ROMANTIC HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE PART 1

ROMANTIC HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE PART 1

The history of the American Quarter Horse understandably starts in the American cattle country of Texas in 1843, with the birth of a descendant of the great Thoroughbred, Sir Archy, called Steel Dust.

Cowboys who drove Longhorns up the Texas trails soon discovered the remarkable progeny of this superb stallion, which became known as the “Steeldusts”. These horses were heavy muscled, had small ears, a big jaw, were remarkably intelligent, and had unequalled speed up to a quarter of a mile. Steel Dust and his progeny were responsible for the founding and spreading popularity of the new breed, later to become known as the American Quarter Horse.

But the origin of the Quarter Horse starts in Colonial America, when the early Americans raced English horses, which they used on farms during the week, in their free time.

The Colonial farmers from the Carolinas and Virginia soon discovered a faster pony, bred by the Chickasaw Indians, which they acquired from the early Spanish explorers and colonists. These ponies  were descendents of a cross of the North African stock, following the invasion of Spain by the Moors, starting in 710. Cortez rode on these ponies during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, as did Coronado when he searched for the golden cities of the American Southwest.

By crossing these Spanish Barbs with the Colonists’ English stock even since 1611, the colonists developed “the Celebrated American Quarter Running Horse”, the “Quarter” referring to a quarter of a mile, the distance of a race often run in small towns in Colonial America.

Simultaneously a stallion, the Godolphin Arabian, was imported into England in 1728. He was one of the foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred (the other two being the Darley Arabian and the Burley Turk), which revolutionized English racing.

Intrigued by these four-mile racing horses, John Randolph imported a grandson of the Godolphin Arabian called Janus, in 1752. Janus, when crossed with Colonial mares of Chickasaw ancestry, produced the prototype of the American Quarter Horse. The offspring of Janus and the American stock had tremendous speed over short distances, and they passed this trait on to consecutive generations. These horses were compact, strong and powerful horses.

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ARABIANS - THE MOST PROMINENT STRAINS

ARABIANS - THE MOST PROMINENT STRAINS

The Bedouin placed enormous emphasis on purity of blood. Many tribes owned only one main strain. The five basic families are known as “Al Khamsa”, and when bred pure they have developed identifiable characteristics.

The Kehilan strain: known for depth of chest, masculine power and size (up to 15 hands). Short heads with broad forehead, great width in jowels. Mostly grey and chestnut.

The Seglawi strain: more refined with fine bones, long faces and necks, creating a more feminine look. Fast, but lacking the endurance of other strains. Typical height 14.2 hands. Predominantly grey.

Abeyan: Like the Seglawi, they were refined and had longer backs than the typical Arabian. They were small, grey, and with more white markings than other strains.

Hamdani: Considered plain, but athletic and masculine, large bone structure. Profile straight, lacking extreme Jibbah (bulging foreheads). Up to 15.2 hands high. Often gray and bay.

Habdan: Smaller version of Hamdani. Mascular frame. Average height 14.3 hands. Mostly bay or brown with little white.

These strains were later named after the countries of origin.

All purebred Arabian Horses trace back to their desert origins. The Crabbet Arabian Stud of Mr. and Lady Ann Blunt, and later by their daughter, Judith Blunt Lytton (well known as Lady Wentworth) did much to promote the Arabian horse globally. The Blunts selected their stock from purebred desert stock. Under Lady Wentworth’s management Crabbet Stud had its strongest season. Her prominent sire, Skowronek, sired three of the most famous sires  in the history of the breed: Raseyn, Raffles and Naseem.

Lady Wentworth strongly influenced the CMK Arabians. A CMK Arabian must meet three criteria:

Must be 75% descended from CMK sources

Have a tail sire line to a CMK source

Have a dam tail line to a CMK established in North America by 1950.

The CMK sources include:

Crabbet breeding, horses imported by Kellogg and Brown, Davenport Arabians, and special cases (Draper’s Spanish Arabians).

Desert horses’s pedigrees can be traced back to original desert tribes. Homer Davenport’s Arabians are considered the largest group of desert bred horses existing today. Desert Arabians must not be confused with Egyptian Arabians, which are popular as present day show horses.

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DEVELOPMENT OF ARABIANS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

DEVELOPMENT OF ARABIANS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

FRANCE: Arabian breeding started early 20^th. century, with imported desert horses. Bred mainly for racing, they lacked the beauty and type of the Crabbet horses. French horses played a significant role in the development of the Arabian breed in Russia and Poland.

POLAND: Imported purebred Arabians to establish an Arabian Stud farm. Originated mostly from Kehilian and Seglawi strains to breed the Arabian “type”, prettiness and refinement. Poland’s purebred Arabians date back to the days of the “Amber Trail”, the thoroughfare between the Black and the Baltic Seas. Polish Arabians are sought after, because they have more substance, yet they retain type and refinement. Polish breeding has always emphasized athleticism, and Poland is still headed in that direction.

