2nd Edition 2017 - Issue 31

ARABIAN HORSE HEALTH

ARABIAN HORSECULTURE

ARABIAN HORSE RESEARCH

ARABIAN HORSENEWS

ARABIAN HORSE LETTER

Sweet itch can become a major problem as it leads horses to bite, scratch or rub at their skin, which can cause severe damage to themselves or to their environment as well as infection. There are several possible causes for the condition, and different methods of prevention and treatment.

Both art and literature brighten our culture section, where you will meet contemporary Dutch-born artist Erna Goudbeek and her beautiful oil paintings, and the 19th century English traveler William Palgrave, who spent a year journeying through Central and Eastern Arabia studying the Arab way of life and gathering fascinating information.

The most recent and smallest of the Egyptian sire lines is that of El Deree, a desertbred stallion imported to Egypt in 1927. While the sire line itself is fairly small, El Deree’s impact on Egyptian breeding has been huge in indirect lines, especially through the daughters of his son Sid Abouhom.

Representatives of over 80 member states gathered at the WAHO conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. Meanwhile, Bait Al Arab has continued its educational program with lectures and workshops on judging, feeding, bloodlines, and photography, and again welcomed school children and introduced them to the Arabian Horse.

Read more on page 2 - 25 Read more on page 26 - 33 Read more on page 34 - 35 Read more on page 36 - 39

Memories of the Desert

WE OFTEN FORGET THAT THE ARABIAN HORSE WAS NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT IS TODAY, A BEAUTIFUL COLLECTORS’ ITEM PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED IN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SHOW RINGS. THE ORIGINAL ARABIAN HORSE WAS FORMED IN THE CRUCIBLE OF THE DESERT, INDISPENSABLE IN WARFARE, A COMPANION TO THE BEDOUIN. THE BEDOUIN WAY OF LIFE MAY BE A THING OF THE PAST, BUT THE PAST SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, BECAUSE IT IS THE SOIL IN WHICH THE PRESENT HAS ITS ROOTS. IN A NEW SERIES OF EXCERPTS FROM 19TH CENTURY DOCUMENTS, WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF OUR HORSES’ ORIGINS AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND.

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ARABIAN HORSENEWS

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY: MONIKA SAVIERCONDENSATION OF THE TALKS: BETTINA BORST

DILMUN – THIS ISLAND LOCATED IN THE ARABIAN OR PERSIAN GULF IS STEEPED IN LEGEND AS THE “PEARL OF IMMORTALITY”. EVEN 5,000 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A THRIVING CULTURE

THERE WHOSE EXISTENCE IS DOCUMENTED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES. AN ARABIAN CIVILIZATION IS UNTHINKABLE WITHOUT THE TRADITION OF HORSE BREEDING.

TODAY, THERE ARE MORE THAN 5,000 HORSES LIVING ON THAT SMALL ISLAND, WITH MORE THAN 2,000 OF THEM BEING WAHO REGISTERED ARABIAN PUREBREDS WHO ARE LOVED AND PROMOTED BY THE ISLAND’S INHABITANTS. TODAY, THIS SMALL ISLAND IS CALLED BAHRAIN.

THE 2017 WAHO CONFERENCE, HOSTED BY THE KINGDOM OF

BAHRAINFROM HISTORIC TIMES TO THE PRESENT OF THE ARABIAN HORSE WORLD IN BAHRAIN

THE LEGENDARY WAHO WORLD CONFERENCES TAKE PLACE EVERY TWO YEARS. MEANWHILE, THEY ARE OF AN ALMOST HISTORIC IMPORTANCE AND HAVE BECOME MUCH MORE THAN JUST AN INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THE DELEGATES WHO ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MORE THAN 80 STUDBOOKS OF PUREBRED ARABIAN HORSES IN THE MEMBER STATES, AND THE OBSERVERS WHO ARE INDIVIDUAL WAHO MEMBERS. THE CONFERENCES STAND FOR INTERNATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, FOR A COMPLEX AS WELL AS FUNCTIONING MANAGEMENT OF THE STUDBOOKS, AND FOR KEEPING THE BREED OF THE ARABIAN HORSE PURE, AND THEY ALSO STAND FOR AN ANALOGOUS, MEANING REAL, WORLD OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN BREEDERS AND FRIENDS OF ARABIAN HORSES ALL OVER THE WORLD – NO MATTER WHAT THEIR RELIGION OR LANGUAGE MAY BE.

The Skyline of Manama

The Official Opening of the WAHO Conference 2017 Executive Committee of WAHO

Bahrain National Museum - Dilmun Civilisation collection

Horsemen performing in front of the castle of Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al Fateh

Mr. Jehangir Rustomjee - Registrar of the Arabian Studbook of Bahrain

Knights Show at the Castle

Dr. Khalid Hassan - Director of the Royal Stables

Katrina Murray - Executive Secretary

In his opening address, Mr. Peter Pond, the Australian President of WAHO, emphasized the part of the interpersonal level, of the multicultural spirit of cohesion, of being a team, that is promoted with the Conferences and which is getting to be ever more rare in our world of digital communication: “We live in a very fast-moving internet age of social media, instant communication, and sometimes unrealistic expectations

of instant answers and instant results. Most of us cannot imagine modern life without these useful tools. But any involvement with horses requires time and patience, whether that is in the handling or training or riding of them, or in planning your breeding programs for the years ahead. Sometimes we need to take a breath, sit back and return to older values, to appreciate the importance of real face to face communication, of taking the time to listen to each other, of allowing something to hold our attention for longer than it takes to read a tweet or to send off a quick text. In some ways it is perhaps an anachronism for us all to fly half way round the world just to get together for a few days, but I hope that by socializing together, meeting new people from every corner of the globe who all share one common passion – the Arabian Horse – you will leave here feeling enriched and invigorated by new friendships and with a greater understanding of what WAHO is all about.(...) Unfortunately we also live in an age of instability, political unrest, and turmoil, and it is unfortunately clear that several of our Member countries have been very badly affected. This of course has not only caused much human suffering, but has also had a detrimental effect on the Arabian horses in those countries. Yet it is very apparent to me, looking round the room, how very highly our Delegates from some of those affected countries value their Arabian horses, so much so that they have taken the time and trouble to be here with us today. (...)We are here, all of us, not for ourselves, and in many respects not for our individual countries, we are here for the purebred Arabian horse. We are all here to represent their best interests, and this is the best possible forum to allow the horses - this ancient, precious, and unique breed, now so widespread around the world - to carry us forward, building bridges of friendship and understanding across our many languages and across our diverse cultures. It is the Arabian Horse which brings us closer together, helping us to learn more about each other and our respective cultures, so we can keep this unique international ‘family of WAHO’ together as a cohesive and cooperative group.” From February 6 to 15, the world conference with a total of almost 200 participants met in Manama, the capital on the Kingdom of BAHRAIN. Thanks to the generous hosts, the Royal House of Bahrain with His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, the international conference as well as the pre and post-conference tours surrounding it could be transacted most successfully. Even the gates of the Royal private studs were opened for the participants, as well as the racetrack of the Rashid Equestrian & Horse Racing Club. The event was carried into effect by Dr. Khalid Hassan, Director of the Royal Stables, and Mr. Jehangir Rustomjee, registrar of the Arabian studbook of Bahrain. Assisted by their teams and by Katrina Murray, WAHO’s Executive Secretary, they made this conference into a total success.

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EMMA MAXWELL: “PRECIOUS PEARLS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BAHRAINI FOUNDATION HORSES IN BREEDING PROGRAMMES WORLDWIDE.”Probably the most well-known foundation horse from Bahrain is the stallion Kuhailan Afas, who went to Poland to have tremendous influence there. But there were also three mares: Jellabiet Feysul and Bint El Bahreyn went to Egypt in 1846 and 1898. The total number of around 80 exports by now from the unique Bahrain

programme makes them actually a fascinating study of the Arabian horse. Jellabiet Feysul: The Jellabi strain that I think most of us associate with Bahrain was established during the rule of Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa. It is a member of this family who first created an international legacy. Imported in approximately 1846 to Egypt, Jellabiet Feysul became a member of the legendary collection of Abbas Pasha I, King of Egypt. Her blood does appear in Egyptian

Bahrain National Museum - Dilmun Civilisation collection

Bahrain World Trade Center

Castle of Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmed Al Fateh - Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa Poetry & Culture in Bahrain

At the opening of the conference by his Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain

Mrs. Jenny Lees giving a presentation on Bahrain 'Arabian Horses'

“ENJOY OUR HORSES” (PRINCE MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN AL KHALIFA)The Royal breeding program of Bahrain is a unique matter. It is the most closely guarded collection of Arabian horses and the very rarest of the breed in the world. The Royal Stud of Bahrain was established in 1783, meaning that these horses have been bred selectively for more than 200 years by now, and visiting them is like being able to steal a glance into the venerable past of the Asil horses of the desert. They have not been changed or subjected to influences to change them, so neither temporary fashion, nor commercial strategies, nor changes in climate or geology have been allowed to impact them. Still, some horses from that Royal breeding have found their way into studs elsewhere as presents for honored guests and have gone into history there, such as the famous mares Bint El Bahreyn, Jellabiet Feysul, Thorayyah, and the stallion Kuhailan Afas. With her short presentation on “Bahrain’s Arabian Horses”, Jenny Lees attuned us for our visit to the Royal studs.Throughout the centuries, the Arabian horse has been a formidable war horse, while from the number of countries represented in this room today, it seems that the Arabian horse is now a creator of lasting friendships and a universal peacemaker. I saw my first Arabian horse here in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1960. It was a magnificent stallion, a deep mahogany bay, he was called Dahman. I accepted the offer to ride the stallion and from that moment the horses of Bahrain became a lifetime’s passion. I often refer to these unique horses as ‘history on the hoof’, and when you visit the studs of his Majesty King Hamad and his Royal Highness the late Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Khalifa, you will have the opportunity to look back in time. The horses in these studs are a window to the past, today looking much as they did centuries ago, as the criteria for breeding within the studs have not changed: conformation, temperament, soundness, speed.When His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa explained his preservation program to me, he said: “Jenny, throughout the centuries the war horse was needed for our families’ very survival, and now they need us for their survival. They took care of us, and now it is our turn to take care of them.”There are some time-honored strains here that have always been in the family: Obeyah; Kray; Mlolesh; Ma’anaghieh; Kuheila’t Afas and Shuwaimeh. In the Royal Studs, it is the mares that are treasured most. Every foal will carry its dam’s name, an example would be the Obeya, if she has a colt he is Obeyan, if it’s a filly she is Obeya, and then a given name is added. Other strains have been introduced through the centuries, usually by gifts exchanged between rulers and Kings, so they were horses fit for a King, Asil horses from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Syria. However, since the late 1960s very few imported horses have been accepted into the breeding program. It is a tradition that the care of the Royal Stud is passed from Father to Son. This responsibility is now in the hands of our host His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, he personally selects which stallions go to which mares, and, Your Royal Highness Prince Salman, may I say your son has inherited a remarkable eye for that.I wish to thank His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa for inviting the WAHO family to Bahrain, his Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa for accepting the invitation to attend today, and I would like to finish with something his Highness the late Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Khalifa said to me, “Jenny, enjoy our horses”. The text has been condensed into a short version for this publication.

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The Royal Stud of HH King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa in Al Roudha

Peter Pond, H.H. Sheikh Faisal Bin Rashid Al Khalifa and Jenny Pond

pedigrees with frequency via two of the Crabbet exchanges, as Lady Anne Blunt bought no less than 7 members of the Jellabiet Feysul family, one of them famous Khatila, her favourite riding horse, who left daughters as well known as Kasida and Kibla.The first connection back to Egypt comes through the stallion Feysul, whose Crabbet-bred son Ibn Yashmak was the sire of famous Bint Rissala. You will find Feysul’s pedigree repeated many times at the end of modern pedigrees. In particular, the Feysul heritage lives on in Kazmeen/Kasmeyn (RAS), who sired Bint Sabah who was dam of famous Sheikh El Arab, and also in incomparable Nazeer via his dam Bint Samiha.

