Horse Breeding: Which Arabian Horse is Right for You? Tips to Choosing Your New Horse

After years of admiring the gallant Arabian horse from afar - or enjoying one from a local stable - you've finally decided to take the plunge and become an Arabian owner yourself. Congratulations! There's nothing quite like the exhilaration of mounting your very own regal Arabian horse and heading off for a ride - just you and your new companion.

But, finding the right horse to meet your needs, interest and personality can be quite daunting, not to mention time consuming. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing the right Arabian horse, but most experts agree, a horse's conformation, condition, training, temperament and personality are the most important things to be considered.

Conformation- Arabian horses are known for their physical attributes: those wide-set eyes: short arched back: and high tail carriage. But don't be fooled by this horse's beauty. It's important when selecting an individual horse to look at its overall body structure and the way it's balanced. At the most basic level, you want to look for an athletic body structure. Next, you'll want to carefully study each part of the horse's conformation to determine how well it will be able to perform the tasks it's asked to. When considering any Arabian for purchase, it's important to check the following:

Forehead - should be broad, full and flat Head - should feature well proportioned ears: eyes that are located correctly and are short and soft. This usually signifies intelligence and a good demeanor.

Throat - the throat should be of average thickness with no muscle buildup on the underside of the neck. Look for a nice natural roundness on the top side of the neck.
Nostrils - Arabian horses are known for their flared nostrils, which help them take in more oxygen. Be sure they feature wide dilation.

Muzzle - Check for firm lips, with no sagging of the lower one.

Chest - watch for a narrow chest which can cause interference with the front legs.

Forearm - should extend from the elbow to the knee and be well-muscled.

Condition- Arabian horses are known for being a sound breed. Their strong resilient legs and dense compact bone makes them free from most lameness. Of course, any horse can have physical ailments that may go unnoticed by the untrained eye. That's why it's important to carefully study the horse's conformation closely to give you a good idea of its overall condition. As a potential horse owner, it's also important to understand the purpose of owning your horse in order to determine what condition is acceptable. If you're planning on showing your newly acquired Arabian horse, than you'll need to consider its overall look more closely to be sure that it meets showing requirements, as opposed to horse's purchased for recreational riding only. Never sign any sales agreement without first having a prospective horse carefully examined by a veterinarian of your choice to be certain that it is indeed strong and healthy. Once you've received a good health report, you can check it out for these other important features:

Training- While young horses have more energy, they can also be harder to train. Unless you have experience training horses - or are willing to pay for someone who does - it is generally better to stay away from horses under six years of age. Unless you are a horse trainer /or hire a trainer, they can be overly excitable, nervous and even hard to control. However, older horses too may take a bit of work, since they often come with bad habits or poor training and structure.

Temperament & Personality- Loved for their disposition and loyalty, Arabian horses are a wonderful choice for just about any horse lover who wants a true companion for years to come. The best recreational mount is one which is gentle to handle, and sports an attitude that is willing to please. Be sure to visit prospective horses several times to get a true feel for its temperament and personality before making any purchasing decisions. A horse may appear to be perfect in every way, but if your personalities clash, you'll regret your purchase in no time! Avoid any sellers who aren't willing to give you the time and space to really get to know the animal. They may be trying to hide a physical flaw or uncomely personality trait. While a horse's conformation, condition, training, personality and temperament are the most important factors when choosing the right Arabian for you, there are a few other factors to consider:

Your Experience. How much experience you have with horses can make a big difference in the one you ultimately choose to call your own. Arabians are beautiful horses that can be easily picked out of a crowd, making them very appealing to many horse lovers. They are strong and loyal and are well suited for many purposes including showcasing: endurance rides of 50 to 100 miles: harsh weather conditions and of course, recreational riding. Alert and curious, the Arabian is quick and intelligent, making it a wonderful companion.

