this is a term paper that I wrote for an english class my junior year in high school. I did a lot of work on it, and found out some very interesting facts about the breed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
"I create thee, oh Arabian. To thy forelock, I bind victory in battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil and a treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the glories of the Earth� I give thee flight without wings." (Becky Sturdy. 1) The Arabian horse is the only true purebred breed of horse in the world. With the spread of the Arabian horse, it became a more popular and sought after horse to own and breed. Many different legends exist about the Arabian horse, along with famous true stories of Arabian war-horses in the desert. The Arabian horse was the foundation for almost all modern day horse breeds.
Although the exact time of origin of the Arabian horse is unknown, the Arabian is still the oldest and purest breed of horse known in the world. Scholars believe that the Arabian horse originated in the Fertile Crescent, which is now Syria, Iraq, Iran, and the Arabian Peninsula, anywhere between 5000 B.C. and 2500 B.C. The name of the breed also came from its origin. The word "Arab" actually means desert.
Many different Bedouin legends exist about how the Arabian horse came into being. One legend states that: "In the beginning, God gave Ishmael, son of Abraham, a gift, made of mist and dust, as a reward for Ishmael�s faith and dedication to the God of his father. Out of the mist and dust came the first Asil (pure) Arabian mare, who was at the time in foal, and produced a son. From these two gifts from God came the beginning of the Asil Arabian horse." (Becky Sturdy. 1) To the Bedouin people, the first to catch and domesticate the breed, the Arabian was considered a precious gift from God and was held as priceless, with the highest esteem given to the breeders.
The Bedouin people believed that the Arabian was given the gift of an intelligent spirit, and of psychic powers, by Allah. Since the Bedouin were constantly migrating, they could not stable their prized Arabians. Instead, they were forced to shackle them at night. If a sandstorm occurred during the night, a horse might drift away and would often become lost. To prevent this from happening, the Bedouin would bring their horses inside their own tent to sleep. The multiple wives may be forced to sleep outside to make room for the treasured Arabian horses. The character of the Arabian was something the Bedouin were quite proud of. They were a very affectionate horses, and developed a close bond with their human owners. Children were even allowed to sleep by the feet of the loving horses at night.
As the relationship between horse and rider continued to grow, the Bedouin began to use the Arabian as a war mount and for quick raids of enemy camps. Because of this, the Arabian developed a large lung capacity and incredible endurance. Along with this, the Arabian has other distinguished features that are unlike any other breed. An Arabian�s head has a dished profile, large, expressive eyes, huge nostrils, and a small, teacup muzzle. For each one of the Arabian�s features, the Bedouin people had a religious significance. The head showed the blessings of Allah. A high tail carriage was a symbol of pride, an arched neck and high crest signified courage. A sloped shoulder, also allowing floating gaits, showed power. Another unique fact about Arabians is that they have only five lumbar bones, seventeen ribs, and sixteen tail vertebrae. All other breeds have six lumbar bones, eighteen ribs, and eighteen tail vertebrae.
Many stories are told about how the Bedouin tested the loyalty of their Arabian horses. One story is told when, "Arabians would be trained as young two year olds to respond to a bell, then they would be left in the desert heat with no water until they became very thirsty. They would then be released near a body of water and right before the horses reached the water, they would ring a bell. Only five mares responded, and came even in adversity. They were chosen as the best and were later bred to pass on their great loyalty. Five great lines bred by five great tribes. Each tribe would breed and interbreed only one line to keep the pedigree pure." (Melissa Calapp. 1) The names of the mares are Kehilan, Seglawi, Abeyan, Hamdani, and Hadban.
The writer Carl Rawson later wrote about these five foundation mares, and gave them all individual characteristics. The famed Lady Wentworth, of Crabbet Stud, disagreed publicly with Rawson�s ideas. Rawson believed that the "Kehilans were heavily muscled, and the Seglawi were known for refinement and grace. The Abeyan are like the Seglawi. They are small, with a long back and are commonly found to be grey with many white markings. Hamdani horses were often plain and quite athletic with a larger-boned build. Finally, the Hadban strain were somewhat smaller than the Hamdani, and have an extremely gentle disposition." (Arabian Horse Association. 5)
In most breeds, the stallion is held in higher esteem because he can produce more offspring that a single mare. However, with the eastern people, the Arabian mare was held as a priceless and most treasured possession. The Arabian mare was chosen over the stallions to raid enemy camps because stealth was a needed security. If the Bedouin took their stallions to battle, they would nicker to the enemy�s horses. Arabian mares, however, would not and would, most of the time, prove to be better war horses, charging without fear.
The Bedouin people held their mares in such high esteem that they could not be bought or sold. The only way to acquire an Arabian war mare was by theft or by a gift. If someone was given an Arabian mare it was held with high honor, and the recipient was forever in the debt of the giver. These so-called Daughters of the Desert, came in colors of grey, chestnut, bay, roan, brown, and occasionally black. They stood anywhere between 14.1 and 15.2 hands high. (One hand equals about four inches.)