RUSSIA: Many ties with the Polish Arabians. The first Russian-bred imports to the U.S. and Canada were considered Polish, because they were imported from Poland, although they were born in Russia. Russian breeding concentrates on Polish and Crabbet lines, adding some Egyptian and French lines. The Polish contribution stems mainly  from twelve Polish Arabian stallions and forty two mares which were taken to Russia during World War 2.

SPAIN: Founded mostly on desert-bred, Polish and Crabbert imports, with recent additions of a few Egyptian lines. Spanish Arabians were bred mainly for and by Spanish royalty, and later by private and military studs. American Joseph Draper of California first imported four Spanish mares and a stallion in 1934, and in 1960 America rediscovered the Spanish Arabian.

Breeds which have a large percentage of their origin tracing back to the Arabian are the Thoroughbred (descending from the importation of the Godolphin Arabian, Darley Arabian and Burley Turk between 1683 and 1730), the Russian Orlov Trotter, French Percheron, American Morgan and Trotter. Arabian bloodlines are also found in Paints, Appaloosas, Quarter Horses, Warmbloods, Saddlebreds and Cape Boerperd.

Because of their beauty, intelligence and stamina, Arabians have been the popular mounts of World leaders, such as Napoleon, George Washington, Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great.

References to the Arabian Horse:

http://www.akfentertainment.com/akf/ArabianHorse.htm

Works Cited

"Arabian Horses Spread to Europe." 5 April 1998. Available:
http://www.arabianhorseamerica.com/history/spread.html

"The Arabian Horse Today." 5 April 1998: Available:
http://www.arabianhorseamerica.com/history/today.html

Byford, et al. "Origination of the Arabian Breed." 6 April 1998. Available:
http://www.net-link.net/frontier/Explorehome.html

"History and Heritage of the Arabian Horse." 5 April 1998. Available:
http://www.arabianhorseamerica.com/history/index.html

"The History of the Arabian Horse." 3 April 1998. Available:
http://nzhorses.co.nz/

"International Arabian Horse Association." 3 March 1998. Available:
http://www.horse-previews.com/

"Introduction of Arabian Horses to North America." 5 April 1998. Available:
http://www.arabianhorseamerica.com/history/intro.html

"Origins of the Arabian Horse." 5 April 1998. Available:
http://www.arabianhorseamerica.com/history/origin.html

"Registry Mission Statement." 30 April 1998. Available:
http://www.theregistry.org/mission/

Whitman, Susan. "Legend and Reality of Blue Star Arabians." 28 March 1998. Available:
http://www.preservationist.com/

Whitman, Susan. "Bedouin Source." 3 April 1998. Available:
http://www.preservationist.com/

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ARABIANS SPREADING OVER THE WORLD

ARABIANS SPREADING OVER THE WORLD

The fame of the fast, elegant horses started to spread across Europe, Asia, and into North America. The Turks of the Ottoman Empire donated Arabian horses to European rulers as gifts. The infusion of Arabian horses into the indigenous European horses, led to a lighter cavalry horse. There was no longer a need for an exceptionally strong war horse, since fire-arms had replaced heavy armor.

In 1725 Nathan Harrison of Virginia imported the first Arabian stallion into America. Between 1853 and 1856 A. Keene Richard, the first Arabian breeder of note, imported several stallions and mares for breeding, but he lost them all in the Civil War. The importation of Arabians was resumed after several decades, but this time they came to stay. In 1873 the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid 2, donated two purebred Arabian stallions, Leopard and Lindentree, to General Ulysses Grant during his visit to the Middle East.

Leopard became the property of Randolph Huntington, who then imported two more stallions and two mares from England in 1888. This was the first purebred Arabian Stud in the U.S.A.. In 1893, at the World’s Fair in Chicago, Arabian popularity soared when Turkey exhibited forty five purebred Arabians. At that stage importation of Arabian horses to the States increased, since prominent Americans acquired them to upgrade local stock. In 1906 Pres. Teddy Rooseveldt sponsored Homer Davenport to import twenty seven Arabians into Boston. This meant the founding of the Davenport Arabians.

The following noteworthy importations were also made during that era:

1898 – 1911

20 imports by Spencer Borden (Interlachen Stud)

1918 – 1932

W.R.Brown: 20 from England, 6 from France, 7 from Egypt.

1926 and 1927

W.K.Kellogg: 17 from Crabbet Stud (England)

1928 and 1931

Roger Selby (Selby Stud): from Crabbet Stud

1930 and 1931

Albert Harris: from Egypt and two from England

1934

Joseph Draper: five from Spain

1940’s and 1950’s

Importations slowed down

1957

Lady Wentworth died; dispersal of Crabbet Stud. Imports increased.

By the end of the 1950’s the Arabian horse studs became well established in America and around the world.