However, they can also be flighty and high-strung, making them hard to control for the less experienced rider. As is the case with most horse breeds, the Arabian stallion can be difficult to control, while mares are often calmer, and showcase better dispositions. They are more expensive though, which often makes the more mild-tempered gelding (or neutered male), the best choice for many horse buyers who aren't interested in breeding. The size of the horse is also important. Since Arabian horse can be slightly smaller than some other breeds, you may need to consider your size in relation to the horse before settling on one specific animal.

Choose one that is large enough and strong enough to handle your height and weight to avoid unnecessary injury in the future. While it's important to pay particular attention to the factors explained above when choosing your next Arabian horse, the most important factor to buying any type of horse - including an Arabian horse - is taking your time. Pick one that best suits your own personality, style and experience and you can't go wrong.

Horse Breeding: The Arabian Horse - Horse of the Desert Bedouin

"An Arabian will take care of its owner as no other horse will, for it has not only been raised to physical perfection, but has been instilled with a spirit of loyalty unparalleled by that of any other breed."

Many, many centuries ago, in the vast and inhospitable deserts of the Middle East, came a breed of horse like none other. Powerful, intelligent, and possessing an alluring beauty only begin to describe the Arabian horse. Thriving in the sweet grass oasis along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers that extend over parts of what is known today as Iraq, Iran, and Syria, and parts of the Arabian peninsula, this amazingly versatile horse developed a strong bond with the nomadic people of the desert, the Bedouins.

The Arabian horse was so prized and respected that it was considered a gift from Allah, to be revered, cherished, and honored. The Arabian horse was a necessity for the well-being and survival of the Bedouin people and vice versa. As this inter-dependence for survival strengthened, so did the bond between these beautiful horses and the nomadic Bedouins. The head men of tribes knew the histories of each family horse so well that he could relate their stories to the people as well as he could relate stories of each family within the tribe. As each century passed, the mythology and romance of the Arabian breed grew as stories of valor, mighty endurance, and wealth were intermingled with the genealogies.

Even religious belief, superstition, and traditions had a significant impact on the Arabian breed. They impacted:

o The nature of the breed
o Its head shape. The bulging forehead was said to hold the blessings of Allah.
o Its neck. The great arching neck with a high crest were a sign of courage.
o Its color

These traits were held in very high regard and selectively bred for.

As in most societies of the time, the Arabian horse was mainly used as an instrument of war. The Bedouins used the Arabians horses as mounts to raid and attack enemy tribes and capture their herds of sheep, camels, and goats. The Bedouins needed the ability to attack with speed and surprise and for quick escapes. The Arabian horses made this possible with their courage and essential speed and endurance.

Bedouins were also hospitable, welcoming desert travelers that needed a reprieve from the harsh elements of the desert. A welcomed guest would find their mare's bridle hung from the center pole of his Bedouin hosts tent to indicate his status. Even during times of war, tribes would meet and with great hospitality, the Bedouins would break bread and share stories of their bravest and fastest horses.

The Bedouins also used the horses in races where the winner took the best of the loser's herd as their prize. Breeding stock could be bought and sold as well. War mares, though, were considered priceless. If one did happen to change hands, it was considered a most honored gift. No greater gift could be given amongst the Bedouin people than the Arabian mare.

The value placed on the Arabian mare led the Bedouins to keep a meticulous record of each family of Arabian horse through its dam. The only requirement of the sire was that he had to be "Asil" or pure. The highest regard was shown if his dam showed he was a "celebrated" mare of a great mare family. Mare families were often named according to the tribe or sheik who bred them.

The Bedouin valued purity in the Arabian breed above all else; many of the tribes owned only one main strain of the horse. There were five basic families of breed:

o Kehilan - Noted for depth of chest, masculine power, and size. Common colors are gray and chestnut.
o Seglawi - Known for their refinement and almost feminine elegance. The most common color is bay.
o Abeyan - Similar to the Seglawi, they tend to be refined with a longer back than the typical Arabian. Commonly gray and possibly carrying white markings.
o Hamdani - Often considered plain, with an athletic and a somewhat masculine, large boned build. Common colors are gray and bay.
o Hadban - This is a smaller version of the Hamdani. They too are big boned and have a muscular build. Their primary colors are brown or bay with a few white markings possible.

