Bahrain-Bred Arabian Horses: Usa's Pride And Prestige

The Arabian horse, one of the world's oldest breeds, is characterised by natural beauty, graceful movement, athletic endurance, and the ability to thrive in hot, dry environments. Arabian horses are found all over the world, including in the United States, where there are more Arabians registered than in the rest of the world put together.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is renowned for the exquisite pearls found in the seas around its shores and is often referred to as the Pearl Island. The Royal Stud of Bahrain was established in 1783, and Bahrain is home to the ancestors of the Asil (pure desert-bred) Arabians. The Al Khalifa Royal Family of Bahrain has ruled the island since 1783 and is known for the quality, fearlessness, speed, and stamina of their war horses.

Arabian horses were introduced to the United States in the late 19th century, and the first Arabian Horse Club of America was formed in 1908. The club aimed to promote the horse and encourage importation, and today, there are more Arabians registered in North America than in the rest of the world combined.

History of the Bahrain-bred Arabian horse

The Arabian horse is one of the oldest breeds of domesticated animal in the world, with a history that can be traced back to the Middle East over 3,500 years ago. The Arabian horse was developed by the nomadic Bedouin tribes, who valued these horses as a cultural symbol, a source of wealth, and a military resource. The Arabian horse is characterised by natural beauty, graceful movement, athletic endurance, and the ability to thrive in hot, dry environments.

The first and most famous Arabian horse breeders were Bedouins, who roamed the vast deserts of the Middle East. Breeding good horses was crucial to their survival and prosperity. Only the finest specimens could reproduce. Breeders concentrated on performance, selectively breeding certain bloodlines for stamina, soundness, speed, disposition, and loyalty. They kept strict oral histories of pedigrees that were passed down from one generation to the next.

The Bedouins prized mares above all possessions. Females didn’t nicker when approaching enemy tribes, and they carried their masters into battle with courage and pride. No greater gift could be given than an Arabian mare, and the value placed upon the mare led inevitably to the tracing of any family of the Arabian horse through the dam or female parent.

The only requirement of the sire was that he be "Asil", meaning purebred. If his dam was a "celebrated" mare of a great mare family, so much the better. Mare families, or strains, were often named according to the Sheik or tribe that bred them, and some Sheiks still maintain a herd of milking camels for their mares, feeding them fresh camel's milk and dates.

The Arabian horse spread to Europe, with early travellers in the Victorian era becoming enamoured with the horse of the desert. Between 1683 and 1730, three Arabian stallions were imported to England and founded the Thoroughbred breed. Today, the majority of all modern Thoroughbreds can be traced to these three Arabian sires.

Lady Anne Blunt and her husband, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, made repeated journeys to the Middle East, including visits to the stud of Ali Pasha Sherif in Egypt and to Bedouin tribes in the Nejd, bringing the best Arabians they could find to England. This stud, founded in 1878, was known as the Crabbet Park Stud, and eventually provided foundation horses for many countries, including Russia, Poland, Australia, North and South America, and Egypt.

The Bedouins paid careful attention to breeding only the best to the best, keeping pedigrees pure and not diluting the genetics of their precious bloodlines. This concentration of genetics makes Arabian DNA prepotent or dominant in passing on the trademark characteristics of refinement, stamina, soundness, and intelligence.

The Arabian horse is now found worldwide, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, continental Europe, South America, and their land of origin, the Middle East. They are one of the top ten most popular horse breeds in the world.

The Al Khalifa Royal Family's role in breeding the Bahrain-bred Arabian

The Al Khalifa Royal Family has ruled Bahrain since 1783, carefully breeding pure Asil Arabian horses according to traditional Bedouin customs. The family originated in central Arabia and is renowned for the quality, fearlessness, speed, and stamina of their war horses.

The Al Khalifa family's dedication to preserving the purity of their Arabian horses is evident in their breeding programme, which has remained unchanged since the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Their horses have never been bred commercially, and thus, changing fashions have never influenced their breeding choices. As a result, Bahrain's Royal Studs boast more pure strain Arabian horse families than anywhere else in the world.

