Arabians
Arabian Horses, often referred to as Arab horses, are known to be one of the oldest breeds. They originated in the Arabian Peninsula, and have pictorial prove that they, or their ancestors, have been around since 2500 BC, but are now common world over; being used to improve other breeds by adding speed, endurance, refinement, and strong bone. They are good-natured, quick to learn, willing, and high spirited.
Although there is still a debate about where exactly the breed was first, it is known that the Bedouin people bred them for their good points and features, and for war, preferring the calmer mares to the stallions, and often bringing their prize war horses into tents for security from thefts. They were fed on dates and camels milk. They obviously needed people for water, as the average horse can only go about 72 hours without. They called the horses Banat er Rih, which in Arabic means “Daughter of the Wind”.
About the Breed
Arabian horses have refined, wedge-shaped heads, dished profiles, broad foreheads, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles. Some may have a slight bulge on their foreheads that gives more sinus room. This was called jibbah by the Bedouin, and was thought to help the horse in desert climates. Arched necks and refined throatlatches are also part of Arabians’ looks. They should have longish, level croup/hindquarters, a high tail carriage, and a short back. However, there are differences in the breed. Some may have wide, powerfully muscled hindquarters, while others have longer, leaner muscling, more suited to events such as endurance.
Most Arabians are between 14.1 and 15.1 hands, some smaller, some bigger. However, that doesn’t matter; even though a horse 14.2 hands and under is considered a pony, Arabians are still classified as horses. It was said that because the breed was small it wasn’t strong, but it isn’t so. No matter how small they are, they are capable of carrying an adult.
Colours
Arabian’s can be bay, grey, chestnut, and black, the later being the rarest. Some horses are registered as roan, but that usually means rabicno or sometimes sabino with roaned edges; because Arabians don’t have the roan gene.
Arabians always have black skin, which protects them from the scorching desert sun, except where white markings are present.
Grey: Although it looks like a horse may be white, unless it has pink skin it is just a normal grey. Some older grey Arabians sometimes have a “bloody shoulder”, which is really flea bitten grey but with all the pigments on the shoulder.
White: There are very few Arabians that are a true white, although a few have been found, going back to a stallion born in 1996. It was thought that he was sabino, but later proved to be a new form of dominant white often written as w3.
Sabino: This is the only spotted colour pure breed Arabian horses can be. It is often seen with stockings extending above the knees or hocks, with irregular spotting on the legs, belly and face, and white markings extending beyond the eyes or under the chin and jaw. It is still unknown what genes course Arabians to have this colour, but studies are being made.
Rabicano: Although sometimes mistake for roan, rabicano is only seen on the midsection and flanks, while roan is seen all over the horse. Some people mistake a young grey horses as roan because of the mixture of solid and white hairs.
Arabians cannot hold a dilution gene, which includes cremello, dun, buckskin, and palomino. They also cannot be pinto, other than sabino, or appaloosa coloured. However, in Ancient Egypt tombs there are paintings of spotted horses on pottery, thought to be Arabians ancestors. At another time excess white was thought to be a mark of impurity, until DNA testing, and was often penalized in show rings.
Legends
Muhammad and the Al Khamsa
Muhammad wanted the best, and only the best, of his horses for breeding. So one day, after a long, tiring, and exhausting travel through the desert, he decided to test their loyalty by letting them go to an oasis. But just before they reached it, he called them back. Only five mares retuned, desperate with thirst though they were. But they pleased Muhammad, and became his favourites. He also called them Al Khamsa, which means “the five”. They then became the founders of the current breed of Arabian horse we know today.
Although they are said to be fictional horses, some people claim that the modern Bedouin Arabians descend from those five mares.
~
Drinker of the Wind
In this myth, the angel Gabriel descended from Heaven and woke the son of Abraham, Ishmael, with a storm, whirling before him. The angel then commanded the thunder to stop scattering the stones and dust, which made its power and strength build up until it became a handsome, prancing, horse, so fast that looked as though it swallowed up the ground. This earned the first Arabian horse his name, “Drinker of the Wind”.
~
Allah Creates the Arabian
Another Bedouin story says that Allah created the Arabian horse from the south wind. He said to the wind,
“I want to make a creature out of you. Condense."
Then, as the wind condensed, he said,
“I create thee and call thee horse; I make thee Arabian and give thee the colour of the ant; to thy forelock which hangs between thy eyes I have hung happiness and binded it in Victory of battle. On thy back I set a rich spoil and fortune shall come through thy meditation. Treasure I put in thy lions. I make thee as good at flight as pursuit: I give thee flight without wings. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth, the Lord of the other animals. Men shall follow thee wherever thy go.”
Other tales claim that the Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon a pure Arabian-type mare called Safanad, which means “the pure”.
Another version says that Solomon gave a stallion, Zad el-Raheb or Zad-el-Rakib (meaning "Gift to the Rider"), to the Banu Azd when they came to pay tribute to the king. The horse was faster than any zebra or gazelle, and every hunt with him was successful so that when he was breed with mares, he became the sire of legend.
