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The Unique Arabian Horse

Discover the Arabian Horse's uniqueness

The Arabian Horse, as a Breed, is unique. It could be said that there are other breeds that have similar unique attributes, for example the Welsh Mountain breed. This Breed identifies the differing types into Sections. Section A (Welsh Mountain Pony), Section B (Welsh Pony), Section C (Welsh Pony of Cob Type), Section D (Welsh Cob) and Section E Welsh gelding. Two sections have adjusted standards (Standard of Excellence) Each section is shown separately. This does not happen with the Arabian Horse. The Arabian Horse is judged against each other as though they are all equal to the modern Breed Standard. By using all the information on this website (Conformation Views #1, #2, #3) or and About “asil” as well as using information available via the internet in general as well as sites with related topics eg defiinitions, will reveal the key to the information that is the Arabian Horse as both an individual and as a Breed. 


Most articles and/or books focus on an issue such as conformation, the Breed’s history whether it be factual or embroiled with myth, strains, bloodlines in general or by country. All of which are interesting and potentially beneficial. There’s limited, if any, articles or books where all the data is combined to explain the Arabian Horse as a Breed as well as it’s evolution since its westernization, to dispel the myths and thereby focus on the factual.

Agecroft Layla with her 2025 colt foal by Ameer El Koloob (US).

~~//~~

The concept of standardization

The Arabian Horse’s uniqueness, aside of its beauty and character, stems to legitimate differing phenotypes/outlines/body-types within a single Breed. This is unusual. The promotion for breed standardization was established by a group of British farmers and was broadly accredited to agriculturalist and astute marketer Robert Bakewell (1725 – 95). He was the first to improve animals by fixing type, mainly for meat production and carcass quality, utilizing line and in-breeding practices. In 1783 Bakewell established the Dishley Society, named for his home town, with like minded farmers to protect the purity of his stock that became the forerunner of breed associations. From the late 1800s momentum increased to standardize breeds of animals.


The Dishley Society continued to promote Bakewell’s theory of standardization of farm animals and formalizing Breeds. Bakewell is associated with the establishment of the Shire Horse Breed, Leicester sheep and (British) Longhorn cattle. 


Standardization of the same animal type allows any animal breed, for example horse, dog, cow, poultry, to be assessed as well as compared to each other. This ultimately facilitated the rise of the show ring and judging as a hobby as well as promoting an agricultural business. The show ring compare and allocate awards to exhibits that, subjectively, meet the prescribed standard for the Breed.  


Bakewell’s theory of standardization has been eagerly embraced from its inception, though Charles Darwin (1809 - 82) noted concerns.


Standardization within Breeds is a widespread practice. There are pros and cons to the process, but this is for the individual to research and feel comfortable with in their breeding practices with the Arabian Horse.


Robert Bakewell (1725 - 1795)

~~//~~

The concept of standardization and the Arabian Horse

  

The uniqueness of the Arabian Horse Breed is its skeletal structure. It should be the one Breed that is excluded from the standardization dictate, especially if breeders are following the breeding practices of the Breed’s original breeders, the nomadic Bedouin.

 

Depending how an individual’s DNA is strung together at conception will define the individual’s ultimate phenotype. Phenotype can 

  • represent a combination of both sire and dam; 
  • reflect either sire or dam; 
  • represent a close relative 
  • revert to a distant ancestor.


The Arabian Horse conformational uniqueness stems from their loin and through to their pelvis:

  1. An individual with length to their loin, has a pelvis that will seat their femur (thigh bone) with little to no angle. This has a flow on effect through the other hindleg bones (fibula, hock, hind cannon, pastern and hoof). The movement of hindlegs with little angulation is that it will not reach as far forward as it is not angled to clear the abdomen. The stride usually grounds below or slightly forward of their loin/flanks. After grounding the consequential push off, their stride then continues out behind the line of buttocks before the actions are repeated. An individual with this type of loin/hindquarter is generally narrower and finer in build. This build shows an individual’s stifles and hooves to point more forward and their hocks to point more directly to the rear. 
  2. An individual without length to their loin, has a pelvis that will seat their femur (thigh bone) with a slight angle that allows the individual’s stride to travel past their flank and abdomen. The stride usually grounds midway or forward of the body. After grounding the consequential push-off, these individuals’ strides finish under their hindquarters (in-line with their buttocks) rather than out behind as in (1). This build has an individual’s stifles and hooves pointing outwards slightly, not as straight ahead as in (1), and their hocks, while pointing directly to the rear will do so in a reciprocal angulation to that of their stifles and accordingly, their hooves This conformation is not cow-hocks. Also, correction farriery should be discouraged as changing the hoof alignment will detrimentally impact ligaments, tendons and muscles further up the leg.


