# Types of Arabians



## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I hear people talk about Polish arabians, Egyptian arabians, and even Spanish arabians. What the heck is the difference? What are the characteristics of each?


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Several countries have or had state stud farms, or even royal, where they bred Arabians. Poland, Russia, England, Germany, the US, Hungary and so on. They imported the first horses and bred to their taste and standards. Russian and Polish horses were selected through racing, Spanish Arabians often resemble Andalusian horses, high upright, arched massive necks, high knee action, England/Crabbet Arabians are of a specific type. 
This way, certain traits are present in certain bloodlines. 
Once you start researching a little, you'll get to know the names of the foundation horses and can tell what lines are present in any given horse


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I'm not an expert, just someone who finds this subject very interesting and has dabbled a bit in researching it, though my knowledge is really nothing compared to a lot of the people on here (who will hopefully pop in here and set me straight if I make a mistake, haha). The difference is pretty much where they were bred. Polish arabians, for instance, come from lines that were from Poland- It's just a matter of where the lines originate from. Crabbets come from English lines, and the Spanish come from Spain. 
There are some differences in their physical appearances/ temperaments, since they were bred in different countries, but they're all still the same breed and follow the same basic 'arabian' type. People have differing opinions on which lines are best, although it seems that certain ones are more prevalent in certain disciplines... I've always found this subject fascinating, because although they are all arabians, there are some unique differences between the strains. 
The Spanish arabian was kept for the military and are known for having fantastic temperaments, very trainable, etc.- I remember talking to my arabian's breeder, and her saying that the Spanish arabians have fantastic feet, too- while the Russian and Polish arabians had to prove themselves on the track before they were allowed to breed, making them very athletic. Egyptian arabians seem to run on the smaller/lighter side, and be a bit more typey. The lines from the US are named after the individual breeder, instead of being called "American Arabians" though.
Here's a link to a quick little guide from the AHA website, if you're interested:
Welcome to Arabian Horses.org - Education


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## ArabianGirl27 (Aug 5, 2012)

I don't think there is a lot of difference. I have a Polish Arabian, myself, and I find she has slightly stockier conformation than your typical Arabian. I've heard that Polish Arabs are more like that than other types of Arabs, but have nothing to actually back that up... But my mare, Destiny, sometimes reminds me of a Quarter Horse in some ways. Not to an extreme, but definately more so than some other Arabians I have seen.

I know nothing about other types though.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

AswadAmeera said:


> I don't think there is a lot of difference. I have a Polish Arabian, myself, and I find she has slightly stockier conformation than your typical Arabian. I've heard that Polish Arabs are more like that than other types of Arabs, but have nothing to actually back that up... But my mare, Destiny, sometimes reminds me of a Quarter Horse in some ways. Not to an extreme, but definately more so than some other Arabians I have seen.
> 
> I know nothing about other types though.


Actually, there is a lot of difference, you can see it in build, disposition, and athletic ability. For instance, there is typically quite a lot of difference between the Babson-bred Egyptians when compared to the Nazeer-bred Egyptians. Same with Crabbet, and Polish and so on.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Then, within a geographical type, like Remali mentioned, you have certain traits connected to color, like the grey Crabbets being small, compact, and very pretty faced, the chestnuts with lots of chrome, very powerful movers, the Polish greys tend to be a bit more refined than the bays, then a modern times and the possibility to move horses to different continents, and big breeders favouring a stallion, creating yet another type....Bask, Khemosabi come to mind. Or line- and inbreeding to a stallion, Nazeer being one( 15-20 lines to Nazeer was not rare), creating ultra typey, but small and dainty horses, like Ansata bred ones.
Then the "Golden Cross", like spanish-egyptian, the great El Shaklan being a prime example and a very prepotent sire.
It is a very interesting subject, a lot of history behind it.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Good examples deserthorsewoman. It's interesting to research and read up on it all. I'll never forget the first time I saw a herd of Babson Egyptians, we were walking out in the pasture among them, and while all Arabians are sweet and gentle, these horses had such calm dispositions, I was just floored, even the stallions were as quiet and calm as kittens.

