’s also!
I hail from event world so I really can’t speak on pure dressage aptitude.
However! My lease mare is an Arab x Hanoverian, 15 hands of pure FUN. She’s spunky, athletic, smart, and fancy. Not to mention cute as a button 
someone upthread described their Arab cross ‘like riding a sportscar,’ and that definitely rings true for my girl too.
Sorry if this is not the most helpful in determining aptitude for dressage, but really she has made me a fan of the breed. Just a cool little horse all around.
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