The Bedouins are credited with the beginning of selective pure breeding of Arabian horses. Although breeding records were kept by memory and passed down verbally, they are also credited as the first to keep breeding records and maintaining the purity of the Arabian breed. Even though there is no written record, many Arabian pedigrees can be traced to desert breeding. This is because the Bedouins held such a high importance to the purity of the Arabian horse. Thus, "desert bred" is widely accepted as an authentic verification of pure blood for Arabian horses that were early imports into other parts of the world.

Today, there are a far greater number of Arabian horses in existence. Many of these originated outside the deserts of the Middle East. Greed, ambition, and a desire for prestige as well as an honest interest in preserving the breed from extinction were the driving forces that helped Arabian horses thrive and propagate over the last century. Since then, this honorable and beautiful animal, the Arabian horse, has flourished just as it did under the care of the Bedouins so many centuries ago.

Horse Breeding: Dressage Training For the Arabian Horse

Is their a difference in training an Arabian for Dressage as opposed to training a Warmblood or even a Quarterhorse?

We found that out! My daughter is the most fortunate girl when it comes to her dressage trainer. Until a couple of years ago, she had mainly trained children and adults for dressage on Warmbloods and Quarterhorses but since we had this cute little Arab which was so willing to please and totally green, she took him on.

Here are some main differences in training hot blooded horses for dressage, versus Warmbloods and even Quarterhorses:

1. Keep your Arabian horse working at least a little 5 -7 days a week. Don't let him sit and get overly eager to go. They are hard to bring down and concentrate once they are excited.
2. While you can drill a Warmblood over and over again on the same exercise, an Arab needs variety. After you practice something 4 or 5 times, you really need to do something else for a while - preferably before his brain short cuts and he decides he's done.
3. When you do an exercise the same way repetitively, have him do the exact opposite for a while - otherwise he will let you know what is right and what is wrong. For example, do a 'leg yield' away from the rails instead of toward the rails. It breaks his thinking pattern and leaves you in the driver's seat.
4. Ride the horse you're on - be calm, don't override. You are supposed to be the calming agent. If you have an electric seat, take a very deep breath and lower your energy output by lot.
5. Arabs' heads like to come up, circle, maybe even hit your helmet while doing it. Don't try to pull his head down. It only makes it worse. On the other hand, don't give too much either, try to follow with your hands and send him forward and hopefully he'll learn that that's not a way to evade the bit and come off the aids.
6. Many Arabians learn to curl and go behind the bit. Again, that is nothing but an attempt to evade your aids (hands) - like above, send him forward while following his mouth with your hands.
7. And last but not least, love him, support him and try to turn all that energy into positive tension. Let him be brilliant and let him show off how cute he is while constantly suggesting to him what you want. You really cannot make them do anything.

Horse Breeding: The Polish Arabian Horse - A Product of War

TOOLS OF WAR

Polish Arabian horses have a history that is inextricably entwined with war. Lacking natural boundaries, Poland has been a stomping ground for one invader after another: Mongols, Tatars, Turks, Germans and Russians have all taken their turn. Horses were valuable weapons in wartime. Due to Arabian horses' superior agility and stamina, cavalries in possession of Arabians would have a military advantage over their opponents.

Polish horsemen were at first victims on the receiving end of Arabian horses' astonishing abilities. The Poles captured the agile, fearless mounts as prizes of war from Asian and Middle Eastern foes. Polish stud farms were established as early as the 1500's to propagate the herd and level the playing field. Ironically, a truce with Turkey in 1699 cut off the supply of Arabian horses acquired in battle. Knowing how fleeting peace in their country generally was, the Poles sought to maintain their light cavalry's superiority. It was at that point that the Poles sent expeditions to obtain bloodstock from the Bedouins.

RISE OF THE GREAT STUD FARMS OF POLAND.

