Arabs are great horses if you want to look flashy. They're smart and fiesty, and they do give a great ride. They're also probably the best endurance horses going, but I don't like using hotbloods on trail. You just can't relax for a second, and that makes for a long day in the saddle. My old Saddlebred mare (RIP
) was as solid as a rock. She spooked at nothing. I remember times I rode late into the night and clouds would cover the moon. I couldn't even see the ground, but I just dropped the reins and she got me home, safe and sound, every time. I really miss that old mare
. But about the guns, one way to keep them from rolling is to teach them to ground tie. And it's a little extra work, but if I'm going to be dismounted for any length of time at all, I unsaddle. That gives them a little break and helps with cool down as well.