The severe climate required the nomads to share food and water, and sometimes even their tents with their horses. As a result, Arabians developed a close affinity to man and a high intelligence. Over the centuries, the Bedouin tribes zealously maintained the purity of the breed. Because of their limited resources, breeding practices were extremely selective. Such practices, which eventually helped the Arabian become a prized possession throughout the world, have led to the beautiful athletic breed we know today, which is marked by a distinctive dished profile; large, lustrous, wide-set eyes on a broad forehead; small, curved ears; and large, efficient nostrils.
Even today the purebred Arabian is virtually the same as that ridden in ancient Arabia. Arabians now display their athletic talents in a variety of disciplines from English to Western, with the Arabian positioned as the undisputed champion of endurance events.
If you're looking for a companion who'll be your partner in adventure or competition - and your friend for life - then an Arabian may be the horse for you. When we first encounter the Arabian, or the prototype of what is known today as the Arabian, he is somewhat smaller than his counterpart today. Otherwise he has essentially remained unchanged throughout the centuries.
Authorities are at odds about where the Arabian horse originated. The subject is hazardous, for archaeologists' spades and shifting sands of time are constantly unsettling previously established thinking.
There are certain arguments for the ancestral Arabian having been a wild horse in northern Syria, southern Turkey and possibly the piedmont regions to the east as well. The area along the northern edge of the Fertile Crescent comprising part of Iraq and running along the Euphrates and west across Sinai and along the coast to Egypt, offered a mild climate and enough rain to provide an ideal environment for horses.
Other historians suggest this unique breed originated in the southwestern part of Arabia, offering supporting evidence that the three great riverbeds in this area provided natural wild pastures and were the centers in which Arabian horses appeared as undomesticated creatures to the early inhabitants of southwestern Arabia.
Because the interior of the Arabian Peninsula has been dry for approximately 10, years, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for horses to exist in that arid land without the aid of man. The domestication of the camel in about 3, B.
At that time they took with them the prototype of the modern Arabian horse. There can be little dispute, however, that the Arabian horse has proved to be, throughout recorded history, an original breed, which remains to this very day.
History does not tell us where the horse was first domesticated, or whether he was first used for work or riding. He probably was used for both purposes in very early times and in various parts of the world.
We know that by 1, B. About 3, years ago the hot-blooded horse assumed the role of kingmaker in the East, including the Valley of the Nile and beyond, changing human history and the face of the world.
Through him the Egyptians were made aware of the vast world beyond their own borders. The Pharaohs were able to extend the Egyptian empire by harnessing the horse to their chariots and relying on his power and courage.
With his help, societies of such distant lands as the Indus Valley civilizations were united with Mesopotamian cultures. The empires of the Hurrians, Hittites, Kassites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and others rose and fell under his thundering hooves.
His strength made possible the initial concepts of a cooperative universal society, such as the Roman Empire. The Arabian "pony express" shrank space, accelerated communications and linked empires together throughout the eastern world. This awe-inspiring horse of the East appears on seal rings, stone pillars and various monuments with regularity after the 16th century B.
Egyptian hieroglyphics proclaim his value; Old Testament writings are filled with references to his might and strength. Other writings talk of the creation of the Arabian, "thou shallst fly without wings and conquer without swords.
The origin of the word "Arab" is still obscure. A popular concept links the word with nomadism, connecting it with the Hebrew "Arabha," dark land or steppe land, also with the Hebrew "Erebh," mixed and hence organized as opposed to organized and ordered life of the sedentary communities, or with the root "Abhar"-to move or pass.
In the Koran a'rab is used for Bedouins nomadic desert dwellers and the first certain instance of its Biblical use as a proper name occurs in Jer. The Arabs themselves seem to have used the word at an early date to distinguish the Bedouin from the Arabic-speaking town dwellers. This hot-blooded horse, which had flourished under the Semitic people of the East, now reached its zenith of fame as the horse of the "Arabas.
The mare evolved as the Bedouin's most treasured possession. The harsh desert environment ensured that only the strongest and keenest horse survived, and it was responsible for many of the physical characteristics distinguishing the breed to this day. Additional Resource: W. Somewhere in the inhospitable deserts of the Middle East centuries ago, a breed of horse came into being that would influence the equine world beyond all imagination.
In the sweet grass oasis along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in the countries that are now known as Syria, Iraq and Iran, and in other parts of the Arabia peninsula, this hearty horse developed and would soon be known as the Arabian horse. To the Islamic people, he was considered a gift from Allah, to be revered, cherished and almost worshipped.
Long before Europeans were to become aware of his existence, the horse of the desert had established himself as a necessity for survival of the Bedouin people. The headmen of the tribes could relate the verbal histories of each family of horse in his tribe as well as he could each family of Bedouin.
The mythology and romance of the breed grew with each passing century as stories of courage, endurance and wealth intermingled with the genealogies. The very nature of the breed, its shape as well as its color, was influenced by religious belief, superstition and tradition. It was believed that the bulging forehead held the blessings of Allah. Therefore the greater the "Jibbah" the greater the blessings carried by the horse.
