Horses Arabian - What's your opinion of Arabian horses?

What's your opinion of Arabian horses?

I'm used to Quarter horses, but there's a lot of Arabians for sale in my area, and I'm considering getting one. I don't compete, I just do pleasure riding and trail riding. Would getting an Arabian horse be a good idea? Why or why not?

Public Comments

There are many arabian horses for sale in you area for a reason probably. They are absolutely lovely, athletic and graceful. However, they can be QUITE a handful and extremely difficult for someone that has only ridden mellow breeds like QHs. On the other hand, they are a marvelous challenge for the adventurous rider that desires to try their hand at energetic horses. I am not actually a fan of arabians myself though. American arabians have very dished faces and small brains (lol just my opinion) and I would rather ride a thoroughbred or cob. Go for the real-deal arabians, not the American version. That being said...I DO know some arabians that are lovely, kind tempered, and calm and I ride quite frequently. They can be ridden for quite a long time without tiring so they are good for trail riding and endurance racing. And the best part? They are very very fast :D so fun! When you buy a horse it should be your decision. If you would like a challenge and are up to riding for extended periods of time to use up the extra energy that arabians are famous for, and you really do find them beautiful, then you should go for it! -good luck
They're good for endurance. They tend to have big egos and spunky attitudes. In my experience they are not good calm trail horses. They like to go the distance and have boundless energy. I have never enjoyed their "quirks," but some die-hard arabian fans would say this is what makes them fun! :) I would say they take more patience if you just want a good trail horse...
i just do pleasure ridding to and i had a half arabian horse and he was good but i dont know about full blooded arabians my uncle had one and he said he did not like it because he carried his head to high but if you like horses to carry there head up high then thats fine because they are good authoer than that.
i have an arab they are great horses they have endless stamina they look beatiful too i love the way they trot they seem to float mine is 35 yrs old now but still thinks hes a youngster when he bolts around the field my heart is my mouth im scared he will have a heart attack he goes that fast he actually leaves my t/b standing when they start and my t/b is 11years younger if i could give some one advice id say go for it and they live along time too
Arabians are great horses they work very hard and are great horses to buy. All horses are great though you can't really judge by the breed. I mean you should visit first. And get to know the mare,filly's,foals,stallions, geldings or whatever is up for sale. Make sure you like the temperament of the horse first! Make sure you visit lots of different breeders aswell compare!
My opinion of Arab horses? Beautiful, good endurance horses, highly strung, bad all rounders. If you want a ploddy trail ride, Arabs certainly aren't what you're looking for. If you are desperate for an Arab, however, get a cross breed. x x
I'm a sucker for Arabians :) They are so much fun! But they aren't for everyone. If you want a horse with a bit of personality and attitude, they are amazing. They are extremely bright and curious, and will pick up on things very quickly... sort of like Border Collies. Sometimes they can be 'too smart for their own good' though, so be careful what you let them get away with! They are very sensitive souls and don't take much harsh treatment well, so being kind to them goes a long way. They are very good endurance horses, but you have to get used to their somewhat bouncy trot at first! Depending on their build, they can also make nice jumpers or dressage horses. Arabians will likely be a very different experience from your Quarter Horses. They are a bit more high strung, and tend to be flightier than the stockier QH's. Be careful of getting a poorly bred/trained Arab, though- that's asking for trouble! If the Arab has been mishandled in its past, it is likely that the breeds negative aspects will show tenfold, and you will end up with a skittish, flighty horse that is terrified of its own shadow. All that said, Arabs are one of my favorite breeds :) I personally think that nearly any breed can be greatly improved by crossing it with an Arab.
Arabians are very nice animals. There temperament can be quite hot at times. You have to be careful with them though they are very very smart. They learn bad habits so fast. If you get a young one that needs trained take your time with it. Do some reading up on them, ride a couple of them then make your decision.
I have known some Arabs that act like Quarter Horses and have known some Quarter Horses that act like Arabs. Yes, Arabs tend to have 'more energy' but all Arabs are not created the same. So to answer you question; Consider the 'Individual' horse, try them out, know their personal traits and base your decision on that instead of breed.
Arabs are very lovely, graceful, pretty... you get the picture. I used to ride an arab called catalina. She is very gorgeous and a very good jumper, but can be quite a handfull. They can be very headstrong. Maybe try loaning one or riding a local yard's one to get used to them before you commit completely. Good Luck! :)
depends on if they are western type or english type, in my opinion. ive ridden both, and if you want a trail riding arab, get a western type. they are much stockier, and arent as prancy.
