Like many others, thirteen year old Mackenzie Hike, and her cousin Jack, are lucky to call an Arabian horse their Family horse. Their brave and inquisitive nature, coupled with a strong awareness and will to please their people, makes the Arabian an ideal choice for a family. Many years ago in the desert, Bedouin tribes used Arabian horses as a means of transportation and as their war mounts. The horses were so prized that they were kept inside tents at night to live alongside their families’, for warmth and protection against theft. This historical information is a testament to their wonderful nature, which persists in the Arabian horses of today.
“I’m 13-years-old, and I live in Washington State,” Mackenzie shares. “My Aunt has an Arabian horse that I came to love. I ride whenever I am able to get over to see them. My cousin Jack is four-years-old, and he is learning to ride on our Arabian horse, Lily.” Lily, the family’s Purebred Arabian mare, is a 23-year-old great-granddaughter of Arabian horse legend, *Bask++.
“Lily is the special Arabian in my life,” Mackenzie says. “She’s a very sweet girl who is always trying to please us. She's one of the first horses I have got close with. She's fun and spunky.” As well as having fun together, Lily has helped Mackenzie on her journey to improve her horsemanship and is teaching Jack basic skills to handle and ride. “I'm newer with handling horses, and she has helped me gain confidence,” Mackenzie explains. “She is a wonderful horse to learn with. I hope to own an Arabian horse of my own one day, and I want to gain more skills with handling them. Arabian horses are very nice horses. They are loving, fun, and extremely smart. They have great stamina, too!”
Mackenzie’s Aunt and Lily’s owner, Cassandra Kotwica, enjoys sharing her passion with her family. “I’ve always had good experiences with Arabian horses,” she says. “I personally grew up riding them myself, and that is why I chose an Arabian as my family horse. My four-year-old son rides her as well as my niece, and she always behaves her best and works to make them happy.”
Naturally gentle with a tendency towards kindness, with training and experience, Arabian horses make able babysitters for children, while still possessing the athleticism and drive to work well across a range of disciplines for older family members.
Do you have a great Arabian family horse? Share a picture in the comments below - we would love to see them!
