Arabian Horses

Recognized as one of the oldest and most influential of all horse breeds, most modern horses alive today have an Arabian ancestor somewhere in their DNA. Beautiful, elegant, versatile, swift, and enduring in more ways than one, the Arabian horse is truly special.

Origin of the Arabian

The exact origins of the Arabian horse are still shrouded in mystery. Named for the Arabian peninsula in the Middle East, the Arabian horse was refined by the migratory Bedouin people over thousands of years. Bred to be swift, loyal, and elegant, these horses influenced nearly all of the breeds of horses that we have today.

The Bedouin tribes began selectively breeding horses in arid desert conditions around 5,000 years ago. Only the strongest horses could adapt to such an extreme climate – the result? A prized equine companion with an elegant and refined appearance, large lung capacity, and a strong, compact body. These horses could swiftly carry riders over thousands of miles of desert, and they are still known for that lasting endurance today.

The Bedouin tribes maintained pure bloodlines by meticulously passing down breeding records orally through generations, and by naming their horses with suffixes of “son” and “daughter”. Mixing bloodlines with other desert breeds was forbidden – Arabians were to remain “asil” (pure). 

To protect their horses from harsh weather or rogue thieves, tribesmen would bring their horses into their tents with them. While fostering such a close relationship with their people, Arabians developed a good sense and friendly nature – traits that still exist in modern-day specimens of the breed.

The Darley Arabian, Byerley Turk, and Godolphin Arabian became the foundation stallions for the thoroughbred breed – 93% of Thoroughbreds can trace their lineage back to these three horses.

In America, George Washington bred his Arabian to improve his cavalry mounts. In 1893, Arabians appeared at the Chicago World Fair, and interest in the breed grew from there!

Arabian Horse Characteristics

Arabians are lean, strong, well-bred machines. Designed for endurance as raiding horses in the harsh conditions of the Saudi Arabian desert, these horses have been categorically refined over thousands of years of selective breeding

“The purebred Arabian horse is striking. An Arabian’s most identifiable characteristics are its finely chiseled head, dished face, long arching neck and high tail carriage. Its entire appearance exudes energy, intelligence, courage and nobility. Every time an Arabian moves in its famous “floating trot,” he announces to the world his proud, graceful nature.”

From arabian.org

Unique Characteristics:

Several specific characteristics define the Arabian breed:

• Head: Arabians have delicate, refined heads that are preferably marked by a distinctive “dished” profile – the area between the forehead and the nose is slightly concave. They have large, expressive eyes, wide foreheads, small muzzles, and large nostrils.
• Neck: Their necks are long and arched, giving them an elegant and graceful appearance.
• Back: Arabians have short backs – in fact, many of them are missing vertebrae! Having a short back allows a horse to draw power from its hindquarters and puts a spring in its step.
• Croup: Relatively broad and flat croup; this also allows the horse to draw power from the hindquarters and provides a smooth ride.
• Tail: Arabians have a naturally high tail carriage giving them a proud look at all times.

Missing Bones

Arabians have fewer bones than other horses. Many possess 17 ribs, as opposed to the standard 18. They also only have 5 vertebrae instead of 6, and 16 tail vertebrae instead of 18. Because of this, they have shorter and more compact bodies than other breeds – these features are excellent for speed and agility. 

Colors

Arabians can come in any color, but to be registered they must be bay, gray, chestnut, or roan (sabino or rabicano, not “true roan”).

Sometimes, an Arabian in a rare color will appear:

• White with pink skin and dark eyes: Most white or gray Arabians have black skin, to protect them from the sun.
• Sabino is a roan-like spotting pattern: horses have a large percentage of “high white” above knees, spotting on legs belly, or face.
• Rabicano: heads and legs are solid-colored, and the horse doesn’t have intermingled white and solid hairs all over – only on midsection and flanks.

Registered purebred Arabians can never carry the “dilution” color genes such as dun, cremello, palomino, bucksin, pinto, or the leopard-complex gene (this is responsible for Appaloosa spotting).

To the Bedouins, palomino horses were considered bad luck, and spotted horses looked like livestock. Black horses would also not have fared well in the desert climate, for they would have become overheated easily. These characteristics were usually bred out, but they occasionally appear in modern Arabians today.