Arabian horses have always been prized for their speed, endurance, beauty and intelligence. The breed's history is shrouded in legend, but even these stories are magical. The Arabian horse (Arabic: الحصان العربي) is a breed of horse native to the Arabian Peninsula. Hidden in the old desert sands, Bedouin tribes have been selectively breeding these horses since 3000 BC and keeping detailed records of their ancestors, which we now call family trees.
Arabian horses have a distinctive head shape and a high-carried tail, making them one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. A half-Arabian, half-Arabian or, less precisely, half-Arabian is a horse with detectable elements of Arabian horse breeding, but not a purebred horse.
The origins of the Arabian breed are unclear, although some historians say their roots go back 4,500 years, when they were bred by the Bedouins as war horses for the desert tribes of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. Living and riding in harsh desert conditions was responsible for the development of the Arabian's immense lung capacity, sturdy feet, and incredible endurance.
In the 7th century AD, the Prophet Muhammad spread the influence of the Arabs by instructing his followers to treat them kindly, especially the mares, to ensure the survival of the breed.
Christian crusaders returned from the East between 1099 and 1249 AD, telling tales of these pretty, agile, lithe and speedy horses. Interest in the Arabian horses grew and people in the Western world began to seek out thoroughbred Arabian horses. Three world-shattering Arabian stallions were imported to England between 1683 and 1730: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Arabian. The trio became the foundation stone of the thoroughbred breed.
Historical figures such as Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and George Washington all rode Arabian horses and seem to have favored them. Marengo, Napoleon's horse, was a white Arabian stallion.
The first representative of this breed to be immortalized in films was Jaadan, the compact white Arabian ridden by Rudolf Valentino in his 1926 film The Son of a Sheik. This exotic animal increased the demand for Arabians throughout North America, but Jaadan himself was a notoriously bad father and did not produce quality offspring.
What are Davenport Arabians?
Homer Calvin Davenport (March 8, 1867 – May 2, 1912) was a celebrated political cartoonist and ranch owner in Oregon. He was the first major American breeder of Arabian horses and one of the founders of the Arabian Horse Club of America.
It all began in 1893 when Davenport first saw Arabian horses at the World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair. The Arabian horses had arrived from Constantinople under the patronage of Sultan Abdul Hamid, Emperor of the Ottoman Empire, and Mr. Davenport was very impressed by their beauty and grace.
In 1904, Homer Davenport drew a positive caricature of Theodore Roosevelt that helped him win the White House. President Roosevelt, in turn, helped the aspiring horse breeder two years later when he requested certain diplomatic papers necessary for a trip abroad in search of the best Arabian thoroughbreds in the world.
From 1906 to 1908, Homer Davenport and millionaire Peter Bradley roamed desert lands in the Middle East, and together they made extensive trips to the Anazeh people of Syria, where Davenport participated in a brotherhood ceremony with a Bedouin guide. The 27 horses the couple purchased and brought to the United States became an significant contribution to up-to-date Arabian horse breeding.
Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian are also notable lineages. Similar initiatives have been undertaken by other well-known breeders in France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Russia.
How do you recognize an Arabian horse?
Arabians are perhaps the most easily recognizable breed of horse in the world. That's because desert Bedouins kept detailed records of their characteristics and selectively groomed them for three millennia. Arabian horses have fine, chiseled heads with an arched profile, immense nostrils, immense eyes, and a long, arched neck with a miniature, straight back. Arabian horses have one fewer vertebra than other breeds. They have a deep chest, a high-carried tail, forceful legs, and sturdy, demanding hooves.
When moving, Arabians move with a typical floating trot, which makes them agile and graceful and makes riding pleasant. They have a naturally high-carried tail. When viewed from behind, the tail should be carried straight outwards.
Arabians can be brown, gray, chestnut, black, and brindle. Brown, gray, and chestnut are the most common colors, with black being less common. Although some Arabians appear white, they are not. A white coat is usually the result of the natural action of the gray gene, and virtually all “white” Arabians are actually gray. These horses are usually between 14.1 and 15.2 hands lofty, making them slightly smaller than other horses. They are highly wise, responsive, affectionate, brave, and spirited.
What does it mean that Arabians have a curved profile?
A horse's profile, the shape of its head, is either straight, convex or domed. The adjectives refer to the relationship between the horse's skull and its face. A domed profile suggests a foreshortened face and a teacup-shaped muzzle.
There are many different types of Arabian horses. The arched profile type dominates equestrian sports and horse shows due to its attractive appearance. This type has now spread everywhere and has become the definitive version of the breed.
According to some riders, the original desert Bedouins avoided horses with arched or concave profiles because this characteristic was considered a physical defect. It was believed that such horses could not keep up with others because the inclination or angle of their inhalation could negatively affect the animal's breathing while running.
Over the years, Arabian horses have been selectively bred to accentuate their arched profile, thereby promoting facial features that negatively impact the horses' ability to breathe and chew and swallow their food.
More significant to the breed's conformation may be the animal's eyes, the size and shape of its nostrils, the distance between the jaws and the eyes, and how well the head sits in the bridle.
Are Arabian horses basic to train?
Yes. The Arabian horse breed was bred in the harsh desert climate by the nomadic Bedouins who prized them for their reliable endurance. Deserts are chilly and perilous places at night and the best stallions were regularly brought into the family tent for protection and shelter. Over thousands of years, this close relationship with humans has produced a breed of horse that is good-natured, willing to learn and docile. But Arabians also have a good spirit and the alertness required of war horses. This combination of willingness and sensitivity means that trainers must handle Arabian horses with more care and respect.
Arabians are known for their intelligence and gentle but spirited nature. For centuries, Arabian horses were selectively bred by desert Bedouins, and only the best horses that were amiable and good-natured were allowed to breed. The result is that up-to-date Arabians have a naturally good temperament, which, among other things, makes them one of the few breeds where the U.S. Horse Federation allows children to show stallions in almost all show ring classes, including those reserved for riders under 18.
However, Arabian horses are classified as “hot-blooded” and some riders believe that hot-blooded breeds are more arduous to train. This category includes other horses bred for speed, such as Akhal-Teke, Thoroughbreds and Berbers. Like these other hotbloods, Arabians' sensitivity and intelligence allow them to learn quickly and communicate better with riders, but their precocious nature also allows them to pick up bad habits just as quickly.
What are Arabian horses used for?
Arabians perform well in a variety of disciplines, including English Pleasure and Western Pleasure, dressage, lower level show jumping, and in-hand showing. They often appear in sport horse competitions and shows, including hunting, show jumping, racing, dressage, trail riding, and various working roles. They are also good at racing and pleasure riding, and make excellent school horses, with many up-to-date riders learning to ride on them.
However, their superior endurance and stamina make them exceptionally competitive mounts for trail and endurance riding, and they are still commonly seen in such competitions today.
In the past, Europeans used Arabian stallions to improve their own riding horses, as the Arabian horse was considered a gentler mount. Throughout history, the breed has been used to refine native breeds.
The Arabian Horse Association
Since 1908, over 1 million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses have been registered in the AHA Registry, ensuring the integrity and continuation of the breed. Registration increases the value of your horse, makes him more marketable and opens the door to many local, regional and national events open to registered horses.
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