I wish I still had my old issues of the Arabian horse magazines (I remember when one of them started out as a newspaper!), I think I started getting them back in 1970, they had such fabulous articles in there about historic Arabians and bloodlines, the articles by Gladys Brown Edwards were especially good reading. I've been sort of a pedigree hound ever since.

I agree... it's a very interesting subject, and my favorite subject! 

Like you mentioned deserthorsewoman, the Golden Cross, talk about some typey horses! The Spanish horses, for me anyway, always were so exceptionally beautiful.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

I also had tons of Arabian magazines, but they all got lost during our many moves. I do still have about 15 CD's of pics....if I only could get hubby to set up this computer.....should have never talked him into a smartphone........


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

What I like about the breed is that even with our different types you can still see they are all arabians.
Those babson bred horses are truly very calm. I have a mare and a coming 2 yo that are babson bred and would be 100% if not for the mare Turfa in their pedigrees. they are not tall horses but are very calm and easy to handle. Shalom


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Sorry to get off topic here and ask my own question, but what type of Arab was Khemosabi?


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I think he was of Davenport lines. Maybe Polish... Don't quote me on it.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

Khemosabi was almost half eygptian. Babson bred going back to Fadl. Shalom


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Khemosabi was mainly Crabbet and Polish. His grandsire Fadjur had some Babson breeding thru Fadl. Khemo's sire was out of a Polish mare, and Ferseyn (Khemo's sire) was Crabbet.

Khemo's dam was a blend of Crabbet and Egyptian.

Wish we had more horses today that looked like Khemo.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Remali said:


> Khemosabi was mainly Crabbet and Polish. His grandsire Fadjur had some Babson breeding thru Fadl. Khemo's sire was out of a Polish mare, and Ferseyn (Khemo's sire) was Crabbet.
> 
> Khemo's dam was a blend of Crabbet and Egyptian.
> 
> Wish we had more horses today that looked like Khemo.


AND give these looks and capabilities to their offspring consistently.


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

O_O you guys certainly know your Arabians. Is there any books or anything you guys would recommend for me to read?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

How about starting with your new horse;-)
Put his pedigree on allbreedpedigree.com and we go from there. Start with his ancestors, which will lead you in all kinds of directions. 
Starting with some very famous "American" ones, Western Horseman's Arabian Legends is a start.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

waresbear said:


> Sorry to get off topic here and ask my own question, but what type of Arab was Khemosabi?


Khemosabi is Early American Foundation - or EAF. 
However, most of his linage is actually CMK through *Raseyn and a Davenport female tail line. 
But because he is EAF classified, you wouldn't actually count that towards a Crabbet pedigree. 
For example, my colt is out of Magic Aulrab, a 100% CMK stallion, but Khade (my colt) is only considered 50% CMK because Khemosabi (he is out of a Khemosabi daughter - www.allbreedpedigree.com/glf+magical+khascade ) is done as AEF, not CMK/Crabbet. 
Weird, but that's how it works. LOL


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

Until I bought my mustang, my life was devoted to QH. So all these names and stuff are unfamiliar. The only two I knew of the the Arabians was khemosabi and bask, because two of my childhood friends has Arabians related to those lines.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Faustinblack said:


> Until I bought my mustang, my life was devoted to QH. So all these names and stuff are unfamiliar. The only two I knew of the the Arabians was khemosabi and bask, because two of my childhood friends has Arabians related to those lines.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You should follow that link in my last post and plunk your horse's pedigree in there - be way easier to see when it's all lined up.


