The wrong people …
They hardly exist anymore: shows where both Shagya Arabians and Purebred Arabians are exhibited at the same event, albeit in separate classes. The idea itself is good, as it provides the organizer with more entries for the same amount of staff and expense. If only it weren’t for that big ‘BUT’…
The Arabian Horse Festival in Bábolna perfectly illustrated where the problem lies: under the exact same conditions (judges, DCs, organizers, etc.), the presentations of the Shagya Arabians were mostly horse-friendly, with the young horses often even being shown in stable halters. The presentation of the Purebred Arabians, however, was frequently ‘disemptemptuous’ in its treatment of the animals. While Shagya Arabian enthusiasts are still horsemen and horsewomen who have not adopted ‘modern show methods,’ Purebred Arabian owners—particularly those from Poland and Slovakia—dug deep into the show-utensil ‘bag of tricks’: shaving, makeup, stretched posing, endless circling, and the questionable assistance of certain ‘dervishes’ at the ringside, who are supposed to support the horse with lion-like roars and whips, but in reality only terrify it so much that it fails to trot anyway. No one is against a handler with a whip running at a reasonable distance behind the horse to provide a little ‘motivation.’ But what went on here at a small C-international show with 40 Purebred Arabians had absolutely nothing to do with horsemanship anymore.
So, what is the reason? The general conditions, even the judges, were the same, and the latter were mostly from the Shagya Arabian camp. The only difference was the owners and handlers of the different horse breeds, which clearly proves that these two groups of people are responsible for these excesses. For me, the whole thing points to fundamentally different clienteles in Purebred Arabian breeding versus Shagya Arabian breeding. This isn’t exactly new, but it is rarely brought before one’s eyes so clearly!
Now, there are people (on Facebook) who blame the judges, organizers, and even journalists and photographers for this misery. But the true culprits are not named. For me, the actual perpetrators are the handlers (who carry out the actions that violate animal welfare) and the owners (who fail to stop them or perhaps even demand them in order to win). Yes, there are rules, and yes, the DCs, ring stewards, and judges should have insisted more on compliance with these rules. But why is it that the presentation of the Shagya Arabians is so ‘civilized,’ while that of the Purebred Arabians is not? That was certainly not because of the DCs, stewards, or judges. It was due exclusively to the individuals involved—or rather, the perpetrators. And since the judges were predominantly from the Shagya Arabian camp, Purebred Arabian owners could not even assume that this extreme style of presentation would appeal to them.
The course for this undesirable development was set back in the late 1990s. An attempt was made to market the Arabian horse as an ‘accessory’ for the ‘rich and famous,’ hoping to reach a higher price segment. Owning an Arabian horse was supposed to be a form of ‘lifestyle,’ just like driving a Porsche or a Maserati. What was completely overlooked was that this clientele consists of lifestyle buyers, not horse people. The trainers and handlers could have acted as a corrective force, bringing the missing ‘horsemanship’ and equine knowledge into the relationship. Instead, caught in the fierce competition for the best clients, they found themselves in a catch-22: the clients want to win, no matter the cost, and the horses are the ones who suffer. None of this is new; all of this was written in one way or another in the Araber Journal back in the 1990s and 2000s. It is sad that it is still an issue today.
But as long as there are spectators who tolerate or even cheer on these machinations, the perpetrators will believe they are in the right. As long as owners demand such ‘showing methods’ in order to win, they are actively supporting all of this. As long as breeders target the wrong clientele, nothing will change regarding the situation of the horses.
We need more horse people in the Arabian scene again—but they don’t grow on trees. They must be nurtured and trained. Youth work and involving the younger generation of breeders is more important today than ever; only then can we pass our values on to the young.
Gudrun Waiditschka