On September 2, 1908, the Arabian Horse Club of America, Inc., was founded in New York State. After many name changes, the registry finally settled in Calorado as the Arabian Horse Registry of America (AHRA).

1909: Registry’s Stud Book officially recognized by the Dept. of Agriculture. There were 71 horses  and 11 owners at the time.

In 1950, March 31, The International Arabian Horse Association was founded to promote and coordinate Arabian Horse activities around the world.

In 1970 the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) was formed to provide an international voice for both the registries and activities of the clubs from all countries.

OTHER CLUBS

Arabian Jockey Club: dedicated to Arabian Horse racing

Bedouin Source: a group focusing on horses whose pedigree can be traced back in every line to the Bedouin horse breeding tribes of the desert.

The Bedouin have always been very strict regarding the purity of their horses, and although there were no written records, they verbally passed the breeding down from memory from one generation to another. Since the Arabian is regarded as a gift from Allah, purity is of such importance to the Bedouin  that, should a mare accidentally be crossed with an outside “Kadish” stallion, she was regarded as “contaminated for ever”, and could never again produce a purebred foal.

By mating choice mares to selected stallions, the Bedouins have developed several strains, often named after the tribe or sheik who bred them. Unlike other breeds, families are traced along the mare line (evidence of the prominence of the mares in their breeding).

Other desert types which evolved, such as the “Barbs” and “Turks” of North Africa and the perimeters of the Great Desert, were never considered by the Bedouins for breeding.

In 1976 a permanent blood typing program for breeding stallions was implemented by the Arabian Horse Registry of America, and since 1991 blood typing of both parents as well as the foal has been required for registration of foals as purebreds.

On the other hand, the World Arabian Horse Organization has been more lenient and allowed horses of questionable breeding into their registries. This has led to dispute between AHRA and WAHO, and breeders globally.

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KENTUCKY STATE FAIR 2011 VIDEOS AND PHOTOS

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HISTORY, ROMANCE AND MYSTERY OF THE ARABIAN HORSE

ANCIENT HISTORY

The Arabian, the oldest purebred horse breed in the world, was considered a gift from God by the Bedouin society. It had its start in the area now known as Syria, Iran, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.

Arab is a Semitic word which means desert or an inhabitant of the desert. The lineage of the Arabian horse traces back five thousand years, and although slightly bigger today, the modern Arab is very similar to the original specimen.

The specific characteristics of the Arabian all have significant meaning to the Arab nation. The large forehead is believed to hold Allah’s blessings, the high tail carriage is a symbol of pride, while the arched neck and high crest symbolize courage. The dished profile, big prominent eye, large nostrils and fine muzzle are recognizable characteristics. The broad chest, short, strong back and sloping shoulder give him strength and a floaty motion.

The breed appear as bays, chestnuts, greys, roans and seldomly blacks. They are normally between 14.1 and 15.2 hands high and weigh from 800 to 1000 pounds when fully grown.

A good, affectionate disposition and affinity for humans make it easy to bond with them. Inborn hardiness gives them exceptional stamina and makes them a popular choice for endurance races. Their good disposition makes them very suitable for therapeutic riding.

The Arabian became essential to the Bedouin people, and by 1500 B.C. the Arabian horse had been completely domesticated. Bedouin leaders were as familiar with the history of their horses as they were with their own verbal history. They depended on the speed, stamina and agility of the Arabian horse in warfare, to enable them to capture the enemy’s sheep, camels and goats. Mares were preferable in this type of warfare (Ghazu), because, unlike stallions, they do not nicker when they see other horses (the enemy’s), warning the enemy of the impending attack.

Unlike many breeds, the mares are held in higher esteem by the Bedouin than the stallions. The supreme mares exhibited exceptional courage in battle.

In ancient races, the winner of the race received the best horses in the loser’s herd. When a mare was given as a gift, the recipient considered it a great honor.

About 3,500 years ago the civilizations of Egypt mixed with the cultures of Mesapotamia. The Egyptian Empire needed the Arabian horses with their speed, endurance and hardiness to reach its borders and rule the vast region.

At the time of Mohammed and the beginning of Islam around 600 A.D., the Arabians and their horses spread to the Middle East, North Africa, Spain and China. The Arabian horse was now spreading to Europe. Under Mohammed’s encouragement to the Bedouin soldiers to love their horses, the Bedouin and their steeds became almost invincible.

In 868 Ahmad Ibin Tulin, a Mameluke, ruled over Egypt and until 1798, when the Mamelukes were overthrown by Napoleon, the Mamelukes paid intense attention to the breeding of fine bloodstock. In 1798, when Napoleon overthrew the Mamelukes, these beautiful horses captivated Napoleon with their prancing and snorting. When the French left, Egypt was under rule of the Albanian, Mohammed the Great, who founded one of the greatest Arabian stud farms of all time.

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