Quote:
Arabs were never historically used by knights or lords as "Warhorses." Heavy horses related to the Shire, Clyde, and Friesian were the most common choice for a warhorse by a medieval knight who may have weighed around 300-500lb with his plate armor on; aA weight that even most Arabian cross breeds could not have supported for any length of time. Arabians once brought north through trade routes with the middle east were often seen as delicate showy animals only used to begin a refinement of current breeds around the end of the middle ages. They were more popular during the Renaissance and Baroque than the middle ages due to increased trade and a growing demand for more refined and showy horses, and even then it was not commonplace for them to be used as war animals by Europeans.
They were used as war animals by the Middle Eastern nations and tribes, but by sheiks and tribes men not lords and knights.
Clydesdales were not developed as a breed until the 1800s, long after the Middle Ages
Most knights preferred to ride courser (hunting horses) or palfrey (gaited) types in battle to destriers: who were expensive to feed and shoe.
I need to dig out my senior thesis, but it was about horses during the Crusades. "Warhorses" used by Europeans were rarely over 15hh. They were stout and stocky, but they were not terribly tall. Men at the time only averaged about 5'4" in height. The Vikings, renowned for their size were usually around 5'7". I have a dual major bachelor's in history and Spanish.
Thanks for sharing that, all of you. Interesting topic that I hadn't given much thought to until it was mentioned.
I will say in my experience with arabians and barrel racing, I always shy away from them as a breed choice for barrel racing. With one exception. My girlfriend had a little grey gelding, and while he was quick a bolt, when she was riding him in speed events, he failed to show any talent for gathering himself and turning. He had the classic delayed response, where his body would drift out from a turn even though she had his head going in the right direction, he was making turns on his front end and disengaging his hind end, having to regather himself again before he could move on in the pattern. I would give her pointers, but it wasn't sinking in. One day after we hauled to a show together and he did OK, but not great, she was going to sell him because she just didn't think he was capable. She was a good rider, but a rider without a technique if that makes sense? I told her to leave him at my place for a month before she made the decision to sell him. Well, 3 weeks later we went to a show, and Kelly took a full second off of her barrel racing time, and 2 seconds off her pole run on him. He just kept getting better and better when he learned how to gather himself and respond to leg cues. I asked her if she wanted to still sell him because I wanted to buy him, LOL. Notta chance! She still owned Moon last I knew, and that was 6 yrs after I had him for 3 weeks, he didn't need the full month.
So I'm going to chime in and say that based on the photo of your TWH, that you would have to spend a few months teaching her to gather her hind end under her and collect her up. She's in natural walking pose on your photo, so with that in mind and how your horse is naturally wanting to move, I would suggest skipping the barrel racing idea and going with your other choice. You really don't pick a sport based on what you want, but what your horse is built to do without causing it undue or unnatural stress to it's conformation. That's my theory. Each breed has its exceptions of course, but study your horse, see what you think SHE'D be happy doing. A happy horse goes a long way in an event that is geared towards that individual horse, verses one that is doing something that its conformation just isn't designed to let it do. That's why not all horses excel in all events or disciplines. They are dictated in their ability first by attitude, second by confirmation. Some horses while bred and built to run barrels, just don't have a solid enough mind to handle the concept. That's what I mean by attitude.
