I was able to get his scores, and the names of the judges, from the discussion, and I really appreciate.
Scores are 10-20 so a 15 is a mid-score, and lately the shows I've seen, most of the horses get 15 on legs. And judges are scared to give lower (because of lawsuits, really?).
The highest and lowest scores are eliminated.
Two judges gave him 20 for his head! Two people out there believe a horse's head cannot get any better?! One person believed he "only" deserved a 19, his lowest head score.
When I was 17 a horse arrived at the stable where Baasha was bred. It was a young straight Egyptian stallion named Emir Ibn Farazdac and he was the loveliest horse I'd ever seen. I stood in his stall in amazement. I asked about him and was told he was there "in hiding." Why? Because he was at a funky color stage people didn't like at the time (rose grey). They didn't want anyone to see him until his color changed. I thought that was odd, but that's what I was told.
That's what I believe should have happened to the freak. He should have been tucked away somewhere to let his legs straighten out and his head flatten out.
Where they went wrong was to market him as "the best they've seen." So many Arabian breeders and enthusiasts are embarrassed and disgusted this week.
Looking at the records today, I saw that David Boggs did NOT in fact win every class he entered! I believe he won 3 out of 5. OK then: )
4 comments:
So, his head WILL flatten? How can you tell?
Not that I'm a huge fan of roman noses, but there's nothing wrong with a flat face (especially a flat face in a great big enormous head, but that's MY bias!).
Foals often have bulging foreheads that make them look Arabian even if they're not. Unless they're born Standardbred - they seem to be convex their entire lives. JK, newborn Standies also have big foreheads too...but not for long: ). Arabian foals have disturbingly large foreheads. (Which is why I think he'll grow out of it.)
Remember Konrad Lorenz? He theorized about this in humans and animals, how juvenile features arouse caretaking. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness
Did you see that video about why domesticated animals have floppy ears/shorter snouts/white coloration? I'm not sure it's real science. What do you think? https://youtu.be/R7flhfV31-0
That Arab is the strangest looking thing. The curved noses kind of freak me out sometimes. Mags is super cute in comparison!
The floppy ear/white mark thing is documented in the Russian silver fox experiments. Lots of data to support it, really fascinating stuff!
I'm trying to imagine a bulging head STB foal. So many of them have "banana-shaped" Roman noses as adults...which gives them a kind face, if not a classically beautiful one. I am vain and think that Fiddle's mostly-flat face is very pretty, but I have loved me some banana noses too!
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