I find that, honestly, Arabians are kind of useless. Now people, don't take offense to that. I just mean that, really, what are they good at? They're pretty, sure. They're great for showing in-hand. But what else? It's rare that you'll find an Arabian at the top level of any riding discipline. But Arabians are spunky, so if that's what you're looking for, I say go for it.
Well I have an Arabian mixed with Quarter Horse and she is great. I don't show or anything though. I would get one but that's me because they are one of my favorite breeds. A lot of people label them as "Crazy" but they just tend to have more energy and are more athletic, that's all.
Arabians are wonderful for many reasons, they usually live a long life, and they have huge staminia making perfect trail horses.
I love my quarter horses but 2 years ago my sister bought a polish bred arab and I absolutely love him, he is huge, stocky,smart and very loving.
A couple of weeks ago I would have said they are highly strung, flighty and ugly. They are hot bloods and CAN be flighty and highly strung. Their appearance is for you to judge. However, I've made friends with a little 2 year old Arabian gelding at the place I board my horses. Judging from him and thinking back to all the other Arabians I've known I've realised this breed has a very intelligent, curious nature. All the Arabians I've met have been forward moving but QUIET rides. It's rare you'll find an Arabian that is nasty. They can just go and go which actually makes them the ideal endurance horse so an Arabian would be brilliant for trail riding. They are also capable horses. Although most won't go to the very top levels of jumping and dressage they are capable English allrounders at least to low level and can excell at Western. It really depends on your riding ability and confidence. If you prefer 'ploddy' horses, you'd be best to stick with 'ploddy' horses. If you are not a confident rider you'd be best not to get an Arabian although you do find the odd one that is very quiet, just like any breed. But, if you want something intelligent with a bit of spark and a little more of a challenge you'll find the Arabian to be the ideal pleasure and trail horse. =)
to be honest i cant stand them for one there necks are to long and thin and there head a just awful pin headed and my mom says. I havent met a arab yet with a good personality now that dosnt mean there not out there just in my experiance and yes i have worked with them worked at a very well know arab farm in Ca. but this is just my opinion i like my horses big and beefy not wispy and brakeable looking
I personally do not like arabs at all. I owned a 15 year old arab mare for a while and she was stubborn, beyond stubborn actually, when she decided she didn't want to walk forward she would stop and back up. Every time i rode i would spend 50% of the time trying to convince her to move forward. She coliced all the time, over absolutely nothing. We had the vet run many tests to see if there were underlying reasons for colicing and we found absolutely nothing. The vet told me arabs are just very finicky horses. I know that any breed of horse could do the same thing this mare did, but i have ridden many other arabs and i haven't really liked many. I don't like their personalities, they have a tendency to be stubborn, and i don't like how they move. that's just my opinion.
Well, this is coming from an arab girl through and through... Arabians are an incredible breed. They are smart, sensitive, energetic, and loyal with a finely tuned sense of "fair". All of the things that make them wonderful horses, in the wrong hands, can make them the worst horse you will ever own. A famous arabian trainer once said "an arabian is a war horse. You want a war... he'll give you one" And it's true. Handled fairly, an arab will give you whatever you ask for simply because you ask for it. As they age and understand more, you will find no better babysitter for an inexperienced rider. The bond you can form with an arabian (particularly the old blood... mine are all Sheykh Obeyd) is like nothing you will likely ever experience with any other breed. Anything any other breed can do (with the exception of roping and holding a cow as arabs just plain don't have the weight and muscle of a quarter horse) you will find an arab that can do it. However, their keen intelligence requires, for a younger, green, arabian, a confident rider and handler. The slightest bit of hesitation or give on your part and the arab will take full advantage of it. While any horse will do that, an arabian's intelligence simply means that it will pick up on that quicker and push it harder. They need their people... so, unlike many other breeds, they are not a breed that handles being left in the pasture and taken out once every few months very well. Arabians, unfortunately, have acquired a reputation for being useless. However, there are arabians competing at the top in nearly every discipline (no time to search out links at this point). What has, unfortunately, happened is that a lot of non horse people have dollar signs in their eyes when it comes to arabians. Many jump onto the latest, greatest, biggest name stallion for their mare hoping to make six figure sales with it and giving no thought to form or function. Unfortuately, our halter class, like most breeds, perpetuates this. Add to that, the trainers that whip their horses into a fear based frenzy cause, you know, arabians are supposed to have SPIRIT (rolled eyes and avoidance is not spirit) so the horse is useless for any other use at the end of its halter career and it's no wonder