How many different colors of Arabian horses are there?

Answer 1

Arabian horses are themselves the breed.

There are at least four main national breeding programs (types): Egyptian, Russian, Polish, and Spanish. When the herds in Saudi Arabia were dispersed due to war (war booty), several people, seeing the value of protecting the breed, stepped in to take the horses to their countries/land. Each country bred for something specific, utilizing specific blood lines to accomplish this. Because of this relatively closed breeding practice, each sector or region acquired slightly different characteristics. Horses with this breeding are known by the name of the country from which their pedigree originates ie. Russian Arabian, Polish Arabian, etc.

Another well known program is Crabbett, named for the family who imported the horses that were the basis of the type.

When these types are intermingled into a horse's pedigree, it is referred to as "Domestic" bred.

It is believed that Straight Egyptian Arabians are the closest to the true breeding of the original Arabian horse of the Bedouin tribes and can be traced directly by pedigree to Egyptian pharoahs. There are five main strains of straight egyptian breeding that descend directly in maternal lineage to five famous war mares. Each strain is named for the mare that began the strain, and has specific predominate characteristics:

• Hadban
• Abeyyan
• Kuhailan
• Saglawi
• Dahman

There are organizations for Arabian horses that help to preserve specific bloodlines. Horses may be referred to by these names. Examples of these are:

• Al Khamsa
• Blue List
• Asil
• Sheykh Obeyd

Answer 2

Strains of Desert Bred Arabians

Strains or families are frequently used terms for grouping certain horses according to their various Bedouin breeders. In the desert when individual horses distinguished themselves in battle or performed exceptional feats of speed, courage or endurance, strains or families were developed from them. Certain tribes would focus on their influence, line breeding and inbreeding to them producing special characteristics unique to their family which was given a strain name, such as Kuhaylan, Abayyan, Hamdani, Dahman, etc. The strain name was handed down from the tail female line according to Bedouin custom as they rode only mares in warfare. Great sires were prized for the strain or tail female line that they represented. Although strain names are passed on through the tail female line, care must be given to place certain emphasis on the entire pedigree (all the strains represented) as well as that of the tail female line in order to

correctly perceive an individual or plan a breeding.

The Kuhaylan

In general the Kuhaylan strain is characterized by a more masculine, balanced and symmetrical appearance. They are broad across the chest, back, croup, forearm and gaskin. The forehead is usually flat, if any bulge (jibah) appears it is usually above the eyes. The head is usually wide and short with small, alert ears. The Kuhaylan tend to be of a quieter nature. They have a more forward type of movement which creates a look of flowing lines from head to tail. While the Kuhaylan Ajuz and Kuhaylan Haifi are very similar the more rare Kuhaylan Krush tend to have a more sinuous appearance.

The Kuhaylan strain is represented by three branches: The Kuhaylan Ajuz descending from the Sa'ud mare, *Turfa, The Kuhaylan Haifi descending from the Davenport mare, *Reshan and the Kuhaylan Krush descending from the Davenport mare, *Werdi.

The Hamdani

The Hamdani are considered historically as being Kuhaylan related. Like the Kuhaylan they are more masculine but of a slightly longer frame with a very strong back and more prominent withers coming well out of the back. They are slightly taller having strong bone of quality and substance with large joints. The head of the Hamdani is clean and wedge shaped without a lot of detail or prominence of tear bone and is slightly longer than the Kuhaylan. The hind quarter is somewhat egg-shaped creating the picture of power and speed. The Hamdani are considered the best in endurance and stamina yet with very quiet dispositions. They are most often bay or grey with very little white and they are a favorite strain of the Sa'ud family. The Hamdani strain is incorporated in to our breeding program primarily from the imported Sa'ud pure in the strain Hamdaniyah mares, *Sindidah, *Rudann, *Halwaaji and her daughter, *Amiraa. Also representing the Hamdaniyah strain in our program is the imported Sa'ud mare, *Al Hamdaniyah, and the imported stallion, *Furtha Dhellal,a Hamdani of the Dawasir.

The Abayyan

The Abayyan are more refined than the Kuhaylan and Hamdani and slightly smaller. They are noted for extreme tall carriage and a more lofty type of movement. The head is characterized by a bulging Jibah at the forehead and a fine, tapered muzzle. The Abayyan are longer in the back with a slight saddle-back appearance and high set of the tall. They are very deep in the barrel and forehand with broad forearms and a serpentine like appearance. The shoulders are very prominent with long withers and very clean boned straight legs. The Abayyan are more spirited than the Kuhaylan and Hamdani. They are usually bay,grey or chestnut with white markings more common than in the Hamdani.

The Dahman

The Dahman strain resembles somewhat the Abayyan and Saqlawi (related) strains in elegance but with more of the strength of the Kuhaylan. It is an intermediate blend of the Kuhaylan with the Saqlawi-Abayyan type. The head is short and broad like the Kuhaylan but with more bulge and jibah. They are compact with lines more like the Kuhaylan but with more over all refinement. They are of medium build usually with dry, flatbone.

The Dahman strain is presently represented by only one female line, that of *Sawannah imported from Bahrain in 1954. The line is carried on through her daughter, *Hadriya by the previously mentioned, *Jalam Al Ubayan. This line descends from a Dahmah mare of Sheikh Sulman bin Hamid al Khalifa, ruler of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa family has occupied the island country of Bahrain since 1783 and they were originally from a branch of the Anazah confederation.

Strain breeding is an art, as well as encompassing the science of equine reproduction. Any blend of several strain types may be suitable for various horses under certain conditions. A study of the various original Bedouin strain types is useful for both preserving these types in their own form or for breeding blends for specific preferences.

