The Majestic Arabian Horse
Bedouins believed that the horse was a gift from Allah. It was to be cherished, revered, almost worshipped. The Arabian horse has been bred for centuries, with its beginnings in the oases around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the countries known in our modern history as Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as other parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Because the Bedouins cherished their horses, the bloodlines were a jealously guarded family treasure within the different tribes. There are records which indicate that the nomads began breeding these superb horses as early as 3000 to 2500 B.C. However, the modern Arabians trace their roots back to five mares which were owned by King Solomon around 1600 B.C. Those five mares were known as "Al-Khamesh", literally "the five". Those five bloodlines were Kehilan, Seglawi, Abeyan, Hamdani and Hadban. As substrains were developed in each of the bloodlines, those would be named for celebrated mares and/or sheiks who significantly contributed a substantial branch to the strain. Each of the five original strains had significant characteristics which were preserved in breeding pure Arabians. A brief description of each follows: The Kehilan had a deep chest, masculine power, and size. The average height for a pure Kehilan was up to 15 hands (60 inches, or 152.4 centimeters) at the shoulder. It had a short head with a broad forehead, and wide jowls. The most common colors were chestnut and grey. The Seglawi had a refined look and was noticeably femininely elegant. The bone structure was fine and the face and neck were significantly longer than that of the Kelihan. The most common color was grey, and the average height was 14.2 hands (144.27 cm., or 56.8 in.). The Abeyan was quite similar to the Seglawi. It shared the refined look, but tended to have a longer back than the other strains. It averaged 14.2 hands, was commmonly grey, and had more white markings that most Arabians. The Hamdani line had a plainer look than that associated with Arabian horses. It was athletic and masculine in appearance, with a large bone structure. The head was straighter in profile than the typical Arabian and it lacked the bulging forehead which the Bedouins believed was "the blessings of Allah". This strain was one of the largest, standing 15.2 hands (60.8 in., or 154.43 cm.) at the shoulder. The most common colors were bay and grey. The Hadban was similarly configured as the Hamdani, with the big bone structure and musculature. But it was shorter in height and had an extremely gentle nature. The average height was 14.3 hands (145.28 cm., or 57.2 in.), and the dominant colors were bay and brown with few, if any white markings. Bedouins "adopted" the horses, regardless of how they came to be in the desert. Whether they were strays, absconded, or whatever, it was of no consequence to them. Once the horse was a part of their herd, they set out to breed for offspring with speed, stamina, strength, and courage. The different strains, as stated previously, each had their own characteristics, but all Arabians were bred to withstand the rigors of desert life. When the Europeans chose to improve their saddle horses, Arabians were the breed they imported to cross with their native stock. When they began the process, their horses were the larger breeds which had carried heavily armored knights into battle. Their lighter stock had it roots in the pony breeds. They had no breeds which could compare to the smaller, faster horses upon which invading forces from the Middle East were mounted. Thus, they sought out purebred Arabian stallions with the attributes desired and crossed them with choice native strains. Ninety-three percent of the English Thoroughbred breed today traces its roots to three distinct Arab strains: the Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Arabian (sometimes called Godolphin Barb). The first Arabian stallion imported to America was in 1725. He allegedly sired three hundred colts from breeding stock mares. And between 1853 and 1856, a breeder by the name of A. Keene Richard imported several stallions and mares to establish the first breeding program of consequence in the States. Unfortunately, his horses were confiscated or destroyed during the Civil War, the breeding line was ruptured, and nothing survived. On a visit to Turkey in 1877, General Ulysses S. Grant was presented with two purebred stallions which he imported to America. He gave on of those stallions to Randolph Huntington. Mr. Huntington then imported two more purebred stallions and two pure Arabian mares from England in 1888. His breeding program is considered the foundation of the first pure Arabian stock in the United States. Other breeds influenced by pure Arabian stock include the Orloff Trotter of Russia, the American Thoroughbred, the Morgan, the Percheron, the Connemara pony, the American Quarter Horse and National Show Horse. Strains of the breed were also introduced to the Lipizzaners of Austria, as well as numerous other breeds around the world. Arabians are considered the oldest of all the light breed strains, and its influence can be traced to many foundation stocks. But, the pure strains are still cherished and preserved by breeders in the Middle East, even today. The modern purebred Arabian outside of the Middle East typically has a "dished," or concave, profile set on a beautifully shaped head. The eyes are prominent, the nostrils are usually small, and the muzzle is usually "teacup", in shape and size. The neck is gracefully arched, and the head is inherently held high. The back is short and level. The shoulders are long and sloped. The chest is broad, deep and muscular. Its legs are long, and the tendons are clearly defined. The Arabian has small hooves, with a very tough consistency, that are wide at the heel. The hind quarters slope, and the tail is distinctly arched before it drops. Overall, one can clearly see that this horse defines strength, speed, and stamina in a beautifully conformed body. The coat can be chestnut, grey, bay, or black and is very fine. The underlying skin is always black. It is not uncommon for a purebred Arabian to have white markings on the face and/or legs. The mane and tail are full, yet soft to the touch. The typical Arabian ranges from 14.2 to 15.2 hands (56.8 to 60.8 inches, or 144.27 to 154.45 centimeters) at the shoulder and weighs between 800 and 1000 pounds (56.8 to 71 stones). Depending on the strain and characteristics, Arabians are used for Western and English riding, racing, jumping, endurance competitions, showing, cutting and reining, and dressage. This is a very versatile horse which bonds naturally with humans and can also be used as a family horse for people of all ages.