Numerous offspring of the tail line live in the USA today, with one of the most prestigious breeders being Daniel Gainey. His description of a perfect Arabian seems to me a perfect inversion of the order in which we list these characteristics today: “... a delightful disposition, an excellent walk, lots of action at the trot, a light-footed gallop and must also have refinement, dry bone, perfect legs, an exciting overall desert type and a superbly small dry head and ears”. He explained that he watched the horse in pasture and how they looked at walk trot and gallop, and then got the feel of them under saddle, looking at, their surefootedness and their spirit and gaiety. All useful tools for a master breeder to employ! - From Gayney’s, prestigious horses of the Feysul line have gone to Canada, South America, and Germany, and almost full circle back to Saudi Arabia.Bint El Bahreyn / Dahmeh: Lady Anne Blunt, who bought her in Egypt where she had been in the herd of Abbas Pasha II, described her only defect as having ‘ears like bats’. The big ears sometimes pop up in her descendants - as all breeders know, appearing to lose something in the first generation does not necessarily mean it is lost forever. Albadeia Stud of Egypt have a sixty-year history with this family, which crossed well with their Yosreias, and probably deserve to have their own sub-strain title, which would be Dahmeh Shahwanieh Albadeia. Many more members of this tail line are to be found on Gleannloch Farms, where they produced numerous champion horses from the line.Bint El Bahreyn’s blood is interwoven through every Egyptian horse through her daughters Dalal and grand-daughters Bint Dalal and Durra. Her daughter Bint Elwya went to Ansata Stud in USA where she became dam of, among others, the bay stallion Ansata El Hakim, who carried the line to Australia. In South America, descendant ZT Ali Baba established an impressive race horse branch. It’s perhaps there that there is lots of proof that beautiful horses are also performance horses, as Count Federico Zichy Thyssen did not believe in a specialized Arabian, and the many good endurance and race horses he bred came from the exactly the same crosses as the show horses.

Quite a few other horses of Bahraini origin are most noteworthy for their successes in the world of Arabian riding and breeding. I hope this talk has left you keen to see the Royal Stables and the original Arabians of Bahrain as much as I am. It will be a great pleasure to experience this breeding program in real life, after so many years spent with horses descended from here.The text has been condensed into a short version for this publication.

ANNA STOJANOWSKAJERZY BIALOBOK: “THE KUHAILAN AFAS STORY: HIS INFLUENCE ON THE ARABIAN HORSES OF POLAND AND WORLDWIDE” There is a direct connection between Polish and Bahraini Arabian horse breeding, which is Kuhailan Afas. Poland as the most Eastern European country used to be an everlasting battlefield and was in need of brilliant war horses. In 1931, Gumniska Stud bought four stallions and four mares in Arabia, one of them the yearling Kuhailan Afas from Bahrain. Poland won many World Championships with the line this stallion founded together with Kuhailan Haifi, one of the descendants being famous Ekstern. Renowned Ofir, also of that line, helped continue the Kuhailan lines through some of his sons - three of the most famous Polish stallions namely Wiełki Szlem, Witraż, and Witeź II. Kuhailan Afas himself was lost in 1939 when World War II started. Now in August 2014 we had a very special celebration in Poland, as we received a present from His Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, a stallion named Kuhailan Aafas Maidaan. One hundred years after the original Kuhailan Afas, this stallion from exactly the same mare line was brought to us to continue the Kuhailan Afas sire line! I would like to thank, among others, “matchmakers” Jenny Lees and Katrina Murray for making this situation possible. This brilliant performance horse now has a very happy life at Janow Podlaski, enjoying the grass and being much loved. His first crop of foals, born in 2016, shares the attributes of the father: strong body, correct legs, and definitely looking like desert Arabian horses. The main criteria of Polish breeding have always been the same: beauty and stamina, proven through shows and races. The number of mares in the State studs has been and is about 250 broodmares, while with the political changes, the number of privately owned broodmares is now more than 1,000. I believe that the Polish breeding program will continue its most important points with all of them in the future.The text has been condensed into a short version for this publication.

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BREEDING ARABIAN HORSES IN BAHRAIN

ABOUT 2,000 PUREBRED ARABIAN HORSES REGISTERED BY WAHO LIVE IN BAHRAIN. EXCEPT FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE BIG ROYAL STUDS, THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WITH LOTS OF SMALL BREEDERS AND OWNERS. EVERY YEAR, MORE THAN 200 FOALS ARE BORN AND REGISTERED IN THE STUDBOOK. ACCORDING TO THE WAHO REPORT, AN AVERAGE OF 4 NATIONAL ARABIAN SHOWS, 26 ARABIAN RACES, AND 12 ENDURANCE RACES TAKE PLACE IN BAHRAIN EVERY YEAR. DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE INFORMATION AND WORKING AGENDA OF THE WAHO CONFERENCE, AND AS THE PRE AND POST CONFERENCE TOURS („THE PEARLS OF BAHRAIN DAYS“) WERE MAINLY DEDICATED TO THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIC AND CULTURAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ISLAND NATION, MOST OF THE STUDS THAT HAD KINDLY OFFERED TO PRESENT THEIR WONDERFUL ARABIAN HORSES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO DURING THE EVENING GALA DINNERS HELD AT THE HOTELS.

AL RASHEDIAH STUDPRESENTATION

THE FOLLOWING STUDS AND OWNERS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED INTO THE PRESENTATIONS:

MR. ALAA ABDULJABBAR HAMMAD

MR. SAMI HASAN AL RAYES

MR. ALI ABDULLA AL AALI

MR. FADHEL ABBAS AL JAMRI

DR. BASHAR MUSTAFA AL SAYED

MR. MAHMOOD ABDULQADER ALI DAWOOD SALMAN

SH SALMAN BIN AHMED AL KHALIFA

MR. SHERAFUDDIN ABDULLA AL QAOUD

MR. KHAIL EBRAHIM AL SENDI

MR. ABDULAMEER ALJABOORI

MR. ALI JAFFAR AL MAHESHI

MR. MOHAMMED AL TAMIMI

AL RASHEDIAH STUD: “THE JOURNEY IS ONLY BEGINNING”Of Bahrain breeding, it’s not only the historic maintenance breeding of Asil Arabians in the Royal studs that’s famous the world over. There are also today’s private breeders, many of whom took their initial bearings from their neighbors in Qatar and Kuwait and are breeding Straight Egyptians, well known in the international breeders’ community and via shows. Quite in the foreground, there are the horses of Al Rashediah stud owned by Abdulrahman Al Jassmi who draw everybody’s attention at international shows. So expectations were running high when the WAHO guests entered the stud on the evening of the presentation offered to them.Al Rashediah Stud was founded no earlier than 2008, but nevertheless, for insiders it’s among the Top Ten of the most beautiful studs in the Gulf area. Mr Al Jasmi has loved horses since he was a small boy, so today, as a successful businessman, he combines his joy of horses with a well-founded strategy and a clear-cut goal. He wishes to breed Straight Egyptians who will be able to win important international shows.The stud premises, located along the beach of Janabiayah, made a most imposing frame for the presentation of the many excellent horses. Handler Giacomo Capacci with an assistant had come all the way from Italy in order to present the horses. As a competent speaker, there was Klaus Beste who was able to provide the spectators with a lot of interesting information on Al Jasmi’s breeding program. Of the 65 horses of the stud, about 35 were presented this evening. The famous foundation mares Desha Nile Queen, NK Nadine, NK Hebbattolah, Kareymah Ezzain, Sherifa El Gabry and many others were shown together with their foals. The first foal crop of the pride of the stud, the stallion Jamil Al Rayyan, was most impressive throughout, in type as well as in quality.The stud’s most successful showhorse internationally, the colt Naseem Al Rashediah by Al Adeed Al Shaqab out of Nabaweyah Ezzain, 2016 Gold Champion in the European Championships as well as in the World Championships for Straight Egyptians, regretfully was abroad in Italy for show training. To compensate, star stallion Jamil Al Rayyan presented himself to the WAHO visitors cheerfully and in top condition, as did his bay stablemate ZT Faa’iq.To round the evening off, the beautiful and well-designed stable buildings were open for the visitors to have a close look at, and last not least, host Al-Jasmi provided a splendid and delicious buffet, a meeting ground for breeders to engage in shop talk.

PAULINE DU PLESSIS: “THE HISTORY OF THE TUWAISAN SIRE LINE IN SOUTH AFRICA”Tuwaisan, bred by the Royal Amiri Stables of Bahrain in 1955, was the first Bahraini stallion to be exported to South Africa in 1968, when he was 13 years old. He is named after the strain of his dam Tuwaisah bred by the Dhafeer tribe. Jellaby Al Wasmia, his sire, was the son of Jellabieh Safqa tailing to the original Kehaileh Jellabieh mare which came to Bahrain as a legendary war mare known far and wide for her speed and courage.On Tuwaisan’s pedigree, signed by the Stud Master, is written: “(...)This is one of the superior Arabian Horses known in the Al Khalifa property. (…) Tuwaisan started to race as a three-year-old against many older horses and kept on racing for ten years and won over 50 times. Frequently he proved himself successful against different horses every day of the week. At no time did he suffer from leg trouble or any other illness.” In 1968 on a visit to Bahrain, Dr. Noli-Marais from South Africa was looking for the original qualities that she thought were lost in the western-bred Arabians. In Tuwaisan, she noted them immediately: tremendous vitality and presence, extremely fine and silky skin, and great toughness. She was overwhelmed when she received Tuwaisan as a gift from the Emir of Bahrain, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.Tuwaisan had only seven pure-bred offspring in South Africa, one of them Sahiby Bint Baraka. The Sahiby Stud demonstrated the breed’s versatility by letting children ride them as well as by participating in a variety of events, mainly endurance. Three of Tuwaisan’s offspring, often competing together, were nicknamed “The Three Ferraris”. Saruk Tuwaisan became the catalyst for more Bahraini stallions to be exported to South-Africa to Saruk Arabians of the Du Plessis family. In 1998 the first Endurance World Championships led to a visit to Bahrain and subsequently, Tuwaisan 406 bred by the Royal Stables, and Mlolshaan Mutab from the stud of HRH Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Khalifa in Umm Jidr area, came to South Africa in exchange for Saruk Tuwaisan who was then exported to Bahrain.It was my privilege to meet 92- year old Hassan bin Saleh Al Rowaie, who looked after and rode the original Tuwaisan in Bahrain all those years ago and it really brought home to me the importance of that unbroken thread of history that connects people and horses all over the world. On behalf of all South Africans we would like to thank the Al Khalifas for their contribution to our incredible Arabian horse gene pool.The text has been condensed into a short version for this publication.

THE GOLDEN THREAD:CONNECTING OUR ARABIAN HORSE HERITAGE FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE. Trying to preserve our time-honoured Arabian bloodlines means fighting against time. If you are interested in a particular strain and you want to only breed from that strain it means you are preserving that strain. The notion is that we will be fighting against the introduction of horses from other bloodlines into that group and protecting that group from within.In the desert there was a tradition of preserving horses within the same (human) family for ten generations and more, which is one way of protecting a group of horses. The horses were attached to peoples’ histories. People would marry each other and would give each other horses who were reminiscent of important moments in peoples’ lives and people would hold onto them. They would also preserve the characteristic traits of these horses: their conformation and their disposition. In these societies and for many of us, horses are heirlooms that are transmitted from father to son and they are deeply linked to intimate events of your life. It is a matter of honour to preserve them - owning a horse of an old bloodline is history, is heritage, is culture. My final message for you is this. Go out and find the strains of your horses. If you do not know them already, look for the ancestral mare, try to find as much as possible about her. These horses have been transmitted to us generation after

generation by people who have fought for them, battled for them, owned them, risked their lives for them.There is something about the relationships between Arabian horses and humans that goes beyond just owning a horse, it just goes beyond the price or the value of a horse. It’s about a relationship between an animal and a man that goes over generations. And this is what preservation is about.The text has been condensed into a short version for this publication.

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Horse health related lectures are an important part of the educational program, and in addition to locally available well qualified and experienced veterinarians, Bait Al Arab also invites specialists and experts from abroad.

Dr. Niek Jansen is an equine veterinarian and runs his clinic in Raalte, the Netherlands, but also travels abroad to clients from other European countries and to the Near & Middle East. He is an expert in equine dentistry and specialized himself in this field through the Academy of Equine Dentistry, USA. Dr. Jansen visited Kuwait in April to treat some clients and agreed to give a lecture on horse dentistry. The lecture attracted a lot of breeders, owners, and riders and Bait Al Arab offered Arabic translation to avoid language problems. Dr. Jansen started his lecture by describing the anatomy and function of the mouth and teeth of the horse, giving special attention to the role of the incisors, which are used to cut off the food, and the role of the molars, which grind the food. He explained the age determination and showed how the patient can be controlled during dental examination and treatment by using a mouth gag and a nose twitch and spoke about the difference in doing the work with or without sedation.Dr. Jansen described the instruments and tools which are used for dental examination and treatment and compared using the manual and the electrical tooth rasp.