The verbal history of each Arabian horse family was passed down through generations by the Bedouin. The pedigree of Arabians were remembered through the mare�s lines. This was because the Bedouin enjoyed telling great stories of their Ghazu (desert warfare) mares. These stories were taken from the astounding stamina and bravery of each horse. Almost every horse had a verbal story of herself or of one of her ancestors. Every Arabian can trace his or her origins back thousands of years. Mares like Kehilet al Krush, Kehilet Jellabiyat, and Seglawi of Ibn Jedran are some of the most sought-after mares to have in a horse�s pedigree. The Bedouin zealously worked to maintain the purity of the Arabian breed. They were very proud of their work and declared that: "An Arabian will take care of its owner as no other horse will, for it has been instilled with a spirit of loyalty unparalleled by any other breed." (Arabian Horse Association. 5)
With the rise of Mohammed and the dawn of the Islam religion, followers began to travel to different countries to spread their beliefs. The Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Spain, and China fell to the Islam religion and to the Arabian horse. During the Dark Ages, Europe had developed large, heavy horses to carry their fully armored knights. These horses could not compare to the small, quick horses that their invaders appeared on. Europeans became very interested in the "eastern horses" that they had seen and heard of in stories of prowess, speed, endurance, and jumping ability.
Many people, especially royalty, became quite interested in these small horses. To own a horse like this would bring his owner incredible prestige and fame. They went to great lengths, even venturing into the torturous desert, to acquire these fabled horses. Since the invention of firearms, the need for the large horses of Europe had failed to exist. Therefore, people began to capture and breed the hardy Arabians during the Christian Crusades. Arabians proved to be outstanding military mounts throughout the world.
At the same time, Ahmad Ibn Tulun subjected Egypt to his Islam religion. Egypt had expanded its borders and now covered the Indus Valley and parts of Mesopotamia. Ahmad Ibn Tulun had Egypt build a hippodrome that housed his finest Arabian horses. When he finally left, Egypt was left under the rule of Mohammed Ali the Great, where he founded one of the greatest Arabian stud farms of all time. He helped to spread the word of the Arabian horse by saying that they were a gift from God.
After the Crusades, people from the west began looking to the people of the east for Arabian bloodstock. They had proved themselves in battle, and now they wanted them to enhance their own horses. Between 1683 and 1730 A.D. a revolution in horse breeding had occurred. Three Arabian stallions were imported into England from the Arabian Desert. The Darley Arabian, the Byerly Turk, and the Godolphin Arabians founded the Thoroughbred breed, as it exists today. Almost all modern day Thoroughbreds can trace their lineage back to these three stallions.
During the Victorian Era, Lady Anne Blunt ventured into the desert with her husband to obtain the coveted Arabian breed. Lady Anne Blunt created the famous Crabbet Arabian Stud farm in England and provided foundation stock for countries such as Russia, Poland, Australia, and Egypt. After Lady Anne Blunt died, still riding and breeding Arabians into her 80�s, she passed on her world famous Crabbet Stud farm to her daughter Lady Wentworth. When Lady Wentworth died in 1957, the Arabians of Crabbet Stud were dispersed and sold to the highest bidder.
The first Arabian imported into the United States was in 1725 by Nathan Harrison of Virginia. This stallion sired over three hundred foals to grade mares in the U.S. Even the esteemed George Washington rode an Arabian horse in the Revolutionary War. Many portraits portray him riding a beautiful white Arabian. The first Arabian breeder, however, was A. Keene Richard. Richard ventured into the desert in 1853 and 1856 to import several stallions and two mares. However, his ranch fell victim to the Civil War and none of the horses survived.
The first successful Arabian breeding program in the United States was in 1877 when General Ulysses S. Grant visited Abdul Hamid II, the Sultan of Turkey. While Grant was in Turkey, he found favor in the Sultan�s eyes. The Sultan then presented Grant with two stallions from his own stable. The stallions were named Leopard and Lindentree. When Grant returned to the U.S. he gave Leopard to Randolph Huntington, who later imported two mares and two stallions from England in 1888.
The first promotional Arabian event was in 1893, at the Chicago World�s Fair. Every country in the world was allowed to participate, so Turkey exhibited a wild eastern display. Some of the people were so impressed with the Arabians that they bought some of the Arabians that were brought here for the demonstration and they became some of the most important foundation stock in America.
On September 2, 1908, the Arabian Horse Club of America, Inc. was founded in New York. As time went on, the club changed names and locations many times and finally ended up in Colorado as the Arabian Horse Registery of America. At this time, seventy-one horses were registered with eleven owners. As the Arabian breed became more and more popular in the U.S., owners wanted an organization that would take over Arabian activities. On March 31, 1950, the International Arabian Horse Association was formed to promote the breed and organize activities for owners. The World Arabian Horse Organization and Bedouin Source are also key factors in the growth of the Arabian breed.
Without the Arabian breed, the world would not know many of its modern day breeds. After the Bedouin learned that the Arabian horse could carry them through battle, and their loyalty was beyond compare, they began to love, trust, and almost worship the breed. As time went on, the Arabian breed spread throughout Europe and eventually into the United States and to almost every corner of the world. Today over 605,319 purebred Arabians are entered in the registry along with 332,329 half-Arabians and 9,861 Anglo-Arabians. For many years, people have always been and will continue to be fully devoted to their beloved Arabian horses.
