# Arabian Mare Conformation



## Ellieandrose (Apr 27, 2012)

Her neck ties in quite high on her chest.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Slightly longer pasterns make for a comfortable ride. I avoid short, steep pasterns like the plague;-)
Deep barrel/ chest= lots of room for heart and lungs. You want, and would expect that from a racing- bred Arabian. ;-)
Nice girl!
Glad to see she really comes more after her Polish ancestors


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

deserthorsewoman said:


> Slightly longer pasterns make for a comfortable ride. I avoid short, steep pasterns like the plague;-)


This, this, and more this!! My mare, love her, has super short pasterns and oh my word. Roughest ride out there. 
She has a lovely canter but her trot is like riding a jackhammer, especially since she has a nice long stride and that Arab "bounce". Even her WALK is rough! :lol:

I would definitely say that her pasterns are within the range of "good". You wouldn't want them to be much longer than they are but you wouldn't want them to be much shorter either!

Her neck does tie in high, but my mare's does too and she has no issue getting and keeping her head down at a "pleasing" level. My girl'll never be a peanut roller but she'll never whack me in the face with her neck either. :wink:

I really like her nice short back and her lovely shoulder angle! 
This picture seems to be a little angled so her rear end is probably more substantial than to appears. Due to the angle, I believe, her rear end is my least favorite thing about her. But I bet that it's just the angle playing tricks and she;s rally more proportional.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I agree with Wallaby. This is a nicely built mare. She is very sturdy looking. her pasterns are in porportion with the rest. Super nice hooves, low knees and hocks. good coupling. 

She is , however, on the edge of being overweight. I can see she has some "butt pillows". Keep her fit and trim and I bet she'll stay sound for years and years.


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Thanks a bunch guys! Much appreciated.

Her trot is super comfy and easy to sit! :smile: Her canter needs a little work; gets her leads right but feels unbalanced and wants to drift towards the center of the arena.

She is a bit chunky. I think she might have a more "squish" over her ribs than she's supposed to... I was told she was an easy keeper. :lol: Now that we have more daylight she will be ridden more and more. I already have two clinics and a LD endurance ride (with the help of someone more experienced thank goodness!) in a few months in mind so it's time to get her in shape and hopefully I can meet those goals!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

I hesitate to comment on Arabians as I really do not like the breed for the most part. HOWEVER, this horse is quite nice. Has decent bone, CORRECT pasterns and her shoulder lays back like a dressage horse. She has the typically short Arab back and IMO uncharacteristically well developed hind quarters. She is straight through the hocks and I wish she has larger hocks places a bit lower. Her neck is short. In this photo it looks like her neck is muscled on the underside which indicates she probably likes to travel high headed with a hollow back (and this is an Arab issue). She looks to have decently sized feet. 

Is she Polish or Egyptian bred?

And yes.. she could stand more riding time and less eating time.


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Elana said:


> I hesitate to comment on Arabians as I really do not like the breed for the most part. HOWEVER, this horse is quite nice. Has decent bone, CORRECT pasterns and her shoulder lays back like a dressage horse. She has the typically short Arab back and IMO uncharacteristically well developed hind quarters. She is straight through the hocks and I wish she has larger hocks places a bit lower. Her neck is short. In this photo it looks like her neck is muscled on the underside which indicates she probably likes to travel high headed with a hollow back (and this is an Arab issue). She looks to have decently sized feet.
> 
> Is she Polish or Egyptian bred?
> 
> And yes.. she could stand more riding time and less eating time.


Thanks for the input! She is French and Polish bred. 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think both her French and Polish breeding is why she has a little more bone and, as deserthorsewoman said, her deep barrel/chest is from her French racing side from her Sire. From what I've gathered, Egyptian Arabians seem to be a bit more sleek.

