The purebred Arabian horse is the product of centuries of selection and use in climatic conditions so harsh that only the most resistant and courageous survived. This is compounded by the fact that the Bedouin tribes' breeding criterion has always been to use individuals with maximum speed and endurance, capable of enduring very long marches, often culminating in warlike actions where speed and bravery meant the difference between life and death.

This is what the horse meant to the Arab tribes over hundreds of years.

When Europeans sought to improve their breeds, they began importing stallions from Arabia to cross with them. The English developed the Thoroughbred using famous stallions such as Byerly Turk, Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian.

There is no Thoroughbred on racetracks worldwide whose veins do not carry 85%-95% Arabian blood. Other countries, such as Hungary, Poland, France, Germany, and Spain, planned the improvement of their breeds with massive infusions of stallions from the Arabian deserts.

Today, no notable equine breed is free from the improving imprint of the Arabian horse. Blaze, a descendant of Darley Arabian, was the progenitor of the Hackney. The American Trotter originates from Messenger, an Arabian derivative. In the Lipizzaner breed, the important Siglawi line descends from a famous Arabian stallion named Siglawi.

The influence of the Arabian horse is still very evident in the breeds of Southern Italy (Persano and Eastern derivatives in Sicily) and in Sardinian breeds.

Great interest has focused on the Arabian horse for over two centuries; however, it has always been more aimed at improving native breeds than breeding pure Arabians.

Its limited spread, due to high import costs, difficulty in sourcing and transport, is now overcome thanks to the resolution of these issues. Thousands of purebred Arabian horses are registered annually worldwide under the control of the WAHO (World Arabian Horse Organisation).

The U.S.A., Canada, England, Russia, Poland, Germany, and Egypt lead in breeding and the number of registered horses.

Why is so much attention focused on the purebred Arabian horse today? To understand, it is first necessary to analyze its characteristics.

Height: from 1.45 m to 1.55 m, but there are smaller and taller individuals. Coat: short, fine, soft; silky mane and tail. Color: bay, gray, chestnut, and black.

Its beauty fits more into the canons of art than those of equine morphology. Short head, wide forehead, huge expressive eyes, fine and mobile ears, arched neck, well-angled shoulders and pasterns. Wide and short back, deep and broad chest as a distinctive sign of its strength.

The Arabian differs from other horses in build and temperament; it is compact in conformation and famous for its endurance. In endurance races, it has no rivals thanks to its particular metabolism. It is also known for its ability to carry heavy loads, beyond the usual transported weight/horse weight ratios valid for all other breeds.

Gen. Dumas in his book "Le vrai cheval arabe" provides detailed loading tables for Arabian horses in service with French Sahara troops; in brief: 153 Kg load including rider, tack, weapons, and 7 days' provisions, covering distances of 100 Km per day.

The Arabian is famous for its wonderful willingness, temperament, and kindness, combined with style and beauty, ease of learning, and seriousness. Even stallions present no particular difficulties and can generally be ridden safely even by children.

Versatility is another formidable characteristic of the breed. Properly selected individuals can race as fast as English Thoroughbreds, trot at the highest gaits like a Hackney or Saddlebred, work cattle like a Quarter Horse, hunt and jump like a Hunter, serve as parade horses, or elegantly pull a carriage, coach, or sleigh.

The Arabian is truly a horse for all uses, and whether ridden or harnessed as desired, it will remain unmistakably Arabian.