The breeding of Polish Arabians accelerated during the eighteenth century. The Slawuta stud, founded by Prince Sanguszko, was stocked with imports from Arabia. The first state-run stud farm was Janow Podlaski, established in 1817 by decree of Russia's Alexander I. Antoniny, the great stud farm that ultimately produced the stallion Skowronek, was established in 1850.

VICTIMS OF WAR

The Polish cavalry was an essential weapon in wartime, and thus a target by Poland's invaders. By the end of World War I, the Polish Arabian breeding program had been virtually destroyed, with only two dozen mares and seven fillies remaining. In 1926, the Poles formed the Arabian Horse Breeding Society, publishing their first studbook in 1932. In 1927, racing was introduced as a means of testing the mettle of their herd.

IMPORTANT IMPORTED SIRES

Although the Polish Arabian breeding program has always been based on its broodmares, two sires imported in 1931 had significant ramifications to the Polish Arabian line.

o Kuhailan Haifi: known for his athletic prowess.

o Ofir: sire of the 3-W Stallions, Witraz, Wielki Szlem (the foundation for Poland's post war sire lines) and Witez II (who would spread his influence in America.)

THE DISSIPATION OF THE HERD

While World War I was devastating to the Polish Arabian breed, World War II was an unmitigated disaster. In 1939, under the threat of the advancing German army, Russia removed a dozen of the finest stallions and 42 mares from the Janov stud. Included in the rescue - or theft, depending upon the point of view - was Ofir. Although the Poles protected their horses as best they could, many were lost. Iwonka III (grand-dam of Bask) and Witez II were shipped to the United States and auctioned off. At the end of World War II, Poland lost its autonomy once more, becoming part of the Soviet Union. What remained of the legendary Polish Arabian studs became the property of the state.

DOMINANT TYPES IN POLISH ARABIAN HORSES

The Polish Arabian breeding program has always been driven by two types:

o Seglawi
This type designates those horses possessing great beauty and refinement.
The color is predominantly grey.

o Kuhailan
This is the athletic ideal.
The color of these horses is predominantly bay.

THE PROVING GROUND

The proving ground for three-year-old Polish Arabian horses is the Warsaw track. There, breeders judge a horse's soundness, speed, and ability to recover quickly. The most proficient horses are sent to the stud farms to be bred. The others are sold.

THE AMERICAN CONNECTION

Apart from Henry Babson and General Dickinson in the 1930's, Poland was not a source for very many American purchases until the late 1950's. At that time, Patricia Lindsay, a British breeder who had become interested in the Polish Arabian breeding program, learned the language and made an excursion to Poland. While buying horses for her own program, she also became a purchasing agent for interested Americans.

POLISH ARABIAN HORSES FOR SALE

Each year, on the day following the Polish National Horse Show, an auction is held. This is the only opportunity for foreigners to buy horses for export. The stock consists primarily of broodmares. After a couple of seasons at stud, or sometimes fresh from the track, young Polish Arabian stallions are offered for sale through a silent auction.

Horse Breeding: Arabian Horse History - Rising to the Challenge in the US Army

Early on in the history of the Arabian horse's arrival to America, the newly formed Arabian Horse Registry wanted a way to promote the horse in the United States. The directors of the Arabian Registry determined the best way of doing this was to get the Army interested in using and breeding Arabian horses. This was a substantial investment by the Arabian Registry because it took a lot of time, money and energy to prove to the Army and their cavalry majors that Arabian horses made the best cavalry horses.

In 1908, the Army had established the U.S. Remount Service, a horse cavalry unit. Its goal was to supply hundreds of thousands of horses for military use. To get the U.S Remount Service interested in Arabians, W.R. Brown, president of the Arabian Horse Registry at the time, organized the first Cavalry Endurance Ride in 1919. With a high regard for purebred Arabians overseas and their growing popularity in America, this was a perfect time to convince the government and the Army's Remount Service to breed them. Unfortunately, there were only 362 registered Arabians in the country in 1919. With so few Arabians, it was not an easy task to find enough of them to adequately represent the breed in the endurance ride. Even with this challenge, the Arabian horses made a superior showing, taking most of the prizes including first place in the endurance ride. W.R. Brown won first place on his purebred Arabian mare named Ramla #347. She carried 200 pounds during the ride.