The family's role in breeding the Bahrain-bred Arabian is deeply rooted in their history and culture. They established the Royal Stud of Bahrain in 1783, the same year they gained rule over the island. The Al Khalifa family's expertise in breeding is recognised internationally, with the World Arabian Horse Organisation (WAHO) conference held in Bahrain in 1998, showcasing the country's renowned studs.

The Al Khalifa family's horses are known for their unique characteristics. For example, the Kray strain, believed to have vanished except in Bahrain, is prized for its courage and stamina. The Al Shuwaimeh family is also notable for its strength and endurance, while the Hamdanieh family has been bred in Bahrain for generations and is favoured by the Al Saud family.

The Al Khalifa family's influence on Arabian horse breeding extends beyond Bahrain. Lady Anne Blunt, a renowned breeder, sought to include Bahraini bloodlines in her programme, obtaining horses from Abbas Pasha, who sourced them directly from the Al Khalifa family. Today, the Al Khalifa family's legacy in Arabian horse breeding continues, with their horses sought after worldwide for their exceptional qualities.

Characteristics of the Bahrain-bred Arabian

The Bahrain-bred Arabian horse, or Asil Arabian, is a purebred horse with a lineage that can be traced back to the Al Khalifa Royal Family of Bahrain, who have ruled the island since 1783. The family is known for their prized war horses, which are renowned for their quality, fearlessness, speed and stamina.

The Bahrain-bred Arabian horse has distinct physical characteristics and temperament traits that set it apart from other horse breeds. Here are some of the key characteristics:

Physical Characteristics:

• Refined, wedge-shaped head with a broad forehead, large eyes, small muzzle, and large nostrils.
• Distinctive concave or "dished" profile, with a slight forehead bulge between the eyes (called the jibbah by the Bedouin).
• Long, arched neck with a well-set windpipe and refined throatlatch (called the mitbah or mitbeh by the Bedouin).
• Relatively long and level croup (top of the hindquarters) and naturally high tail carriage.
• Dense, strong bone structure, short back, and well-angled hip.
• Compact body with shorter cannons and strong hoof walls.
• May have 5 lumbar vertebrae instead of the usual 6, and 17 pairs of ribs instead of 18.
• Typically stand between 14.1 to 15.1 hands tall (57 to 61 inches or 145 to 155 cm), but are considered horses regardless of height.
• Weigh between 800 to 1000 pounds.
• Can come in various colours, including bay, gray, chestnut, black, and roan, but purebreds cannot carry dilution genes, so they cannot be colours such as dun, cremello, palomino, or buckskin.

Temperament Traits:

• Good-natured, quick to learn, and willing to please due to selective breeding for traits that foster a cooperative relationship with humans.
• High-spirited, alert, and sensitive, making them well-suited for raiding and war.
• Require competent and respectful handling due to their sensitivity and intelligence, which can also lead to them picking up bad habits if not properly trained.
• Generally good-tempered, making them suitable for beginners with the right training and supervision.
• Loyal, intelligent, and friendly, with a close relationship to their owners.

The Bahrain-bred Arabian horse is known for its versatility and athleticism, excelling in various equestrian disciplines, including endurance riding, dressage, saddle seat, hunter and western pleasure, and show jumping. They are also popular for recreational and trail riding.

Bahrain-bred Arabian horses in the USA

The Arabian horse, one of the world's oldest breeds, is characterised by natural beauty, graceful movement, athletic endurance, and the ability to thrive in hot, dry environments. Arabian horses have been exported from their ancestral homelands for several centuries, with the breed now found worldwide, including in the United States.

The Arabian is a versatile breed, dominating the discipline of endurance riding and competing in many other fields of equestrian sport. They are one of the top ten most popular horse breeds in the world and are found across the United States, with more living Arabian horses in the US than in all the other countries in the world combined.

