Arabians I have known

For some reason, whenever someone has an Arab they need to sell or need worked with, they always seem to find me. I have NO idea why this is! That was a semi-sarcastic remark... I have been a sucker for the Arabs my whole life. It started when I was a freshman in high school... I competed in FFA horse judging, placed 3rd in the state competition and was awarded a chance to compete in the national championship which was held at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. I was there for three days, and I was totally, utterly hooked. The horses amazed me-- their versatility, their temperaments, and of course, their sheer and utter gorgeousness :)

So began a career with this special breed. I have always said that if you're going to try and make a name for yourself as a trainer, train Arabs. They're like cheating, they're so easy to work with. But I have learned that this is not true for everyone. You have to be a fair, tactful, sympathetic rider, but not afraid to stand firm when necessary. This is exactly the type of rider I am, and the type of horse I like-- in fact, both of my mares are half-Arabs (Moira is Arab and Dutch Warmblood, and Gia is an Anglo-Arab-- Arab and Thoroughbred).

I have meant to do more posts on horses from my past, but as the title of this blog implies, I just don't ever seem to find the time. So, today I am going to give you a little peek at the Arabs who have passed through my life over the years.

I will start way back in 1998, with Oliver Twist (Ollie) an Anglo-Arab pony I bought out of someone's backyard. We showed from schooling shows up to "A" rated large pony hunters. When I sold him in 2000, he went to Japan!




After that, concentrating on eventing and then moving across the state led me in a different direction. I didn't find myself with another Arab again until 2003, when a most amazing thing happened: Chaarlotte.



Chaarlotte has the best story of pretty much any horse I've ever owned, I will save it for her own post. But she is an incredible horse, and when I bought her, she was pregnant by a Paint stallion, whose name I of course can't remember:



... and she delivered a gorgeous black filly, another half-Arab, who we named Chaantilly.



Not long after, I bought my own small farm, and decided to go all out in breeding Arabs and half-Arabs. I leased an amazing stallion named Konfetti:





I tried to compete him, and qualified for Sport Horse Nationals, but he had a really bad colicking problem so eventually had to give the lease up because I wasn't comfortable taking on the liability any longer. But he was so wonderful I ended up leasing his full sister, Pye.





She foaled two fillies in the time I had her: Onyx (by a perlino stallion-- she's actually a smokey black, should have been a buckskin!)



And Beyond Grace (by a TB stallion named Beyond His Years:



At the same time, I had another Anglo-Arab broodmare named Kia:



... who had a gorgeous, and I mean freaking gorgeous, filly by Stormy Auctioneer, whom I named Stormy Romance (Tempest)





Seriously, the baby everyone wants.

I also had a purebred mare named Twitter Pation (who I did NOT get along with well), who never managed to get pregnant, and eventually sold as a kids' horse.



There have also been a few Arabs and Arab crosses (neglect/starvation cases) who came through my life briefly, to be re-homed, like Ruby Tuesday:



Mesa:



Tory:




And Piffany, a yearling filly... who unfortunately was so badly starved, her organs shut down and she didn't make it.



Like I said, any time there was an Arab in trouble, I was there.


Eventually, due to a bad breakup, I ended up selling all the mares and foals except for Chaarlotte and Chaantilly who I gave to two of my good friends, who still have them. Maybe someday I'll get back into breeding, I really enjoyed it... but for now, I'm trying to focus on showing (although, that isn't going so well for me, lol!)

Eventually I will have more detailed stories on many of these horses... I promise!