-------------------------------------------------------
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Horses
-------------------------------------------------------
|
Other Horse Racing Tips Articles
2006 Breeders' Cup Preview: Sprint The Sprint is a cruel race. It will take just more than a minute to run on Breeders' Cup day, and in that short time you could see your dreams of riches crash to the ground. Overall, the favorites have won about 40 percent of the races in the 22-year history of the Breeders' Cup, which is well above what we see on regular race days, but only fiv ...Things To Do While Visiting Dublin With a population of almost half a million, Dublin is the capital and largest city on the island of Ireland. It was originated in 488AD as a shipping port while going through the Irish Sea and has progressively grown into a modern day city throughout the years.Today Dublin is a mixture of the old and the new Metro and they merge nicely fr ...How to Bet on Horse Racing So you’ve decided to get in on the exciting world of horse racing. But before you can throw down some money on the ponies, you’re going to need to know what kind of bets are available and what each one means. Read on, and all will be explained.First, let’s look at the three most common types of bets. They are to win, to place, and to s ...Golden Rules of Horse Racing Betting Forget old wives' tales, home-spun wisdom and the advice of cabbies, says Tony Paley. If you really want to know how to punt on horses, you should engrave these 37 Commandments on tablets of stone and carry them with you wherever you go. Not literally, of course - that would be impractical.Rules. Mavericks and misfits might not like to ad ...Preview Of August's UK Horse Racing If Wimbledon in June means strawberries and cream, then racing in August can only signify Goodwood and York, two flagship festival meetings that dominate the month’s action beginning with five exciting days on the Sussex slopes.As popular as ever, Glorious Goodwood offers some top-class action and is often a meeting that puts profits in p ...Gambling Myths 101 Myths and rumors come with every gambling game. However undesirable, they can be a good source of recreation. The major cause of these beliefs and tales is the uncertainty related with gambling.Slot machines were first played in the late nineteenth century. Since then the machines have changed with more reels and increased number columns ...September's UK Horse Racing Action Punters are in for a busy time of it in September as the Flat racing season moves swiftly into its autumn phase starting with the William Hill Sprint Cup, a Group1 contest over six furlongs at Haydock on Saturday September 2.Class has traditionally been the defining factor in this well-contested sprint course and it’s therefore no surpris ...Drag Racing This is a popular form of motor sport racing in the United States, which first began as illegal street racing. The idea is to cover a short distance, usually one quarter of a mile in the shortest amount of time. The course or strip is straight, resembling the streets of most American cities. Two cars stand next to each other as if waiting at a t ...Quick Gambling Tips Today, I thought I would share some quick gambling tips with you. These tips can be used with any gambling game(s) you enjoy. Many people are losing gamblers, because they simply play a game without any thought and hope luck comes along. Luck is what you make of it. By following some simple tips, you can get more out of your gambling experie ...New Hampshire State Fair has Many Agricultural Shows Contocook, New Hampshire hosts the state fair each year as a Labor Day weekend tradition from Aug 31st to Sept. 4th and you'll find that make it an annual tradition of your own is fun and easy. The New Hampshire State Fair is also known as the Hopkinton State Fair so do remember not to get too confused if you find directions for this fair when ...How To Increase Your Horse Racing Wagering Cash Flow If You have a horse racing system that produces at least 33% Wins Or better than 66% in-the-money finishes, then You can Increase Your Horse Racing Wagering Cash Flow©. And You can realize this by simply betting 4% of Your total bank (Multiply Your Total Bank by 0.04.) on each race that was successfully processed by an effective handicapping pr ...Stephenville, Texas! Cowboy Capital of the World, and a Whole Lot More Besides Stephenville, Texas, there are several cities across the nation that refer to themselves as the "Cowboy Capital of the World." Whoa! Now, wait a minute! How can Dodge City, Kansas, Banderas, Texas and Oakdale, California ALL claim the same title as Stephenville? Somebody ain't tellin' the truth.Git a rope.True, Oakdale, Cal ...Sports Handicapping Articles: Toronto Raptors Early 2006 NBA Season Analysis For a while, Toronto did okay without Vince Carter. It