The great arching neck with a high crest, the "Mitbah" was a sign of courage, while a gaily-carried tail showed pride. These traits were held in high esteem and selectively bred for. Due in part to the religious significance attached to the Arabian horse, as well as the contribution it made to the wealth and security of the tribe, the breed flourished in near isolation.
Traditions of breeding and purity were established to keep the breed "Asil" or pure, in the form intended by Allah. Any mixture of foreign blood from the mountains or the cities surrounding the desert was strictly forbidden.
While other, desert type breeds developed in North Africa and the periphery of the Great Desert, they were definitely not of the same blood as Arabians and were disdained by the proud Bedouin. The Arabian horse was primarily an instrument of war, as were horses in general in most societies of the time. A well-mounted Bedouin could attack an enemy tribe and capture their herds of sheep, camels and goats, adding to the wealth of their own tribe. Such a raid was only successful if the aggressors could attack with surprise and speed and make good their escape.
Mares were the best mounts for raiding parties, as they would not nicker to the enemy tribe's horses, warning of their approach. The best war mares exhibited great courage in battle, taking the charges and the spear thrusts without giving ground. Speed and endurance were essential as well, for the raids were often carried out far from the home camp, family and children.
The Bedouin people could be as hospitable as they were war like. If a desert traveler touched their tent pole, they were obligated to provide for this "guest", his entourage and animals for up to three days without request for payment. A welcome guest would find his mare's bridle hung from the center pole of his hosts' tent to indicate his status.
In this way, tribes that were often at war would meet and, with great hospitality, break bread and share stories of their bravest and fastest horses. Races were held with the winner taking the best of the losers herd as their prize.
Breeding stock could be bought and sold, but as a rule, the war mares carried no price. If indeed they changed hands it would be as a most honored gift. Through the centuries the tribes who roamed the northern desert in what is now Syria became the most esteemed breeders of fine horses.
No greater gift could be given than an Arabian mare. The value placed upon the mare led inevitably to the tracing of any family of the Arabian horse through his dam. The only requirement of the sire was that he be "Asil". If his dam was a "celebrated" mare of a great mare family, so much the better. Mare families, or strains, were named, often according to the tribe or sheik who bred them.
The Bedouin valued pure in strain horses above all others, and many tribes owned only one main strain of horse. Other, less "choice" strains include Maneghi, Jilfan, Shuwayman, and Dahman. Substrains developed in each main strain, named after a celebrated mare or sheik that formed a substantial branch within the main strain.
A great story of courage, endurance, or speed always accompanied there citation of the genealogy of the sub-strain, such as the great Kehilet al Krush, the Kehilet Jellabiyat and the Seglawi of Ibn Jedran. Each of these mares carried with them stories of great battles and intrigue. Their daughters were sought after by the most powerful kings but often remained unattainable. Daughters and granddaughters of these fabled mares changed hands through theft, bribery and deceit. If any of their descendants were sold, the prices were legendary.
Each strain, when bred pure, developed characteristics that could be recognized and identified. The Kehilan strain was noted for depth of chest, masculine power and size.
The average pure in strain Kehilan stood up to 15 hands. Their heads were short with broad foreheads and great width in the jowls.
Most common colors were gray and chestnut. The Seglawi was known for refinement and almost feminine elegance. This strain was more likely to be fast rather than have great endurance.
Seglawi horses have fine bone, longer faces and necks than the Kehilan. The average height for a Seglawi would be The Abeyan strain is very similar to the Seglawi. They tended to be refined. The pure in strain Abeyan would often have a longer back than a typical Arabian. They were small horses, seldom above Hamdani horses were often considered plain, with an athletic if somewhat masculine, large boned build.
Their heads were more often straight in profile, lacking an extreme Jibbah. The Arabian Horse Association recognizes the coat colors of bay, gray, chestnut, black, and roan. Arabians also can have white facial markings and socks or stockings on their legs. Some bloodlines are known for their specific appearances, such as the high white socks and white faces of the Crabbet bloodline.
Arabians are never dun, cremello, palomino, or buckskin because purebreds don't carry dilutions genes. Sabino, a type of white pattern on the skin and coat, is the only spotted pattern now carried in pure Arabian lines. The skin of the Arabian horse is black, except for under white markings. The dark pigmentation protected the horses against the harsh desert sun. While they're ancestors of many modern-day horses, many traits set Arabians apart from other breeds.
Arabians are known for their long, arched necks and high tail carriage. They have floating gaits and are smooth to ride for their size. They're also renowned for their endurance, which makes them competitive in equestrian sports. Arabian horses require a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water in their diet. Like most horses, they eat fresh grass, quality hay, grains, and some fruits and veggies.
Because their ancestors came from deserts with scarce food, Arabians actually might require a little less feed than other breeds their size to maintain a healthy weight. Arabians are prone to several genetic disorders, ranging in seriousness from treatable to fatal.
They include:. In terms of behavior, Arabians are generally very sociable with people. Arabian horses need standard equine grooming to keep their coat and skin healthy. Regular brushing, especially after exercise, will distribute sweat and oils. And using a detangler can help keep their mane and tail smooth. Arabians have played prominent roles in history, carrying important people in war, winning races, and garnering starring roles in movies and books. A few examples include:. Arabian horses can be loving, loyal, and responsive companions.