Part of Bait Al Arab’s educational program is to invite schools in Kuwait to arrange a visit for the students. That way, they are given the chance to learn about Arabian horses, their daily needs and care and the activities for which they are used. For many kids it is the first time they get in touch

with Arabian horses, and hopefully some children will fall in love with them as they have charming personalities and are very much attached to humans. In the long term, perhaps some of the students will continue being interested in Arabian horses and one day become owners who ride them and keep them as a family companion, or become passionate about breeding. About 600 students visited the Arabian Horse Center in the first three months of 2017, and more and more schools in Kuwait use the opportunity to arrange a visit. The Arabian Horse Center is honored to welcome the students of different age groups from several schools, as it is one of our goals to pass on knowledge and experience to the next generation and to encourage school children to take an interest in the horses that are part of the culture, heritage, and history of the Kuwaiti people. The Arabian

Horse Center - Bait Al Arab Kuwait State Stud had the pleasure of welcoming the students of the following schools:HOPE School for pupils with special needs, Twinkle Star Nursery, and Bader Al Refai Primary School for boys.

The staff of Bait Al Arab prepared the visits, and the program started with a warm welcome at the entrance, where we presented our horses to the children and teachers. Each student had the opportunity to pet the horses and to walk with them around the lovely landscaped Main Plaza. After a small presentation and introduction to the history and aim of Bait Al Arab, the students were separated into several small groups which were then guided to different locations. The program was packed with exciting games.They had the opportunity to visit the stables, where they had a chance to learn more about horses, their nutrition, daily care, and needs and to feed them some carrots. After that they went outdoors to the arena and started brushing and grooming the

SCHOOL CHILDREN AT BAIT AL ARAB

WORKSHOP ON ARABIAN HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY

While he was talking about the check-up and clinical examination of the mouth and teeth, he highlighted the following:1. Case history including the following important information: problems in eating,

problems in riding, weight loss, colic, head swelling, and unilateral nasal disc harges. These findings are indicators for the need of dental treatment

2. Inspection / palpation to check for deformities, abnormalities, nasal discharge, and pain.

3. Recording all findings on the equine dental record.

Dr. Jansen showed pictures of dental abnormalities such as sharp teeth, canine teeth, dental hook, as well as genetic defects like parrot mouth etc. and explained how to treat such abnormalities either by corrective rasping or surgical removal of the teeth.The audience enjoyed the very interesting lecture and asked a lot of questions, which Dr. Jansen answered and explained frequent problems in detail.

Simultaneously with the 8th Bait Al Arab International Photography Contest, The Arabian Horse Center - Bait Al Arab Kuwait State Stud organized a workshop titled ‘Skills of Horse Photography’ as part of the annual cultural and educational program. The workshop was held by the photographers

Mr. Hani Al Mawash and Mr. Mohammad Al Adwani and about 30 people of different age groups attended. The workshop aimed at providing an opportunity for those interested in photography to learn the skills and basics of photographing the Arabian Horse and highlighting its beauty against various backgrounds.The workshop took place over three days. On the first day, the focus was on theory. The lecturers introduced the Arabian Horse and talked about the parts of the body and the aesthetics of these parts from the head to the neck. They also discussed some special skills that help the photographer to capture pictures of the Arabian Horse from the right angle of vision, the preparations needed for the horse before shooting, such as trimming and grooming, selecting the best background, and studying the horse’s points of strength, setting the camera and other tools needed (for example, the light and the lenses), and focusing on the right timing for

capturing the photos. Towards the end of the first day, a collection of photos for Arabian horses were displayed and discussed by the participants.The second day was dedicated to practice. Bait Al Arab made available a group of Arabian horses in the show arena, so that the participants had the opportunity to capture shots of several horses under the direction and guidance of the lecturers.On the last day, the photos taken on the second day were fully discussed by the lecturers and the participants. At the end of the workshop, Mr. Mahmoud Al Zubaid, representing Bait Al Arab’s Board of Trustees, extended his thanks to the lecturers. Mr. Hani Al Mawash has always cooperated with the Arabian Horse Center since the early photography contests and was one the judges in a number of contests organized by Bait Al Arab. Mr. Mohammad Al Adwani has contributed in photographing the Center’s horses, and some of his photos were used to illustrate catalogs and brochures published by the Arabian Horse Center. Mr. Al Zubaid also expressed his appreciation to all participants and honored the youngest among them, Fatema Al Mahri, who is ten years old.

HORSE DENTISTRYLECTURE BY DR. NIEK JANSEN

The youngest participant Fatema Al Mahri being honoured

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To give breeders and owners of Arabian horses the opportunity to learn how to evaluate their horses and breeding stock, and to help them to see the strong and the weak points of their horses, the Arabian Horse Center offers special courses as a part of the annual educational program. They are

helpful for the breeders when making future breeding decisions.As the show scene in Kuwait has developed over the past years and Arabian horse breeding in Kuwait is constantly increasing, Bait Al Arab also offers National Judges Courses - Beginner Level in cooperation with the European Conference of Arab Horse Organizations (ECAHO). The interest in these courses is amazing. For the 3rd Bait Al Arab National Judges Course, almost 100 people from Kuwait and abroad were interested in participating. For practical reasons not more than 80 persons could be accepted. The registries of the countries in the Near and Middle East were informed about the course and asked to nominate candidates to attend. Finally 61 persons attended, mainly from Kuwait, but also from KSA, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt. A website was created to provide general information about the course and the instructors. The website also included 2 brochures for download, the Judges Course Syllabus Handbook (by ECAHO) and the Classic Arabian Horse (by Peter Upton - in English and in Arabic). With these brochures, the organizer provided help for the participants in preparing themselves in advance for the course.

THE PANEL OF INSTRUCTORS:Dr. Nasr Marei (Egypt), Dr. Mohamed Machmoum (Morocco,) and Mrs. Claudia Darius (Germany), who are very experienced and accepted by the Judges Education Committee of ECAHO, were invited as instructors. They are very well respected as excellent judges and have acted several times as instructors in Europe and the Middle East.

DR. NASR MAREIOwns and manages the oldest privately owned stud for Straight Egyptian Arabians, Albadeia Stud, in Egypt. Horses from his breeding program have influenced many studs not only in the Near and Middle East, but also in Europe, the USA, Africa, and Australia. He is a licensed ECAHO ‘A-Judge’ and has judged many National and International Championships as well as Title Shows all over the world. He is a member of the ECAHO Executive Committee and serves in the ECAHO Judges Instructors Group to support the education system for ECAHO Judges. DR. MOHAMED MACHMOUMIs a veterinarian and acts as a supervisor and consultant of several horse breed organizations and studs in Morocco and abroad. He represents Morocco in ECAHO as well as in the Arabian Horse Organization (AHO) and serves as a board member of AHO. He organizes shows and educational events in the Maghreb region as well as in the Near and Middle East and acts as an instructor at lectures, courses, and workshops in many countries. For many years he has been listed as a licensed ECAHO Judge and is highly respected for his knowledge and experience. He has judged all major shows in Europe, the North African and Near and Middle East Region, in North and South America as well as in Australia.

horses. This special contact between the children and the horses made the students more aware and attentive to the needs and the environment of the horses.Later, the journey took them to the exhibition room, where some coloring books with Arabian horse related themes were provided to encourage the creativity of the students. Towards the end of their trip we took a group photo of the children and their teachers, and then it was time to say goodbye.The Arabian Horse Center team looks forward to welcoming more schools interested in this educational and exciting trip after the summer holidays.

A GIFT TO BAIT AL ARAB PRESENTEDBY MR. RHAZI AL KHALFAN

Mr. Ala’a H. Al Roumi and Mr. Mahmoud A. Al Zubaid, on behalf of the Arabian Horse Center’s Board of Trustees, received Mr. Rhazi Al Khalfan, a very passionate Kuwaiti breeder and national judge. Mr. Al Khalfan presented to Bait Al Arab a framed photograph of

a famous stallion which displays the traits of the Arabian Horse as represented in

poetry and described by prominent Arab poets famed for their description of the Arabian Horse.The Board of Trustees and management of Bait Al Arab Kuwait State Stud would like to extend their appreciation to Mr. Al Khalfan for such a valuable gift and special gesture.

NATIONAL JUDGES COURSE - BEGINNER LEVEL

ORGANIZED BY BAIT AL ARAB IN COOPERATION WITH ECAHO

MRS. CLAUDIA DARIUSOwns and breeds Arabian horses since 1987. With her family, she founded DARIUS ARABIANS near Duesseldorf in Germany, which is based on Russian bloodlines. Her career related to the Arabian horse includes the organization of an International C-Show for 10 years and serving as a member of the board of the German Arab Horse Society from 2002-2008.From 2011 - 2014 she served as a member of the ECAHO Executive Committee. Since 2003 she is a licensed ECAHO Judge and acts as an instructor at Judging Courses since 2012. Her judging experience includes all major show events in 15 different countries in Europe, including Class A Shows and the European and World Championships, Egyptian Events and Breeders Cups as well as important shows in the USA and South America, in the North African Region, South Africa, in the Near and Middle East, and in Australia. COURSE SCHEDULE:• On the first day of the course (30 April 2017), lectures were given on • The ECAHO Judges Training scheme• Arabian Horse Type, Conformation, Legs, and Movement• Overview of different judging systems• Rules & Regulations published in the ‘Blue Book’ of ECAHO• The system of how to become an ECAHO licensed judge• Ethical behavior and responsibilities of a judgeAn open debate followed these interesting lectures and the instructors were happy to answer any questions. After the lectures, the participants did a written test which included 28 questions related to the above mentioned subjects. The second day of the course (01 May 2017) was filled with practice sessions which included judging horses. The organizing team presented groups of 3-year-old fillies,

4- to 6-year-old mares, and 7- top 10-year-old mares. First the instructors explained the procedure in the show ring, starting with a class entering the arena, walking around to give an overview and chance for a first impression, and then shown individually. They explained what they look for when a horse is in front of them and answered any questions. Then the students were asked to evaluate the horses of the different age groups based on the so called ‘5 Category System’ and the ‘Comparative Ranking System’. The students had to fill their judging sheets and to submit them to the instructors for evaluation. Individual interviews followed and the students had to evaluate a horse and to answer questions.The participants enjoyed the course and stated that they had learnt a lot and now have a better understanding of the great responsibility of the jury at shows and of the immense pressure the judges have to work under when they do their job in the show ring, sometimes for many hours a day.The instructors were pleased with the organization of the course and thanked Bait Al Arab team for all their efforts and the great job in arranging the event. Bait Al Arab issued certificates for those who attended the course and for those who attended and passed the course. The following 4 candidates passed the National Judges Course - Beginner Level 2017 and received certificates which were signed by the instructors and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arabian Horse Center:Mr. Mahmoud Mohsen Mohammed, EgyptMr. Bashar Al Awadi, KuwaitMrs. Nagham Al Dabbous, KuwaitMrs. Reem Al Sultan, Kuwait The instructors advised that the students who passed the course should now act three times as probationer judges with different senior judges. The reports from these senior judges should be sent to the national organizations.The Executive Committee of ECAHO as well as the Judges Education Committee of ECAHO were pleased with the organization and management of the course. The Board of Trustees of the Arabian Horse Center expressed their interest to ECAHO in offering a so-called Judges Course Level I in the future. Visit Bait Al Arab website for news about future events.

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ABDULLAAL HATIYAH3rd

MUSAAL MOUMEN4th

KHALEDAL MUTAIRI1st

JOANNAJONIENTZ2nd

ORGANIZED & SPONSORED BY THE ARABIAN HORSE CENTER - BAIT AL ARAB

THE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST HAS BECOME A FIXED EVENT IN THE ANNUAL EVENTS CALENDAR OF THE CULTURE, EDUCATION AND PR DEPARTMENT OF BAIT AL ARAB. OVER THE PAST YEARS, MORE AND MORE PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CONTEST SUCCESSFULLY BECAME WELL-KNOWN AND ARE ASKED FOR INDIVIDUAL PHOTO SHOOTING AT STUDS IN KUWAIT AND ABROAD, AND SOME ARE ALSO INVITED TO BE OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AT NATIONAL

AND INTERNATIONAL SHOW EVENTS.

