History and Origin of Arabian Horse

The history of the Arabian horse is as old as 4000 years. As the name suggests, this horse breed originated from the sandy deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East. The Arabian horse is considered to be the oldest dog breeds. The history states that this horse breed first got spread in the Middle East, then Europe and then around the globe.

Today, the Arabian horse can be found in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, and many others. This spread took place through wars and trading. The Arabian horse has remained a part of many famous wars in the Middle East. Many historical figures used to keep the Arabian horse like Alexander the Great, George Washington, and Napoleon.

Almost after 1000 years, the Arabian horses reached America in the 17th century and the foundation of the Arabian Horse Registry of America was laid at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Personality of the Arabian Horse

The origin of Arabian horses makes them stand out from all the other breeds. The pride, elegance, honor, loyalty, endurance, and intelligence are the remarkable traits of the people belonging to the Middle East and these traits are quite visible in the Arabian horses as well.

Their gait shows their pride and elegance. Their eyes carry the shine of intelligence and their behavior reflects their honor and loyalty.

The Arabian horses belong to the hot-blooded category of dogs. This category of dogs is famous for being sensitive, intelligent, and quick learners. They need some activity otherwise they easily get bored.

Arabian Horses have a natural tendency to communicate well with humans and it makes them easy to train, but as long as the owner treats them well. They do not tolerate bad and abusive training practices and they can turn anxious or nervous due to bad behavior.

Physical Features of Arabian Horse

Body

The Arabian horse has a long, flexible, and arched neck, wedge-shaped head, a broad forehead, small muzzles, big prominent eyes, high tail, and large nostrils. It has a compact body with a straight but short back.

The bones of an Arabian horse are firm, strong and dense. The hoof walls are also quite strong and supportive.

Life Span

The life expectancy of an Arabian horse is 30 years.

Height and Weight

The Arabian horse is a graceful horse with a height of 56 to 64 inches, a fine skeletal structure, and 800 to 1000 pounds weight.

Coat and Colors

The Arabian horse has black skin that protects them from the harsh heat of the sun. The various coat colors of the Arabian horse include black, bay, roan, grey, and chestnut. Arabian horses also have white markings on their face, socks, and stockings on the legs.

The Arabian horses can never exist in colors like cremello, palomino, dun, or buckskin. Arabian horses appearing in such colors do not belong to purebred.

Nutrition and Feeding

The Arabian horse belongs to the desert life which made them require less food intake. Like normal horses, the usual food of Arabian horse eats fresh grass, quality grains, hay, selective fruits, and vegetables. There should be a good ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fats in the diet of the Arabian horse.

Overfeeding can make the horse overweight and can affect its running and other activities.

Health Issues of Arabian Horse

Arabian horses have a strong, healthy, and athletic body that makes them active and look adorable. However, Arabian horses are vulnerable to many genetic diseases and health problems that can be fatal if not taken care of properly.

Lavender Foal Syndrome

This is a genetic disorder of foals that can be fatal. The foals have no signs of this disease but they are not able to stand at birth if they have this disease. The coat color dilution occurs that lightens the tips of the coat hair. The foal can have seizures and is prone to death soon after birth.

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

It is also a deadly disease of foals. The foals are born normal with no signs of disease. The foal in this case is born with a completely absent immune system. With this disease, a foal cannot live for more than 3 months.

Cerebellar Abiotrophy

This is a neurological disorder related to the cerebellum. The foal doesn’t show early signs. After 6 weeks, there can be issues like head tremor and incoordination which are a symptom of dying cells in the cerebellum. Some horses can survive with this disease but some have to be euthanized as they are so weak to survive.

Equine juvenile epilepsy, Guttural Pouch Tympany, and Occipital Atlanto-Axial Malformation are some other serious ailments of Arabian horses.

The Arabian Horse Association of the USA has developed a foundation. The aim of this foundation FOAL is to supports the researches made to unveil the root causes of the genetic ailments of the Arabian horses.

Breeding and Gestation

As an Arabian horse is a big and strong animal, its gestation period is different from other animal breeds. Its gestation and baby development progresses at a very slow pace as compared to other animals.

The estimated time of gestation of an Arabian mare is 11 months, about 320 to 360 days.

The conceptus stays free and floating in the first 15 days and on the 16th day, fixation takes place.

The most sensitive development takes place in the last 3 months of gestation. It covers the 60% growth of the foal, the baby horse.

During pregnancy, the Arabian mare gets separated from other horses for the safety of both the mare and the foal. It also helps to monitor the pregnant mare in a better way.

Uses of Arabian Horses

The Arabian horse is a wonderful horse breed that was bred and used for many purposes like;

• They were bred to survive in the harsh weather conditions of deserts.
• In the beginning, Arabian horses were used to fight in the wars.
• Their athletic and strong bodies make them good to take part in every kind of sport.
• They are used in long-distance trial competitions as they can run steadily at a fast pace.
• The Arabian horses are also used in the parades.
• For their elegance, Arabian horses are used as dressage horses for events like Olympics, where the rider sits still, and the Arabian horse shows beautiful moves.
• Arabian horses are also used in horseraces as they can do very well on the racetrack.
• They are elegant, proud, and beautiful, so they are good to be presented in the show rings.
• Arabian horses are also used for pleasure riding and also as ranch working horses.

Grooming & Cleaning

The Arabian horse needs regular grooming and cleaning to stay healthy and active.

• The Arabian horse coat needs regular brushing, especially after doing some exercise. This will equally distribute the skin oil and sweat.
• Use a detangler to keep the tail and mane soft.
• Clen their hooves daily as the stuck dirt can cause bacteria to flourish there.

Arabian horses are loyal and loving horses but they are not easy to handle by untrained people. If you are planning to bring an Arabian horse home, just make sure that you have enough space to keep a horse and you are well trained as well.