Posts Tagged ‘bedouin tribes’
Arabian Horse
The Arabian horse is an animal which has lived on the Arabian Peninsula for well over 2000 years. These horses were properly bred to demonstrate many traits which were attractive, such as strength, beauty, and endurance. Many experts on horses have concluded that Arabian horses are among the oldest breeds in the world.
The Bedouins were a nomadic people who are given credit for first taming the Arabian horse. The Bedouins made every effort to protect the purity of these horses, and many could trace back the lineage of the horses they owned. During this time, it was critical to have a horse which was strong, fast, and courageous. It also had to be capable of surviving in the desert environment. The Bedouin tribes were constantly at war with other tribes in the region, and it was necessary to have a horse which could lead them into battle.
The Bedouins soon gained a reputation for breeding some of the most beautiful horses ever seen. Many people would trade horses with them, and they would get together and share the lineages of the horses which were traded. There are a number of different variations of Arabian horses, which are known as strains. These horses have a common ancestor and look. Some of these are Hadban, Kuhaylan, and Dahman.
The Arabian horse of one of the most well known breeds in the world. Their heads are shaped like wedges, and they have large eyes and a small muzzle. Arabian horses which have a concave shaped nose are highly prized. The neck of an Arabian horse should be arched, and their legs should be muscular and lean. Their coat should be shiny, and can be likened to silk. Despite this, Arabian horses are often not seen at the highest levels of show jumping competitions, because it does not have a good bascule compared to other breeds.
Most Arabian horses have a coat which is grey or brown, and some horses also have black coats. Arabian horses with black coats were rare, because in the desert they would absorb heat, and this would be dangerous. Because the Arabian horse is so genetically pure, it is commonly used in enhancing the characteristics of other breeds of horses. Arabian horses have a good temperament, and this also makes them attractive to breeders.
Arabian horses have been used in professional horse competitions for a long time, and Arabian horse games are being held every year in which the horses and their owners can compete with each other.
Michael Colucci is an experienced horse competitor and writes articles for HorseGathering.com and HorsePasture.net
Author: Michael Colucci
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Arabian Horse – Historical Origins
Arabian horses are one of the oldest human-developed horse breeds in the world. Rock paintings and inscriptions about these horses have been found in the Arabian Peninsula dating back to 2,500 B.C. Bedouin tribes, responsible for domesticating the Arabian horse, kept meticulous ancestral records and they trace their common history with these horses back to 3000 B.C.
The Arabian horse, or the prototype of what we know today as the Arabian horse, is somewhat smaller than his counterpart today. Otherwise, the Arabian has remained essentially unchanged through the centuries, maintaining the qualities that the Bedouins depended on in the harsh deserts thousands of years ago.
Some experts have questioned the origin of the Arabian breed of horse. They argue that the ancestral Arabian was likely a wild horse from an area that encapsulates southern Turkey, Northern Syria, and possibly the Piedmont regions to the east. This area, the northern edge of the Fertile Crescent, provided enough of a mild climate and rain to be a suitable environment for horses. It comprises part of Iraq and runs along the Euphrates River and west across Sinai and along the coast to Egypt. The majority of historians believe the Arabian horse breed originated in the southwestern part of Arabia. They offer supporting evidence that the three great river beds in this area provided natural wild pastures for the horses to live and thrive. This area in southwestern Arabia would have been central to where the undomesticated Arabian horse made first contact with early human inhabitants.
The interior of the Arabian peninsula has been dry for approximately 10,000 years. It would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the Arabian horses to survive and exist in such an arid land without the aid of man. Around 3,500 B.C., the nomadic inhabitants of desert regions, the Bedouins, domesticated the camel and used them as a means of transport and sustenance. Armed with the ability to survive the perils of life in the desert, they ventured into the central and southern portions of Arabia around 2,500 B.C. It is during this time that they took with them the ancestor of the modern Arabian horse.
Experts do agree that the Arabian is a unique breed of horses and remains very pure, even to this day. History doesn’t really tell us the country where the horse was first domesticated. As it became domesticated, though, the Arabian horse was probably used for work and riding. By 1500 B.C., the people in the region had gained a great mastery over these beautiful and intelligent horses.
