[Sandra-A1]

Halter is very hard work.
First...
They have to know the steps before anything else and the tricks about a proper whoa.
Their back.... You train them to tighten and use it.
The neck is trained last.

Second-...
Exercise - proper and purposeful and not in a round pen.

Third...
Body clipping and grooming is the art of perfection. It's a sculptresses nightmare, but that is how it must be done.

[sunsetacres]

Originally Posted by Sandra-A1

I have never had a problem with the Judging and I have always found it fair. If the Pros win it is because they do have the best horse in the ring.
They have access to high quality horses and work long and hard to get their horses trained and ready for the show ring. I have beat the Pros before and they were the first to come and shake my hand and congratulate me while my other fellow exhibitors simply walked out the gate with out saying a word!

Since manners is next to last on the list then it really doesn't matter if the horse jumps around or not.
Face & neck is a important part of Arabian TYPE which is first on the list!
Horses that are naturally working off their hindquarters and trotting in a nice collected manner will have a lot of lift and elevation in their way of going.

This is after all an Horse SHOW and the horse's that are showing the best will attract the Judge's eye quicker and longer than one that has little if any show attitude as well as animation.

There is a lot more to the judging of these Halter classes than meets the eye. If you belong to your local Arabian Association then you should attend any meetings they have where Judges are the speaker and also attend any Halter training clinics where you can talk with the Professional Trainer and see that there is a lot more to showing in and Judging a halter class than one might think from simply sitting ringside and watching.

Yes, I was poking fun. : ) However , in all seriousness, I don't know where you show or at what level and I have not shown arabian halter (it's what I used to do best) in many years. Last year a well known arabian trainer (and member of the arabian association of Michigan) approached me and asked why I was not in arabians any longer, so I told her.
1. Most trainers were unfriendly and unapproachable
2. Shows were not fun or competitive any longer because it was more important as to who was showing, not the horse itself.
3. When a horse can win halter with an awful crupe (sp?), terrible shoulder and long as a train , because they have an exotic head and neck, it's time to quit.
These were just a few. As we spoke she informed me that these were some of the same reasons others had given. The Class A show attendance had dwindled so far down that they were desperate to come up with things to offer to get people to show again. When I showed , the western and hunter classes were so huge (sometimes up to 65 in a class) they had to be split. I was glad to see that at least someone was attempting to do something to bring back the spirit of the arabian show world, as it was not always this way.
I am very honest about my stallion, and I will readily admit when I am beat. It is no dis-honor to be beat by a stallion that is exceptional, and I admit when the best "man" wins. But when you walk out of a class and the trainer that beats you comes over to say "yeah, we both know who REALLY should have won the class", it's time to hang it up. This happened in the last class my stallion ever went in, we took 2 nd.

[arabianlvr87]

Wow, sounds awful, sunset. There arent to many Arabian breeders in my area, so every time we take Felicity to a show, everyone oohs and aahs over her.

[sunsetacres]

Yes, Arabians have a habit of making a spectical of their beauty : )

[DesertBred]

I have noticed in my Region that is it all about politics and who is showing. There is one farm that donates a considerable amount of money to every Class A show they show in and always bring about 50 horses. When you walk by their stalls you see nothing but championship ribbons. I have watched them show horribly and still win. I just hate it. I am competing against 2 of them in my class this year at regionals. Oh well, I have a wonderful horse and as long as we have a good ride I will be proud of him.

[Sandra-A1]

Sunsetacres, I agree that the Arabian Class A shows have shrunk in some parts of the country. In other places some have grown.
I admit that there are problems but every breed has some problem with its shows.
Because of the increase in show costs it got very expensive for me to show so I had to pick and choose and plan any showing carefully. My husband and I are not rich by any means and we have to watch and plan where every penny goes (but now days who doesn't! )
I do love to show and am happy in the ring whether it is at a Class A or a local saddle clubs Saturday show.
I have talked to a lot of Arabian people some who didn't like the direction the shows were going so left and went back to their local Saddle club open shows. Others decided to stay and work within the system for change. The changes are slowly but surely coming. All I can say is if you want changes you have to work to help them come about.
While I did enjoy and miss the shows of the "Old days" I do realize that times have changed and we have to focus on the future. I have seen positive changes and expect to seem more. There are people active in the breed who are serious and very concerned with the current problems. They are listening to what people are saying. Change has, is and will come. No it might not happen over night, or even fast enough for some people, but it WILL happen!
I guess I have been lucky because I have been able to talk to several well known Professional Trainers as well as breeders in the past. I have had them introduce me to others. I think I could walk up to some today and chat with them too. I have always had a great time at Arabian shows and met lots of friendly, helpful people.
As I said before I have not had the experiences and problems you have had and I am truly sorry to hear that have had them.
All I can say is if you truly love the Arabian Horse do not give up. Get active in your local Association and work to get the changes you seek at least at your local level and shows.
Try not to get too discouraged...the Arabian Horse is worth the fight!

[HorseCrazy1981]

I go to the Dixie Nat'l Arabian Extravaganza here and the only people in the stands are the owners, and one vendor. The classes are so small, some only have 1 horse in them (not really fair).

[sunsetacres]

I am not discouraged, I am done. there's a difference. I have had my fun, ups, downs and inbetweens. Don't get me wrong, way back when we (my sis and I) used to have a ball at the shows. We lived for the shows. I choose to stop showing for the reasons mentioned. I choose to get out of Arabians for many reasons, and have had absolutely no regrets. I find my walkers just as beautiful and full of life as my arabians, it's just ..different.
I did try to show my walkers at a "breed" show and found the same problems that existed in other "breed" shows. This is not a problem which only happens in the Arabian relm, I know of many associations that have that problem. It only took me two shows with this breed : ) You see I breed for Spotted Walking horses, and the "old timers" believe that a spotted walkers is not a "true walker" (pure blood), I didn't have a chance in he**. Instead I choose to get involved with my 4 H groups and have gaited classes within those shows. Much smaller, you still get to show, everyone gets a fair shake and everyone cheers everyone else on. More like a get together with fun competition : ) I get to promote my breed and have fun! I am 43, I will take time now to enjoy my horses and let you guys continue the fight : )

Good luck with your arabians, no matter what else happens allways remember: it's a job well done at the end of the day that really matters. Getting a REALLY good ride, is sometimes more satisfiying than getting a prize.

[DesertBred]

You are right Sunset, a good ride feels better than any ribbon or trophy! Just curious...what was your stallions name? The Arab.

[Sandra-A1]

I too agree Sunsetacres!
As long as you and your horses are having fun it does not matter where you are or what others think!
Thank you for your well wishes and I send the same back to you!