From the Desert -- A Breeding Evolution

The Bedouin and the Desert over many centuries, produced this selectively bred, prepotent horse unique in its ability to endure and to pass on its desired traits. This fact led to the exportation of the Desert Bred Arabian Horse from his native land to many other horse breeding nations the world over. Besides the continuance of the Arabian breed itself, certain choice individuals were crossbred to improve other stock and therefore the Desert Bred emerged as a dominant and desirable source of hot blooded characteristics. All Thoroughbreds, in fact, trace to three such Arabian stallions and most of this breed's early matrons contained liberal amounts of hot blood. The Orloff Trotter of Russia, the Percheron of France and the European Arabian all have the Desert Bred Arabian as a common denominator. The Pashasof Egypt, the Blunts from England, Polish and Russian, Hungarian and Spanish nobility as well as many early breeders in North and South America owe the prepotent stallions of the desert for the very foundation of their various breeding programs.

Today, these countries and areas contain large breeding herds of Arabian Horses. Their global popularity has resulted in mixed breeding which has produced Arabian Horses far more varied than their original desert ancestors. This variation can be termed by some an improvement in some specialized areas such as in the show ring and in flat racing where taller, bigger boned, longer, faster and higher

stepping Arabians are in demand. The consequence of this variation in type is that it does not allow those breeders the genetic ability to regain the many desired traits of the original Desert Bred Arabian Horse.

The Saqlawi

Are listed as the third preference among all the strains documented in the Abbas Pasha manuscript. The name apparently derives from saqla - meaning a kick. It is said there was an old Kuhayla Ajuz mare among the Kamsa and she was "a saqla mare," meaning while galloping she kicked her heels in the air. And so the strain was named after her, Saqlawiya. Most distinguishing characteristics: Feminine grace and elegance. The ideal Saqlawi represents beauty and refinement in the extreme. Feminine in appearance, they are of equal endurance to the Kuhaylan strains. Lighter in weight and leaner in frame that the Kuhaylan, they are not as strong in the hindquarters, tending to be a bit "light behind," with a tendency to stand under slightly. They are very high-spirited and are natural show horses. They have also succeeded admirably on the race track. The tendency to white markings (blazes, stockings, etc.) comes up through the Saqlawi lines. Raswan noted a preponderance of chestnuts with flaxen manes among this strain; more greys in the Kuhaylan. This is also true among the Moniet family today. Head: Longer and slightly narrower than the Kuhaylan. Longer foreface (eye to muzzle), somewhat resembling the beautiful desert racing camel's head in proportion. Very fine muzzle (the teacup muzzle). Eyes are large, dark and placed lower in the skull than in the Kuhaylan. Nostrils are extremely fine. Skin and hair very silky. Neck: Longer than the Kuhaylan, but in proportion to a longer body. Well-shaped and slender, and carried high. General Confirmation: Overall they are well balanced with good height. They are longer-backed than the Kuhaylan and have strong level toplines with high tail carriage. They are very fine boned and are lighter in bone than the Kuhaylan."

The Hadban

Listed as the fourth preference among all the horse strains meticulously described in the Abbas Pasha manuscripts. The Hadban are a substrain of Kuhaylan, but in modern day they tend more to the Saqlawi in type. The Hadban are a great "blending" strain. Some of the most renowned breeding stallions in modern Egypt have come from this strain (e.g., Ibn Rabdan, Nazeer, Aswan). The Dafeer tribe were prominent breeders of this strain. The original traces to the ancient tribe of Beni Lam. The name derives from a mare of the Ben Lam. The mare had a profusely long mane which covered her forehand completely (hadbasalifa) and for that reason she was called Hadba. And the strain was named for her. Most distinguishing characteristics: Handsome and elegant. Great endurance and strength among the Hadban trademarks. They are very good all around horses, having perhaps the finest blood to produce cavalry horses as well as excellent race horses. Head: Can be somewhat boney and straight in profile. Pyramidical in shape. Very wide across the forehead and between the jowls. Relatively short skull. Eyes large and lustrous. Nostrils large and well-shaped. Ears relatively small. Neck: Relatively long, but in balance with body. Muscular, yet refined. Set on more upright than the Kuhaylan. General Confirmation: Long deep shoulders, deep chest. Hindquarters may tend to be light in comparison to the forehand. Relatively long back, short croup, good hip. Fine bone and clean joints. This strain harmonizes well with all families because it is not extreme in itself."

The Muniqui

According to historical accounts, in the first half of the 6th century, during the reign of Mohammed, some of the Prophet's warriors returned from war riding foreign stallions in place of their Arab mares which they had lost in battle. Some of the Bedouins crossed these stallions with Arab mares to produce a larger, racy Arab which would be most useful in warfare because of its additional size and speed. Here again, through selection, inbreeding and line breeding, a definite type was produced which was larger, more angular, but plain. They sacrificed beauty for speed in this Arab, which became known as the Muniqui Hedruj. The early purists, then as now, did not believe in mixing this blood with the Kehilan and the Seglawi. It's as simple as that.

Today, there is not one pure Muniqui Hedruj in the United States. However, being intensely inbred in passing, he has stamped his characteristics in many of the present day Arabs, thus causing their conformation to fall short of the standard of perfection set up for the breed. In fairness, most of the novice breeders did not realize what the effects of the Muniqui blood would be. They did not know how to produce the classic Arab, but they are learning.

Other strains

• Saadan

• Shueyman

• Jilfan

• Toessan

• Samhan

• Wadnan

• Rishan

• Kebeyshan

• Melekhan

• Jereyban

• Jeytani

• Ferejan

• Terifi

• Rabdan

Answer 3

Arabs usually come in the standard colors such as chestnut, bays, blacks, browns, whites, and greys but If they are not purebred they may come in other colors as well.

Answer 4

That is unknown.

Answer 5

a lot