All The Types And Strains of Arabian Horses

In this article, let’s peek a little into the world of Arabian horses to discover their types and strains.

Let’s start with the most basic question, that is:

What are the types and strains of Arabian Horses?

Here are the popular types of Arabian horses:

The Egyptian Arabians
The Polish Arabians
The Spanish Arabians
The Russian Arabians
The Crabbet Arabians
The Domestic Arabians

Here is the list of Arabian Horse strains:

Keheilan
Abeyan
Hadban
Seglawi
Hamdani

These strains are considered ‘pure’ and have been given the name ‘Al Khamsa’ in Arabic. In English, ‘Al Khamsa’ means ‘The Five.’

The difference between the “types and strains” of a the Arabian horse breed is a bit confusing, isn’t it?

To make it digestible let me briefly explain the difference between the two.

What is a “Type” of Arabian Horse?

Thousands of years ago, the Arabian Horses originated in the Arabian Peninsula.

Due to their unmatched beauty, strength, and friendliness, these horses became popular among people all around the world.

Various countries imported these Arabian horses. Later, they started their own breeding farms locally.

Some of the major countries with their own Arabian Horse registries are Egypt, Poland, England, America, Russia, and Spain.

Arabian horses that are produced in those countries, locally, are classified as a separate “type” of the Arabian horse.

What is a “Strain” of Arabian Horses?

A strain can be defined as a family or a bloodline within a breed of horses.

This is a smaller group of horses, within a breed, originating from a common ancestor.

Makes sense?

Now:

Let’s get into the details of all the strains and types of Arabian horses, their characteristics, and origins.

The Most Popular Types Of Arabian Horses

We already know the names of the most popular types of Arabian Horses.

But in this section, we’ll discuss each type in detail.

1. The Egyptian Arabians

The Egyptian Arabians are thought to be descended from the ancient Arabian horses.

It is believed that the Egyptians were obtained by crossing the pure strains of Arabian horses, known as the “Khamsa”.

Straight Arabian blood can be found in most of the Egyptian Arabian Horses.

History of Egyptian Arabians

The Arabian Horses have been loved by royalty since ages.

Muhammad Ali was one such ruler of Turkey during the days when Egypt was a Turkish province.

He collected the finest Arabian horses from all over Arab.

In this pursuit, he brought 1100 of the best Arabian horses to Egypt and kept records of the pedigree of each of those Arabian horses.

Later, in the 20^th century, some of these treasured horses were exported to other parts of the world.

Prominent Physical Features of Egyptian Arabian Horses

The physical features of these horses are:

Mostly found in different shades of brown
Their height is usually 14.6 hands.

The Personality of Egyptian Arabians

The qualities which make these horses special are:

Their unmatched beauty
The purity of their bloodline
A balanced combination of strength, intelligence, bravery, beauty, and friendliness with humans

Uses of Egyptian Arabians

Some of the prominent uses of the Egyptian Arabians are as under.

Egyptian Arabians have fought numerous wars alongside their human masters. Due to their strength and bravery, they are considered excellent war horses.
Egyptian Arabians are extremely helpful in refining other breeds
These horses are also used in competitions, shows, and as recreational horses

The population of Egyptian Arabians in America is only 2%. Despite their small number, 30% of the National Titles have been won by them.

2. The Polish Arabians

These are the Arabian horses bred in Poland.

History of Polish Arabians

Poland has been invaded by various invaders throughout its history.

During those foreign invasions by Mongol, Tatar, and Turk armies, different kinds of horses came to Poland. The Arabian horses were one of them.

The locals loved those Arabian horses. As per an agreement with the Turks, in 1699, the Polish horsemen brought Arabian horses to Poland.

After that, the Arabian Horses were formally brought to Poland and bred locally. During the world wars, Poland lost the majority of its Arabian ho

After the Second World War, the horsemen in Poland tried their best to preserve the remaining Arabian horse population in Poland. Hungary also sent Arabian horses to help Poland rebuild its Arabian horse population.

Today, Polish Arabians are bred under The Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Association.