Note: True cow-hocks is when an individual’s hind cannons are not parallel and tend to present as an inverted V. This undesirable feature will most likely be detrimental to the individual’s agility. 


Number 1 and 2 are the two main differences. The desert-bred horse of the Nomadic Bedouin was bred for thousands of years and, overtime, 1 and 2 were bred together and produced variances to the 2 main types. These differences have been defined by westerners as the physical manifestation of strains. Noting that nomadic Bedouin definition known as strains is a naming protocol that validates the lineage of their horses, specifically the tail female. 


With regards to the Arabian Breed, this uniqueness defines the variety within the Breed. It must be noted that neither (1) or (2) is better than the other. One type of conformation was more agile while the other may have been faster. The differences represent the nomadic Bedouin preferences per tribe. Desert bred horses were used by the nomadic Bedouin for raids (El Ghazu).  The spoils of a successful raid went to the victor. Those spoils included a choice of or all of the defeated tribes desert bred mares. Hence the varied conformation of the desert bred horses. Noting well that the Nomadic Bedouin were successfully breeding horses well before the concept of standardization was thought of.

AHSA's Standard of Excellence image as drawn by Peter Upton.

~~//~~

Standardization

Since the early 1950s, with the Breed’s popularity and growth in numbers, the show ring truly evolved for the Arabian Horse. Showing Arabian Horses before the 1980s was done in a calm, '4 square’ stance ie all four hooves were on the ground under the individual’s body. To enhance an exhibit’s chances within the show ring a different show stance was developed for Arabian Horses by a USA trainer in the the late 1970s /early 1980s. 


The post 1980s modified show stance, currently used, has a hindleg slightly out behind. This simple change has the potential to change the overall outline of an exhibit. When the exhibit is taught the stance correctly, without cruelty, the stance works the muscles of the exhibit, tightening and effectively levelling the topline, specifically the croup. At this time, level croups were desirable. The other bonus is that the exhibit would also be taught to lean their weight forward and with further encouragement the exhibit stretches and elevates its neck. The often-overlooked bonus was the hindleg that was out behind the body would place an angled hock in a more suitable position for favourable judging. This placement benefits exhibits with #2 outline as it negates the ‘look’ of supposed cow hocks. 


As the stance gained acceptance the outcome has been profound. Focus is on exhibit’s head and neck with less emphasis on the body and perhaps legs. Due to the requirement of specialized training, the perceived need to have a professional trainer show an exhibit gained momentum. The perceived need for a professional handler and or training has seen the number of exhibits decline even before the economic down turn of the late 1900s/early 2000s.  


Since the acceptance of the initial Breed Standard, a series of modifications have been made to  this and subsequent versions of the Arabian Horse Breed Standard and illustrated by sketched images rather than photographic. These were the catalyst that enabled the modern Arabian show horse to evolve.

Serenity Sonbolah (1967 - 1991) - 1st generation mare exported Egypt. Stood in show pose.  

~~//~~

Gathering information about the desert bred horse

Another uniqueness of the Arabian Horse is its cultural pedigree as created by its founding breeders – the nomadic Bedouin. 


The Arabian Horse would be one of the oldest, if not the oldest Breeds to have a known history. This was done using a verbalized 'pedigrees' (within basic details) known to westerners as “strains”. Strain names follow the mare lines only. While a male will take its dam’s strain name, that strain name stops when the male sires its own progeny. Being nomadic, the  Bedouin traveled light. They  memorized and recounted the lineage of their mares as well as being aware of other tribes' mares. Only when the mares changed ownership that took them away from the nomadic Bedouin were ‘hujas’ (documents) used to validate the mare’s lineage for the new owners.  


