- Arabian horses from the region of Egypt date back to 2000 B.C. This line was protected and promoted by Abbas Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt from 1848-1850. The offspring of his horses are some of the best of the Arabian breed in existence today.
- Arabians are no longer bred as the hardy, high-performance horses once needed by the military. But Arabians used in today’s sporting activities do require special breeding to prevent them from becomeing too heavy and cumbersome. This allows the horses to move with fast, seemingly effortless strides. The gallop is their natural pace. The Arabians also have the strength and endurance to keep a fast pace for long periods of time. Arabians are bred throughout the world, and almost every modern breed has Arabian ancestors. The international breeding of Arabian thoroughbreds is an attempt to preserve a tradition that is in danger of dying out in its very own homeland. After all, in the deserts of central Arabia, there are no longer roving Bedouin tribes mounted on pure, swift horses. Many of today’s Bedouins drive cars and make a living selling oil.
- The founder of the religion called Islam, the prophet Muhammed, contributed to the breeding of Arabian horses starting in the early A.D. 600’s. Muhammed wanted to spread the word of Islam throughout the world. He also wanted to establish a worldwide Arabian empire. He knew this could only be achieved with a powerful army mounted on purebred horses. Muhammed, therefore, ordered the breeding of noble and pure horses. He promised the reward of life in paradise after death to every person who raised and donated such a horse for the cause. He said, “However many grains of barley you give your horse, this will be the number of sins which you will be forgiven all at once.” The Muslim army made its way through Egypt, North Africa, across the Mediterranean, and into Spain and France, conquering all in its path. But the Muslims were eventually defeated. They returned to their homelands, leaving many of their magnificent horses behind. This stock was the beginning of the Arabian influence on the native horses of Europe. In Spain, Arabian stallions were crossed with the native mares. The result of this crossbreeding was the Andalusian horse. The Andalusian was introduced into many European countries for breeding to refine the existing stock of heavy, bulky horses.
- In the many wars that took place in Europe during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, Arabian horses proved to be superior over native breeds. Two great promoters of the Arabian were Louis XV and Napoleon. Following his Russian defeat, Napoleon and his officers were only able to flee back to France thanks to the stamina of their Arabian horses. All the other types of horses fell victim to the cold and the stresses of war. European rulers realized that hte way to improve native breeds was to crossbreed with the Arabian. They acquired Arabian stallions to crossbreed with the native mares. At that time, little thought was given to the idea of pure Arabian breeding. Only a few wealthy buyers, such as King Wilhelm I, took part in the breeding of pure Arabian stock.
- In the second century A.D., the nomadic Bedouin tribes of the Arabian desert began breeding these horses. The Bedouins desired a horse that was beautiful, yet tough enough to survive the desert. They carefully bred the Arabian horse for centuries, making sure the line was kept pure. Although the horse breeding practices of the Bedouins played and important role in the development of the breed, today’s Arabians are quite different from the ancient Arabian horse. The Arabian of today developed throughout later centures. The features of the modern Arabian horse were shaped by harsh desert conditions, including a sparse food supply, extreme temperatures, and terrible sand storms. Only the strongest horses could survive the hostile conditions. The weak and vulnerable horses died out. The desert toughened the Arabian survivors, giving them greater strength and stamina than the ancient horses.
- Arabian horses are one of the finest racehorse breeds in the world. They are graceful, trim and hardy. They move quickly and lightly on their feet, and they can run for long distances with great endurance.
- Arabian horses are known for their beauty, stamina, and strength. These features have earned them the admiration and adoration of horse lovers everywhere. Arabians are the oldest purebred horses in the world, and no other horse has had such a great influence on so many other breeds. Over the course of centuries, the Arabian has been used to develop Andalusians, Lipizzaners, English thoroughbreds, and Trakehners, and has been used to improve blood of almost every breed. The offspring produced from such crossbreeding are usually larger than the Arabian horse itself.
- The Arabian horse is an ancient breed that originated in the Middle East. The ancestors of today’s Arabians were the wild horses of the highlands in central Asia. As long ago as 2000 B.C., horses from this region lived on the fertile plain between the Nile and Euphrates rivers. But some historians believe this breed has inhabited the Arabian peninsula since 5000 B.C. One prehistoric rock drawing dating back more than 8,000 years shows a horse with Arabian features.
- The ruler of Israel from 972-922 B.C., King Solomon, captured Arabian horses from Egypt and the Arabian deserts. His stable housed more than forty thousand Arabians.