Arab (Arabian)

Overview

The Arab, or Arabian, is one of the most influential horse breeds in the world. The Arab Horse Society notes that Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every breed of riding horse, and that the breed has long been used to improve light horse and native pony breeds. On this site, Arab blood appears in the histories of the Welsh Pony, New Forest pony, Connemara and Thoroughbred.

The European Conference of Arab Horse Organisations (ECAHO), whose judges' manual describes the breed's ideal type, calls the Arab "a horse of great beauty, full of quality, vigour, elegance, dignity and refined power". Its hallmarks are its exquisite head and high tail carriage.

History

The Arab's history lies in the desert, where it lived alongside the Bedouin tribes in close association with people. ECAHO describes it as the oldest purebred (asil) horse breed in the world. Natural selection in the harsh desert, where only the strong and healthy survived, shaped the breed. So did the Bedouin breeders, who kept their horses pure through isolation and traced families, or strains, through the mare line.

According to the Arab Horse Society, the modern Thoroughbred is descended from three Arabian horses imported into England: the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerley Turk and the Darley Arabian.

The Arab Horse Society was founded in Britain in 1918, as a charity, to promote the breeding and import of pure-bred Arabs and the use of Arab blood in British light horse breeding. It keeps the Arab Horse Stud Book, the Anglo Arab Stud Book and the Part Bred Arab Register.

Breed standard

ECAHO's judges' manual describes the ideal Arab as follows:

• Height: there is no height limit. Arabs usually stand 14.2–15.2 hh (144–154 cm), though many are larger or smaller, and quality and type tend to be lost when height comes first. Average weight is 385–455 kg (850–1,000 lb). Thanks to their balance and conformation, they "ride big".
• Head: extremely refined and wedge-shaped from the side: broad across the cheekbones, tapering to a fine muzzle, with large, dark eyes set low and large, flexible nostrils. A "dish" in the profile below the eyes is desirable but by no means essential.
• Neck: the head meets the neck at more than 90°, giving an open throat (the mitbah) and a naturally arched neck.
• Back and body: a short, strong back, a deep body with round, well-sprung ribs, and a nearly level croup.
• Tail: carried high, arching away from the quarters or held like a flag, especially when the horse is moving or excited.
• Legs and feet: clean tendons, short cannons, large clean hocks, and round, very hard feet.
• Coat and skin: an extremely fine, silky coat over fine, deep black skin, except under white markings, where the skin is pink.
• Colours: grey, chestnut, bay, brown and black. Greys are born dark and lighten with age, sometimes becoming "fleabitten". White face and leg markings are common.
• Movement: free, expressive and naturally balanced, with the head and tail carried high, so the horse appears to float.

Temperament and uses

ECAHO describes the Arab as gentle, kind and affectionate but spirited, and very intelligent, a result of its long history as a close companion of people. The breed is famed for its courage, sound constitution and great endurance. Arabs develop more slowly than Thoroughbreds and are known for their longevity: mares often continue breeding into their twenties.

The Arab Horse Society's performance awards cover endurance, racing, show jumping, eventing, dressage and ridden showing, and the society runs a National Championship Show every year.

Health and management

The Arab's coat is very fine and its skin thin. The British Horse Society names Arabs, with Thoroughbreds, as breeds with naturally finer coats that may benefit from a rug in cold weather. See the care guide for finer-coated horses for shelter, rugs and winter weight.