The second Calvary Endurance Ride took place in 1920 and this time, the U.S. Remount Service was much more involved. The weight carried by the horses was increased from 200 pounds to 245 bounds. The horses traveled sixty miles a day for 5 days with a minimum time of 9 hours each day. The Arabian horses fared well again as they had the highest average points of any breed entered. This time, however, a grade Thoroughbred that was entered by the Army took first place.

Albert Harris, the Arabian Horse Registry Director from 1924 to 1949, believed that the Thoroughbred Jockey Club gave the Army $50,000 in 1921 so that they could purchase the best Thoroughbreds they could find in hopes of beating the purebred Arabians entered in the 1921 endurance ride. Mr. Harris wrote:

"With two endurance rides to the credit of Arabian horses in 1919 and 1920, the U.S. Remount, and incidentally the Jockey Club, felt something had to be done to beat these little horses in the next ride...".

The Army purchased several grade Thoroughbreds and planned to have Cavalry majors ride them. The Army also wanted the carried weight limit reduced back to 200 pounds. Since the Arabians had proven their mettle at 245 pounds, the Arabian Registry objected. Eventually, a the two sides compromised at 225 pounds.

In spite of the Army's efforts to have their grade Thoroughbreds beat out the Registry's Arabian horses, the first prize in the 1921 Cavalry Endurance Ride went to W.R. Brown's purebred Arabian gelding, Crabbet #309. W.R. Brown, with his Anglo-Arab gelding named Gouya, won the trophy for the third time in 1923.

W.R. Brown (and the Arabian Registry) had won the Calvary Endurance Ride three times with their Arabian horses. At that point, Mr. Brown gained permanent possession of the U.S. Mounted Service Cup. Albert Harris wrote in his history of the Arabian Horse Registry:

"... after 1923, the Arabian people decided not to enter their horses in the ride. This was done "so that the Army would have a chance of winning the cup the next time."

Actually, there was one exception. The Arabian people allowed the U.S. Remount Service to enter an Arabian stallion, El Sabok #276, in the 1925 endurance ride. The stallion ended up taking first place but he was not awarded the trophy because of a small welt raised under the cantle (projecting rear part) of his saddle. The U.S. Department of Animal Husbandry noted, though, that of all stallions of various breeds entered in all of the rides, El Sabok was the first and only one to finish a ride.

Fully convinced that Arabian horses had tremendous endurance, the Army planned to develop a supply of saddle horses that could be called to service if needed. Since Arabian horses were scarce at the time and difficult to obtain, the Army's breeding program didn't really get off the ground until 1941. This is when the Arabian Horse Registry directors decided to donate the nucleus of an Arabian stud to the U.S. Remount. Each director and Mr. W.K. Kellogg (of the Kellogg cereal company) personally donated one or more horses. A total of one stallion, seven broodmares (six in foal), one suckling filly, and three two-year-old fillies were placed at the Fort Robinson Remount Depot in Fort Robinson, Nebraska.

By 1943, the number of Arabian horses the Army owned was second only to the number of Thoroughbreds they owned. Later that same year, W.K. Kellogg (an Arabian Horse Registry Director from 1927 to 1940) and Albert Harris, helped the U.S. Remount Service gain possession of Mr. Kellogg's Arabian stud in Pomona California. The stud was originally given to the state of California, but with World War II heating up, the U.S. Remount Service felt they had a need for it. In October of 1943, Mr. Kellogg was successful in getting the California Board of Regents to turn over the Arabian Ranch (and 97 purebred Arabian horses) to the U.S. Army for use as a remount station. The ranch was owned by the War Department from 1943-1948 and was known as the Pomona Quartermaster Depot (Remount).

