Arabians...A few thoughts...

From Jim: When Donna and I were young, Arabians were pretty exotic critters. We were never in a financial position to even consider having one. We both went to Cal Poly, Pomona-home of the Kellogg Arabian herd. We enjoyed being around these great horses as part of the campus experience. I parked out by the the filly pasture and shared treats with the little ones. Times have sure changed and for horses, not for the best. We have a number of Arabians here at Home At Last. They represent many equestrian disciplines-Arabians are adaptable and do well at most everything. Because of their fine features and compact stature, some think of them as fragile. They are tough. They do well at endurance events, can be gifted at cutting, reliable as trail horses, excel at dressage and eventing, and so on. We've had many folks express a concern that Arabians are "high strung" or hot blooded/nervous/jumpy. We find them to be sensitive and responsive. They are willing learners and people oriented. We call them pocket Arabs-they'd get in your pocket if they could. It requires a quiet and gentle hand and non-reactive manner to get on well with these critters. Fire up on them and they'll match you every time. Stay calm and easy and they fall right into line with that. There's a lot of 1/2 Arabians out there. They cross well with most breeds. We've really appreciated our Quarabs, Pony of America, and Anglo-Arabs. The Arabian generally has great feet and teeth, a short strong back, well formed legs, a refined head, well set on a beautiful neck. They carry their tail up when traveling beyond a walk. We say they seem to just float! They are amazingly robust. They often live well into their 30's, even 40's. They don't do well on hot feed. Alfalfa is seriously suspected of creating gut stones in Arabians. They get by very well on a grass or grain hays. They are usually "easy keepers". I hope you'll get to know an Arabian or two, especially if you've had concerns about their disposition. They are a wonderful breed which produces great individual animals-Kind of like all the other breeds!