Hey Fizz?
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Re: Hey Fizz?
I have that book!
He showed that ONE time when he got here as an old guy right? and WON? No one had seen conformation like that before - in the book(!) LOL. They certainly would not pick him now.
And Ofir also was the grandsire of *Bask who undoubtedly is the most influential arabian stallion of this age.
[img]http://www.arabs-iowa.com/Bask12.jpg[/i…]
then what happened? They lower the camera angle and ta-da! flat croup: They also rode him park so I often wonder if that hollowed out his back and changed his rear end?
[img]http://www.arabs-iowa.com/Bask4.jpg[/img]
Another higher angle:
[img]http://www.arabs-iowa.com/baskin60s.jpg…]
Ofir -
[img]http://rtm-anglo-arabs.com/ofir.jpg[/img]
Ofir's sire
[img]http://www.arabs-iowa.com/Ofir6.jpg[/img]
When I've argued about how they've changed, a lot of things get brought up such as - the climate in the desert, what they ATE - dates and stuff? Goat's milk? not only are they different, but everything is different.....
Re: Hey Fizz?
It honestly made me kind of sick last summer when I visited the farm full of egyptians. The lady was spending inordinate amounts of money for imported semen and not even getting LFGs, just taking a shot. I think they were so line bred or so pampered or something, but they would not take. No telling how much money she had sunk into it. I mean, they were gorgeous from an "oil painting" perspective, but...I don't know. They all lived super posh lives, none of them were ever ridden, she wouldn't consider it. She showed them halter for a few years and then they were retired. Even her geldings. Now, the friend that brought me there had an egyptian, sort of a nut case, but she rode her! She went to local shows and yes, she did the halter classes, but she actually went under saddle and won. So hers, I liked ok, had the pretty face and was useful, but I didn't care for her personality.
Re: Hey Fizz?
Not sure about the eating dates thing, I think that was a myth made up, in all probability by the Arabs just for a laugh!!
After all, they had to truck food in for the camels, and they did not actually [i]live[/i] in the desert, per se, as, in those days at least, there was still land on the edges and at the oases, and they would pitch their tents there if they could.
If there had been enough water to grow enough dates to feed to horses, then there would have been enough water to grow rough forage.
Probably added dates to the diet and it got blown out of proportion.
I was not a lover of Bask/Witraz/ Wielki Slem, they are too heavy weight for me, and their heads were too plain.
Brilliant riding horses, those lines, and all have gone on to be prepotent sires, but in spite of their heads, not because of them.
I liked some of the Crabbet horses, yes, especially the "R" lines.
Re: Hey Fizz?
Do you prefer the 'old style' like Witez, Witraz and their sire, Ofir? I'll never forget reading the book "And Miles To Go" ... the story about Witez during WWII. Several yrs ago, when the Spanish Riding School came to America to tour, commemorating the 60th anniversary of their rescue with Gen. Patton, I attended and even met/spoke with Gen. Patton's grandson, who was the Guest of Honor that evening.
Witez II [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e…]
I had always loved the refined look of the Arab, but grew up hearing all of the 'crazy' Arab stories. When we moved to WA state, our landlords bred/raised Arabs, though they had been out of the business several years by the time I moved up there. I would go trail-riding with them several times a week on their Arabs - who were the most calm, steady and level-headed horses I'd met. Not calm, steady, level-headed [i]for an Arab[/i] ... calm, steady, level-headed horses [i]of almost all horses[/i] I'd known. I believe it *is* in how they are raised/used and in the bloodlines, though I never did know what their lines were. They were fabulous riding horses.