Early authors, pre 1900s, discuss ‘strains’ broadly in their writings about the desert bred horse of the nomadic Bedouin. Strains, as discussed by these travelers, were given phenotype characteristics, some descriptions were general, other descriptions were detailed. What the travelers saw was a snapshot-in-time of the variety that was the desert bred horses of the nomadic Bedouin. 


Notable English travelers, Lady Anne Blunt (1837 – 1917) and her husband, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (1840 – 1922), made notes of the desert bred horses they saw. They also acquired, where possible, individual desert bred horses per their preferences and returned with their acquisitions to England or in later years to Lady Blunt's Sheykh Obeyd residence. 


It is interesting to note that over the years Lady Blunt travels to, and lives in, the Arabian Peninsula, she reappraises the information she knows about the desert bred horse of the nomadic Bedouin. At the start of her travels, Lady Blunt notes how each tribe of Bedouin refer to their horses by different names, later noted as strain names. Lady Blunt assumed, initially, that each tribal collection of desert bred horses was a different ‘breed’ as they may have had differing phenotypes as well as referred to by a different strain name. 


The Blunt's daughter, Lady Judith Wentworth (1873- 1957), notes in her book, “The Authentic Arabian Horse and His Descendants; Three Voices Concerning the Horses of Arabia; Tradition (Njed, Inner East), Romantic Fable (Islam), The Outside World of the West Horse” first published 1945, that Mutlak a native of the Arabian Peninsula and Lady Blunt’s constant helper and confidant, reminds Lady Bunt that the desert bred horses are all the same ie they all belong to the same breed despite their physical and name differences.

   

"Mutlak," said Lady Anne Blunt, "was never tired of telling me that all strains derive from Kehailan Ajuz." 


The word 'Ajuz' denotes antiquity of strain. And Kehailan Ajuz is accepted as the first known strain name.


Melding fact with fiction, the Arabian Horse Breeders of the early 1900s embraced the Bakewellian theory of standardization. This action facilitated the show ring comparisons to prevail as well as public acceptance leading to promotional marketing and sales. 


The Blunt’s initial quest, as well as fellow Englishman Major Roger D. Upton (1827-81), was to seek what they thought to be the foundation of the English Thoroughbred, then considered to be the desert-bred horses of the nomadic Bedouin, then each party acquired desert bred horses and returned with them to England. The imported desert bred horses were bred to the English Thoroughbreds. The resulting progeny tended to show a lack of height and speed compared to the racing Thoroughbred and the quest was doomed. However, the interest in the desert bred horse grew. 


The Blunt’s daughter, Lady Judith Wentworth, continued to review both the Arabian Horse and the English Thoroughbred alike. Lady Wentworth was an avid author and as such is the author of  “The Swift Runner. Racing Speed through the Ages including standard points of its foundation breed the marathon runner.” which was published in her final year, 1957. The ‘marathon runner’ referred to is the Arabian Horse. 


Within this book, Lady Wentworth includes a section ‘The Classic Arabian Foundation Breed’ . The section has over 50 pages of text, illustrations and photographs to describe acceptable characteristics of the Arabian Horse as well as characteristics that are not desirable or acceptable. The section sub titles include 

  • Head, 
  • Profile, 
  • Eyes, 
  • Expression, 
  • Nostrils, 
  • Ears, 
  • Neck, 
  • Shoulder and Forehand, 
  • Forelegs, 
  • Feet, 
  • Body, 
  • Back, 
  • Loins, 
  • Quarters, 
  • Tail, 
  • Hind Legs and Hocks, 
  • Coat and Skin and Hair, 
  • Colour, 
  • Temper, 
  • Nature, 
  • Paces, 
  • Walking, 
  • Pacing, 
  • Trotting, 
  • Cantering, 
  • Galloping, 
  • Jumping,
  • Attributes, 
  • Smell, 
  • General Appearance, 
  • Beauty, 
  • Quality, as well as How to Judge any Horse, 
  • How to Judge an Arabian Stallion, 
  • Disqualifying Points, 
  • Undesirable Points, but not Disqualifying, 
  • Judging Broodmares, 
  • Height and Growth, 
  • The Pony Type, 
  • The Horse Type, 
  • Lady Anne Blunt’s Views on Height, 
  • Special Note for Students and Breeders, 
  • Summary. 