Later in 1948, the Army decided to dispose of all its horse operations to the highest bidder. In June of 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill which transferred the ranch back to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. On July 2 of that same year, the California Legislature passed Assembly Concurrent Resolution No.100 which favored the transfer of the ranch from the Kellogg Foundation to the California Polytechnic College. To this day, the school continues to maintain a prestigious Arabian breeding program. As warfare has become more technological, the Arabian horse has made its transition from the Army to being used in various equine sport activities and an endeared equine to horse enthusiasts and families.

Horse Breeding: The Arabian Horse - Beauty and Versatility - You Can Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

Today, people love, admire, and depend upon Arabian horses for their superior versatility and athleticism, just as the ancient Bedouin tribesmen of the Middle East did so many centuries ago. The Bedouin put their loyal mounts to the ultimate athletic tests as beasts of burden and a means of transportation.

As encampments moved, Arabian horses carried heavy loads over miles of hot desert sand with little food or water. Often quieter than stallions, mares served as war horses, allowing their masters to sneak up on the enemy during tribal raids. These animals were cherished, honored, and loved. Arabians were so crucial to the Bedouin way of life, that they often slept in the family tent on chilly nights. The horses returned the love to their masters, developing an intense protective loyalty and willingness to please. Centuries of close interdependence with man helped this equine evolve into a horse with sensitivity, intelligence, and an ability to bond with humans.

The Arabian has the distinction of being the oldest living breed of horse. Equus Agilis, one of the four original species of horse has been identified in modern times as the Arabian horse. While other breeds disappeared or were mixed with different breeds, the Arabian horse has remain virtually unchanged. Although the first recorded history of the horse was from 3,000 years ago, some archaeologists believe the breed existed as long as 40,000 years ago.

Beauty Meets Athleticism

The purebred Arabian is known for its elegant features. Its dished head, large eyes, arched neck, and high tail carriage precede its reputation as the most beautiful of all breeds. An old Arab expression was used to describe this look: "A neck curved like a crescent moon and a nose that could fit into a teacup". This refinement, however, is more than just cosmetic.

The Arabian's natural physical characteristics have helped it perform exceptionally well in today's equine activities. The short, dished head and wide, flaring nostrils allow for maximum oxygen intake. The arched neck keeps the windpipe defined and clear to carry air to the lungs. There's plenty of room for lung expansion because of well-sprung ribs and a deep chest cavity. Through careful breeding, strong, resilient legs are free of most lameness problems that are common in other horse breeds. Some scientists believe the Arabian horse has one less vertebra in its back, allowing it to carry greater weight. It is qualities like this that give the Arabian horse superior athleticism and versatility. Basically, Arabian horses can excel in any activity that people enjoy doing with horses.

Genetic Strength That Lasts

The amazing beauty, intelligence, strength, and endurance of Arabian horses, still endures today. This is greatly due to the Bedouins careful breeding and recording of bloodlines. Since the bloodlines have remained so pure and have been carefully cultivated over the years, a strong genetic stability, known as prepotency has resulted. This ability to pass on traits allows Arabian qualities such as beauty, intelligence, endurance, and temperament to become quite evident in crosses with other breeds. For thousands of years, people bred Arabian horses to their own stock to pick up the famous Arabian qualities. In fact, the Arabian horse is the genetic predecessor of every light horse breed in existence today.

The Horse For All Uses

The Arabian is considered one of the best breeds for distance. This is due to their superior endurance and stamina which enable him to consistently win competitive trail and endurance rides. Arabians are known to excel in many facets including:

o Recreational riding - the most popular activity with all horse owners.

o A perfect family horse - they have a loyal and willing nature

o A great horse for children - they have very affectionate personalities

o Driving and reining events - a combined high intelligence and skillful footwork make them more than capable in these events.

o Any events that require speed, agility, and gracefulness

It is also noteworthy that the Arabian horse was the original racehorse. Arabian horses race distances that are similar to Thoroughbreds, with more than 700 all-Arabian races held throughout the U.S. annually.

The Arabian is not just another pretty horse. These beautiful animals are an all-around family horse, show horse, competitive sport horse, and work horse. They are loyal and have such a peaceful nature that you might even call them a friend. How's that for versatility.

