Marketability & Type

One of my favorite authors of equine centric material is the American classical riding master, Paul Belasik. In the past, I have enjoyed his books like Riding Towards the Light and The Song of Horses. In the first chapter of his newest philosophically-deep book (I highly recommend), he discusses the strength, success and longevity of the German equine system, as he finds it. I think it goes without saying, that the German system has become the desirous standard for the rest of the horse-loving world to emulate.  Paul writes that while an individual may argue over which nation is producing the best Dressage, the same individual will never argue over which nation is best at the business of Dressage. 

Paul mentions one of the people he admired, early in his career, Dr. Fritz Schilke, who many consider a father figure to not only German Trakehner breeding but beyond, to include German Warmblood breeding too. Maybe someone reading this blog will recognize Dr. Schilke as a champion for the rectangular frame, as one of the conformational components of the German warmblood, despite the sacrifice a longer body means for collection. In the book, Dr. Schilke is quoted as saying, 

"no breed ever died from lack of type; breeds die from lack of marketability." 

Apply the quote to the world of Arabian horses, which has everything to do with type, some even dismiss the horse as a

because of their dislike of the very same breed attributes I and many others cherish. In what form will the breed be saved, if only the most marketable are to survive? Does marketability insure the unique breed value or does it have nothing to do with the horse and more to do with the savvy business acumen of the breeder?

And do we as a community need a system that does for Arabian horses, what the German system did for Dressage? So many years later, the words of Dr. Fritz Schilke remain as profoundly challenging, as when he first said them, ready to inspire a new generation of enthusiasts, all for the love of a horse.