The Swift Runner’ was published with an addendum that notes, with Lady Wentworth’s prior approval, the section be adopted by [the British] Council of the Arab Horse Society as the inaugural ‘Type and Standard’ for the westernized Arabian Horse Breed. Part of the addendum reads: “The Arab horse being an original breed, not subject to arbitrary alterations of passing fashion, has been unchanged in type for several thousand years.” and that any alterations, addition or subtractions must not be made unless with Lady Wentworth’s express written approval. With Lady Wentworth’s demise, it’s interesting to note the changes over the years to the original Standard. These have been considered minor changes to reflect the modernization of the Breed, and subsequently affecting the modern Arabian Horse Standard over time. 

Lady Anne Blunt with her favourite desert bred mare, Kasida.

~~//~~

Strains

Where do ‘strains’ fit into the era of the modern Arabian Horse? Contrary to general thought, strains are not mythical. The concept has not been promoted accurately into the modern era breeding practices. 


Strain names used by the nomadic Bedouin identified and validated their tribes’ desert bred horses matriarchal lineages, which are the bloodlines of their mares. Here the cultural factor is indisputable. It is suggested that the while the nomadic Bedouin may be at ease with some aspects about their dealings, their belief in the antiquity of their desert bred horses was profound. Hence, they developed a naming system that all nomadic Bedouin understood. 


The following is from Lady Wentworth's The Authentic Arabian Horse incorporating her mother, Lady Blunt's notes:


""Kuheili" = Kaheil Highbred, Thoroughbred. 

"Ajuz" = A wild horse, the ancient world, antiquity. 

"Ajzaa" = High sandy desert. 


Summed up we can take the origin to be as follows:- 

Kehilan or Kehilet el Ajuz = The ancient Thoroughbred wild horse or mare. 

Kuheil el Ajzaa or el Ajuz = Thoroughbred horses of the desert, or ancient world. 

In other words, the old Thoroughbred horse. 


Every strain name is a greater or smaller offshoot of Kehilan. With Arabs it is called a "ra-san" (literally, a rope), also "marbut" (tied) = a rope tying a strain to the original Kehilan root." 


and further:

"When a horse is called Kehilan alone the question now is always asked, "Kehilan of what strain," because all are Kehilan: Seglawi, Managhi, Abeyan, Hamdani, Wadnan, Jilfan; Samhan, Toessan, Shueyinan, Dahman, Saadan, Kebeyshan, Rabdan, Nowak, Harkan, etc.-all these are equally good, and Lady Anne Blunt was emphatic as to the error of describing ]ilfan, Managhi, or Dahman as at all inferior, nor have they any distinguishing hall-marks such as those claimed by Islamic writers and their European copyists."


"The idea that the Bedouins only mate certain strains to the same strain or to a closely allied strain is entirely false. A fast and good horse of any pure strain is equally valued."   

...

" Lady Anne Blunt in 1917 said "I cannot discover any ground for the theory of certain strains having certain particular characteristics. There is no distinction drawn between them as Skene imagined and no Bedouin would dream of keeping them separately."   In her book, "Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates," she mentions certain strains as "outside strains." This she deleted in her annotated copy with the words "there are no outside strains - all are equal in blood," 

... 

When names get too numerous some are dropped, and the Seglawi Jedrans of Ibn Sudan have dropped the Jedran and remain Seglawi of Ibn Sudan. 

The name of the main strain never changes, but the substrains are often altered as time goes on, as can be seen from the above." 


More information about strain name can be found in the The Arabian Horse  Manifesto. 


Needless to say, that the “snap-shot-in-time” initial vision of the Arabian Horse variety has been maintained by westerners. In the west, the concept that a strain name related to phenotype gained popularity, most likely as "Arabian Horse speak". Hence people/breeders/enthusiasts still refer to an Arabian Horse as having a strain type, that is, how a horse appears to the viewer. Almost akin to conformation shorthand. However, this notion created and still creates confusion when a foal is born of a strain name and that foal does not look like the strain type as attributed to its strain name. Strain names are not to be equated with DNA. Although, if an individual was to look like the attributed strain name “type”, then this would be because of the strength of the individual's bloodlines and DNA. 

A visual expression of strains work with desert bred horses by Joe Ferriss.