Horse Breeding: Arabian Horse History - Domestic Bloodlines

DOMESTIC ARABIANS

"Domestic Arabians" is the name given to Arabian horses bred in the United States. The bloodline for Domestic Arabians, like that of most Americans themselves, is a melting pot of influences from all over the world. However, the single most important event in the history of purebred Domestic Arabians was held on American soil.

THE 1893 CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR

Forty Arabian horses were exported from the desert, along with their Bedouin handlers, to be part of the Ottoman Empire exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair. They made a huge impact on the American horse breeders who witnessed them at the fair.

SULTAN ABDUL HAMID II

Abdul Hamid II was, from 1876 to 1909, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and he maintained a stud of Arabian horses whose ancestry was well documented. The Arabian Horse Club of America registered two of his stallions, *Leopard and *Linden Tree, after he donated them to President Ulysses S. Grant. The Hamidie Hipppodrome Society was a group of wealthy Arab investors which took its name from the Sultan and in which he had an interest. The Hamidie Society sponsored the equestrian portion of the Ottoman Empire exhibit at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and the Sultan contributed two of his prized horses. He later permitted the exportation of desert-bred Arabian mares to America as a favor to President Theodore Roosevelt.

THE FATE OF THE WORLD'S FAIR HORSES

Financial difficulties forced the Hamidie Society to sell all the horses from the Ottoman exhibit at the end of the World's Fair. Many of the horses put up for sale were young stallions. One mare among the Hamidie horses was a grey beauty named Nejdme, who commanded $1200 at auction, an enormous price for a horse at the time. She was bought by J.A.P. Ramsdell, and went on to become the dam of eleven registered foals. Her blood is a common factor in many Domestic Arabians.

THE REPORTER WHO LOVED NEJDME

Homer Davenport was a journalist covering the World's Fair for the Chicago Herald. He developed a fascination with the Arabian horses on display, and spent years after their auction tracking them down and studying their ancestry. He bought two of Nejdme's foals and founded the Davenport Desert Arabian Studs. One of Davenport's political cartoons had helped Theodore Roosevelt win the 1904 election. In return, Roosevelt lent his political clout to Davenport's expedition to the desert in 1906. The result was that Davenport was able to not only bring back a quantity of stud colts, which were easy to obtain, but also eight purebred mares. Mares were illegal to export and required special permission from the Sultan. By 1910, Davenport had bought Nejdme, had imported Crabbet Park Arabians, and was well on his way to becoming one of the best-known breeders of Domestic Arabian horses. "Davenport Arabians" are direct descendants of his horses.

THE ARABIAN HORSE REGISTRY

In 1908, Davenport and his colleagues formed the Arabian Horse Registry of America. Nejdme was the first horse listed, as AHR-1. The number of horses registered with the AHR was half a million by 1994. Today, the number of Arabian horses registered in North America exceeds that of all the rest of the world put together.

THE CMK TRADEMARK

CMK is a working preservationist movement and trademark, the letters standing for Crabbet Maynesboro Kellogg. In 1982, the first CMK catalogue declared that it was listing stallions whose pedigree traced at least 75% to the foundation stock of the following breeders: Crabbet Park Stud in England and the Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Cairo; the Hamidie Society horses from the World's Fair; Homer Davenport; Spencer Borden; W.R. Brown; Randolph Huntington; W.K. Kellogg; Roger Selby; William Randolph Hearst; and J.R. Dickinson.

A CMK Arabian must trace in tail female to a purebred family established before 1950 in North America, and to a CMK sire line in tail male.

