| After years of admiring the gallant Arabian horse from | | | | other important features: |
| afar - or enjoying one from a local stable - you've | | | | Training- While young horses have more energy, they |
| finally decided to take the plunge and become an | | | | can also be harder to train. Unless you have |
| Arabian owner yourself. Congratulations! There's | | | | experience training horses - or are willing to pay for |
| nothing quite like the exhilaration of mounting your very | | | | someone who does - it is generally better to stay |
| own regal Arabian horse and heading off for a ride - | | | | away from horses under six years of age. Unless you |
| just you and your new companion. | | | | are a horse trainer /or hire a trainer, they can be |
| But, finding the right horse to meet your needs, interest | | | | overly excitable, nervous and even hard to control. |
| and personality can be quite daunting, not to mention | | | | However, older horses too may take a bit of work, |
| time consuming. There are a lot of things to consider | | | | since they often come with bad habits or poor training |
| when choosing the right Arabian horse, but most | | | | and structure. |
| experts agree, a horse's conformation, condition, | | | | Temperament & Personality- Loved for their |
| training, temperament and personality are the most | | | | disposition and loyalty, Arabian horses are a wonderful |
| important things to be considered. | | | | choice for just about any horse lover who wants a |
| Conformation- Arabian horses are known for their | | | | true companion for years to come. The best |
| physical attributes: those wide-set eyes: short arched | | | | recreational mount is one which is gentle to handle, and |
| back: and high tail carriage. But don't be fooled by this | | | | sports an attitude that is willing to please. Be sure to |
| horse's beauty. It's important when selecting an | | | | visit prospective horses several times to get a true |
| individual horse to look at its overall body structure and | | | | feel for its temperament and personality before |
| the way it's balanced. At the most basic level, you | | | | making any purchasing decisions. A horse may appear |
| want to look for an athletic body structure. Next, you'll | | | | to be perfect in every way, but if your personalities |
| want to carefully study each part of the horse's | | | | clash, you'll regret your purchase in no time! Avoid any |
| conformation to determine how well it will be able to | | | | sellers who aren't willing to give you the time and |
| perform the tasks it's asked to. When considering any | | | | space to really get to know the animal. They may be |
| Arabian for purchase, it's important to check the | | | | trying to hide a physical flaw or uncomely personality |
| following: | | | | trait. While a horse's conformation, condition, training, |
| Forehead - should be broad, full and flat Head - should | | | | personality and temperament are the most important |
| feature well proportioned ears: eyes that are located | | | | factors when choosing the right Arabian for you, there |
| correctly and are short and soft. This usually signifies | | | | are a few other factors to consider: |
| intelligence and a good demeanor. | | | | Your Experience. How much experience you have |
| Throat - the throat should be of average thickness | | | | with horses can make a big difference in the one you |
| with no muscle buildup on the underside of the neck. | | | | ultimately choose to call your own. Arabians are |
| Look for a nice natural roundness on the top side of | | | | beautiful horses that can be easily picked out of a |
| the neck. | | | | crowd, making them very appealing to many horse |
| Nostrils - Arabian horses are known for their flared | | | | lovers. They are strong and loyal and are well suited |
| nostrils, which help them take in more oxygen. Be sure | | | | for many purposes including showcasing: endurance |
| they feature wide dilation. | | | | rides of 50 to 100 miles: harsh weather conditions and |
| Muzzle - Check for firm lips, with no sagging of the | | | | of course, recreational riding. Alert and curious, the |
| lower one. | | | | Arabian is quick and intelligent, making it a wonderful |
| Chest - watch for a narrow chest which can cause | | | | companion. |
| interference with the front legs. | | | | However, they can also be flighty and high-strung, |
| Forearm - should extend from the elbow to the knee | | | | making them hard to control for the less experienced |
| and be well-muscled. | | | | rider. As is the case with most horse breeds, the |
| Condition- Arabian horses are known for being a | | | | Arabian stallion can be difficult to control, while mares |
| sound breed. Their strong resilient legs and dense | | | | are often calmer, and showcase better dispositions. |
| compact bone makes them free from most lameness. | | | | They are more expensive though, which often makes |
| Of course, any horse can have physical ailments that | | | | the more mild-tempered gelding (or neutered male), the |
| may go unnoticed by the untrained eye. That's why it's | | | | best choice for many horse buyers who aren't |
| important to carefully study the horse's conformation | | | | interested in breeding. The size of the horse is also |
| closely to give you a good idea of its overall condition. | | | | important. Since Arabian horse can be slightly smaller |
| As a potential horse owner, it's also important to | | | | than some other breeds, you may need to consider |
| understand the purpose of owning your horse in order | | | | your size in relation to the horse before settling on one |
| to determine what condition is acceptable. If you're | | | | specific animal. |
| planning on showing your newly acquired Arabian | | | | Choose one that is large enough and strong enough to |
| horse, than you'll need to consider its overall look more | | | | handle your height and weight to avoid unnecessary |
| closely to be sure that it meets showing requirements, | | | | injury in the future. While it's important to pay particular |
| as opposed to horse's purchased for recreational riding | | | | attention to the factors explained above when |
| only. Never sign any sales agreement without first | | | | choosing your next Arabian horse, the most important |
| having a prospective horse carefully examined by a | | | | factor to buying any type of horse - including an |
| veterinarian of your choice to be certain that it is | | | | Arabian horse - is taking your time. Pick one that best |
| indeed strong and healthy. Once you've received a | | | | suits your own personality, style and experience and |
| good health report, you can check it out for these | | | | you can't go wrong. |