Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Awesome Arabian Horse.................................by Debra Holder

I read an interesting article about Arabian horses a couple of weeks ago. The Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale, Arizona, was being held and how I wanted to go!! Thankfully, I was able to watch some of it on public television. So finding this article in an unrelated magazine at the same time really was perfect timing.
I do not know much about horses, so the short article jumped out at me as something I would be interested in. And I learned a lot! I can't provide a link to it as it is not an online magazine, but I will share some of the the highlights.
The history of this wonderful breed of horse was very interesting, but the best part was the description of how Arabians love to interact with people. It was said that it is believed that Arabians have a “sixth sense” and value human company and love being touched and hugged in an embrace. These types of human expressions toward the horse build the horse’s trust in its rider to the point that it actually becomes completely devoted to that person. This does not happen overnight, though. One breeder said it can take years to completely earn the trust of an Arabian. But it surely sounds like it would be worth all the effort to do so when that kind of relationship can result from a loving owner’s behavior toward his horse!
I felt so happy when I read that these horses are known to neigh with glee in response to a smile, an embrace, or a special treat such as a piece of sugar or a carrot. Isn’t that delightful?
There is no doubt that people have been thrilled by the beauty, speed, agility, strength, and intelligence of horses, especially the Arabian breed, for thousands of years. And many have had the honor of forging a unique bond with them which is a real privilege.
Obviously, as long as people do not exploit that bond in a negative way for the horse or all other pets, there will be a good outcome. But when animals like this are abused and treated badly, their hard-earned trust and craving for human companionship are betrayed and destroyed. That is a horrible tragedy.
However, that tragedy can be prevented if each person resolves to treat all of the animals in his or her life with respect and a caring attitude. Let us never lose sight of that goal as we all continue in whatever way we can to help the animals we meet along the journey of our lives.

(Written by Debra Holder of Sleepy Cat Designs on ArtFire where you will find handmade cat safety collars and other cute and useful things for cats and their people.)

1 comment:

Pam said...

Loved your article sbout Arabian horses. Wonderful! Thanks so much fir sharing all this with us.