The Arab Horse, Arabian Equine Perfection and Arabic Charm with magnificent mane and tail!
The Arabian Horse
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Peter Upton and the Perfect Book of Arabians
The Perfect Horse
This Hub has been inspired by the death of my beloved Arabian Horse at the age of 30. Kwayiza, which means "Charming" in Arabic was the perfect horse, always pleased to see you, she would wicker softly to approve your presence. Never sick or sorry during her whole life she was always perky and ready to go.
The skeleton of the pure bred Arabian is usually more compact than the non Arabian. They have one fewer vertebrae and only 16 ribs instead of 17. This short back gives them immense strength. The tail carriage of the Arab horse is high and perky and this trait is often passed on to Arabian crosses. My half Arabian, half Welsh pony, Honey had this gay tail carriage and the dished face. The dished face is also a mark of the Arabian as opposed to the convex faces of Lusitanos from Portugal ad the Andalusians of Spain. Arabians are the epitome of equine beauty.
Straight out of the paddock, Kwayiza was always ready to go. I lived in a place in the UK that was surrounded by land criss crossed by Bridle ways (see my hub about walking in Wales) so it was possible to ride for hours with very little road work . Arabians have very dense bone and strong hooves. She did not need shoes and neither did her stablemate, Honey, a Welsh pony crossed with an Arab. Their blood has been used in just about every developed breed to give strength and endurance. The Thoroughbred of racing fame was developed from Arabian horses, the Byerly Turk and the Darley Arabian being two of the founding sires.
The Bedouins of the Arabian desert treasured their horses and even allowed them into their tents for shelter. The mares were more treasured than the males and only the best stallions were kept. The Bedouin memorised the pedigrees of their horses which were derived from the mares point of view. To this day the Arabian horse is a most prized possession. Arabian legend describes the creation of the Arabian horse thus:
God spoke to the south wind: "I will create from you a being which will be a happiness to the good and a misfortune to the bad. Happiness shall be on its forehead, bounty on its back and joy in the possessor."
This is the Arabian Horse.