Prominent Physical Features of the Polish Arabians

Some of the features of the Polish Arabian Horses are:

Strong muscular bodies
Highly dynamic movements
Small hooves
Long withers
Arched neck
Variety of coat colors (shades of brown, white, and grey)
Average height of 14.2-15 hands

The Personality of Polish Arabians

These horses are:

Athletic
Intensely beautiful.
Tough

Uses of The Polish Arabians

These Polish horses are used for:

Cavalry
Competitions and shows
Farm work
Recreational riding

3. The Spanish Arabians

They are the product of local Arabian Horse breeding centers in Spain.

History of Spanish Arabians

In the mid-nineteenth century, 1847 to be exact, Queen of Spain (Isabella II) wanted a more agile horse.

Such horses were not available locally in Spain at that time. So, she imported the finest Arabian Horses from the Arab world.

Her idea was to give a boost to the declining local horse industry. The first Spanish horse registry was also raised in 1847.

In the start of the 20^th Century, more Arabian horses were brought in Spain from the Arabian countries and Poland.

Then up till 2006, there was almost no new induction of outside blood in the Spanish Arabians.

Though the Spanish Arabian horse population in Spain reached 13000 in 2006, their population is less than 0.1% of the total Arabian horse population in the USA.

Prominent Physical Features of the Spanish Arabians

These horses have:

Curved tails
Shorter necks
Variety of colors (white, grey, brown)
Average height of 14.5-15 hands

The Personality of The Spanish Arabians

The prominent characteristics of the Spanish Arabian horses are:

Versatility
Athleticism
God Temperament
Trainability
Good for Breeding

Uses of The Spanish Arabians

These horses are used in competitions and recreational activities.

Want to know how fast Arabians are? Take a look at our in-depth coverage on the topic.

In the USA, due to their small population, the Spanish Arabians are kept only for breeding.

4. The Russian Arabians

These horses were bred by the breeders in Russia.

History of Russian Arabians

In 1889 a few enthusiastic Russians decided to bring horses from their native lands of the Middle East.

They imported 30 Arabian horses and started organized breeding in Russia.

Sadly, during the Russian revolution, these breeding efforts were destroyed and the majority of the horses got killed during that time.

Later, world wars hampered long-term breeding activities.

In the nineteen fifties the Russians started introducing foreign Arabian horses to their own remaining line of Arabian horses. For this purpose, they got the best horses from Poland, England, and Egypt.

The resultant breed, that is the Russian Arabian, became popular among breeders and people in general.

Prominent Physical Features of the Russian Arabians

The Russian Arabians are found in dark shades of brown and are usually 15 hands tall.

Some of the physical features which distinguish Russian Arabians from other types of Arabian horses are their:

Muscular bodies
Flatter faces
Unique freedom of movement originating from their shoulders

The Personality of Russian Arabian Horses

The main focus of the breeders of the Russian Arabians was not only to create a catchy appearance but also to garner athletic abilities.

No wonder the Russian Arabians frequently win horse competitions.

Their energy has not made them hot-tempered. Instead, Russian Arabian horses have gentle personalities.

Due to their cool nature, Russian Arabians are excellent family horses.

Uses of Russian Arabians

These Arabian horses were historically used as war horses.

Nowadays they are used as:

Racehorses
Family pets

5. The Crabbet Or Old English Arabians

As you might have guessed from the name, these are Arabian horses bred in the breeding farm in Crabbet Park, England.

History Of Crabbet Arabians

In 1878, a breeding farm for horses was set up in Crabbet, England.

The pioneers of this farm were Lady Anne Blunt and her husband Wilfrid Blunt.

They made several trips to Egypt and imported some of the finest Arabian horses.

They also established a breeding farm of Arabian horses in Egypt.

Lady Anne Blunt followed the Bedouin practices of breeding her horses.

Due to her untiring efforts, some of the finest horses were produced in Crabbet.

The Crabbet Arabians have been exported the world over and have enhanced other types of Arabian horses wherever they went.

Prominent Physical Features of the Crabbet Arabians

Horse enthusiasts consider Crabbet Arabians as bland in appearance.