More coming
Although there is still a debate about where exactly the breed was first, it is known that the Bedouin people bred them for their good points and features, and for war, preferring the calmer mares to the stallions, and often bringing their prize war horses into tents for security from thefts. They were fed on dates and camels milk. They obviously needed people for water, as the average horse can only go about 72 hours without. They called the horses Banat er Rih, which in Arabic means “Daughter of the Wind”.
About the Breed
Arabian horses have refined, wedge-shaped heads, dished profiles, broad foreheads, large eyes, large nostrils, and small muzzles. Some may have a slight bulge on their foreheads that gives more sinus room. This was called jibbah by the Bedouin, and was thought to help the horse in desert climates. Arched necks and refined throatlatches are also part of Arabians’ looks. They should have longish, level croup/hindquarters, a high tail carriage, and a short back. However, there are differences in the breed. Some may have wide, powerfully muscled hindquarters, while others have longer, leaner muscling, more suited to events such as endurance.
Most Arabians are between 14.1 and 15.1 hands, some smaller, some bigger. However, that doesn’t matter; even though a horse 14.2 hands and under is considered a pony, Arabians are still classified as horses. It was said that because the breed was small it wasn’t strong, but it isn’t so. No matter how small they are, they are capable of carrying an adult.
Colours
Arabian’s can be bay, grey, chestnut, and black, the later being the rarest. Some horses are registered as roan, but that usually means rabicno or sometimes sabino with roaned edges; because Arabians don’t have the roan gene.
Arabians always have black skin, which protects them from the scorching desert sun, except where white markings are present.
Grey: Although it looks like a horse may be white, unless it has pink skin it is just a normal grey. Some older grey Arabians sometimes have a “bloody shoulder”, which is really flea bitten grey but with all the pigments on the shoulder.
White: There are very few Arabians that are a true white, although a few have been found, going back to a stallion born in 1996. It was thought that he was sabino, but later proved to be a new form of dominant white often written as w3.
Sabino: This is the only spotted colour pure breed Arabian horses can be. It is often seen with stockings extending above the knees or hocks, with irregular spotting on the legs, belly and face, and white markings extending beyond the eyes or under the chin and jaw. It is still unknown what genes course Arabians to have this colour, but studies are being made.
Rabicano: Although sometimes mistake for roan, rabicano is only seen on the midsection and flanks, while roan is seen all over the horse. Some people mistake a young grey horses as roan because of the mixture of solid and white hairs.
Arabians cannot hold a dilution gene, which includes cremello, dun, buckskin, and palomino. They also cannot be pinto, other than sabino, or appaloosa coloured. However, in Ancient Egypt tombs there are paintings of spotted horses on pottery, thought to be Arabians ancestors. At another time excess white was thought to be a mark of impurity, until DNA testing, and was often penalized in show rings.
Legends
Muhammad and the Al Khamsa
Muhammad wanted the best, and only the best, of his horses for breeding. So one day, after a long, tiring, and exhausting travel through the desert, he decided to test their loyalty by letting them go to an oasis. But just before they reached it, he called them back. Only five mares retuned, desperate with thirst though they were. But they pleased Muhammad, and became his favourites. He also called them Al Khamsa, which means “the five”. They then became the founders of the current breed of Arabian horse we know today.
Although they are said to be fictional horses, some people claim that the modern Bedouin Arabians descend from those five mares.
~
Drinker of the Wind
In this myth, the angel Gabriel descended from Heaven and woke the son of Abraham, Ishmael, with a storm, whirling before him. The angel then commanded the thunder to stop scattering the stones and dust, which made its power and strength build up until it became a handsome, prancing, horse, so fast that looked as though it swallowed up the ground. This earned the first Arabian horse his name, “Drinker of the Wind”.
~
Allah Creates the Arabian
Another Bedouin story says that Allah created the Arabian horse from the south wind. He said to the wind,
“I want to make a creature out of you. Condense."
Then, as the wind condensed, he said,
“I create thee and call thee horse; I make thee Arabian and give thee the colour of the ant; to thy forelock which hangs between thy eyes I have hung happiness and binded it in Victory of battle. On thy back I set a rich spoil and fortune shall come through thy meditation. Treasure I put in thy lions. I make thee as good at flight as pursuit: I give thee flight without wings. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth, the Lord of the other animals. Men shall follow thee wherever thy go.”
Other tales claim that the Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon a pure Arabian-type mare called Safanad, which means “the pure”.
Another version says that Solomon gave a stallion, Zad el-Raheb or Zad-el-Rakib (meaning "Gift to the Rider"), to the Banu Azd when they came to pay tribute to the king. The horse was faster than any zebra or gazelle, and every hunt with him was successful so that when he was breed with mares, he became the sire of legend.
More coming