The Arabian horse is thought to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, with the breed developing in a desert climate. The Bedouin people, who lived in the Arabian Peninsula, zealously maintained the purity of the breed, only breeding the finest horses. The limited resources of the Bedouin people meant that breeding practices were extremely selective, leading to the athletic, beautiful breed we know today.

The first horses on the American mainland since the end of the Ice Age arrived with the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century. Since then, colonists from England have also brought horses of Arabian breeding to the eastern seaboard. In 1877, General Ulysses S. Grant was presented with two stallions from the Sultan of Turkey, which became the foundation of the first purebred Arabian breeding program in the US. The Chicago World's Fair in 1893 also drew widespread public attention to the Arabian horse in America, with 45 Arabian horses exhibited.

Arabian horses have been imported to the US from various countries, including England, France, Brazil, Poland, Spain, Egypt, and the Hejaz and Nejd desert regions. Significant importations from England and Egypt were made soon after the Chicago World's Fair, with notable breeders including Spencer Borden, W.R. Brown, Homer Davenport, Roger Selby, Albert Harris, Joseph Draper, and J.M. Dickinson. The Kellogg Ranch, founded by W.K. Kellogg, imported 17 select horses from the Crabbet stud farm in 1926 and 1927.

Arabian horses in the US are used for a variety of activities, including recreational riding, showing in English and Western pleasure, cutting, reining, jumping, dressage, endurance riding, and racing. They are also used for mounted native costume, driving, and show hack.

The future of the Bahrain-bred Arabian

• Preserving Purity and Genetic Diversity: The Bahrain-bred Arabian is known for its purity, with the Al Khalifa Royal Family carefully adhering to traditional Bedouin customs in their breeding practices. This has resulted in the Royal Studs of Bahrain having more pure strain Arabian horse families than anywhere else globally. Maintaining this purity while also preserving genetic diversity is crucial for the breed's long-term health.
• Versatility and Athleticism: Bahrain-bred Arabians are prized for their versatility and excel in various disciplines, including endurance riding, English and Western pleasure, cutting, reining, dressage, and show jumping. Their athleticism, endurance, and speed make them ideal for competitive sports, with Arabians often dominating endurance riding events worldwide.
• Growing Popularity: The Arabian horse is one of the top ten most popular horse breeds globally, and their popularity continues to grow. The breed is now found in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, continental Europe, South America, and their land of origin, the Middle East. The United States, in particular, has the largest number of Arabians of any nation.
• Influence on Other Breeds: The Arabian horse has had a profound influence on other horse breeds throughout history. Today, Arabian bloodlines can be found in almost every modern breed of riding horse, contributing to their speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone structure. This trend is likely to continue, with breeders seeking to enhance the qualities of their horses by introducing Arabian bloodlines.
• Dedicated Breeding Programs: Dedicated breeding programs, such as Pearl Island Arabians in the UK, are committed to preserving and promoting the Bahrain-bred Arabian. These programs focus on maintaining the unique characteristics of the breed while also ensuring good temperament, soundness, and versatility.
• Genetic Research and Health: Advances in genetic research have helped identify and manage inherited diseases in Arabians. With a better understanding of the breed's genome, breeders can make more informed decisions to preserve genetic diversity and reduce the occurrence of recessive genetic disorders.
• Cultural Significance: The Arabian horse holds cultural and historical significance, particularly in the Middle East. Efforts to preserve the breed and its heritage are likely to continue, recognizing its role in shaping the region's history and the Bedouin way of life.
• International Recognition: The World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) plays a crucial role in promoting and recognizing the Bahrain-bred Arabian internationally. Their conferences, stud book approvals, and other initiatives help raise the profile of the breed and ensure its future.
• Adaptability and Climate Resilience: The Arabian horse's ability to thrive in hot, dry environments is a distinct advantage in a changing climate. As global temperatures rise, the breed's heat tolerance and endurance may become even more valuable, ensuring their continued demand and relevance.

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