They are found in various colors, including brown, white, grey, and chestnut.

The Personality of Crabbet Arabians

Crabbet Arabians have:

Fantastic temperament
Excellent competing abilities

In short, they have excellent abilities to be called an all-rounder horse.

Uses of Crabbet Arabians

Mainly, Crabbet Arabians are used for:

Horse shows
Races
Recreational riding

6. Domestic Arabians

The Arabian horses produced locally in America are known as Domestic Arabians.

The Crabbet Arabians are the major blood contributors for the Domestic Arabians.

History of Domestic Arabians

In the colonial era, the Englishmen took Arabian horses from England to enhance their breed of Thoroughbred horses in America. But these colonials were not much particular in breeding the purebred Arabians.

Breeding for purebred Arabians started after Chicago World Fair in 1893.

In 1908 the Arabian Horse Registry of Arabia was established.

This registry looked towards Crabbet Park, England, for starting their own breed. Many Crabbet Arabians were imported and breeding of Arabian horses officially started in the USA.

Initially, for about fifty years, the breeding was among straight Crabbets or with outcrosses of Crabbet Arabians.

After that Polish and Egyptian Arabians were also imported to diversify the Domestic Arabian breed.

Although there are many breeding centers in the USA, but California is the center for Breeding Arabian Horses.

Want to learn more about owning an Arabian? Here’s an article covering the cost of an Arabian Horse and more!

Prominent Physical features of Domestic Arabians

Domestic Arabians are:

Strikingly beautiful
Found in various colors
1-15.1 hands tall

The Personality of Domestic Arabian Horses

In the beginning, Domestic Arabians were produced with the intention to use them for cavalry.

The breeders wanted horses who were great jumpers and good polo players at the same time.

The resultant domestic Arabians were sturdy, strong, and hardy.

Domestic Arabians are famous for their beauty and endurance.

Uses of Domestic Arabian Horses

The Domestic Arabians are used for:

Cavalry
Recreational Riding
Competitions

So, there you go:

We have gone through the details of the different types of Arabian horses. Now, let’s learn a little about the strains of this mesmerizing horse breed.

The Strains of Arabian Horses

As we already discussed, a strain is a bloodline within a breed having a common ancestor. So, now let’s look into the pure bloodlines of Arabian Horses.

The Al Khamsa

The Bedouins consider Al Khamsa as the group of five foundation mares who were the basis of the breed of the Arabian Horses.

There is no objective historical proof of the existence of these mares. Still, some breeders still strongly believe in their existence.

Today, Al Khamsa refers to an Arabian horse that has the complete record of the line of its pedigree going all the way back to its native ancestors. But not just that, a Bedouin will have to attest that documentation by taking a formal oath.

With such a tough standard, only 2% of modern-day Arabian horses can be truly considered descendants of the Al Khamsa.

Features of The Most Popular Strains of The Arabian Horses

There are a few features of each strain of Al Khamsa which differentiate these bloodlines.

1. The Keheilan

The Keheilans have:

Deep chest
Shorter head
Slightly large size, that is around 15 hands tall
Wide jaws
Usually found in grey or chestnut colors

2. The Seglawi

They have:

Longer faces
Chiseled bone structure
Bay coat colors, mostly
Feminine beauty
Shorter height, that is 14.2 hands tall

The Abeyan

The features which distinguish the Abeyan Arabians from the other five families of Arabian horses are:

High tails
Longer backs
Their unique color having grey undertone with sprayed white color
Their unique sprints

The Abeyans are usually 14.2 hands tall like the Seglawis.

The Hamadani Arabians

The Hamadanis have:

Sporty built
Large bones
Muscular bodies
Larger sizes, 15.2 hands tall
Flatter faces
Grey or Bay coat colors

The Hadban

This bloodline has:

Strong, muscular, and sporty built bodies
Similar traits as Hamadanis but smaller size, that is 14.3 hands tall
Brown and bay color coats with or without white markings

Arabians are an exquisite breed of horses with a few structural peculiarities.. Here’s an article on amazing facts about Arabian Horses you probably didn’t know!