arabians have the reputation they do. However, I have watched them go from fiery and spirited with an accomplished rider to bending slightly to help an aged rider mount, to walking on egg shells and shifting to right younger inexperienced riders who are about to fall. In terms of how they move... speaking from personal experience... my first ride on a quarter horse and my first ride on an arab happened at the same time... my uncle trained my quarter horse and my parent's arabian... and we went to test them both out when I was a teen. What struck me about my quarter horse... in terms of gait, she didn't feel a lot different from the other horses I'd ridden. However, I did notice the feeling of incredible power coming from her hindquarters. This was a horse that, if she wanted me off, there was no way I was staying on... was the immediate thought. The arabian, to me, felt incredibly smooth... but you could feel the energy surging through her. She wanted to go... and you could feel it. She didn't test the bit or try to push through it, but it was there... waiting for me to ask for it. Quite a heady feeling, actually. As for whether you should get an arabian... for your purposes, you should look at an arabian like any other horse. Go meet it. Ride it. Assess its conformation and soundness. If all looks and works well, and you connect with the horse, you should buy it. As to the lady above me with the colicky horse... your vet is wrong and has let his personal biases cloud his judgement. Arabians are no more colicky than any other breed... perhaps less as they were bred to live in the harshest of conditions and with the sparsest of fare. They are, however, especially if greys, more prone to melanomas... and if there was one in the digestive tract that would induce colics. Most of the melanomas if they do show up on an arab, though, are harmless.
the arabs ive met have been a little willy they have alot of charcter and get bored easily and they search for any outlet. ANY outlet. a manager of a polo farm has one she rescued and he is down right cantakerous. i wouldnt choose them because if they think theres something better to do or they just want to stretch there legs your going to be in a hard fight for control. but this is just this horse, as others sugessted meet the animals get the feel of his/her personality see if they could deal with just being a pleasure riding horse. the ones ive met that shes rescued and homed all had a very high drive to keep moving and working not necesarilly in the way she wanted either. the same lady has a tennese walker that is actually very mellow about her little hikes.
As a breed in general: Very athletic, very friendly, love people, lots of stamina, lots of energy, personable, versatile, quick, brave, enthusiastic. They tend to love their jobs and work hard. Obviously individuals within the breed will be "extremes" in either direction. I think they're great horses; their conformation and breeding doesn't fit the traditional style of most disciplines, so if you were trying to show at open shows (against other breeds), you might be at a disadvantage in judged events. In non-judged events (jumpers, speed events, etc.) they can excel--I actually think Arabs make fantastic jumpers because they are so quick and athletic, even though they're small and may lack scope. They are considered to be "hot" horses, but that doesn't mean they're nutty. They are naturally eager, curious horses and most of them need a job. They do better with a rider who is willing to put time into them and really make them work. They can go forever, so they're fantastic trail horses--probably the most popular breed for endurance riding. Many of them are labeled as spooky or hyper, so be careful when choosing, but there are plenty that are well-trained and level-headed. So yes, if you find the right horse, an Arabian could be a great choice for you. You didn't mention your level of experience, but just as with any breed, Arabians come in beginner-safe and expert-only types. They'll feel a little different than most QHs (probably a little quicker, more elevated, lighter), just because of the differences in conformation and movement, but it's not a bad thing--may take some getting used to if you've only ridden QHs in the past.
They're amazing. They're almost an all purpose breed. As another person said, if they've been mistreated in the past, that will make them a lot more difficult to handle and gain trust. They will go the distance for your trail rides and then some. I have a 3 year old that was green broke in August when I bought him. He's always been very mellow unless he's away from his friends. Then he gets a bit stressed and harder to manage, but it's nothing a few words and pats can't calm him down. If they're treated right, they will be your best friend for eternity. They're an incredibly smart and giving breed and will run rings around you if you don't know what you're doing. You have to be a strong confident leader. Hanna, I have to disagree. Sure they're no where near as popular as warmbloods and TB's are for high end dressage and such, but there are some out there that can do it and kick but at it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUJpbHaum-U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Z86tBLyzw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSd5XtSp11Q
Personally, I love them. I own a Quarab (Half Quarter Horse Half Arabian) and she is amazing! She has the best of both worlds. The beauty of an Arab, the Quarter Horse attitude. Although she can be spooky on the ground shes perfect in the saddle. She could gallop all day long.