Poland's favorite, Equator, was awarded second. I don't think he presented that much better than his uncle Wadee (and it's interesting to me that there is so much animosity, when the horses are so closely related).
For some reason Equiborn got third and although he's also Polish bred, I didn't like him much. In my notes from earlier, I'd found nothing wrong with him except possibly rump high, but nothing special either. I'm sure in real life he's awesome. He shows that thick fat neck I hate in Arabian stallions, that Kabsztad does not have.
I am no expert, I just look at horses, but I prefer a neck with a throatlatch attached, a "hook" if you will, between the neck and the head. I like to look at a horse and imagine that it is possible for it to lower its face and eat grass. (Which every day my donkey amazes me by this feat.)
Well then....
Facebook erupted with cries that Equator was the rightful winner, and the judges are corrupt.
I was amazed to see that I know one of the judges! I've been to Sylvia Garde Elehrt's fancy farm 3 times, each time, shopping for a horse. I almost ended up with a son of Aga Khan, one of her stallions, though when I met his barn mate Nagadir, late in age, I was floored, he was the epitome of type.
I stood with Nagadir in his stall, unwilling to leave, while Sylvia tried to get me over to Aga Kahn, her favorite stud. This one was better, just, much older. I love him, but as shown in the link above, he's a carrier.
If you read my blog way long ago, you remember me buying a halter for Amja, the bay beauty, Aja Kahn's son, that had a heart condition so was no longer for sale. In this same barn as these exquisite stallions was an empty stall.
On the door across the aisle was a stall with a plaque, "Kilimanjaro." He lived right there, after importation from Russia in 1970. He was in my magazines as a kid, and this lady's breeding farm is based on him. They called him Kili. No horse will use the stall again.
What is interesting to me is how the European (and American) horses are simply horses brought out of Egypt, and then the Europeans enjoy specializing them. Nothing wrong, just some people say the Europeans' path was impure. Wanna see!? Link (scroll down to controversy) Almost every horse has Skowronek in its pedigree, but since there was a paperwork glitch, many say these Arabians are not pure (asil). My horse falls into this category, a purebred, registered Arabian, but not considered truly pure. There is a purity society in the Arabian world, keeping track of the few that are Skowronek-free.
My dear Mag is not invited to their club.
I'm always puzzled by the fact that in America in that century, Thoroughbred race horses' pedigrees were so much more accurate. If you own a TB, you can get his records back to the founding of this nation. If you own an Arabian, *shakes head sadly*. The Arabian: The world's oldest pure breed of horse. Just, without written proof of the purity. Am I wrong? How far does your Arab's pedigree go back?
***
Aarene asked about the disease I've been rallying against. About the disease carriers.
This judge, Sylvia, her horses belong to that group, cuz they are all straight Russian Arabians, and they are where the disease congregates. And like Al-Marah and Ansata back home, she doesn't worry about it. Al- Marah has behaved shamefully.
Remember Wizsi? The big bay Russian Arabian mare I made an offer on, after falling in love in 2011. I couldn't afford her. And her legs were terrible so that's probably good. But I wanted her as much as I wanted Amja. Do you remember, I posted photos and videos of me riding both of them, both from nearby Russian Arabian farms. I was in love with Wizsi, but they wanted nearly 7K Euros for her, and sweet she was, but fugly too.
I keep being drawn to these powerful Arabians, but now I'm fascinated with Polish lines, even though it's only luck that keeps them pretty much clean of this disease. What disease?
http://www.cerebellar-abiotrophy.org/
That's the website, and I want to reiterate that there is a genetic test available to screen for it, since 2009. So no more excuses. Germany requires all breeding stallions to be tested and the results be posted publicly.
I've seen carriers from the barns I shopped at -,those studs from the Russian Arabian farms I frequented are on this list.
***
I'm sad Kabsztad did not win yesterday, but I'm thrilled to have seen him at a big show, and it makes me wonder why Mag was so inexpensive (for Germany).
On facebook today was a list of the 10 judges, and who voted for who. Only two voted for Equator. Everyone else, Sylvia included, put the Al Shaqab horse down to win.
***
I look at Mag and say, "You're just as good as your dad, and your brother."
I told J, "If I had a million dollars, I'd have Mag professionally......
cleaned...HAHA.....I mean trained....
and enter him in a big show that also includes geldings (they exist but are rare). And I'd put him in carriage training with a professional."
