Spin Doctor is built very much like my purebred Arab gelding only a hand taller. Actually, I feel my guy moved better than Spin Doctor. He was softer in the back and more elastic. Sherm’s canter was very nice. Maybe they get overlooked because they aren’t quite as typey?
Susan
I think you and I are in violent agreement. I acknowledged the fact that the listing was, well, not exactly worthless, but underlined the need to look at the horse in front of you. Plus notice I did not link to the article as it is pretty old.
I don’t know if anyone is trying to compile a useful sire list now. As you are well aware, the Arab sport horse world has become much more established and people are purposely breeding for sport rather than just showing whatever seems to fit the sport horse bill. Seems like someone would be working on it right?
Just another vote for looking at a mustang, I totally lucked into this little 3yr old and I can’t get over his canter. Time will tell what he wants to be when he grows up but he just canters up into your hand, isn’t spooky, trail rides well and is just the best.
I only read about 30 responses, so I hope someone mentioned Dr Hilary Clayton and her success through the upper levels with her Michigan State University Arabs. I’ve been to a few clinics and watched her ride lovely Arabs.
We didn’t, but we should have!!! Thanks for bringing her up. I have followed her research for decades and have been inspired by her success in the ring with her Arabians.
When you say bring up the levels, what level do you wish to achieve?
Third at minimum. Would love to hit fourth and PSG.
I know of a arab/warmblood cross for sale. Pm if interested. I am no way connected other than haven been the saddle fitter and I hope this doesn’t count as advertising. Let me know if it breaks the rules and I will delete.
Many moons ago I had an instructor who had a purebred Arab mare that went to PSG
And I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t mention Elaine Kerrigan’s KB Omega Fahim who is a grand Prix Arabian stallion. You can find YouTube videos of his performanes
There is no reason an Arab could not achieve PSG…or higher.
Carl Asmis on the stallion Rafmirz
Back in the day Arabs were highly sought after
I agree! I only specify because someone asked and because people have recommended breeds I think are more suitable for the lower levels. Of course there are unicorns in every breed but I’m not the biggest risk taker.
Well…I was addressing your original post
At the “lower levels” the ga-boing warmblood gaits will buy you points.
But if you want a horse to take to PSG, you will need a horse with innate athletic ability…and probably a hotter temperament than your typical lower level horse. The fact that Arabs are out of favor helps you in the checkbook department.
Even though I owned a 17’3" hh Hanoverian, I’m not a fan of big horses. The 15hh horse is perfectly suitable.
Seldom Seen, the Connemara-TB cross ridden to GP by Lendon Gray was only 14’2’’
I would not rule out an Arab or Arab cross.
IIRC, Gail Hoff-Carmona got her Gold medal on Serr Maariner, whom Major Carmona trained to GP.
Fine people those, I worked with them decades ago, very accomplished arabians.
Jack LeGoff used to come by and also judged some of their competitions.
I wanted to share another lovely Arabian that is showing as an eventer that is qualified to go CCI***. I believe most of his show career has been with a youth rider as well.
He’s Straight Spanish and is in Austria, but it does demonstrate a lot of the lovely trainability of the Spanish Arabian.
More info for those interested on Gail Hoff and Serr Maariner
There is a big difference in competing at 3rd level and FEI PSG for many reasons but one of the largest being a horse’s ability to collect at the PSG level. Most compliant, well conformed horses with a good work ethic can reach 3rd level and 4th level work. Also, the level of competition raises drastically in the quality of horses competing at 3rd/4th level compared to FEI PSG. If you are someone that wants to be competitive at PSG, you’re going to need a horse bred for the sport IMO.
Can some Arabians be competitive at PSG? Sure. But it’s going to take a horse that is conformed in a way that is conducive to dressage and that is not necessarily the average Arabian. You really need a horse that is naturally uphill with a very good ability to sit at PSG. You also need a certain level of suspension within the gaits and very good adjustability. If you are someone that can pick out a good dressage prospect based on conformation, movement and trainability, than I’d say look at any breed horse and find that. But if you don’t have that ability or a trainer than can, you are better off pursuing bloodlines that have been proven in dressage, even if you are looking at a WB or PRE cross. There are deviations in conformation in every breed and some of those deviations make the horse more suitable for dressage so theoretically you can find good dressage horses within most breeds to a certain level.
Look up Bakersfield Dressage. She got her bronze medal on her Arabian years ago. Her current blog is about a newer horse that you can still read about Speedy!
I will tell you the same thing I told someone up-thread, which is that preaching about being competitive in the upper levels both comes across as patronizing, and that the only person you’re competing against in dressage is yourself yesterday. I find this POV cynical and kind of dismissive. I think everybody who’s ever showed a horse outside of local schooling shows that wasn’t a warmblood knows how often you get, “Oh, if you only had a warmblood…” I’m not warmblood shopping. I’ve spent the past few years going through training leases and “flipped” a couple of horses and know what I like-- small and smart. I’m partial to PRE/Lusis but priced out of most of them.
“You need an uphill horse and good gaits for the upper levels.” Yes, obviously. My long, downhill, pleasure-bred appendix did a crappy imitation of the third level movements. We’ve been discussing what Arabian traits are/are not desirable in sport horses and there’s a pages-long discussion about functional conformation for dressage in the mustang thread. The point being that if the horse won’t be able to do the upper levels, if it’s relatively safe and sane, there’s a neverending market of adults looking for a 2nd/3rd level horse. Also if your trainer can’t look at a video of a horse in your particular sport and tell you if it may or may not be successful, get a new trainer.
If I had endless money and wanted to score high seventies under the lights in Wellington I’d buy a Helgstrand warmblood. Good grief. Rant over. Sorry not sorry.
Sorry to see you are so triggered for a reply that you asked for. You asked about challenges, I mentioned them. You specifically stated you wanted to compete at PSG. You are going to need a horse geared for it. That is a reality, not “cynical or dismissive.” But if you want to clutch your pearls, you go right ahead.
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