The Arabian
a treasure of nature to be preserved
And God took a handful of South wind and from it formed a horse, saying:
"I create thee, Oh Arabian. To thy forelock, I bind Victory in battle.
On thy back, I set a rich spoil And a Treasure in thy loins.
I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth...
I give thee flight without wings."
-- Bedouin Legend
(Byford, et al. Origins of the Arabian Breed)
Such is the long heritage as a cornerstone in the life and culture of the middle-east it seems almost compulsory to begin with the classic quote ascribing the creation of the Arabian horse to Allah. And a very pretty image it is too. Of course the science of D.N.A. is a far better guide to the biological history of the Arabian than is poetry!
There is little doubt that as d.n.a. work continues many of the myths and legends associated with the Arabian will be shown to be nothing more than good stories; creations of a the vibrant and poetic culture that covered the river lands of the Euphrates, Nile and Tigris rivers.
Current testing establishes the Arabian as just one of the Equus Caballus family tree, thus dismissing the old claim that the Arabian was a unique race apart and that it should be re-named Equus Arabicus, rather than sharing E.Caballus with other breeds.
But even if the more flowery claims are not true culture certainly did impact on the way in which selective breeding was carried out over more than a thousand years. Those elements of form that the Bedouin prized so highly; the rounded forehead or "Jibbah", the high crested arching neck or "Mitbah" and the tail, gaily carried as if waving a flag, were traits held in high regard. And, as with all selective breeding, other traits, closely genetically associated with those being consciously selected, were also, unconsciously, selected.
