Arabian Horse

The Arabian horse is a popular breed of horse, and you can easily recognize it. These horses have a high tail carriage and characteristic head shape. Again, Arabian horses are also one of the earliest human-developed horse breeds that boast a rich history. Initially, people bred these horses for stamina, and they used to travel long distances in the landscape of deserts. 

The History

Though Arabian horses are pretty versatile and utilized in different recreational activities and equestrian sports, they continue to dominate the activity of endurance racing. Arabians emerge as short in stature as the Arabian horse size ranges between 56 inches (14 hands) and 64 inches (16 hands). They are medium-boned and weigh somewhere from 800 to 1000 pounds. 

Throughout history, Arabian horses have spread throughout the world by trade and war, and they are utilized for augmenting other breeds as they include refinement, speed, strong bone, and endurance. And so, it is not surprising to find that Arabian bloodlines are present in nearly all the modern breeds of riding horses. Arabian horses turn into the most common breed that takes part in countless endurance racing competitions. 

[Image will be uploaded soon]

Development of Arabian Horses

If people visit a stud farm where Arabian horses' breeding is done, they would discover them to be quiet, docile, gentle, and welcoming. In this context, they resemble dogs and cats a lot. Again, they are highly comfortable with a saddle and a colt and permit people to deal efficiently. Many people claim that Libyan, Syrian tribes, Egyptians, and North African tribes must be given credit for the breed of Arabian horses. Still, the truth is this breed happened to be the foundation stock from various Gulf nations. And so, when Islam spread all the places, this breed got spread out to various nations as gifts to rulers or emperors.

The Distinguishing Features of Arabian Horses

• Head – An Arabian horse has a comparatively small head, large nostrils, and a small muzzle. The nostrils extend when in action, and eyes are dark, expressive, round, and large. They also have small ears that are well-shaped and thin. The distance between their muzzle and eyes is remarkably short. Additionally, their lips are curved a little inward.

• Back – Short back

• Tail – Arabian horses have a natural high-tail carriage, and when you view them from the rear, the tail is carried straight.

• Croup – The croup is remarkably horizontal.

• Neck – The Arabian horses have long arched necks.

Arabian Horse Speed

An Arabian horse is not only popular for its graceful look but also for its sporty physique. These horses turn excellent as endurance horses, and they are known to run remarkably fast. Their fastest recorded time is nearly 65 km/hour when they gallop. However, their average speed tends to be 55km/hour. When the horse is walking, it has a speed of 6.5km/hr; while trotting, its speed is 12km/hr. Arabians are popular for their versatility, and the Arabian horse speed is decent as it can sustain decent speeds and that too for an extensive period. 

Kinds of Arabian horses

There are six kinds of purebred Arabian horses, and they are:

1. Egyptian Arabian Horses – The Egyptian Arabian horses are considered the purest line of horses, and they are highly cherished for their refined and smaller builds. These horses are comparatively smaller in build in comparison to other Arabians. Their height ranges from 14.2-15.2 that emerges from various colors that include rabicano roan.

2. Russian Arabian – The Russian Arabian horses are bred for their athletic abilities, and the majority of the horses that emerge from the Russian line do stand nearly 15 hands tall. Today, these horses are viewed as ideal first horses, and they are popular for their calm nature.

3. Polish Arabians – The Polish Arabians are a prevalent choice as these horses are willing to please, and they are very intelligent. Additionally, they possess nice arched necks, high set tails, and stylish builds.

4. Spanish Arabians – The Spanish Arabian horses are popular for their strong build, athleticism, and excellent disposition, and these horses turn into well-known sport horses.

5. Crabbet Arabians – People love Crabbet Arabians because they have the good athletic capability, superb temperaments, and soundness. These horses are a well-known breed for dressage and showjumping.

6. Shagya Arabians – The Shagya Arabian horses are comparatively taller than the average Arabians, and they stand at 15-16 hands tall. These horses have well-designed builds, and it is one of the chief reasons for their popularity.

These are some popular types of the Arabian horse. Along with that Persian horse is also a well-known kind.

General Features of the Arabian Horses

Arabian horses tend to form close relationships with human beings, and they prefer to live closer to humans. Initially, these horses were bred for helping humans in surviving the harsh climate of the desert. Again, these horses are also prevalent in their composed and calm nature, though they are hot-blooded animals. You can identify a purebred Arabian horse by its broad shoulders, strong bones, and extended arching neck.