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ZIGGYWELLENS

KHALEDBUTAIBAN

JOANNAJONIENTZ

6th

TURKI AL RASHEEDI8th5th

7th

The first contests were successfully organized every year from 2008 - 2012 thanks to the support of the main

sponsors, Mr. Mohammed Al Marzouq, Ajmal Arabian Stud, and Tamdeen Group of Companies. With construction work being in full swing during 2013 - 2014, it was decided to postpone the Contest to 2015, as Bait Al Arab wished to be able to provide excellent facilities and an attractive environment. The Board of Trustees of the Arabian Horse Center - Bait Al Arab Kuwait State Stud decided that the Photography Contest should continue and again become an important activity in the annual event calendar. The 6th Contest was attended by 50 photographers who participated in 2 different themes, submitting some 170 images. For the 7th Bait Al Arab International Photography Contest, the theme was Arabian Stallions, and again about 50 photographers from the Near and Middle East as well as from abroad submitted their best photos. The Arabian Horse Center has sponsored the Bait Al Arab International Photography Contests since 2015 and cash rewards increased over the years from KD 3,000.- to KD 11,300.- in 2017.The 8th Bait Al Arab International Photography Contest 2017 was announced through Bait Al Arab’s webpage and the social media. The theme was ‘Arabian Horses’, the goal: to capture the beauty, charisma, elegance, and exotic expression. A website www.baaphoto.net was produced by the team of Bait Al Arab to provide information about the terms and conditions, jury members, prizes, and an online registration form. Two images per photographer were accepted and photographers from KSA, Bahrain, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Belgium, and Germany registered online for participation. The jury, Dr. Nasr Marei, Egypt, and Mr. Mohammed Al Mubaraki, Kuwait, were very impressed by the quality of the submitted images and selected not only the TOP 10 winners, but also an additional 15 photos to be displayed in an exhibition which Bait Al Arab arranged in combination with the award ceremony at the Gallery Room of Bait Al Arab. The beautiful collection of photographs was put up for public viewing. A highlight of the event was a lecture by Dr. Nasr Marei about Arabian Horse Photography. He is not only known as a famous breeder and owner of the oldest privately owned stud for Straight Egyptian Arabians, Albadeia Stud, but is also very well respected as an expert in photography work. He produced and published the book ‘The Arabian Horses of Egypt’ and several international magazines introduced him and his amazing photography artwork. The lecture was well attended by ‘hobby’ as well as ‘professional’ photographers, and they appreciated very much the advice and information provided by Dr. Marei.The award ceremony and exhibition was a wonderful opportunity to promote the Arabian Horse. The gallery was open for several days and many people came to see the exhibition.

KHALED AL MUTAIRIJOANNA JONIENTZABDULLA AL HATIYAHMUSA AL MOUMENKHALED BUTAIBANZIGGY WELLENSJOANNA JONIENTZTURKI AL RASHEEDISAAD AL HBEIDAHHAWRA BAHZAD

1ST2ND3RD4TH5TH6TH7TH8TH9TH10TH

KUWAITGERMANYKUWAITKSAKUWAITBELGIUMGERMANYKUWAITKUWAITKUWAIT

THE TOP 10 WINNERS

HAWRABAHZAD

SAADAL HBEIDAH9th

10th

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As the temperatures in Kuwait start to rise during this time of the year and a very hot and long summer is just about to begin, Bait Al Arab - Kuwait State Stud organized a lecture with the title “Feeding horses in extreme heat“ on 12 April 2017. The lecture was held by Kuwait based

Agricultural Engineer and Equine nutritionist Mrs. Astrid Poirier and Eng. Haya Al Ibrahim who kindly translated from English to Arabic.The most important key factor to keep your horse healthy during the hot summer months is to make sure your horse has enough water intake. A horse can drink up to 70 liters a day in very hot temperatures, therefore it is very important to provide enough fresh, clean and cool water to your horse to avoid dehydration which can cause impaction and this can lead to severe colic. Dehydration can also cause laminitis.Another important factor is the feeding of good quality hay. A horse should eat between 1,5 - 2% of its body weight of hay. The weight of Arabian horses is around 400 kg - so they should get about 8 kg hay per day. The hay should be analyzed regularly to get information about the quality and nutrition you are feeding your horses.Not only in summer but in general it is very important that horses should not be kept for longer than a few hours without any hay. The risks could result in gastric ulcers and colic.

FEEDING HORSES IN EXTREME HEATLECTURE BY ENG. ASTRID POIRIER AND ENG. HAYA AL IBRAHIM

MAKE SURE YOUR HORSE HAS ALWAYS ACCESS TO FRESH AND CLEAN WATER

FEED ENOUGH GOOD QUALITY HAY ( 1,5-2% OF HORSES BODY WEIGHT)

FEED AT LEAST 3 TIMES PER DAY SMALL PORTIONS OF CONCENTRATED GRAIN FOOD INSTEAD OF 1 BIG PORTION

MAKE SURE YOUR HORSE IS NOT OVERWEIGHT

TAKE HOME MESSAGE:

Instead of feeding horses once a day a bigger amount of concentrated grain feed it is recommended to split it into smaller portions and feed rather three times per day than only one time in order to support your horses digestive system and to bring your horse safe and sound through the hot summer months.

During the past years, some fine representatives of the famous Polish breeding program have been imported by private breeders in Kuwait. Several of them have been shown in Kuwait under the names of their new owners with great success, among them last year’s Kuwait National

Champion Mare Nimba by Ekstern x Nefer, bred by Janow Podlaski and proudly owned by Sheikh Ali Nasser Al Sabah. To learn more about the historical background and the tradition of Arabian horse breeding in Poland and about the actual situation, Bait Al Arab invited Mrs. Anna Stojanowska to give a lecture on 10th May 2017.Anna Stojanowska graduated from Warsaw Agricultural University, Poland – Animal Sciences faculty, specializing in horse breeding, in 1993. After gaining practical experience at the Arabian State Studs in Poland, Janow Podlaski, Michalow, Kurozweki, and Bialka between 1993-1995, she was employed by the Agricultural Property Agency (owner of the Arabian State Studs in Poland) as a horse breeding chief specialist and advisor to the State Studs. In 1999 she became an international Arabian horse judge, is listed as a Class A judge and has judged Arabian Horse Shows in most European countries as well as in the Middle East. She is acting as co-organizer of Arabian Horse Shows in Poland and breeds Arabian horses. For several years she has been officiating as Vice Chairman of the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organizations (ECAHO).She began her lecture with a look into the past and how it all began, and mentioned that due to its geographical location Poland had always had easy and constant access to horses of the Oriental breed. The earliest historical sources mention the “white horse” worshiped by the ancient Slavic tribes. Poland, as the farthest European country to the

POLISH ARABIAN HORSE BREEDING AND ITS MOST IMPORTANT DAM LINES

East, has been a constant battlefield, and the fast-moving cavalry needed brave horses - only the Oriental horses could withstand those conditions. The people of Poland recognized the value of the ‘Oriental’ horses, their courage, intelligence, grace, and beauty.

THE BEGINNING OF ARABIAN HORSE BREEDING IN POLAND:Mrs. Stojanowska explained that Arabian horses were bred by Polish magnates in the 16th and 17th century. Between 1803 – 1804, the first expedition to the Middle East was organized by Prince Hieronim Sanguszko, followed by Wacław Seweryn Rzewuski in 1817. He imported 137 desertbred mares and 6 stallions to Poland. In 1845 Count Juliusz Dzieduszycki followed Rzewuski and brought to Poland 7 magnificent stallion and 3 famous mares: Gazella, Mlecha, and Sahara - who founded the families active in Poland until the present day. The last expedition was organized by Carl Raswan and Bogdan Ziętarski, who went to Bahrain and purchased 4 mares and 4 stallions. These 4 stallions had an enormous impact:

* Kuhailan Afas (Kuhailan Wadnan - Kuhailat Afas) was purchased as a yearling.He became extremely influential through Comet - Probat – Pamir, Piruet, Fawor - Pilot

* Kuhailan Haifi, born 1923 (Kuhailan Kharas - Kuhaila Haifia)The most famous stallions descending from him are Ofir - Monogramm - Ekstern, Ganges

* Kuhailan Said, born 1925, was destined to the Hungarian State Stud Babolna.Kuhailan Adjouz, born 1930, - was lost in 1939.

THE PRESENT:Mrs. Stojanowska mentioned that according to the national breeding program, three State Studs have been established to breed Arabian horses: Janów Podlaski, Michałów, and Białka, which have got the status of limited liability companies, subjected to the Agricultural Property Agency.Political changes in Poland in 1989 resulted in the intensive growth of interest in Arabian horse breeding among private breeders. Their foundation stock came mainly from the state studs. For comparison: in 1988, the number of mares registered in the Polish Arabian Stud Book was 308, and only 168 foals were registered per year. Now more than 1,000 mares are registered in the Polish Arabian Studbook, of which about 250 mares belong to the three state studs and about 800 mares belong to the steadily growing number of private breeders.

THE AIM OF THE STATE STUDS:Perpetuating and developing the gene pool of the Polish purebred Arabian horses to breed an Arabian horse which is beautiful, noble, refined, and of clear type, correct and balanced, with healthy and strong legs, with prominent, ambling movement.The second part of the lecture was about the most important dam lines in Polish Arabian Horse Breeding.Mrs. Stojanowska explained that since the end of the II Word War until today, there are 15 dam lines and 7 sire lines in Poland.Some of them are strong and well represented, some are weaker and require special attention.After the second World War one can see

- a great supremacy of the families of Gazella, Mlecha, and Sahara,

- a moderate development of the Milordka family as well as an expansion of Szweykowska,

In 1967, approximately 67% of the mares at Janów Podlaski Stud descended from the Gazella, Mlecha, and Sahara families, and 69% mares at Michałów Stud descended from Milordka and Szweykowska families.Janow Podlaski uses 14 dam lines, Michalow uses 11 dam lines, and Bialka uses 9 dam lines in their breeding program.Polish Arabian horse breeders have always taken care to maintain the continuity of the dam lines, and they strongly believe that the basis of successful breeding are good broodmares and that they are the key to the success.

LECTURE BY MRS. ANNA STOJANOWSKA, POLAND

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On 8th May, a second lecture about horse nutrition was organized. In the first lecture, information was provided about how to prepare horses for extreme weather conditions like heat and humidity. In the second lecture, the instructors spoke about the different types of feed

supplements and how and when to use them to support show and performance horses during conditioning and training and to get them ready for competitions.Mrs. Astrid Poirier is an academically trained agricultural engineer who graduated with a diploma in agricultural science in Germany. She specializes in animal reproduction and nutrition, trains race horses, gives riding lessons, and supervises several studs and training stables. Mr. Enda Kelly from the UK is the general manager of Equine Products UK Ltd and specializes in equine nutrition with a great interest in race and sport horses.Arabic translation and a bilingual power point presentation were provided and it was easy for all students to follow the lecture.Mrs. Poirier began the seminar by pointing out the importance of good quality hay as the basis of the feed diet, and the need to keep the recommended rates by considering the age and weight of the horse and the purpose and activity level. To

SUPPLEMENTS FOR SHOW AND PERFORMANCE

HORSESLECTURE BY ENG. ASTRID POIRIER

AND MR. ENDA KELLY

LECTURE BY DR. AWADH AL ZAHRANI, KSA

learn about any deficiencies, blood and / or urine testing is needed to find out if and which supplements need to be added to the diet. When nutrients are missing in the horse’s diet, it is recommended to analyze the hay and the grain feed. She highlighted the importance of being very careful with adding feed supplements, especially with minerals and vitamins as they can be toxic. This can lead to loss of condition, with a negative effect on performance, and to laminitis. It is very important to know the ‘working level’ of the horses, as it determines the need of supplementing. The training of show horses, for example, is considered only ‘light work’, whereas show jumping and the early stages of pregnancy are considered as ‘moderate work’. The training and performance of race and endurance horses as well as highly pregnant and lactating mares are considered ‘heavy work’.Arabian horses which are trained and perform at shows should get a good balanced feed and vitamins and minerals at a normal level. Owners and trainers should concentrate on a shiny coat and healthy hooves, which can for example be achieved with hoof supplements or linseed oil. To support movement, joint supplements can have a positive effect. Protein supplements or so-called ‘muscle builders’ are only effective if the horse works very hard in training. However, conformation cannot be improved by feeding.Mr. Kelly focused in his lecture on the use of electrolytes and advised providing horses in Kuwait with electrolytes the whole year around because of the weather conditions. Salt blocks should be available to lick for adult horses, but not for foals as they can get obsessive and consume too much salt. Both electrolytes and salt should only be available to horses in combination with enough clean and cool water. Horses which are kept in a hot and humid climate or are worked, loose a lot of body fluid which can lead to colic and laminitis.He spoke about the use and effect of different vitamins like Vit. A, B, C, E, and iron on the horse’s health and condition, and about the effect of Biotin on the horn quality of the hoof, and highlighted the need to feed horses only small portions several times a day to support the digestive system. Mr. Kelly advised using probiotics and prebiotics to improve the body condition and the immune system. They also help to move the food through the gut, which can help to avoid colic and benefit both digestion and performance.