The Arabian horse and its transcendent beauty have appeared throughout history:
- On seal rings, various monuments, and stone pillars with regularity after the 16th century B.C.
- The horse’s high regard is shown in a number of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- The Old Testament in the bible is filled with references to the Arabian horse’s strength and might. For instance, King Solomon, some 900 years B.C., praised the beauty of “a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots”.
- In 490 B.C., the famous Greek horsemen, Xinophon, called them a noble animal whose beauty fascinates both young and old.
So where did the namesake, “Arabian” breed of horses, come from? The origin of the name is still obscure. The word Arab is often linked with nomadism and it gets connected with two Hebrew words: Arabha (dark land) and Erebh, (mixed). Since a nomadic lifestyle was organized but not ordered, unlike sedentary communities, the word Arab can also be linked to the Hebrew root, Abhar (to move or pass). The word “Arab”, is a Semitic word meaning “desert” or the inhabitant thereof, with no reference to nationality. In the Koran, a’rab is used for the nomadic Bedouin people who lived in the desert. The first Biblical use of the word as a proper name occurs in Jeremiah 25:24: “Kings of Arabia”. Jeremiah lived between 626 and 586 B.C. The Arabs themselves used the word at an early date to distinguish the Bedouin people from the Arabic-speaking people who lived in towns.
This exquisite and amazingly intelligent horse flourished in a close co-existence with the Bedouins and they reached the zenith of fame as the horse of the “Arabas”. The Bedouins were fanatic about keeping the blood of the Arabian horses absolutely pure. They accomplished this through line-breeding and inbreeding. This ensured the particularly prized distinguishing characteristics and qualities of the Arabian horse. Essentially, the horse became the Bedouin’s most treasured possession. With the harsh desert climate, only the strongest and most spirited of these horses survived, giving us the amazing physical characteristics of the breed that we see today.
Randy Meyer, along with his family, are well-respected breeders of high-quality, beautiful purebred Arabian horses on their farm, Red Oak Arabians. They emphasize honesty, integrity and usually have fine quality Arabian horses for sale at all times.
Author: Randy Meyer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The History of Arabian Horses
The Arabian horse is an animal which has lived on the Arabian Peninsula for well over 2000 years.
Strength, beauty and endurance are typical traits of this breed of horse. Studies have show that Arabian horses are amongst the oldest breeds discovered in the world.
The Bedouin people are thought to be the first to train the Arabian horse. Bedouin people took the ancestry of these breeds very seriously and could back date the lineages of the horses they owned. At these times it was crucial to have a dependable horse that was quick, brave and strong. It also had to be capable of surviving in the desert environment. The Bedouin tribes were constantly at war with other tribes in the region, and it was necessary to have a horse which could lead them into battle.
Some of the most impressive horses ever were bred by the Bedouins. Information regarding the horses’ linegeage and ancestry was exchanged during the trade of this breed. There are a number of different variations of Arabian horses, which are known as strains. They are similar in appearance and share ancestry. Dahman, Hadban, Kuhaylan are some examples.
Arabian horses are said to be one of, if not the most recognised breeds in the world. Their heads are shaped like wedges, and they have large eyes and a small muzzle. Some of the most sought after Arabian horses are the ones with concave shaped noses. An Arab neckline should be arched, and they have toned muscular legs. Their coats should have a sheen, often referred to as being silk-like. Consequently, Arabian breeds are not often viewed at top end competitions due to their inadequate bascule in comparison to other breeds.
Typically, their coat is brown or grey although it is not unusual for some Arabian horses to have black coats. Arabian horses with black coats were rare, because in the desert they would absorb heat, and this would be dangerous. Arabian genes are so pure, they are commonly used in enhancing other breeds characteristics. Arabian horses are very well mannered, an attribute breeders find very attractive.
Professional horse competitions have used Arabian horses for a great deal of time, and there are even competitions each year between Arabian horses and there owners.
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