~~//~~

Strains in the modern era

There is a silver-lining to the misguided attribution of phenotype to strain names. The benefit is that it proves that after a century (100+ years) of westernized breeding practices, there are still visible differences/variety within the Arabian Horse Breed and thereby supporting its uniqueness. 


To promote the uptake of the Arabian Horse Breed by westerners because of its growing numbers and consequential availability, authors have published books noting the westernized versions of the Arabian Horse and its history. Strains were used to describe types. A notable post-1960s author, Judith Forbis with her husband, Don, while employed in Middle East allowed them to familiarize themselves with the Arabian Horse, particularly those in Egypt. This Egyptian herd were acquired by the Abbas Pasha from the nomadic Bedouin and bred on in Egypt. The Forbis' visited notable private and government run horse farms, taking photographs and making notes of desert bred bloodlines available in Egypt. The government run establishment was the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS (now the Egyptian Agricultural Organisation (EAO)) where the Forbis’ acquired a selection of young desert bred horses to establish their US breeding program, Ansata Arabians. Judith Forbis published their findings in a series of books over decades. The visually influential volumes Authentic Arabian Bloodstock: A Reference Guide, Historical Articles, and Racing Records (1990), [the blue book] and its follow-up volume Authentic Arabian Bloodstock: The Story of Ansata and Sharing the Dream (2003) [the gold book] are invaluable for their photographs and historical details. While the books advocate for the assimilation of strains as types, there are short comings. The first of which is that only photographs of individuals looking like the strain type are used as illustrations and the second, within the gold book, there is a further breakdown into broader mare groups. This unwittingly supports the fact that a strain as a type is not consistent. Rather, it consolidates that strains are not type, and that DNA is responsible for an individual’s phenotype with consideration to how closely they are bred. 


Putting all this information together, the interpretation of the revised Breed Standard and the consequential show judging and breeding practices, the desert bred horses’ uniqueness has been compromised due to the acceptance of a standard looking Arabian Horse. 


The onus, therefore, is on each breeder and judge to interpret the Arabian Horse Standard in conjunction with the Arabian Horses’ history and the culture that bred it. 

by Joe Ferriss.

~~//~~

Cobbling everything together

Joe Ferriss' chart immediately above uses photos of desert bred horses within the first or few generations of leaving their original breeders, the nomadic Bedouin. The variation in phenotype is visible. 


However, these photos are taken from the side limiting the ability to see and assess the individuals' conformation in detail. 

 

It has been the legacy of the show ring to foster on-going process to standardize the Arabian Horse. Changes have occurred to some bloodlines over the years/decades and now a century. Mainly by programs that show their Arabian Horses. 


The westernized desert bred horses has a few organizations promoting them outside of the Registries. One major organization, The Pyramid Society, created by like minded peers labelled desert bred Arabian Horses as Straight Egyptian. and to qualify an individual must "...trace in every line of its pedigree to horses listed in The Pyramid Society  Studbook for Straight Egyptian Arabian Horses Worldwide, ©2016", without any physical limitations. The Pyramid Society promoted the Straight Egyptian through a series of subscriber paid Reference Handbooks.  However, that changed in 2013 as the Pyramid Society issued a Guide to The Pyramid Society Straight Egyptian Arabian.stating: " ...The Standard of Excellence represents 45 years of dedication by The Pyramid Society to preserve the classic beauty and TYPE predicated by the legendary bloodlines of the The Egyptian Arabian. ...".


Another organization promoting entirety of the desert bred horse of the Nomadic Bedouin is the Al Khamsa organization. Al Khamsa is a north American organization that reaches worldwide but only supports north American bred ancestors desert bred horses in their online Roster. This organization uses only the individual's pedigree with no physical limitations.


There are blogs on the web and a well credentialed blog is Edouard Al-dahdah's  "Daughters of the Wind" -  A blog on desert arabian horses, past, present and future. 

Another blogger whose blogs cover the broader Arabian Horse as well as the desert bred horse is Ralph Suarez's "all for the love of a horse"


Is it time to review our knowledge of the desert bred horse of the nomadic Bedouin and how to breed them into the future to preserve the past?  One thing that is a given is that when a bloodline is lost, it will be gone forever. 


Conformation Article

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