The Arabian Horse Center - Bait Al Arab State Stud - hosted a lecture on the horse statues that have been excavated at the archeological site Al Maqar (in the Arabian Peninsula) and go back to 7000 B.C. The lecture was given by the Saudi archeologist Dr. Awadh Al Zahrani, as part of Bait Al Arab’s

annual cultural and educational program. Dr. Al Zahrani focused on several key points, the most important of which is the chronological presentation of pictures and documents of ancient carvings and drawings discovered in different places of the Arabian Peninsula and considered detailed illustrations of the Arabian horses that lived in the areas of Hael, Najran, and Al Shweimes. These ancient carvings and drawings can be considered evidence of the existence of horses since ancient times. In particular, they mark, along with other archeological artefacts, different ages that extend from the prehistoric times up to the Islamic age. Dr. Al Zahrani also dwelt on the importance of the archeological site of Al Maqar and the history of domesticating horses in the Arabian Peninsula. Dr. Al Zahrani pointed out that the people of the Arabian Peninsula had domesticated horses during prehistoric times and used them in transport, hunting, and wars, and they took a pride in the skills of their horses in sports. He also remarked that researchers believe that the characteristics of the Arabian Horse which distinguish him from other breeds of horses refute the claim that these horses were originally brought to the Arabian Peninsula from Central Asia, as there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that the Arabian Horse was brought in from another homeland. Nevertheless, the origin of the Arabian Horse is still a controversial issue.Dr. Al Zahrani explained that he found centers for breeding horses at the archeological sites of Al Rabdah and Al Marbiat, located in the vicinity of Madina, and at the

HORSE STATUES EXCAVATEDAT AL MAQAR SITE GO BACK

TO 7000 B.C.

archeological site of Feed, located in the vicinity of Hael. In addition, drawings on the rocks found at the site of Al Shweimes in Hael mark the beginnings of horse domestication as these drawings date back to 7000 B.C., based on the stone tools excavated at that site.

SPECIAL LANDSCAPEDr. Al Zahrani talked in detail about the civilization of Al Maqar. He went on to say that in the eastern parts of the area of Aseer, located in the south of the Saudi Arabia, there has been found archeological evidence referring to the existence of an ancient civilization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This idea is supported by the discoveries at the site of Al Maqar, located in a the middle between the governorates of Tathleeth and Wadi Al Dwaser in the Kingdom. He drew our attention to the fact that this site is characterized by special landscapes: it the meeting point between the Najd plateau and the eastern highlands of the Al Sarwat mountains, which are permeated by low lands and valleys. The site itself is penetrated by a valley which, in ancient times, was a river flowing towards the west, forming falls flowing into the lowlands located in the west. The site of Al Maqar was located on the banks of the river, and people had lived there either long before the desertification of the area or during the climate changes which ended in the spread of the desert. On the site, different archeological artefacts and stone tools have been discovered, including skillfully made arrow heads and scrapers, which were used by man during the Modern Stone Age. The site is also surrounded by other sites which show evidence of agricultural activities.

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITESDr. Al Zahrani revealed that the archeological material found on the site dates back to the Modern Stone Age, when man lived there about 9000 years ago. Four samples of organic burned materials were extracted from the archeological layers of the site and sent to America to be analyzed in special labs using the C14 analysis to determine the dates of these samples. All reports ascertained that the site dates back to 9000 years ago. In addition, in the vicinity of the site there are other, older sites which date back to the Middle Stone Age. Dr. Al-Zahrani stressed that horses were domesticated in the Arabian Peninsula, giving as evidence the excavation of large-sized horse statues at the site of Al-Maqar, along with other archeological materials from the Modern Stone Age dating back to 9000 years ago. According to Dr. Al-Zahrani, such a discovery is a breakthrough at international level, as recent studies claimed that the domestication of horses first occurred in Kazakhstan in Central Asia 5500 years ago. However, the discovery of the Al-Maqar site refutes such a claim and proves that the domestication of horses occurred long before that date in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Zahrani concluded that the discovery of the site in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia constitutes clear evidence that man lived in settlements that possessed all urban characteristics, a fact supported by the archeological materials, such as highly developed horse statues and agricultural and hunting tools. As such, this discovery is considered an archeological breakthrough on the map of civilizations established around the world.

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ASFOURAL WAAB

(BARRAQ EL ALIYA X SARA AL JAZIRA BY ADNAN)

15 BREEDINGS DONATED

BY THE OWNER BARRAK Y.AL HAJRI

TO THE BREEDERS OF KUWAIT

Mr. Al Hajri, Alhilaliya Stud, generously donated 15 breedings to his charismatic stallion Asfour Al Waab by frozen semen to support the Arabian horse breeders of Kuwait. He agreed with the management of Bait Al Arab Kuwait State Stud to offer the

breedings through a lottery. More than 100 breeders registered and on 25th May 2017, the draw was arranged at Bait Al Arab. 15 happy winners now have the chance to use this stallion, and we wish them the best of luck.The charismatic Asfour Al Waab was bred by Al Waab Farm, Qatar. His dam Sara Aljazira (Breeder: Mr. Talal Al Mehri, Aljazira Stud) is an exquisite daughter of Adnan (Salaa El Dine x Ghazala by Ghazal). Her dam, Ansata Selma, is a full sister to Ansata Selman and Fares Al Rayyan and was the queen of Aljazira Stud for many years. His sire Barraq El Aliya (Ashhal Al Rayyan x Asrar Al Rayyan by Al Adeed Al Shaqab) is known to be an excellent producer. Along with his stable mate, Sinan Al Rayyan, he is the leading sire at Al Waab Farm. He did well in the show ring, and so do many of his get.Asfour Al Waab had already been shown successfully in Qatar as a youngster and

crowned his career with the title ‘Junior Champion Colt’ at the Qatar International Egyptian Event in Doha. The very passionate and dedicated young breeder Mr. Barrak Yaqoub Al Hajri was attracted by the exotic beauty, elegance, and stamina of this young stallion and purchased him just after his success.Asfour Al Waab has already produced some very promising foals for Alhilaliya Stud and for several private breeders in Kuwait who put their trust and faith in him. He recently left the country as he is on lease to Dubai Arabian Stud, UAE, and will stand at stud first at Paolo Capacci’s Breeding and Show Training Center in Italy. The plan is to show him at the Egyptian Event Europe at Castle Dyck near Duesseldorf, Germany, and at the Straight Egyptian World Championship in Milano, Italy. Later he will make his move to Dubai.The management of the famous Dubai Arabian Stud was attracted not only by his stunning charisma and results in the show ring, but even more by his great genetic potential. They were finally able to convince Mr. Barrak Y. Al Hajri to accept a leasing agreement.

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ARABIAN HORSE LETTER ARABIAN HORSE LETTER

Under the Auspices of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah - The Crown Prince of The State of Kuwait, The Arabian Horse Center - Bait Al Arab will organize the Kuwait National Arabian Horse Festival 2017 which includes the 3rd

Egyptian Event and the 6th National Championship. The shows are affiliated with the European Conference of Arabian Horse Organization (ECAHO). The organizing committee is well prepared, and about 200 purebred Arabian horses of Straight Egyptian bloodlines and approximately 300 purebred Arabians which are combining the genetic potential from different breeding concepts are expected to be entered for the events. Very strong competition is awaited in all classes. The Festival will be a highlight among the series of Arabian Horse Shows in the Gulf region and the organizing committee will do its utmost to prepare and to run the Event successfully. A website www.KNAHF.com has been set up which includes all information about the Organizing Team, the Show Officials, the General Conditions with Classes and Entry Regulations as well as the Rule and Regulations of ECAHO and other useful information which will be updated on regular bases. Two very experienced jury teams have been invited to judge the Egyptian

Event and the National Championship. Different judging systems which are explained in detail in the invitation form on the webpage will be used to rank the horses in all classes and to choose the best in the championships.The Festival is a great chance to qualify horses for participation at the Kuwait International Arabian Horse Festival 2018. As the new innovation of offering foal classes at the Kuwait National Arabian Horse Festival 2016 was such a great success, they are again included in the program. Breeders and Owners can register and enter their horses online or may visit the show office at Bait Al Arab in case they need advise.Registration for the 3rd Egyptian Event will be open from 04 – 17 Oct 2017Registration for the 6th National Championship will be open from 22 Oct – 02 Nov 2017

For more information about the shows please contact:Mr. Nasser Bourisli – email: n.bourisli@baitalarab-kw.com - M. 9776 0302Mr. Nasser Al Ghaith – email: n.alghaith@baitalarab-kw.com - M. 9776 0303Mrs. Taiba Al Ruwayah – email: t.alruwayah@baitalarab-kw.com - M. 5559 1569

A REMARKABLE SUCCESSthe gold champion stallions of the

2nd egyptian event and of the5th national championship

are owned by al khashab stud, kuwait

AJA Andreas Gold Champion Senior Stallions

Motair Al Baidaa Gold Champion Senior Stallions

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ARABIAN HORSECULTURE

WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA ARE OF EVER-GROWING IMPORTANCE. SOME TIME AGO, I DISCOVERED A PHOTO OF A BREATH-TAKING OIL PAINTING ON INSTAGRAM. THE ARTWORK TURNED OUT TO BE A MASTERPIECE BY ERNA GOUDBEEK, WHOSE TALENT AND EYE FOR ARABIAN HORSES AND BIRDS OF PREY DEEPLY

IMPRESSED ME.

Erna Goudbeek, born in 1966, grew up in Almelo, Holland, a place where her passion for art began. “One of my first loves as a child was drawing with a pencil,” Erna remembers, “I spent all my time drawing, animals mostly. In 1999 while I was still working at the NATO Base in Vriezenveen

in the Netherlands, I pursued this love of drawing animals, but moved on to pastels. By 2000, I decided to broaden my skills, particularly painting, by joining a group of water-colour painters in Almelo, Holland. I worked with water-colours for another two years. In 2002, I made two major decisions in my life. I stopped working at the NATO Base and moved with my partner Brian to Neugnadenfeld, a small village in Germany, and I learned to paint with oils. I was part of a painters group in Almelo (the Netherlands), the Peinturisten. This is when I feel my love and passion for my work really began.While working with other painters in the Peinturisten, I studied with Mr. Guust van den Noort, a Dutch old Master!”, Erna explains. “When he was young, he in turn studied with a Master of the school of Den Haag. He gave me a great gift, the confidence to paint – he always told me that I am a natural talent. This in turn gave me the will to develop my own technique. I believe by just following my inner artist, feeling at one with my work I could experiment with different styles and techniques. Alas, I am also a perfectionist, and I am never satisfied. I strive with each piece to get better and to become the best artist I can be.”Erna has always loved city-life. But at heart, in this little German village where she lives today, surrounded by nature and wildlife, she finds the inspiration she needs to create her oil paintings. Here, Erna feels like she has gone back in time, yet finally has come home and settled down. Her partner Brian built a gallery for Erna; he is as passionate about her work as she is. When Erna is not travelling to events, exhibitions ,or Belgian and British Falconry fairs, where she finds a great deal of her inspiration, you can find her in her gallery. Here she can work peacefully, just painting. However, Erna Goudbeek continues to be inspired by the Dutch old Masters and the impressionistic oil painters of the school of Den Haag.

ERNA GOUDBEEK

The artist Erna Goudbeek

“Arabian Horse in the Mist”,oil painting.

