- Arabian -

To the Arabian people, the Arabian horse is called keheilan, which means 'pure blood, though and through'. This is probably the best and most accurate way to describe the Arabian horse. One of the oldest pure breeds in the world, the Arabian has stayed free of foreign blood and has thus maintained its very distinctive characteristics. Although ancient drawings and carving record the Arab's existence long before the Christian era, few hard facts are known about their origins, except that they came from Western Asia. They may have originated in Saudi Arabia, but it seems more likely that they also had strong ties to the countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The fact that they are one of the most ancient pure breeds is indisputable.

The first Arabian horse in Britain was in AD 1121 when Alexander I, King of Scotland at the time, presented an Arabian horse to the Church of St. Andrews. From that time on, Arabs were occasionally introduced to some of the British ponies to increase their speed. In the year 1616 James I bought a celebrated Arabian horse from a Mr. Markham. The Arabian horse's popularity in England did not begin until Charles II sent his Master of the Horse to the Levant to purchase stallions and brood mares. It was from then on that the Arabian's reputation was established.

The purity of the Arabian breed is maintained today by the Arab Horse Societies, and the World Arab Horse Organization, which laid down strict pedigree standards that must be met in order to register as pure-breeds. There are several offshoots of the Arab which, while being based on pure stock, do not conform to the pedigreed standards. There is also the Barb horse, which is a very important breed in its own right, and is further discussed under Barb. The role the Arab horse has played in the development of nearly all modern breeds of horses cannot be underestimated. They are perhaps the singularly most influential breed, and definitely in the development of the English Thoroughbred.

For centuries the Arabian horse has been used to improve and refine other breeds, and is today still widely used to this effect. The Arab's popularity is firmly established throughout the world, and is undoubtedly due in part to its huge versatility. Not only is the Arabian one of the most beautiful horses ot look at, in terms of symmetry and conformation, bit they are also one of the toughest and most enduring breeds, a fact that is belied by their appearance. They are famous for their stamina and endurance, have an incredible amount of speed, and also make an excellent light, balanced riding horse.

The Arab is quite unique in its conformation and appearance; one of its notable differences from other breeds is the number of vertebrae is possesses. Arabian horses have 17 ribs, five lumbar vertebrae, and 16 tail bones, whereas the other equine breeds have 18 ribs, six lumbar ribs, and 18 tail bones. This unusual skeletal structure of the Arab accounts for their compact back and high tail carriage. They also exhibit a very distinctive head, which is small and refined with a dished profile. They have a wide forehead, with a distinguishing shield-shaped bulge which is known as the jibbah. The head tapers to a small muzzle, with very large nostrils capable of extensive dilation. Their eyes are always very large, beautiful, and expressive. Their ears are usually small and alert, and curve in toward each other. They have another unique feature called the mitbah, which is the angle where the head meets the neck. It results in a curved arch that allows the head to be very mobile and able to move about in almost any direction. The neck should be arched, muscular, and elegant, and is set onto a strong, very well-made shoulder with a deep, broad chest. The Arabian's back should be strong and level, with broad quarters; the croup is characteristically long and level, and the rail is set and carried high. They are clean legged with typically hard tendons and good feet.

The Arabian horse as an excellent action, with a free-flowing, straight, fast stride at all paces. They have a floating action and appear to glide effortlessly over the ground. They also have a particularly fine skin through which their veins are quite visible. Traditionally they are a small horse, standing at approx. 15 hh, although they have been bred to be larger. When this is done, however, they tend to lose some of their quality. Generally the Arabian horse is bay, gray, or chestnut, and is a hot-blooded breed.

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