Yeah I noticed the muscling on the underside of her neck as well. A total upside down neck is one of my biggest fears. :shock: I'm trying to come up with exercises to get her working from behind with a level head and round back. Started trot poles and cavaletti recently and that will be a normal exercise for us, as well as lots of transitions, more circles as I feel her become more balanced, and of course time on the trail! But despite her thickness, I'm actually finding it a little difficult to really get her heart rate up and a little sweat going with our normal routine! I need to add something with a little more vigor it looks like.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Houston said:


> Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think both her French and Polish breeding is why she has a little more bone and, as deserthorsewoman said, her deep barrel/chest is from her French racing side from her Sire. From what I've gathered, Egyptian Arabians seem to be a bit more sleek.


I'm not super familiar with French Arabs but, imo, she looks very Polish to me. They were bred for racing back in the day (maybe FA's were too?) so tend to be a whole lot sturdier than your average Egyptian Arab. 
I tend to think that Polish Arabs often end up looking like QH/Arab crosses - in a good way. Their bodies are often "QH-y" and sturdy but then they usually have these attractive Arab-y heads that make you stop and say "THAT is not a Quarter Horse!!" :lol: 

My girl is mostly Polish-bred and I adore them. Not a huge fan of the more "created" strains of Arabian (like Egyptians), that's for sure. :wink:


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

Wallaby said:


> I'm not super familiar with French Arabs but, imo, she looks very Polish to me. They were bred for racing back in the day (maybe FA's were too?) so tend to be a whole lot sturdier than your average Egyptian Arab.
> I tend to think that Polish Arabs often end up looking like QH/Arab crosses - in a good way. Their bodies are often "QH-y" and sturdy but then they usually have these attractive Arab-y heads that make you stop and say "THAT is not a Quarter Horse!!" :lol:
> 
> My girl is mostly Polish-bred and I adore them. Not a huge fan of the more "created" strains of Arabian (like Egyptians), that's for sure. :wink:


French Arabians also seem to be mostly used for racing from what I've been able to find. Her Sire, full sister, and I'm sure many other relatives are French bred and have been on the track. But her uncle (full brother to her sire) is quite the accomplished show horse!

Egyptian Arabians are pretty in their own way, but I do prefer the sturdier bodied Arabians such as Polish lines as well.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Houston, if you could post the link to her pedigree again, folks can click on pics of ancestors of her French side;-)
Besides the French, Polish and Russian Arabians are, or better were, until it started to become "type" only, selectively bred for racing, breeding stock had to prove itself on the track first, the ones who didn't make it were culled( or sold to America.....no kiddin'). Poles and Russians managed to keep the " pretty" in the fast horses, the French not so much. For me French Arabs resemble TB's more than anything. Glad this girl got a big heap from her mainly Polish side

She'll be coming in shape quickly when worked regularly.
For her neck, ground poles and cavalettis, yes, and lots of bending and turning. Never go straight. Circles, voltes, serpentines, shoukder-in and leg yields thrown in, never straight.


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## Houston (Apr 15, 2012)

deserthorsewoman said:


> Houston, if you could post the link to her pedigree again, folks can click on pics of ancestors of her French side;-)
> Besides the French, Polish and Russian Arabians are, or better were, until it started to become "type" only, selectively bred for racing, breeding stock had to prove itself on the track first, the ones who didn't make it were culled( or sold to America.....no kiddin'). Poles and Russians managed to keep the " pretty" in the fast horses, the French not so much. For me French Arabs resemble TB's more than anything. Glad this girl got a big heap from her mainly Polish side
> 
> She'll be coming in shape quickly when worked regularly.
> For her neck, ground poles and cavalettis, yes, and lots of bending and turning. Never go straight. Circles, voltes, serpentines, shoukder-in and leg yields thrown in, never straight.


Here's her pedigree: Chador Arabian

I'm glad she got a good chunk of Polish genes as well! She has a pretty little face. Not a dramatic dish like some halter horses of course but there is no mistaking she is Arab!


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