The Arabian thoroughbreds are considered to be very good-natured and human-related animals that form a close bond with their owner. As long as you treat them well. Because the intelligent horses are very sensitive and accordingly react sensitively to people who do not treat them well. But if you are good to your four-legged friend, the breed impresses above all because of its willingness to learn and the ambition it shows.
In addition to their people-friendly nature, the Arabian thoroughbreds have a temperamental, sometimes even nervous character. They need a lot of exercise and have immense stamina. At the same time, the desert horses are also very robust and can perform well under tough conditions.
Today, the Arabian Thoroughbreds are very popular leisure horses, mainly because of their human-oriented character. But these elegant animals are also popular as show horses. In racing, on the other hand, they only appear rarely, as they have been replaced by English thoroughbreds, which were bred for speed.
They have taken on a different discipline for themselves: endurance riding. They are popular horses in this area because of their impressive stamina and strong urge to move. In addition, the Arabian thoroughbred is still considered a status symbol.
The Arabian thoroughbred was also crossed into many different horse breeds to improve other horses.
History of the Arabian Thoroughbred
The Arabian Thoroughbred is a very old horse breed that comes from the oriental region and has been bred there since the 7th century.
According to legend, the Prophet Mohammed released his horses after a strenuous battle so that they could quench their thirst at a nearby water source. However, shortly after the horses were released, he recalled them to test their loyalty. Only five of the horses returned before drinking from the spring. These five loyal mares would become the five progenitors of the Arabian thoroughbreds from which every Arabian thoroughbred descended.
For many centuries, the Arabian thoroughbred was only bred in the Arabian region. Only when Spain was ruled by Arabs in the Middle Ages did the reputation of the elegant and enduring horses reach Central Europe. The desire to own the noble horses increased until expensive expeditions to Syria were made in the 19th century to bring the horses to Europe. Arriving in Europe, native horse breeds began to be crossed with Arabian thoroughbreds in order to refine the breed. Purebreds were established with the few mares that could be imported from the Orient. One of the best-known pure breeds in Germany is the Marbach Main and State Stud.
Interesting and worth knowing
Due to his good-natured nature paired with endurance and elegance, the Arab is used in numerous films. You will find these as well as reading tips and breeders in this section.
The Arabian thoroughbred in film and television
The 1979 classic film The Black Stallion is about a boy Alec and a black Arabian horse called “Black”. Together they survive a shipwreck and are stranded on a lonely island. Brought together by fate, the struggle for survival begins, from which a close friendship develops. After the rescue, Alec takes the black man to his family in the United States. There, retired jockey Henry Daily discovers the pair’s talent and trains the inseparable team. Together they achieve the previously unthinkable.
Another story about the unlikely friendship of a boy and his thoroughbred Arabian is Lucky’s Great Adventure. Richard finds a bay Arabian foal after it has lost its mother and takes care of “Lucky”, as Richard christens the little colt. A close friendship develops. But Richard has to flee. Lucky stays behind and lives the adventurous life of a wild horse. 14 years later, the now adult Richard returns and meets his old friend.
The heart of an Amazon – wild and free is also about the friendship of an Arabian thoroughbred and a child, the young Sonora. The girl learns that her aunt wants to sell her beloved horse Lightning and that Sonora should go into a home herself. The girl makes a decision and runs away with the horse. She meets a group of actors in which an actress with horses performs high diving in pools of water in front of an audience. An injury occurs and Sonora has to fill in. Never done before, the girl manages the jump with her beloved horse and now performs the stunt more often. But there are complications: Lightning falls ill and Sonora goes blind. Nevertheless, the two find their way.
In the film Hidalgo, Frank Hopkins (played by Viggo Mortensen) competes in his mustang Hidalgo against Bedouins and their Arabian thoroughbreds in a 3,000-mile race across the Arabian desert to defend his title as the world’s best endurance rider. An adventure that is as dangerous as it is exciting begins.
Notes on keeping Arabian thoroughbreds
Every horse is unique, no matter what breed it belongs to. And no matter how long or short the pedigree is, every horse has similar needs, such as those for food, exercise, and social contact. These must be satisfied in order to enable a happy horse life. However, depending on what the breed of horse was originally bred for, there are many different characteristics: some are bred to be sport horses and need more exercise than others, and some are more leisurely workhorses.
Just remember that the classification into draft, warm-blooded and thoroughbreds is made primarily on the basis of temperament. With our horses, too, it always depends on the individual creature. Because not all Shire Horse are strong-nerved giants and not every Arabian is a tenacious racer.
Care and nutrition
It doesn’t matter whether you own a large draft horse or a small pony: every horse needs a certain amount of care to stay healthy. The hooves in particular require your special attention. You can read about what you should consider here in the tips for proper horse care.
You also strengthen your bond with your four-legged friend with regular grooming. Finally, nibbling each other’s fur is a common social interaction between horses.
