Many guests inquire about the care and training of the horses here at Arabian Nights. The owners of Arabian Nights have owned and raised horses for more than two generations and take great care and pride in the horses used in our show. As the Executive Vice President at Arabian Nights I would like to share some information about our horses. I am a past performer from our show and hold a degree in Equine Science from Colorado State University. I have also ridden and worked with horses for more than 15 years. That being said, the 52 horses that call Arabian Nights their home are some of the best cared for that I have seen. One of our core business values is “To ensure that all horses are well cared for and in training that is mutually beneficial for horse and rider.” We take that value very seriously here at Arabian Nights, as our horses are the heart of our performance. Our veterinarian, as well as those of the University of Florida and the ASPCA laud Arabian Nights for the care of our horses, and we can assure you, they are treated with the utmost respect and love.
At Arabian Nights we feature a variety of riding disciplines, including reining, dressage, driving and vaulting. Depending on their role in our show, all horses are exercised or turned out to play each day to keep their routine varied. We have a Herd Manager on property during daytime hours to feed, water and turn out the horses, as well as administer any medicines the horses may require. We also have a staff who cleans the stalls daily and provide water three times per day. In the afternoons, our grooms and performers come in to prepare for the show, by grooming, bathing and exercising the horses. The horses then have a supper break, where they receive extra hay to give them energy for their nightly show. After this break the horses are saddled or tacked up for the show. Most horses perform 5 nights each week, for an average of 10-15 minutes total. A few horses actually only perform for 5 minutes each night, such as the reining horses and high school dressage horses, who are only featured in a 3 minute act and the finale of the show.
In addition to this daily routine, we have a few horses in training at our facility at all times, mostly learning to be core drill horses, who perform at the basic walk, trot and canter in both western and English riding drills. The majority of these horses are Arabian horses provided from the owner’s mother’s ranch, Al-Marah Arabians, in Tucson Arizona. Many of these horses come to us with 30-60 days of basic training. They are paired with a specific member of our core performing staff, who works with the horse to help them adjust to the sound, lights and props (like flags) that we use in our show. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the horse. All of this is done with positive reinforcement and the utmost patience. If any horse doesn’t seem suited to the nature of our show, we either send them back to Al-Marah, or they are purchased by our staff, who provide excellent homes. This is also true of horses we retire from the show.
Other horses, such as reining and high school dressage horses, are usually purchased with full training, or are sent away for training. We currently work with Matt McLaughlin and Kim Barteau for Dressage training. Both work with our horses and riders to ensure effective training that is mutually beneficial for horse and rider. Matt comes in once a month to give clinics and Kim is currently training an additional high school horse for our show. Many horses have special cues to bow, march, rear and lie down. Reining horses are purchased as needed, two have recently come from Al-Marah after successful show careers and our newest is still in training to adjust to the special effects used in the show.
One of the most specialized use of our horses is the circus-style acrobatics, much like vaulting, that is featured in our show. For this, we purchase mostly Belgian and Percheron horses with a particular rolling forward movement, steady gait and calm temperament. Our facility has a storied history of training acrobats, and as such, several performers are exceptional at teaching young draft horses to work quietly while stunts are performed on their backs. Horses used for this work take many months to train to move in an unwavering circle at a steady pace, then they are trained further to work with acrobats who stand, flip and jump off of their backs while moving. The horses wear special 3″ think wool pads to cushion their backs, and they wear side checks to make sure they are traveling in a frame to keep their backs supported. These horses work for about 2 minutes at a time during the show and receive turnout and lunging time during the day to keep them conditioned. These horses are largely voice trained to response to certain commands for speed, and a lunge whip “pop” is used to provide another audible cue to move forward, although the horses are never touched with the whip.
The routine is similar with driving horses and trick riding horses, who take turns working during different days of the week.
The final discipline seen in our show is Liberty, a style of groundwork and riding where the horse in not connected to the rider by any kind of rope or device. This style is displayed by Walter Farley’s Black Stallion in our show, and it is based on body language and whip cues. During the groundwork portion of liberty, two kinds of whips are used to direct the horse. The first resembles a dressage whip and is called a pointer; it is used to point the horse in the right direction as an extension of the performer’s arm. The second is a lunge whip, which is used to make a popping sound to call the horse to return to the performer and to ask the horse to change gait. In liberty riding, the horse wears no saddle or bridle and responds to leg cues to speed up or slow down. Training for this discipline can take months to years depending on the horse, and rehearsal of these maneuvers is practiced as needed.
All of our horses are the heart of our show and our business. We love them dearly and their care is paramount. I personally work with several horses, and hope that in a few years I can retire two to live with my own horse. Many of our performers feel the same, and some have already signed up in each horse’s medical file to be called when the horse is retired.
Audrey Padgett
Executive Vice President
Arabian Nights
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