I was looking through some slide shows from the Scottsdale Arabian show, and thinking how much fun it would be to create a costume for the native costume class. It would look silly on a TWH (what would a native costume class for a TWH look like? Hmmm), but I know someone with arabians who shows but does not compete in that class due to the cost. Hmmmm....
And I kept looking.
And I found pictures of their feet.
Damn.
They wedge them, and obviously have them in heavy shoes. Some even have the straps across their hooves like a performance TWH. If the shoes that you attach are so heavy that you need straps to keep them on, shouldn't something hit you over the head that this is wrong wrong wrong? And, I may be an ignorant trail rider, but if the class is to invoke the feeling of the history of the breed... why manipulate them to move unnaturally?
Oh, and of course they have long toes, underrun heels, bulges in their coronary bands, and one had a particularly horrible convex toe wall.
I do not, and I don't think that I ever will, understand the mentality that values showiness/winning/pieces of cheap satin at the sake of the health and well-being of the animal. I don't understand it with TWHs, and I don't understand it here. It seems that every breed has abuse on display and being ribboned in certain events, or maybe I'm just growing more cynical. I always thought that the real issue in arabian showing was halter, but I guess I should never take anything for granted. Long ago I remember someone telling me that they started trying to get arabians to move like morgans through artificial devices.
Bah, enough of a soap box for today. Just needed to vent. Maybe I'll just stick to unicorn halters.
1 comment:
I went and looked it up and you're totally right! They put plantations on them!
Totally agree with your post.
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