Many people doing high level endurance, ride Arabs, but why when there are 100s of other breeds to choose from?
Well firstly Arabs are one of the oldest breeds of horse, this means that they are the close relatives to the pre-horses, that constantly had to run away from predators, meaning they have great stamina and can become fit quickly.
They don't mind the heat as much as other breeds, due to their origins, being from hot countries.
They usually have low natural heart rates, and can even skip beats, however this can be present in any breed, and Arabs do have their exceptions, but do seem to have a high percentage with naturally low heart rates.
They have long strides, meaning they can cover ground quickly with having to put in as much effort as a cob, for the same distance, meaning they can retain stamina better, therefore being able to go
extremely long distances.
Finally they are easier to get fit than other breeds, particularly cobs, so you could put a cob on a 6 month fitness program and an Arab on the same program, and the Arab will be fitter by the end of it. Though Arabs do still need getting fit, they can't just do endurance because "it's in their breeding".
Hopefully this has given you an insight into why Arabs are great for endurance.
