Every person has their "favorite" breed and there is nothing wrong with that.
The problem comes when that preference becomes a prejudice that interferes with our judgment.
We begin to see every horse of that breed as 'bad' when in truth there are "bad hats" in every breed.
That being said there are some attributes that run in individual breeds; that is what separates them from other breeds.
One of the more difficult horses to work with is the one of high intelligence.
The reason for this is that they will not tolerated abuse or lack of stimulation.
These individuals can be found in every breed and are usually labeled as "trouble makers.
" They are, in the way, have destructive behaviors, become Houdini horses, and in general seem to question the 'whys' of everything you do with them.
However, when approached with fairness, consistency and systematic training they quickly become the 'star' student and coveted mount.
One of the breed that hold high intelligence as a hallmark and bred for quality is the Arabian.
All too often the Arabian is mislabeled as flighty, unstable or high-strung when in reality they can easily become a solid, trusting and consistent performer on trail as well as the arena.
Their high sensitivity allows them to be keenly aware of their surroundings which encompasses an owner or trainers mood.
They are renowned for their love of the human and if respected will return almost human emotions.
I own such a horse who was known by all in the stables for two traits, a real sense of humor and an obvious display of jealousy.
My boy will 'help' anyone working on or near his stall by stealing things or just getting in the way.
He would try to get other horses to 'play' with him however possible and actually took the neighbor horses' owner's parka hood, while she was wearing it, and held her against the fence.
Yeah, I know he sounds mean, but he wasn't.
She didn't laugh, but everyone else did and he knew it.
I raised him from a baby and when he saw me with another horse, he would literally stand at the back of his stall with his tail facing me.
Much older now and unable to be ridden, there is nothing he wants more then to be ridden; nickering every time I get a halter down.
They are much like the Mustang in that once your EARN their trust, a bond will form that is not found in many other breeds.
When the Arabian mind is challenged correctly they can reach high levels of performance in almost all disciplines.
Starting with solid training on fear control, "teaching" the horse what to do when he is afraid is the best place to start.
I once was given a beautiful chestnut gelding that had become too much for his young rider.
He was her first horse and she did not have instruction and he knew he had the upper hand.
She was afraid of him on trail and his fears only grew with the lack of leadership he was getting.
In a few months I was able to do roll backs and move him around my round pen without a bridle.
He became so quiet on trail my daughter, then 12yrs old, could ride him on trail and would complain that he was too slow.
One day I was riding out with a friend when we came across a bulldozer working on the road.
My friend kept him looking at it as it passed and he didn't flinch.
Due to their intelligence, they will not hesitate to show you all the holes in YOUR teaching.
After all, how can you blame the horse if you didn't teach it completely? So you need to cover all steps in your lessons, never skipping anything.
Through what may seem like monotony to you, will blossom the most solidly trained horse you may ever own.
All your interactions with your Arabian need to be those of a fair and consistent leader.
Just as with any horse, you must be the leader or they will either become "rude and unruly" or filled with fear and uncertainty.
Consistency is the key.
Confusion of your roll in your "herd" will show in your horse with the previously mentioned behaviors.
If you want him to respect your space, you have to be ready to teach him how and then enforce it always and forever.
Arabians are built for endurance and bred to think.
Much akin to the Border Collie, this is not a horse that will shine as a weekend warriors mount.
They need and want to be worked and challenged on a daily basis.
So you need to be ready with different lessons and always ask them to get better at them.
They will do their best to reach and exceed your expectations.
I believe the Arabian to be one of the hardest breeds to work with not because they are flighty or unwilling, but rather because YOU have to teach them without force or pain.
They are like young kids wanting to learn, but without fair and consistent leadership they like kids will quickly become the "gang" leader.