was in 2001-2002 that Toronto won 9 in a row and advanced to the playoffs without Carter. Nowadays it’s hard to tell if they’re better off. Yes, Carter was biding his time in Toronto. But now the Raptors are the worst team in the league and are looking for another franchise player.The ...The Majestic Arabian Horse Bedouins believed that the horse was a gift from Allah. It was to be cherished, revered, almost worshipped. The Arabian horse has been bred for centuries, with its beginnings in the oases around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the countries known in our modern history as Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as other parts of the Arabian Peninsula ...Breeders Cup Jack Schneider visualizes just one manner in which Bernardini can be beaten in next month's $5 million Breeders Cup Classic -- barring stumbling on a stable rock, getting stuck in the gate or being abducted by aliens."The only way it could happen is if Bernardini and Lava Man get into a dog-dirt duel and are so into watching each other an ...The Evolution of the Ski Rack Skiing has changed greatly over the years, and so have ski racks. People no longer simply attach wooden planks to their feet to go skiing. There are now quick release bindings and parabolic skis and… gasp… snowboards. Just as there are different skis to get you down the mountain today, there are also different ways to get your skis up to the ...Barcelona Lead The Way In Champions League Betting Barcelona are 4/1 favourites to win the Champions League after the final round of fixtures in the group stage was completed, while Rangers became the first Scottish side to make it out of the group stage. However, the biggest talking point was 1999 winners Manchester United's shock exit from the tournament following a miserable 2-1 defeat agains ...Playing the Sway Game With so much opposition to their plans, many people are wondering if ISC’s dreams of building a Nascar Track in Staten Island will ever become reality. As we ponder over this question, there are many more questions in the minds of the ISC team of people who are struggling not only to realize this dream but also to pacify politicians and resident ...Kentucky Real Estate - The Bluegrass State From lush bluegrass to the music of the same name, Kentucky is undeniably the bluegrass state. Fortunately, Kentucky real estate prices won’t leave you blue.KentuckyWhen it comes to assumptions, leave yours at the door when considering Kentucky. This state is a hidden gem. From the Appalachian Mountains to the rolling hills covered ...Churchill Downs and Historic Horse Racing The history of Equestrian Sports in America goes back generations and there is no greater horse racing event then the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. It is horse racing at its finest. The annual running of the Kentucky Derby has a long history of the greatest horse race in human history.The buildings still look like s ...Hunter Jumper Horses Jumper courses are very demanding, calling for technical accuracy on the part of the rider and absolute obedience from the horse. Connecting with the horse from the hind legs, through the back to the bit will prevent most of resistance problems that horses have with jumping. As the riders head toward the jump, they focus on the rhythm of your ho ...English Lake District Traditions There is little doubt that those who have visited the regions of the English Lake District and Cumbria will recall and recount with pleasure the images of the lakes, mountains and tarns which together are the fundamental components of this beautiful area.There may also be some damp memories of a place with an above average rainfall. A phl ...PPI and Secured Loans - The Small Print IntroductionAs your home is put up as security against a secured loan it is nearly always sensible to take out insurance against the payments. All secured loan providers offer Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) and, as the market grows, there are a growing number of specialists insurance providers. This article discusses some of the thing ...Types of Horse Races Horse Races come in several types, namely, stakes, handicap, allowance, claiming or maiden races. Each one of these have important differences in terms of the types of horses entered into the race, as well as how horse owners and trainers will decide to run their horse in the race.Stakes races are those which occur annually, offer very la ...Horse Racing and Seabiscut -- A Hope, A Prayer, and A Horse! Even though our lives progressively moves forward on occasion it has a way of working what seems to be in a backwards motion, yet in the end achieves the same results. I remember years ago when I started my bodybuilding career, I had no self- confidence, poor self-esteem, and an introverted personality. I couldn't fathom doing what others belie ...
|
