Why do Arabian horses move the way they do?

Question

Why do Arabian horses move the way they do? Why are they so much more graceful looking then other breeds? Is it just the way they are built?

Arabian at Liberty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmbHJnAxpj0

Quarter horse at Liberty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqCfiZaFm0

Answer 1

interesting! i'm not really sure

Answer 2

Some will move differently than others but they also have one less vertebrae in their backs which explains the tail.Most horses come from the Arabian breed if you can trace the pedigree back that far. Thoroughbreds are a classic example. Plus if you want a good endurance horse an Arabian or an Arabian cross is the best you'll find.

Answer 3

their the oldest horse thats not part of any other breeds all horses have arabian in them and their pretty and they know it.

Answer 4

Youn are right, alot of it has to do with the way they are built. Also they are a little more "flighty"than other horse breeds. It is mainly the way they are built though :)

Like for example MOST QH's are built down hill (more on their forehand) while Arabians are built up hill (off of there forhanmd and more "springy" on their back end like you see in the video ^^)

Hope that gave you a good idea on why they are more elegant...almost like they are flying :D

Answer 5

They were mainly warriors on a type of combat that asked them to be fast and nervous= paying attention on every move from the enemy, on its best sense - their heads are so gorgeous because they're passionate, wild and courageous

Answer 6

Arabians have been bred for centuries, and the original bedouin breeders selected for intelligence, presence, and athleticism.  That's why they are as they are.  They were a part of the society in ways no modern horses are, and valued for their beauty, personality, and grace as much as their endurance and strength.   Many modern breeders want to get away from the traditional arabian to a saddle seat giraffey type arabian, but I love the traditional style.

Quarter horses haven't been bred for that long, and the breeders use different criteria.  Smoothness of gaits; low head sets, working horses.  It's a different culture.  The cowboy didn't care if the horse looked beautiful, only that it could do the job.

By the way...  both those horses are beautiful.  But I agree the Arabian is moreso.  I have both Arabians and QH.  I love 'em both.  But the Arabian is beauty in motion, and the QH is a good solid performer.

Answer 7

The arabian is an ancient breed and believed to be relatively pure for thousands of years - because of the origins of the breed, they had to have speed, endurance & agility.  Most breeds today are a mix of the Arabian and the ancient wild european horse - which was a draft type [with the lush pastures and lack of predators, it was a natural development].  The examples you showed are prime - the quarter horse is a relatively young breed - it's origins come from the horses brought across the plains by settlers & pioneers [mostly draft w a few saddletype].  For the ranch work, the big bone from the draft helped control large unrully cows & bulls and the large frame gave a smoother ride [although interestingly, it seems much of the 'cow sense' is inherited from remote arabian ancestors - cuz a lot of arabs have great cow sense!].

One other thing I can see from the videos you provided is the length of poll on the Arab - this allows for greater collection [most quarter horses have a relatively flat poll].