“Freedom”

“Free Spirit”

Article by Judith Wich-Wenning

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“As I grow as an artist, I still feel heavily influenced by my teacher Mr. Guust van den Noort”, Erna ponders. “Unfortunately, he recently passed away, but I feel he is always with me. When I need it, I just think of the last words he told me. ‘I believe in you and you will get there, just keep painting with your heart...’” Asked about her technique, Erna Goudbeek describes: “The technique I use is oil – Dutch oil paints, but I started firstly drawing with pastels, then water-colour and eventually in 2002, I started with oils. I work with oil on panel, as in my personal opinion, I can get the detail so much more defined than on other material.” Erna has a deep love for nature and wildlife and a special feeling for Arabian horses. She remembers: “I think that I first became involved and interested in horses when I saw the beautiful horses of my uncle who bred horses at a farm in Holland. He had, as I recall, one or two Arabians. Years later, one of my friends bought an absolutely stunning Arabian and I think it was then when I fell in love with the Arabian Horse! That Arabian had a wonderful temperament and I could feel that special bond between her and her horse!”As yet, Erna does not have a favorite Arabian. However, she says that one of the first Arabian horses that caught her eye and influenced her to paint Arabians was QR Marc (Marwan Al Shaqab x Swete Dreams)! Asked about her fascination for Arabian horses, Erna responds quickly and with great enthusiasm: “I am an animal lover! I love all horse breeds, but the fascination that I find most with Arabian horses is their raw beauty, words are not enough to describe what I feel when I am busy painting an Arabian horse! There is something special about the Arabian; their beauty and grace is overwhelming, the eyes… large and beautiful, the long arching neck and high tail carriage. I can feel its energy; it gives me energy when I paint such a unique horse! An Arabian horse promotes strength, intelligence, nobility, and elegance, and of course its glorious ‘floating trot’.” For Erna animals are both beautiful and awe inspiring. They exemplify aspects of the life force that she wishes to portray in her work. Erna states: “Like the purity and grace of an owl, or the strength of a horse or dog, the intensity of the hunt and stare of a bird of prey; their passion for life is the same passion I want to demonstrate in the feeling of my paintings. I want their presence to come to life on canvas.” Erna Goudbeek passionately relates: “I am most at peace while listening to beautiful music or just the sounds of nature around me when I start to think about painting. Each layer upon layer brings the painting to life. I spend time looking at my work from different angles and from a distance to gauge its potential impact on the viewer

and to find the right “next wave of the brush” to evoke the greatest feelings. In my natural work I use quite fine detail in the painting, which means I work with very small brushes. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of time to complete, but I use this process to explore my own emotional expressions. There are times I feel my hand is being guided.”Then Erna continues: “Art plays a huge role in my life, it is my true passion, my paintings are a reflection of my soul! It also motivates me when I see the reactions and feelings from people when they see my work; everything leads up to those moments! Recently, I decided to concentrate more of my time to painting Arabians, but I will also keep painting birds of prey and other wildlife as well as any commissions that I receive. Arabians have a significant role in my life as an artist and my goal is to see these beautiful horses more and more in real life!”Regarding visiting stud farms or shows, it is something that she has not had the opportunity to do yet, but it is certainly on her list for 2017. She has been to various Falconry Fairs in Europe and was one of the finalists in the “Third International Falconry Fair” in Abu Dhabi, where she was invited in 2011. “Then in 2014 I was invited to the Mara’ee in Bahrain, where I could exhibit my work”, Erna Goudbeek relates. “I was introduced to the King of Bahrain, he loved my work and purchased some of my paintings. In 2015 I joined the International Art Fair in Bahrain, which was a successful event. This year I have been very busy building up a stock of paintings as well as doing commission work, and as I mentioned before, I decided to concentrate more on painting Arabian horses. That is why I am getting more and more excited to go to Arabian horse shows and show my work where possible. I also would love to go to stud farms to meet the owners/breeders/trainers in person to talk about the(ir) beautiful Arabian horse and see them in real life!” Furthermore, Erna Goudbeek had numerous group and solo exhibitions in Holland, her works were displayed at several Falconry Fairs in England and Belgium, at the Race Track Duindigt in Holland, and at the “Arabian Qatar Racing Day”. Regarding her hopes for the future, Erna explains: “My plan for the future is to build up a network of contacts and to be able to exhibit my work further around the world. I now have contact with China and hopefully will be able to exhibit my work there, and I would love to return to the Middle East again to exhibit my work and to enjoy the atmosphere and warm hospitality of the people! Recently I have started to look for interesting Arabian horse shows. I found out that there are some really interesting shows held in Germany, no doubt there are many more around the world.”

“Saker Falcons on a Rock”, oil painting sold to HRH the King of Bahrain

“The Saker Falcon”, an impressive oil

painting

“Sand Gazelle”Oil painting “Arabian Horses in the Mist”

Portrait of Magic Mon Ami(FS Bengali x Magic Mon Amour)

Portrait of an Arabian Horse.“Running Wild”oil painting

Fantastic QR Marc, oil painting

The atmosphere of the desert: “Saluki”

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF‘A YEAR’SJOURNEYTHROUGHCENTRAL ANDEASTERNARABIA(1862 - 63)’

SOURCE: DARF PUBLISHERS LIMITED - LONDON 1985 (sixth edition 1871, new impression 1985, printed by a. wheaton & co. ltd)

WILLIAM GIFFORD PALGRAVE (1826 - 88) WAS A FAMOUS ENGLISH TRAVELER TO ARABIA WHO INSPIRED A GENERATION OF EUROPEAN EXPLORERS AND MISSIONARIES. HE BECAME FLUENT IN ARABIC WHILE SERVING AS A JESUIT MISSIONARY IN SYRIA. IN 1862 HE UNDERTOOK A YEAR-LONG JOURNEY THROUGH THE ARABIAN PENINSULA WITH THE STATED AIM OF STUDYING THE “MORAL, POLITICAL, AND INTELLECTUAL CONDITIONS OF LIVING ARABIA.” HE WAS ALSO WORKING AS A SECRET AGENT FOR THE FRENCH EMPEROR, NAPOLEON III (1808–73). PALGRAVE DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A SYRIAN DOCTOR AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS ASSISTANT, BARAKĀT AL-SHAMI. HE BROUGHT MEDICINES FOR THE JOURNEY AND USED THESE TO CURE MINOR AILMENTS IN THE TOWNS HE VISITED, WHICH SERVED TO HIDE HIS REAL IDENTITY. HIS DISGUISE DID NOT ALWAYS WORK. DURING HIS STAY IN RIYADH, THE THEN CAPITAL OF THE EMIRATE OF NAJD, HE WAS SUSPECTED OF ESPIONAGE BY EMIR FAISAL IBN TURKI (1785 - 1865) AND FAISAL’S HEIR, ʻABD-ALLĀH IBN FAISAL. PALGRAVE GRADUALLY WON FAISAL’S TRUST. IN AN ENCOUNTER WITH ʻABD-ALLĀH, PALGRAVE ADMITTED TO BEING A CHRISTIAN, BUT MANAGED TO TALK HIS WAY OUT OF EXECUTION. PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF A YEAR’S JOURNEY ORIGINALLY WAS PUBLISHED IN 1865.

The first storm had blown over, and all seemed to promise us a quiet and secure residence in the capital, so long as we should choose to abide there. Djowhar had won us a fair outset reputation, and every day brought new consultations and acquittances, most of a favorable character. Feysul had

returned to his palace, and after some delay mustered up courage enough to accord the Na’ib a private audience in the inner divan. Abd-Allah was not disposed to let us remain long without the favour of his personal acquaintance. However, many days had not gone by, when we received a message requesting our appearance before him. The bearer of his highnesses invitation was also by name Abd-Allah, a Nejdean of the Nejdeans. We went to Abd-Allah’s palace where we had to pass two outer courts before we reached a vestibule, just at the other end of which was the prince’s private K’hawah. The morning was far advanced, and the heat within doors oppressive. Abd-Allah had taken his seat on a carpet spread in the vestibule, with three of four attendants at his side. Many others, some white, some black, plainly dressed, but all armed, stood or sat by the portal, and in the outer courts. On our approach, he gave us a tolerably encouraging reception and made us repeated assurances of protection. He ordered rather than requested our attendance at an early hour next morning, and wishes us to bring our medical books along with us, professing himself very desirous to learn the healing art.He was, however, in earnest, and when next day we were introduced into the little or private K’hawan and honourably treated with coffee and perfumes, he kept us for a full hour reading and being read to, partly from my own Boulac-printed volume, and partly from a dateless manuscript belonging to his highness’s library, wherein therapeutic traditions of the Prophet old definitions and receipts from second-hand translations of Galen. Of course we treated the work with great deference, and tried to engraft on it somehow or other more authentic explanations. But at any rate we succeeded in securing a large share of the royal confidence and now, when we passed by the palace attendants we felt quite at home.

Almost every day came a general or a special invitation to visit the prince, and pass two or three hours of the forenoon or night amid the atmosphere of royalty. His highness at all reserved. He talked politics, and with all the insolence of ignorance would scoff at those very powers which had only a few years before annihilated the empire of his ancestors, driven another to years of exile, and shut up his own father in long captivity. However, Constantinople and Cairo were nothing in Abd-Allah’s sight, and when on one occasion I asked him casually if he had been to Mecca, “I will go there,” answered he, “but on horseback” with an implied meaning that we may perhaps see realized in our own day.During this time I got a sight of the royal stables, an event much desired and eagerly welcomed. For the Nejdean horse is considered no less superior to all others of his kind in Arabia, than is the Arabian breed collectively to the Persian, Cape of Good Hope, or Indian. In Nejed is the true birthplace of the Arab steed, the primal type, the authentic model. Thus at any rate I heard, and thus, so far at least as my experience goes, it appears to me; although I am aware that distinguished authorities maintain another view. But at any rate, among all the studs of Nejed, Feysul’s was indisputably the first; and who sees that has seen the most consummate specimens of equine perfection in Arabia, perhaps in the world.It happened that a mare in the imperial stud had received a bite close behind the shoulder from some sportive comrade; and the wound, ill-dressed and ill-managed, had festered into a sore puzzling the most practiced Nejdean farriers. One morning while Barakat and myself were sitting in Abd-Allah’s K’hawah, a groom entered to give the prince the daily bulletin of his stables. Abd-Allah turned towards me, and enquired whether I would undertake the cure. Gladly I accepted the proposal of visiting the patient, through limiting my proffer of services to a simple inspection, and declining systematic interference with what properly belonged to the veterinary province. The prince gave his orders accordingly, and in the afternoon a groom, good-natured as grooms generally are, knocked at our door, and conducted me straight to the stables.These are situated some way out of the town, to the north-east, a little to the left of the road which we had followed at our first arrival, and not far from the gardens of Adb-er-Rahman the Wahhabee. They cover a large square space, about 150 yards each way, and are open in the center, with a long shed running around the inner walls; under this covering the horses, about three hundred in number when I saw them, are picketed during night; in the day time they may stretch their legs at pleasure within the central courtyard. The greater number were accordingly loose; a few; however, were tied up at their stalls; some, but not many, had horse-cloths over them. The heavy dews which fall in Wadi Haneefah do not permit their remaining with impunity in the open night air; I was told also that a northerly wind will occasionally injure the animals here, no less than the land wind does now and then their brethren in India. About half the royal stud was present before me, the rest were out at grass; Feysul’s entire muster is reckoned at six hundred head, or rather more.No Arab dreams of tying up a horse by the neck; a tether replaces the halter and one of the animal’s hind-legs in encircled about the pastern by a light iron ring, furnished with a padlock, and connected with an iron chain of two feet or thereabouts in length, ending in a rope, which is fastened to the ground at some distance by an iron peg; such is the customary method. But should the animal be restless and troublesome, a foreleg is put under similar restraint. It is well known that in Arabia horses are much less frequently vicious or refractory then in Europe, and this is the reason why geldings are here so rare, though not unknown. No particular prejudice that I could discover exists against the operation itself, only it is seldom performed, because not otherwise necessary, and tending of course to diminish the value of the animal. But to return to the horses now before us; never had I seen or imagined so lovely a collection. Their stature was indeed somewhat low; I do not think that any came fully up to fifteen hands; fourteen appeared to me about their average; but they were so exquisitely well shaped that want of greater size seemed hardly, if at all, a defect. Remarkably full in the haunches, with a shoulder of a slope so elegant as to make one, in the words of an Arab Poet, “go raving mad about it,” a little, a very little, saddle-backed, just the curve which indicates springiness without any weakness; a head broad above, and tapering down to a nose fine enough to verify the phrase of “drinking from a pint-pot,” did pint-pots exist in Nejed; a most intelligent and yet a singularly gentle look, full eye, sharp thorn-like little ear, legs fore and hind that seemed as if made of hammered iron, so clean and yet so well twisted with sinew; a neat round hoof, just the requisite for hard ground; the tail set on or rather thrown out at a perfect arch; coats smooth, shining, and light: the mane long, but not overgrown nor heavy; and an air and step that seemed to say “look at me, am I not pretty?” Their appearance justified all reputation, all value, all poetry. The prevailing color was chestnut or grey; a light bay, an iron color, white, or black, were less common; full bay, flea-bitten or piebald, none. But if asked what are, after all, the especially distinctive points of the

THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES, THE ARABIAN HORSE HAS BEEN A FAVORITE SUBJECT NOT ONLY OF ARTISTS, BUT ALSO OF WRITERS. ESPECIALLY DURING THE 19TH

CENTURY, MANY EUROPEAN TRAVELERS SUCH AS WILLIAM PALGRAVE, GUARMANIS, PELLY, DOUGHTY, LADY A.BLUNT AND OTHERS DARED HARDSHIPS AND DANGERS TO SEEK OUT THE ARABIAN DESERT AND ITS FABLED HORSES, OFTEN TO BUY THEM. THE WRITTEN RECORDS THEY LEFT BEHIND BEAR WITNESS TO A BYGONE AGE, IN WHICH

THE ARABIAN HORSE WAS STILL FORMED BY THE HARSH ENVIRONMENT OF THE DESERT AND ITS ORIGINAL MASTERS. THAT AGE, THOUGH LONG GONE NOW FORMS

THE FOUNDATION OF OUR BREEDING TODAY. BEGINNING WITH THIS ISSUE, THE ARABIAN HORSE LETTER WILL PUBLISH EXCERPTS FROM THESE PRICELESS HISTORIC

DOCUMENTS, MAKING THEM AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ARABIC. BAIT AL ARAB WILL PUBLISH THE HORSE RELATED ARTICLES OF THE EUROPEAN TRAVELERS, STARTING

THIS INTERESTING SERIES WITH THE JOURNEY OF WILLIAM PALGRAVE.

CHAPTER XCOURT OF RI’AD – JOURNEY TO HOFHOOF

THE ARABIAN HORSEIN TRAVELERS REVIEWS

JOURNIESFROM THE

PAST

By William Gifford Palgrave

EDITED BY MAHMOOD AL ZUBAID

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Nejdee horse, I should reply, the slope of the shoulder, the extreme cleanness of the shank, and the full rounded haunch, though every other part too has a perfection and a harmony unwitnessed (at least by my eyes) anywhere else.Unnecessary to say that I had often met with and after a fashion studied horses throughout this journey; but I purposely deferred saying much about them till this occasion. At Ha’yel and in Djebel Shomer I found very good examples of what is commonly called the Arab horse; a fine breed, and from among which purchases are made every now and then by European princes, peers, and commoners, often at astounding prices. These are for the most part the produce of a mare from Djebel Shomer or its neighborhood, and a Nejdean stallion, sometimes the reverse; but never, it would seem (although here I am, of course open to correction by the “logic of facts”) through Nejdee on both sides. With all their excellences, these horses are less systematically elegant. Nor do I remember having ever seen one among them free from some one weak point; perhaps a little heaviness in the shoulder, perhaps a slight falling off in the camp. Perhaps a shelly or a contracted hoof, or too small an eye. Their height also is much more varied, some of them attain sixteen hands, others are down to fourteen. Everyone knows the customary divisions of their pedigrees. Manakee, Siklawee, Hamdanee, Toreyfee, and so forth. I myself made a list of these names during a residence some years previous among the Sebaa’ and Ru’ala Bedouins, nor did I find any difference worth noting between what was then told me and the accounts usually given by travelers and authors on this topic. Nor did the Bedouins fail to recite their oft - repeated legends about Solomon’s stables, &c. But I am inclined to consider the greater part of these very pedigrees, and still more the antiquity of their origin, as comparatively recent inventions, and of small credit, got up for the market of Bedouins or townsmen. Nor is a Kohlanee mare by any means a warrant for a Kohlanee stallion; crossing the breed is an everyday occurrence, even in Shomer. Once arrived at this last district, I heard no more of Siklawee, Delhamee, or any other like genealogies; nor were Solomon’ stables better known to fame than those of Augeus. In Nejed I was distinctly assured that no prolonged lists of pedigrees were ever kept, and that all enquiries about race are limited to the assurance of a good father and a good mother; for Solomon, added the groom, he was much more likely to have taken horses from us than we from him; a remark which proved in him who made it a certain amount of historical criticism. In a word, to be a successful jockey in Nejed requires about the same degree of investigation and knowledge that it would in Yorkshire, and no more; perhaps even less, considering the stud-books.The genuine Nejdean breed, so far us I have hitherto found, is to be met with only in Nejed itself; nor are these animals common even there; none but chiefs or individuals of considerable wealth and rank possess them. Nor are they ever sold, at least so all declare; and when I asked how then one could be acquired, ‘by war, legacy, or by free gift’, was the answer.

In this last manner alone is there a possibility of an isolated specimen leaving Nejed, but even that is seldom; and when policy requires a present to Egypt, Persia or Constantinople (a circumstance of which I witnessed two instances and heard of others), mares are never sent, and the poorest stallions though deserving to pass elsewhere for real beauties, are picked out for the purpose.Abd-Allah Sa’ood and Mohammed keep their horses in separate stables, each one containing a hundred or thereabouts. After much enquiry and remark, my companion and I came to the conclusion that the total Nejdean horse-census would not sum up above five thousand, and probably falls short even of that number. The fact that here the number of horsemen in an army is perfectly inconsiderable when compared to that of the camel riders, may be added in confirmation, especially since in Nejed horses are never used except for war or parade while all travel work and other drudgery falls on camels, sometimes on asses. Pretty stories have been circulated about the familiarity existing between Arabs, Bedouins in particular, and their steeds; how the foal at its birth is caught in the hands of bystanders, not allowed to fall on the ground, how it plays with the children of the house, eats and drinks with its master, how he tends it when indisposed, whilst it no doubt returns him a similar service when occasion requires. That the Arab horse is much gentler, and in a general way more intelligent than the close-stabled, blinkered, harnessed, condemned cell prisoner animal of “merry England,” I willingly admit; matters, alas! cannot be otherwise. Brought up in close contact with men, and enjoying the comparatively free use of his senses and limbs, the Arab quadruped is in a fair way for developing to full advantage whatever feeling and instinct good blood brings with it, nor does this often fail to occur. If, however, we come to the particular incidents of Arab horse-life just alluded to, they certainly form no general rule or etiquette in practice, nor would any Arab be the worse thought of for rapping his mare over the nose if she thrust it into his porridge, or for leaving nature to do the office of mid-wife when she is in an interesting condition. Still I do not mean to say that the creditable anecdotes immortalized in so many books may not perhaps take place here and there, but, to quote an Arab poet, “I never saw the like nor ever heard”. For my own personal experience, it goes no farther than feeding Arab horses out of my hand, not dish, and prevailing on them, better than the spirits of the vasty deep, to come when I did call for them.After a delightful hour passed in walking up and down among these beautiful creatures, attended by grooms professionally sensible to all the excellences of horseflesh, I examined the iron-grey mare in question, saw another whose appetite was ailing, prescribed a treatment which if it did no good could certainly do no harm, and left with longing lingering look behind, the stables, whither however, I subsequently paid not infrequent visits, befitting to a doctor.Farther on, when we cross the eastern and southern limits of Toweyk, we find the

Arab breed rapidly losing in beauty and perfection, in size and strength. The specimens of indigenous race that I saw in Oman considerably resembled the “tattoes” of India; but in the eastern angle of Arabia the deficiency of horses is in a way made up for by the dromedaries of that land.Nejdee horses are especially esteemed for great speed and endurances of fatigue; indeed, in this latter quality none come up to them. To pass twenty-four hours on the road without drink and without flagging is certainly something; but to keep up the same abstinence and labour conjoined under the burning Arabian sky for forty-eight hours at a stretch is, I believe, peculiar to the animals of the breed. Besides they have a delicacy, I cannot say of mouth, for it is common to ride them without a bit or bridle, but of feeling and obedience of the knee and thigh, to the slightest check of the halter and the voice of the rider, far surpassing whatever the most elaborate manege gives a European horse, though furnished with snaffle, curb, and all. I often mounted them at the invitation of their owners, and without saddle, rein, or stirrup, set them off at full gallop, wheeled them round, brought them up in mid career at a dead halt, and that without the least difficulty or the smallest want of correspondence between the horse’s movements and my own will; the rider on their back really feels himself the man-half of a centaur, not a distinct being. This is in great part owning to the Arab system of breaking in, much preferable to the European in conferring pliancy and perfect tractability. Nor is mere speed much valued in a horse unless it be united with the above qualities, since whether in the contest of an Arab race, or in the pursuit and flight of war, “doubling” is far more the rule than “going ahead,” at least for any distance. Much the same training is required for the sport of the Djereed, that tournament of the East, and which, as I witnessed it in Nejed, differed in nothing from the exhibitions frequent in Syria and Egypt, except that the palm-stick or “ Djereed” itself is a little lighter. I should add that in the stony plateaus of Nejed, horses are always shod, but the shoe is clumsy and heavy; the hoof is very slightly pared, and the number of nails put in invariable six. Were not the horn excellent, Nejdean farriery would lame many a fine horse.

PLAN OF FAYSUL'S PALACE AT RIAD

1. Court of the Harem (women)

2. Feysulis private Diwan

3. Apartments of the Harem (women)

4. Inner court of audience

5. K’hawah (Coffee Room)

6. Prisons

7. Apartments of Mahboob

8. Apartments of Sa’ood

9.10. Court yard with small apartments

11. Apartments of Djowhar

12. Apartments of the Metow’waa’ ‘Abd-er Rahman

13. Apartments of another Metow’waa

14. Apartments of ‘Abd el Hameed

15. Kitchen

16. Apartments of ‘Abd el ‘Azeez

17. Private Mesjid

18. Court for Workmen

19.19 Dwellings for Workmen

20. Arsenal

21. Rooms for Servants

22.22 Apartments of Aboo-Shems

23. Ordinary entrance

24.Bab.us Surr or private exit

25. Benches for public audience

26. Moat

27. Rock about fourteen feet high

28. Rooms

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Although poorly understood, sweet itch is known to result from the stim-ulation of special nerve endings and receptors in the skin. In the horse, the three main factors inducing itchy skin are ectoparasites (such as biting insects), infections and allergies.

In most cases a severe itch is made up of a number of smaller itches. The point at which a horse responds to an itch will vary from animal to animal and is known as the itching threshold. Below this threshold the horse may have potentially itchy stimuli present, but not respond to them.One example is that a horse can carry a burden of parasites such as lice, which cause damage to the skin, without showing any clinical signs. However, once the damaged skin becomes infected, this additional level of discomfort can push the horse beyond its itch threshold, causing it to rub or bite itself.Sweet itch caused by midges typically appears in spring and settles down to virtu-ally disappear during the winter. For this reason, purchasers need to be aware of the potential risk of buying a horse with no symptoms during the winter which, by mid-summer, could turn into a major sweet itch case.

ARABIAN HORSEHEALTH

ARTICLE BY BAIT AL ARAB TEAM

SKIN DISEASESIN HORSES

SWEET ITCH IN HORSES DESCRIBES THE UNPLEASANT SENSATION THAT LEADS HORSES TO BITE, SCRATCH OR RUB AT THEIR SKIN.SOMETIMES THE SENSATION IS SO STRONG THAT HORSES WILL CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THEMSELVES OR THEIR ENVIRONMENT, WHILE IN EXTREME CASES, HORSES CANNOT TOLERATE TACK ON THEIR SKIN, LET ALONE A RIDER.