CMK'S EARLY BREEDERS

Aside from the Crabbet Park Stud and the Sheikh Obeyd Stud, which were started by Lord and Lady Blunt of England, the other early breeders that would become the foundation of the CMK trademark were based in America:

o Homer Davenport, whose 1906 expedition to Arabia had as its goal to bring home exceptional purebreds in order to produce a line of unbeatable polo ponies. Peter B. Bradley financed the desert trek. He was a Boston industrialist who had bought many of the World's Fair stallions, including Obeyran (AHR-2.) Upon Davenport's death in 1912, his horses became the property of Bradley, who continued to breed Davenport Arabians up to the 1920's.

o Spencer Borden traveled to Egypt soon after his exposure to the Arabian horses at the Chicago World's Fair. He founded the Interlachen Stud with his importation of 20 horses between 1898 and 1911.

o William Robinson Brown was an early player on the Domestic Arabian scene, establishing the Maynesboro Stud in New Hampshire in 1912. The financial devastation of the great depression required him to sell his 33 horses, imported from Crabbet Park, Egypt and France, to the other major breeders of the time: Kellogg Ranch, William Randoph Hearst, Roger Selby and J.M. Dickinson, among others.

o Albert W. Harris was a Chicago banker whose Maynesboro-purchased horse won the first major endurance race held in the United States. Harris established the Kemah Arabian Farm with a Davenport import, and descendants of his farm are called "Harris Arabians."

o Randolph Huntington of Oyster Bay, New York left his mark on the Domestic Arabian by breeding his imported desert-bred mare *Naomi to President Grant's Leopard. They produced Anazeh, the sire of foals who still appear in the pedigrees of modern Domestic Arabians. Khaled 5 was another important sire bred by Huntington.

o W.K. Kellogg, the cereal magnate, founded the Kellogg Ranch in Pomona, California in 1925. He began with imports from Crabbet Park, and held weekend exhibitions of his highly schooled Arabian horses, spreading the popularity of the breed. Many of his horses sired champions.

o The Roger Selby Stud, based in Portsmouth Ohio, was just as important in the East. Many of Selby's horses were well-known, prolific sires, especially Skowronek's son *Raffles, a grey stallion imported from Crabbet in 1932. *Raffles was influential in the development of the Domestic Arabian, begetting 122 foals.

o An eclectic breeder was J.M. Dickinson, a Brigadier General who founded Traveler's Rest Farm in 1930 on his family's estate in Franklin, Tennessee. An accomplished horseman, General Dickinson blended Kellogg, Maynesboro, Crabbet and Harris stock, as well as direct imports from Egypt, Brazil and Poland. Along with Selby and Brown, General Dickinson meticulously catalogued his breeding herd.

o William Randolph Hearst, the storied newspaper magnate, established one of the largest herds of Arabians at San Simeon from the 1930's until his death in 1951. His first horses were procured from Maynesboro and Traveler's Rest.

THE EXPANSION OF THE BREED

Henry Babson saw his first purebred Arabians as a young man working at the Chicago World's Fair. But it was not until he was 57 years old that he began his stud farm in Grand Detour, Illinois, with the purchase of seven purebred Arabian horses from Egypt. Babson imported Polish Arabians a few years later, but by 1960, he decided to adhere to Egyptian bloodlines exclusively, and sold off all of his non-Egyptian Arabian stock. The descendants from his Egyptian Arabian breeding program are known as "Babson Arabians."

In 1945, the U.S. Army evacuated, to the Kellogg Ranch, a small group of Polish Arabians that had been held by the German army. Among the evacuees was *Witez II, who had been sired by Ofir out of Federacja. Although his parents were shipped off to found the Tersk stud in Russia, *Witez II found his fortune in America. He sired 223 foals in his lifetime, making a significant contribution to the bloodlines of the Domestic Arabian horse.

Bazy Tankersley imported 32 Crabbet Arabians in 1957, and became an important breeder of the CMK bloodlines.

NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE

Domestic Arabian breeders were first located in the Midwest, near the inciting incident that was the Chicago World's fair. Interest then radiated out to the east coast. The center of activity next migrated to California. Today, Domestic Arabian breeders are located all across the United States. Early breeders were quite willing to cross bloodlines, adding to the melting pot of the gene pool. The primary goal was to create beautiful, useful horses with great endurance that were exceptional jumpers and polo players. Idle beauties had no role to play in the development of the Domestic Arabian horse.