“Somewhere in the inhospitable deserts of the Middle East centuries ago, a breed of horse came into being that would influence the equine world beyond all imagination. In the sweet grass oasis along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in the countries that are now known as Syria, Iraq and Iran, this hearty horse developed and would soon be known as the Arabian horse.”

- International Museum

Of The Horse

Today there are tanks, jeeps, armored personnel carriers and F-18 fighter jets bringing people back and forth across the desert in Iraq, but hundreds of years ago it was a horse – a magnificent horse that would eventually become among the most cherished in the equine world – which bore that responsibility.

The Arabian.

The origination of the Arabian horse remains shrouded in supposition (some say it must have been a wild horse in northern Syria or southern Turkey some 5,000 years ago because that area – in and around the Fertile Crescent – had the proper environment for horses), but it certainly had an amazing influence on the nomadic tribes of the Middle Eastern deserts.

Islamic people considered the horse a gift from Allah and it became important to the survival of the nomadic peoples in the Middle Eastern desert. The history of the horse was passed down verbally from one generation to the next and thus its legend grew.

According to the International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park, “Religious belief, superstition and tradition influenced the very nature of the breed, its shape as well as its color. It was believed that the bulging forehead held the blessings of Allah. Therefore the greater the Jibbah the greater the blessings carried by the horse. The great arching neck with a high crest, the Mitbah was a sign of courage, while a gaily-carried tail showed pride. These traits were held in high esteem and selectively bred for.”

With its religious significance and the desire to maintain its purity, the Bedouin tribes – who did not hold other desert horses in such high esteem – forbade any crossbreeding and kept the Arabians in isolation and obscurity.

But much like the tanks and armored personnel carries of 2003, the Arabian horse became a key component in warfare. According to the IMH, “A well-mounted Bedouin could attack an enemy tribe and capture their herds of sheep, camels and goats, adding to the wealth of their own tribe. Such a raid was only successful if the aggressors could attack with surprise and speed and make good their escape. Mares were the best mounts for raiding parties, as they would not nicker to the enemy tribe’s horses, warning of their approach. The best war mares exhibited great courage in battle, taking the charges and the spear thrusts without giving ground. Speed and endurance were essential as well, for the raids were often carried out far from the home camp, family and children.”

It was through warfare that people of Europe began to hear of the Arabian – a horse small and faster than their own. And when they began to realize what it could mean to their own stables and their own prestige, wealthy Europeans – most especially, royalty – began to covet the horses.

And soon they spread.

Then in 1725, Nathan Harrison of Virginia imported the first Arabian stallion to America. About 130 years later, A. Keene Richard attempted to import several more stallions and a couple of mares, but his plans were disrupted by the Civil War.

According to IMH, “In 1877, General Ulysses S. Grant visited Abdul Hamid II, His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of Turkey. There, he was presented with two stallions from the Sultan’s stable, Leopard and Lindentree. Leopard was later given to Randolph Huntington who subsequently imported two mares and two stallions in 1888 from England. This program, limited as it was, must be considered as the first purebred Arabian breeding program in the United States.”

The Chicago World Fair of 1893 exposed the Arabian horse even more, which eventually led to the importation of dozens of horses by Spencer Borden, W.R. Brown and Homer Davenport. It was after this widespread importation of the Arabian horse that the Arabian Horse Club of America was formed in 1908 (it later became known as the Arabian Horse Registry of America, Inc.).

Check out -

www.theregistry.org