| Bedouins believed that the horse was a
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| | breeds. They had no breeds which could
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| gift from Allah. It was to be cherished,
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| | compare to the smaller, faster horses
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| revered, almost worshipped. The Arabian
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| | upon which invading forces from the
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| horse has been bred for centuries, with
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| | Middle East were mounted. Thus, they
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| its beginnings in the oases around the
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| | sought out purebred Arabian stallions
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| Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the
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| | with the attributes desired and crossed
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| countries known in our modern history as
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| | them with choice native strains.
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| Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as other
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| | Ninety-three percent of the English
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| parts of the Arabian Peninsula.Because
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| | Thoroughbred breed today traces its roots
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| the Bedouins cherished their horses, the
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| | to three distinct Arab strains: the
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| bloodlines were a jealously guarded
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| | Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, and
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| family treasure within the different
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| | Godolphin Arabian (sometimes called
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| tribes. There are records which indicate
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| | Godolphin Barb).The first Arabian
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| that the nomads began breeding these
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| | stallion imported to America was in 1725.
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| superb horses as early as 3000 to 2500
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| | He allegedly sired three hundred colts
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| B.C. However, the modern Arabians trace
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| | from breeding stock mares. And between
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| their roots back to five mares which were
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| | 1853 and 1856, a breeder by the name of
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| owned by King Solomon around 1600 B.C.
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| | A. Keene Richard imported several
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| Those five mares were known as
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| | stallions and mares to establish the
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| "Al-Khamesh", literally "the five". Those
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| | first breeding program of consequence in
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| five bloodlines were Kehilan, Seglawi,
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| | the States. Unfortunately, his horses
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| Abeyan, Hamdani and Hadban. As
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| | were confiscated or destroyed during the
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| substrains were developed in each of the
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| | Civil War, the breeding line was
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| bloodlines, those would be named for
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| | ruptured, and nothing survived.On a visit
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| celebrated mares and/or sheiks who
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| | to Turkey in 1877, General Ulysses S.
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| significantly contributed a substantial
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| | Grant was presented with two purebred
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| branch to the strain.Each of the five
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| | stallions which he imported to America.
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| original strains had significant
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| | He gave on of those stallions to Randolph
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| characteristics which were preserved in
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| | Huntington. Mr. Huntington then imported
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| breeding pure Arabians. A brief
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| | two more purebred stallions and two pure
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| description of each follows:The Kehilan
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| | Arabian mares from England in 1888. His
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| had a deep chest, masculine power, and
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| | breeding program is considered the
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| size. The average height for a pure
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| | foundation of the first pure Arabian
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| Kehilan was up to 15 hands (60 inches, or
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| | stock in the United States.Other breeds
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| 152.4 centimeters) at the shoulder. It
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| | influenced by pure Arabian stock include
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| had a short head with a broad forehead,
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| | the Orloff Trotter of Russia, the
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| and wide jowls. The most common colors
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| | American Thoroughbred, the Morgan, the
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| were chestnut and grey.The Seglawi had a
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| | Percheron, the Connemara pony, the
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| refined look and was noticeably
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| | American Quarter Horse and National Show
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| femininely elegant. The bone structure
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| | Horse. Strains of the breed were also
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| was fine and the face and neck were
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| | introduced to the Lipizzaners of Austria,
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| significantly longer than that of the
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| | as well as numerous other breeds around
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| Kelihan. The most common color was grey,
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| | the world.Arabians are considered the
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| and the average height was 14.2 hands
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| | oldest of all the light breed strains,
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| (144.27 cm., or 56.8 in.).The Abeyan was
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| | and its influence can be traced to many
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| quite similar to the Seglawi. It shared
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| | foundation stocks. But, the pure strains
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| the refined look, but tended to have a
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| | are still cherished and preserved by
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| longer back than the other strains. It
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| | breeders in the Middle East, even
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| averaged 14.2 hands, was commmonly grey,
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| | today.The modern purebred Arabian outside
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| and had more white markings that most
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| | of the Middle East typically has a
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| Arabians.The Hamdani line had a plainer
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| | "dished," or concave, profile set on a
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| look than that associated with Arabian
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| | beautifully shaped head. The eyes are
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| horses. It was athletic and masculine in
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| | prominent, the nostrils are usually
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| appearance, with a large bone structure.
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| | small, and the muzzle is usually
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| The head was straighter in profile than
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| | "teacup", in shape and size. The neck is
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| the typical Arabian and it lacked the
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| | gracefully arched, and the head is
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| bulging forehead which the Bedouins
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| | inherently held high.The back is short
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| believed was "the blessings of Allah".
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| | and level. The shoulders are long and
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| This strain was one of the largest,
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| | sloped. The chest is broad, deep and
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| standing 15.2 hands (60.8 in., or 154.43
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| | muscular. Its legs are long, and the
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| cm.) at the shoulder. The most common
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| | tendons are clearly defined. The Arabian
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| colors were bay and grey.The Hadban was
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| | has small hooves, with a very tough
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| similarly configured as the Hamdani, with
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| | consistency, that are wide at the heel.
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| the big bone structure and musculature.
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| | The hind quarters slope, and the tail is
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| But it was shorter in height and had an
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| | distinctly arched before it
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| extremely gentle nature. The average
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| | drops.Overall, one can clearly see that
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| height was 14.3 hands (145.28 cm., or
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| | this horse defines strength, speed, and
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| 57.2 in.), and the dominant colors were
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| | stamina in a beautifully conformed
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| bay and brown with few, if any white
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| | body.The coat can be chestnut, grey, bay,
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| markings.Bedouins "adopted" the horses,
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| | or black and is very fine. The
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| regardless of how they came to be in the
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| | underlying skin is always black. It is
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| desert. Whether they were strays,
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| | not uncommon for a purebred Arabian to
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| absconded, or whatever, it was of no
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| | have white markings on the face and/or
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| consequence to them. Once the horse was
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| | legs. The mane and tail are full, yet
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| a part of their herd, they set out to
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| | soft to the touch.The typical Arabian
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| breed for offspring with speed, stamina,
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| | ranges from 14.2 to 15.2 hands (56.8 to
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| strength, and courage. The different
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| | 60.8 inches, or 144.27 to 154.45
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| strains, as stated previously, each had
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| | centimeters) at the shoulder and weighs
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| their own characteristics, but all
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| | between 800 and 1000 pounds (56.8 to 71
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| Arabians were bred to withstand the
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| | stones).Depending on the strain and
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| rigors of desert life.When the Europeans
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| | characteristics, Arabians are used for
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| chose to improve their saddle horses,
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| | Western and English riding, racing,
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| Arabians were the breed they imported to
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| | jumping, endurance competitions, showing,
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| cross with their native stock. When they
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| | cutting and reining, and dressage. This
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| began the process, their horses were the
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| | is a very versatile horse which bonds
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| larger breeds which had carried heavily
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| | naturally with humans and can also be
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| armored knights into battle. Their
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| | used as a family horse for people of all
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| lighter stock had it roots in the pony
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| | ages.
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