My husband said, "If you were a millionaire, you wouldn't be for long." Yah, horses.
I am also disgusted by other genetically testable illnesses that people just hope for the best to avoid, in all breeds. I'm also really interested in learning more about them, so please tell me in the comments if you have some science for me: )
***
My fingers can barely type right now cuz I just medicated Mag's back in the sleeting rain (sleet, not rain) and had to switch out his blanket for a dry one (I love having two for this reason). He seemed to snuggle right under it as I put it on him, as the sleet pelted my face. I took the scissors and cut out that chunk of mane with the huge mud clump. Sorry Mag, but it's icing out and I cannot stand in it to have a conversation with mane and mud witch twists. (Is that the term?)
***
Finally the Day of the Dead is behind us (yesterday) so I blew out my grave candles in the yard, and hung up some Christmas lights. The outdoor lights will wait till the sleet is over.
J said, "What is sleet? Did you make that up?"
I said, "I give you that, I make up words, but sleet IS a word."
Oh really, prove it......: ): ) So, I did.
We do have 100 words for rain in Seattle.
Aarene, I'm counting on you to remind me of more, cuz J is not convinced.
.JPG)
6 comments:
"Sleet" is definitely a word. Here are others: http://bit.ly/2zJMCec
RE: purity of breeding, I got nuttin'. Maybe this is an Arabian thing?
RE: disease, follow the money. It took SO LONG for quarter horse organizations to take action against the HYPP gene--and the paint organization still doesn't ban it, just has it noted on pedigrees. Because the effect of being a *carrier* for the gene (one copy, not two) is that the horse develops massive muscles, and that's what wins. I daresay there's a money component to this Arabian disease as well--and, as you observed, it's money that wins, not the superior horse.
RE: spazbot horse who won. His entire being was shouting "I DO WHAT I WANT" and yes, his handler was more of a sea-anchor than anything else. BUT the horse never once ran over the handler, and there was plenty of opportunity. I think that the horse has been trained to act this way. <shakes head)
Are any of the horses at these shows actually ridden? Like, ever?
I notice that the judges never touch them--smart choice, from a personal safety angle, but without actually putting hands on the creature, how much deception can happen? I'm guessing a lot.
SLEET!
I feel the same thing in the QH with their HYPP. Avoidable, but not.
Hey, I saw one judge touch one horse on the muzzle, I thought, "Oh, how cute!"
One thing I can assure- most of the Polish horses are trained first to the track. Cuz of MONEY. Not that it's all bad, just, Polish (and Russian) Arabians go to the track first, then they are shown.
No idea why Mag was not at the track. So many mysteries!
After a race record, they are not usually taken into performance classes, unless they come to America.
Mystery of all, for me: Bask. Slated to be gelded, slated NOT to be sold to America, but said to be the best influence on the Arabian breed of all time. How can that be? What? Did he have some sort of awesome hock/knee joint? Cuz I see nothing good.
He was a performance horse in America, but why was he so special, phenotype-wise?
OK, the video of the top stallions just makes me cringe. I know they want them running around like idiots, but damn that bad behavior. True, they don't run over their handlers, but still, this is what people think of when they say "Arabs are nutty." I'll take my sensible arab any day.
Interesting reading about the purebred breeding. I have no idea how far back my arab's pedigree goes, or if he's "pure," but that's just because I didn't buy for papers. I know many people do.
Your level of education in the Arabian world is astonishing. I love these knowledge drive posts as I learn a lot. I don’t follow the lines, so I have little to offer except that breeding selection is awful in all animals. My husband is a small animal vet and he gets so angry when breeders refuse to breed out hip, Heart, ear, allergy issues. It drives him crazy
I think Mag's face is prettier than his brothers. I thought his brother looked a little chubby too. And I am sure that Mag looks better wearing mud than his brother does. Poganinka looks like such a sweetheart. I wish you had her too!
Irish, you know, I can imagine why Lady Wentworth didn't care when people said her stallion was not pure. I mean, just look at him. There's no way he's half TB! He looks like the Gladys Brown Edwards image of the perfect Arabian.
Sara, I am just starting to learn about this stuff, the Internet makes it so much easier. I'm too embarrassed to speak up on any forum, because I'm such a newbie. My vet mentioned that too, about the dog breeders who keep breeding bad hips, etc.
Kbryan, you're so sweet. I see it too: ) I wish I could go to Poland and meet them.
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