SWEET ITCH:SIGNS, TREATMENT

AND PREVENTION

SIGNS OF SWEET ITCH IN HORSES• Mild to severe itching and rubbing, usually along the mane, back, and tail

• Loss of tail and mane hair

• Bald patches, which can look ugly and grey due to permanent hair loss and skin damage

• Areas of sore, open, broken skin, which tend to bleed

• In some cases, itching along the legs and under the belly

Investigation into the causes of sweet itch should focus on the major trigger factors of parasites, infection, and allergy, while remembering that it is common for more than one problem to be present.Biting insects including lice, midges, black flies, and horse flies can trigger cases of sweet itch. The distribution of the sore areas, such as the classic rubbed mare and tail associated with sweet itch, can help identify if parasites are responsible. Topical treatments can help soothe these horses, with fly avoidance playing a huge role in reducing clinical signs.Skin scrapings are useful in many cases, enabling the vet to check for lice and other skin parasites, such as mange mites. Skin samples can also be used to check for bacterial, yeast and fungal infections.Allergy is probably the most frustrating type of itch to resolve. Reactions to food in the horse are rare and can be investigated by feeding a hay-only diet before re-introducing individual feed stuffs gradually to check for a reaction.Contact allergies to bedding can be found by changing to a hypoallergenic mate-rial, such as hemp or paper, while inhaled allergens such as mould, pollen, and dust are the most difficult to investigate. These usually require specialist veterinary expertise.

TREATMENT OF SWEET ITCH IN HORSESOnce the cause has been located, a treatment regime can be prescribed using a combination of medicines to treat the various different causes of the condition. It is vital that the treatment combats the cause of the pruritus, as well as offering the horse relief from the itch.Steroids are often successfully used to combat the irritation, but unless they are ac-companied by treatment for the underlying cause of the pruritus, a relapse weeks or months later is likely to be inevitable.Steroids are not the only option available to make the horse more comfortable while further investigations into the cause of the problem are carried out. Sooth-ing emollient shampoos, solutions and sprays can be used to great effect. Cold

water hosing and ice packs applied to the irritated areas can also lead to an im-provement. Witch hazel is also recognized as having a non-specific cooling effect on itchy skin.Shampoos containing colloidal oatmeal and oils such as borage, tea tree, evening primrose, and aloe vera can also have palliative effects. Sulphur is one of the oldest anti-pruritic products available and has positive benefits in relieving the itch.Both humectant and emollient sprays are available as therapy in sweet itch horses. A humectant is an oil-free product, which increases the water-absorbency of the top layer of the skin, producing subsequent soothing effects. An emollient is an oil-based solution, which coats the skin and prevents water loss. Oil sprays applied via a simple plant sprayer can also prevent the skin drying out.Antihistamines can cause drowsiness and should be used with caution, but they remain safer than steroids and can give reasonable relief. There are currently no antihistamines specifically licensed for use in the horse, so many of those used by vets are human drugs.

PREVENTION OF SWEET ITCH IN HORSES• A good midge repellent is essential - your vet will be able to guide you on this.

• Many horses can be controlled by being moved to a hilltop field. Small midge breeding areas, such as water troughs, need to be cleaned often.

• Stable your horse from about 4pm to 8am, when midges are at their worst. Using insect-proof mesh on the windows and door of stables may help.

• Keep your horse’s skin covered using an ear to tail rug designed to help pre-vent the condition.

• Use strong ceiling fans in stables as midges cannot fly against a strong air current.

• Carry out medicated treatment on a daily basis, otherwise the midges will start to bite which triggers the itch/scratch cycle.

• Although there is no clinical research available, anecdotal evidence from own-ers of horses suffering from sweet itch suggests feed supplements can help.

• Homeopathic remedies vary according to the symptoms: Vet Nick Thompson suggests if your horse is restless with the condition, over-sensitive to midges, flies. and general irritations, and appears worse at night, Arsenicum album may be useful. If your horse has a greasy, smelly coat and does not seem to be too sensitive, but benefits from cool bathing, then try using Sulphur.

• Speak to your vet for guidance on remedies and the correct dosage.

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ARABIAN HORSERESEARCH

ARTICLE BY MS. BETTY FINKE

SIRE LINES:EL DEREE DB

El Deree, a grey stallion of the Saklawi Sheifi strain, was one of the desert bred stallions used in Egypt during the 1920s/1930s to widen the avail-able gene pool. He was by far the most important of these stallions, which also include Mashaan DB, Nabras DB, and El Nasser DB, and the

only one of them to establish a still existing male line.El Deree was never the subject of a controversy, despite the fact that for a long time, not much was known about his background. He was a racehorse, and a good one, with 14 wins to his credit. He was variously stated to have come from Iraq, Syria, or Saudi-Arabia; his breeder was not known, nor his parents or his year of birth. “Intriguingly, however, his strain is mentioned as Saklawi Sheifi”. El Deree, who appears to have been a very handsome horse as well as an athletic one, was originally owned by King Fuad of Egypt and used at his Inshass Stud. In 1934, he was taken over by the RAS and used at El Zahraa for another two years.

THE MIGHTY SID ABOUHOMAlthough El Deree sired 22 registered foals, his entire influence today comes from one son: Sid Abouhom, out of Layla, foaled in 1936 from El Deree’s last foal crop. Like his sire, he was an excellent racehorse and quite handsome, but was said to have had a difficult temperament. For this reason, he was originally sent to one of the RAS breeding outposts in the country. Fortunately, he was eventually brought back to El Zahraa by General Tibor von Pettkö-Szandtner, who was also respon-sible for retrieving the great Nazeer for the benefit of the breed.

EGYPT’S YOUNGEST SIRE LINETHE MOST RECENT, AND SMALLEST OF THE EGYPTIAN SIRE LINES IS THAT OF EL DEREE, A DESERT BRED STALLION IMPORTED TO EGYPT IN 1927. WHILE THE SIRE LINE ITSELF IS SMALL, EL DEREE’S IMPACT ON EGYPTIAN BREEDING HAS BEEN HUGE.

El Deree DB, born 1920 Sid Abouhom (El Deree x Layla by Ibn Rabdan)

Mabrouka and Mouna both by Sid Abouhom x Moniet El Nefous by Shahloul

Lubna (Sid Abouhom x Moniet El Nefous by Shahloul)

Farasha (Sid Abouhom x Yosreia by Sheikh El Arab)

Galila (Sid Abouhom x Rouda by Sheikh El Arab)

It is probably due to Sid Abouhom that El Deree’s background was never called into question, because he was so enormously influential. He sired many of the most significant mares in Egyptian breeding, first and foremost the three daughters of Moniet El Nefous: Mabrouka, the dam of Morafic, and her full sisters Mouna and Lubna. Other influential Sid Abouhom daughters include Elwya, Farasha, Galila, Moheba I, who founded one of the strongest branches of the Dahman Shahwan family, Fayza II, Hemmat, Bint Kateefa (dam of Kaisoon), Souhair (dam of Gharib), and Sanaa, sold to Gleannloch Farms. Finding an Egyptian pedigree without Sid Abouhom in it is almost as difficult as finding one without Nazeer, especially since Nazeer and his sons were often bred to Sid Abouhom daughters. One might say this combination created the straight Egyptian Arabian as we know it today.El Deree’s sire line, however, has always remained slim, though surprisingly per-sistent. There are in fact two distinct branches, one in Russian and one in straight Egyptian breeding.The Egyptian branch runs through Sid Abouhom’s son Amrulla, also foaled in 1954, out of Zaafarana, who continued his sire’s and grandsire’s tradition of ex-celling at the racetrack. During the 1970s, his handsome son Akhtal (1968 out of Hagir) was chief sire at El Zahraa and heavily used as an outcross sire to the many Nazeer descendants. Five Akhtal sons were exported to the USA, where they still have descendants today, and three to Germany. Of the latter, the 1977 chestnut Morhaf (out of Mahlaha) proved quite successful, siring no less than nine regis-tered breeding sons. Taymour (1978 out of Wahida) sired six sons and was ranked “Elite” by the German registry, but his influence remained small. Ibn Reem (1980 out of Reem), possibly the finest of the three, was exported to the USA before sir-ing any foals in Germany. He sired a few sons in the USA, but not much has been heard of them so far.The sire line continued mainly in Egypt through Akhtal’s sons Ibn Akhtal, Ibn Adaweya, and Aybac. Several sons of Ibn Akhtal (1979 out of Looza) were used at El Zahraa, and his son Mansy (1986 out of Sali) was sold to private breeder Philippe Paraskevas, in whose breeding program he is now represented by several sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons. In fact Mansy’s branch is probably the largest of the El Deree line today. Ibn Adaweya (1980 out of Adaweya) was used as a sire at Wegdan Al Barbary’s Shams Al Assil Stud in Egypt, also siring several sons, of whom SEA Zain (out of Yosra) was exported to Kuwait.At El Zahraa, the line was largely kept alive by Aybac (Ibn Akhtal x Nagham), a heavily roaned chestnut foaled in 1982. He sired Rashdan (1987 out of Randa), an important sire for the EAO who is represented today by his sons Rawwah (1997 out of Ramiah) and Soyouf (2004 out of Safeerah) and grandson Wassaf (Rawwah x Wagfa), along with several others, and a number of daughters. He was also used by Albadeia Stud and other private breeders. Rawwah’s fine son Rebat Al Tarek was scheduled to be leased to Germany for two seasons, but sadly died before the plan could be carried through; a great loss for the El Deree sire line and for straight Egyptian breeding.Baly (out of Iglal) is another Aybac son used in Egypt who has male descendants. Aybac’s full brother Farag Allah was also used at stud at El Zahraa, before he was exported to Saudi Arabia. His EAO-bred son Khafeef (1989 out of Hanoona) be-

Moheba (Sid Abouhom x Halima by Sheikh El Arab) Faysa II (Sid Abouhom x Nefisa by Balance) Hemmat (Sid Abouhom x Maysouna by Kheir)

Bint Kateefa (Sid Abouhom x Kateefa by Shahloul) Amrulla ‘Ziada’ (Sid Abouhom x Zaafarana by Balance)

Akhtal (Amrulla x Hagir by El Sareei)

Morhaf (Akhtal x Mahlaha by Alaa El Din)

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came a sire at Philippe Paraskevas’s stud, where he has several sons that are car-rying on the line.

THE RUSSIAN CONNECTIONThe Russian branch runs through the Sid Abouhom son Azmy (1954 out of Mal-aka), who was a gift from President Nasser to the Russian government in 1958. He was taken to the Russian State Stud Tersk, where he became known as Nil. Although he died only two years later, having sired just 16 foals, he left the stal-lion Naslednik (out of Nitochka), who became a chief sire at Tersk with consider-able influence. Naslednik, true to the family tradition, was an outstanding sire of broodmares. His sons Karavan (1975 out of Carolina) and Aspirant (1981 out

Taymour (Akhtal x Wahida by El Arabi)

Ibn Reem (Akhtal x Reem by Alaa El Din)

Ibn Akhtal (Akhtal x Looza by Anter)

Aybac (Akhtal x Nagham by Ibn Shahrzada)

Rashdan (Aybac x Randa by Galal)

of Panagia) followed him at Tersk, but were unable to establish a strong male line, though Karavan sired some good broodmares. A number of Naslednik sons were exported to other countries, among them Tern (1974 out of Toska), who became a successful sire of endurance horses in Germany. The 1972 stallion Kniazj (Nasled-nik x Kipuchaia) was first exported to Holland and from there to Belgium, where he also excelled in endurance breeding.Azmy/Nil also sired several important Russian broodmares, including Polnoch, Panel (dam of Palas, who heavily influences Polish breeding), and Naina, dam of the international sire and champion Narav Ibn Aswan and the broodmares Nesna-komka, Nevada, and Nida. His branch of the sire line, however, is on the verge of extinction, as there are only a very few stallions left.

Wassaf (Rawwah x Wagfa by Kasemi)

Rebat Al Tarek (Rawwah x Al Gazya by El Ragel)

Naina (Nil x Nomenklatura by Naseem)

Farag Allah ((Akhtal x Nagham by Ibn Shahrzada)

Azmy (also known as Nil) (Sid Abouhom x Malaka by Kheir)

Naslednik (Azmy x Nitochka by Naseem)

Karavan (Naslednik x Carolina by Salon)

Tern (Naslednik x Toska by Arax)

Nevada (Aswan x Naina by Nil)

Nesnakomka (Kankan x Naina by Nil)

Nida (Naslednik x Naina by Nil)

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BAIT AL ARAB CULTURE & PRKlaus G. Beste ConsultantTel. +965.247 13 532 Ext. 102Mob. +965.994 29 726Mail: k.beste@baitalarab-kw.com

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TEXTWORKMs. Betty Finke, Mrs. Judith Wich-Wenning, Mr. Yahia A. Al Kandari, Mrs. Monika SavierBait Al Arab Team

PHOTOGRAPHYAnsata Archive, Betty Finke Archive, Judith Wich-Wenning Archive, Monika Savier Photography.

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