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I have Riki's papers and he's already on allbreedpedigree.com if that's what your talking about
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

His registered name is CA TRE Mareekh. But like I said, none of those names on there are familiar to me in any way 
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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Faustinblack said:


> His registered name is CA TRE Mareekh. But like I said, none of those names on there are familiar to me in any way
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You would have to take the names off his papers and add them to allbreed. I have no way of seeing what is there otherwise. 
The Arabian heritage is VERY expansive - don't feel bad about not knowing! I'm still learning too!


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

But his pedigree is already on there. I looked him up before I bought him
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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Ca Tre Mareekh Arabian

Lots of famous names

Look at his pedigree, the coloured bars behind a name indicate this horse is present at least twice. Google the name. Nazeer, Morafic, Moniet El Nefous for starters. That'll keep you busy for a while;-)


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

Cool. Thanks  I looked at all the names and was a little overwhelmed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Your beautiful boy is very well-bred. He is darn-near straight Egyptian, on his dam's side, thru Julyan, he goes back to Julep and Gulastra (altho I have read that some consider him to be SE, and I am not sure of that...).

I see he goes back to *Tuhotmos too, he was a drop-dead stunning bay stallion that was here in WI for awhile, amazingly gorgeous stallion.

Many, many very famous horses in your boy's pedigree.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I got most of my information on Arabian pedigrees thru the years, starting back in 1970. 

I subscribed to the Arabian magazines, back in those days they used to have very good articles on bloodlines. I also bought a very good book on Egyptian Arabians many years ago, written by Judith Forbis of Ansata Arabian Stud ("The Classic Arabian Horse"). 

If you ever can find old Arabian magazines (especially those from the 1960's and 1970's) that have articles written by Gladys Brown Edwards (now deceased) she was a wealth of knowledge regarding Arabian bloodlines/strains.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Just found on an SE forum Julep IS SE, so this nice guy is straight Egyptian


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

Wow. O_O
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I guess I got lucky in bloodlines with him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Ya, there has been some debate about Gulastra and whether or not they can say he is SE or not.... depending on how you look at it (altho it is still debated).


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

Yeah, really weird. It said certain offspring of Gulastra have to be considered SE, Julep being one. Why these and not those......beats me.....
I've had my share of arguments on a certain forum with a certain lady.......;-)


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

Hey Remali, my awesome little fountain of information. What is the best time to start saddle breaking an arabian. I thought someone a long time ago told me it was a little older than other horses. Riki is partially broke, they rode him bareback for awhile and a couple of times with a saddle. He's going to be turning 5 may 7th.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I think starting under saddle at 3 years is a decent age, sort of depends on the horse. I did a lot of groundwork before that with mine, never working them real long and keeping it light and enjoyable. But seeing as your boy is 5, he's plenty old. He also has a lot of substance, that helps.


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I was just worried about him being too old
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

deserthorsewoman said:


> Yeah, really weird. It said certain offspring of Gulastra have to be considered SE, Julep being one. Why these and not those......beats me.....
> I've had my share of arguments on a certain forum with a certain lady.......;-)


LOL. I know, it makes no sense to me either. I was reading some older posts on an Egyptian forum about it, it's confusing and interesting, a little wacky.


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Faustinblack said:


> I was just worried about him being too old
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Oh I see..... nah, I don't think he is too old at all, he's still young yet. My mare didn't really fill out until she was about 6 years old or so. Arabians are very hardy, and very long-lived. He's a youngster yet, sounds like he only had a little training, so he's sort of a clean slate yet.


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

He's really smart.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

Oh ya, for sure they are verrrry smart. They catch on very quickly and are so eager to please. I bought my mare when she was 18 months old, I did her training myself, she was so easy to train it was as if she was already trained, ha, she just did everything I asked of her and never once raised a fuss or anything, both of my purebreds were the most quiet and calm horses I've ever been around.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

Faustinblack said:


> I was just worried about him being too old


Assuming the horse is sound, there is no such thing as "too old" to be saddle trained.

I once saddle broke an 18 year old arab mare who had been a baby factory her whole life until then, was only sort of halter broke. She went on to be a retired woman's trail horse.


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