Interesting Facts about Arabian Horses – Endearing Qualities and Features of the Desert Land Mounts

No one really knows where they came from aside from the fact that their breed is old. What's known to people is that they were bred and trained by Bedouin tribes; hence, they were named 'Arabian'.

The Arabian horse breed is said to be the oldest pure breed in the world. They are estimated to have been 3,000 years old; however, some records dictate their age to be 5,000 years. What is fascinating is that they haven't changed much throughout the centuries, except perhaps their size.

Unlike other horse breeds, most Arabian horses have one less vertebra in their spinal column and their tail. Their rib structure is quite different too: they have seventeen ribs instead of eighteen.

Arabian horses are used to develop other breeds: Morgan, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred, to name a few.

This has everything to do with the way they were treated by the Arabs: it is said that the foals were brought up alongside their children and mares were allowed to share the same tent with their owners. Arabian horses are intelligent, very sensitive and possess an enormous amount of courage. They are also loyal if they are treated with affection, and they enjoy being the centre of attention. They can be high spirited, but they are, for the most part, placid and friendly.

These horses possess a physical strength that enables them to endure anything. The fact that they were desert horses which could withstand the harshness of the atmosphere and their bone structure are the sources of their strength. In comparison to other breeds, they have slow-twitch muscle fibres: as a result, they can use oxygen more efficiently and maintain speed during long-distance journeys. Their rib structure, the way their neck is attached to the head and their large nostrils render immense lung capacity.

Their coat colour could be anything, but their skin is always black: the only exception is the white coat. Back when they were desert horses, the black skin protected them from the scorching sun. Bay is the most common colour of their coat, but there are black, grey and chestnut coloured coats as well.

Arabian horses are the most beautiful and elegant horses in the world. Their dish faced head, the thin muzzle and the large eyes are what makes them nice to look at. They are also a tourist attraction advertised by many Abu Dhabi resorts – the likes of Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara would be a great example.

Many famous men of accomplishments chose Arabian horses as their mount. George Washington, for example, brought the first-ever Arabian horse to the United States. He also used the breed to birth a Calvary mount gifted with stupendous strength. Other historical figures like Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great chose Arabian horses as their companions in travel.

If you are familiar with the movie 'The Black Stallion'; the horse that was cast in the movie was an Arabian stallion.

They can sense everything better than humans do – their hearing ability, the eyesight and the ability to smell are more acute than humans and most other beings. They also recognise friends, both human and animal, by smelling them.