The Arabian

The World's Oldest, Purest and Most Beautiful Horse

In the vast deserts of the middle east, the first Arabian horse was caught by a wandering herdsmen. Thus began the history of Equus Arabicus, the exquisite equine that would capture the imagination and earn the respect of people around the world.

Bedouin Hunting Party

Ancient artifacts attest to the horse’s presence there dating back more than six thousand years. Forged in the furnace of the desert, all but the most perfect were culled by circumstance.  Those centuries of rigor molded the mind and body of the Arabian horse into the stuff of legends that would cut across culture and time.

The nomadic Bedouins were master horsemen and relied on these fleet animals for their very survival. Mares were more often used than stallions for daring night forays into enemy camps because the stallions could not be relied upon to be quiet. Thus, the Arabian mare became one of the Bedouins’ most zealously guarded and treasured property. In fact, possession of horses was a measure of wealth, and the confiscation of horses, especially mares, was often the sole object of a raid against a neighboring tribe.

The Arab Tent by Edwin Landseer

While stallions were tethered outside the camps, mares were kept in the camps, and mares with foals were kept in the tents.

Despite their dependence on their horses, the Bedouins were not sentimental about them. Colts in particular, were not coddled. Those horses that could not keep up when the tribe moved camp, were left behind. A horse that became sick, injured or displayed any sort of intractability was quickly dispatched with a knife across the throat.

Centuries of close contact with man endowed the Arabian with uncommon emotional depth.

Preserving the Bloodline

Word spread fast once the exotic desert horse was discovered. Importations began in the 16th century. Enthusiasts were eager to refine their herds with Arabian beauty. Little did they then know that beauty was only one of the Arabian’s many natural gifts.

AM Dreamazon

Importation and cross breeding reached its peak in the 18th century with the result being that there was hardly a breed of light horse in Europe, the British Isles or the Netherlands that had not been infused with Arabian blood.

It was not until the close of the 19th century that a few visionary breeders recognized the need to preserve the purity of the true desert bloodlines. Two of the first to take this step were Wilfrid and Anne Blunt, who in 1878, planned Crabbet Park in their native England. This course of action would have a greater impact on the Arabian horse world than anyone then could have ever imagined.

The Blunts saw that high quality Arabians were fast disappearing from the desert, so they moved quickly to secure choice mares and stallions carefully. In the years that followed, Crabbet Park set the standard for producing pureblood horses endowed with the best of the breed’s attributes.

The most famous horse to come out of Crabbet Park was Skowronek, the personal favorite of Lady Wentworth, the Blunt’s daughter. Skowronek is considered by many today to have been the finest specimen of the Arabian horse.

The Modern Arabian

By the middle of the 20th century, the Arabian had emerged as a popular and sought-after breed in Europe and the United States. The horse’s popularity in the United States was nothing less than explosive due to its suitability for a wide range of disciplines such as:

Arabian racehorse

Arabians proved themselves as perfect riding and working horses. Although some people felt Arabian’s slightly smaller stature limited their ability to do heavy ranch work, there was no denying their incomparable endurance. Many found that although the Arabian doesn’t have the mass of the Quarter Horse, it’s natural balance, good nature and great stamina made it an ideal mount nonetheless.

As a running horse, the Arabian has no equal. The Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses, which are larger and of mixed blood, are fast over short distances, but most become spent after a mile. Horse races became breed-specific in part because non-Arabian owners did not want their horses competing against the desert horse that could “drink the wind”.

Performance is truly the heart of Arabians … the Porsches of Horses

The Arabian at Home

At Home

Of all horse breeds, Arabians take the longest time to mature. It is not until the horse is eight years old that he has reached his full size and color.

A wise owner will not jeopardize the physical and mental development of the horse by rushed training or heavy handling. To put an immature Arabian into long, heavy workouts too soon can lead to attitudinal and structural damage that manifests later.

Adept horsemen wait until an Arabian is three years old before assessing the horse’s conformation and physical aptitudes. It may well be another year before the horse’s highest and best use can be confirmed.

The most beneficial setting for the young Arabian is to be in a healthy herd with at least one other young horse. Because of the Arabian’s high willingness to form strong attachments, repeated ownership changes are stressful. Beware the horse that has had more than three owners.

Today, still a breed apart, the Arabian stands as one of the crowns of Creation. A well bred, well brought-up Arabian horse is a joy to be around as well as a tangible and intangible asset. Happy is he or she who has a whole field of them.

"When the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another Heaven and another Earth must pass before such a one can be again."  William Beebe

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