When you are looking forward to having a lifelong companion, then an Arabian horse will turn unparalleled, as they never fail to show loyalty, courage, and energy. Again, Arabian horses are highly versatile equines too. They turn into indispensable assets at the time of wars because of their calm behavior, superior stamina, loyalty, and companionship with humans. They are also known for their speed. However Arabian thoroughbreds may be a little faster than the Arabian horse. 

Breeding of Arabian Horses

The wild and feral horses breed without any issue through the selective breeding of the purebred horses’ needs specialist human intervention. People need to plan the mating of two horses carefully to produce the needed characteristics. Proper Arabian horse breeds also ensure a successful result for foaling and healthier pregnancies. 

In breeding, the stallion or the male horse is known as the sire, whereas the female horse is called the dam. Each horse plays a vital role in the hereditary make-up, and so, it becomes vital that both of them possess desirable features. It is particularly vital to professional breeders as they always look forward to producing superb foals of certain breeds. People can also mate a couple of different horses for forming a novice breed that would possess its characteristic features.

There are half-sisters and half-brothers in the breeding of horses, and they share the same mother, although they have different fathers. Horses fathered by the same male horse are known as "through the same sire," whereas the horses that have the same father and mother are called "full siblings."

Some Historical Arabian Horses

Some famous Arabian horses in history are:

• Marwan Al Shaqab – This is a bay stallion of Arabs born in 2000, and many people find this horse to be the most prevalent Arabian horse. The striking bay stallion became successful in winning countless national and world championships. 

• Cass Ole – This horse happened to be the star of The Black Stallion, the most loved horse movie. This black stallion started its career as a victorious show horn before it turned into a movie star. It won more than 50 championships and more than 20 reserve championships during its seven years of the show. Cass Ole got his head painted black and white marks on his legs for being the star of two hit movies.

• Godolphin Arabian – Godolphin Arabian was born in 1724, and it became famous for being one of the 3 Arabian stallions that discovered the Thoroughbred breed. This horse was foaled in Yemen, and it moved many times before it finally arrived in English. King Louis XV received Godolphin Arabian as a gift, but its performance didn't amuse him. And so, Longford Hall, Derbyshire imported him.

• Marengo – Napoleon was in love with Marengo as it turned into his trusty and steed companion. This horse was imported in 1799 from Egypt, and Napoleon named it Marengo after winning the Battle of Marengo. Marengo got hurt eight times during his fifteen long years of service, and he was obedient and courageous on the battlefield. 

Diet of Arabian Horses

The chief diet of Arabian horses comprises grains for nutrients, pasture grass, and hay. Concentrates turn into substitutes when the nutritional intake isn't met via forage. The dietary needs of Arabian horses are similar to various other breeds of horses and differ for some individual horses only. The Arabian horse breeds tend to be versatile, and they take less food compared to other horse breeds. The fact is, they need proper care, diet, and a highly suitable environment where they can stay happily. 

You need not include special things in the diet of your Arabian horse as they remain satisfied with pasture and hay only. However, to counter the shortage of some nutrients, you can feed it with little supplements and grains. 

You need to be mindful that you must never overfeed your Arabian, resulting in unfavorable outcomes. You need to give both foods and supplements at specific times and that too in particular amounts. It is best practice to follow every guideline of the veterinarian and remains stuck to them. They would be individualized and highly ideal for the workload and health factors of your horse.

Though water isn't classed as a food product, this plays a huge role in the nutrient-rich diet of the Arabians. These horses drink nearly 5-10 gallons of water daily. Your horse must get fresh water all the time, so it is better to invest in a well-watering system. This will ensure that your horse is hydrated all through the day. The quantity of water similar to diet and feed is hugely dependent on the nature and activities of your horse. The weather too plays a huge role in water intake as during summers horses need more water.

Conclusion

The breed of Arabian horses goes back many years, and they have striking beauty and temperament. These features make these horses well-known breeding horses. Arabians have bestowed their spirit, intelligence, and elegance to nearly all the breeds of light horses that exist. Arabian horses are bred as they never fail to provide athleticism and endurance irrespective of the climatic conditions. They have compact bodies that provide them with both strength and balance. Due to this factor, Arabians never fail to dominate all horse sports. Though Arabian horses are sensitive and intelligent, they can form bad habits when a wrong handler handles them. Commonly, experienced riders can work with them easily.