But they are hot-blooded and highly intelligent horses that need someone with equine experience to train them. Some older and well-trained Arabians—as well as Arabian crossbreeds—might work for a person with limited horse knowledge, though Arabians do typically remain active well into their golden years. Arabians tend to be more people-oriented than many other horse breeds, and they enjoy the company of their human families. They're generally a healthy and hardy breed, and they adapt well to a range of environments.
Because Arabians are a popular breed, they are fairly easy to find at reputable horse rescues or breeders. And if possible, have your own vet check out the horse before you decide to bring it home. B Y haplotype frequencies in racing versus non-racing Arabian horses shown in absolute numbers.
Arabian horses possess unique physiological traits that result from selection for the diverse activities humans raise and train them for, as well as the challenging natural environments in which these horses thrive. We examined genetic divergence as evidence of putative selective sweeps among groups selectively bred for flat-course racing, as well as across subpopulations from diverse geographic and cultural origins.
Notably, GPX1 encodes the glutathione peroxidase enzyme, a selenoprotein that mitigates oxidative damage and is frequently associated with exercise in both human and equine athletes 30 , No polymorphism in coding sequences within this region was found relative to the reference genome assembly from a Thoroughbred horse among the eight Arabian genome sequences examined for this work.
Selection scan statistics highlight a candidate region on ECA 16 containing GPX1 , a gene important for protection from exercise-induced oxidative damage across Arabian lineages.
Colored asterisks indicate which test statistics had peaks exceeding the indicated threshold within the region of interest. The Straight Egyptian subgroup, prized primarily for its beauty and value in the show ring, possesses six putative sweep signals capturing the region chr,,,, Fig.
One strongly supported peak window, chr,,,,, overlaps just three annotated genes. Of particular interest among these, TMEM encodes a transmembrane protein with a putative function as a zinc transporter Human GWA studies correlated markers at TMEM with the width of the face between the eyes, and the relative height of the eyes on the face Selection scan statistics reveal a putative selective sweep unique to the Straight Egyptian subgroup on ECA The vertical gray region indicates the genomic region encompassing all 6 peaks observed for the Straight Egyptian group.
The Arabian horse presents a paradox within equestrian culture. To those who admire the breed, the gracefully shaped head with dished forehead and wide-set eyes are the iconic representation of the Arabian horse. Furthermore, virtually every horse fancier can recite the story of the influence of Arabian stallions in founding the modern Thoroughbred breed 20 , 35 , To its detractors, the Arabian represents an overly inbred horse breed with a high incidence of inherited autosomal recessive diseases Here we tested a large collection of Arabian horses from many countries and breeding lines using a combination of whole-genome sequencing and the k equine single nucleotide polymorphism SNP array.
We analyzed this dataset with comparable data in the public domain from 18 other breeds. Our results challenge long-held assumptions about the Arabian horse. Despite having been dispersed widely across the globe by humans, the breed as a whole maintains a unique genetic identity observable by geometric segregation in a very broad swath of PC space Fig.
This finding agrees with the written histories of these groups, characterized by closely controlled breeding of these lineages over the past years 6.
A similar sub-breed structure has been described in the American Quarter Horse, a registry notable for its functional division into several subgroups that also cluster separately in PC space This subgroup may be subject to relatively intense selection for the specific conformation types preferred in the show ring.
Despite relatively diverse pedigrees, the high inbreeding values were also observed within individual horses of the multi-origin category. This may reflect population bottlenecks that occurred during exportation of these horses from the Middle East to individual stud farms in the USA and Europe, followed by modern breeding practices that are often driven by a popular sire effect. Inbreeding within some lines of Arabians has increased the occurrence of a number of recessive inherited diseases 38 , 39 , Similarly, within the American Quarter horse subgroups inbreeding values vary considerably, and the individual subgroups display different associations with inherited diseases We identified registered Arabian horses resident in the Middle East that clustered with the Arabian breed, but that carried expanded genetic and phenotypic diversity.
Increased diversity in these subgroups is consistent with a Middle Eastern origin for the modern Arabian horse. Unfortunately, documentable ancestral populations may no longer exist for the Arabian, as for most domesticated horses, and populations of unregistered horses are difficult to identify and sample in this region.
Our results confirm and extend findings reported earlier by two groups. Although they used only 15 polymorphic microsatellites for their study, they identified higher genetic diversity in Arabian horses from the Middle East region than in horses from other regions. Furthermore, they showed evidence for complex ancestry in many Middle Eastern populations, but not in the Straight Egyptian horses.
Almarzook and colleagues used the same k SNP array that we used in our study, but they tested only 48 horses drawn from Syria and the USA Even with this small sample size, they observed high levels of genetic diversity in the Syrian horses.
They also failed to show correlation between genetic ancestry defined using SNP array data and the traditional definition of maternal strains maintained by Arabian horse breeders, including those in Syria. Neither study examined the diversity of the Arabian horse within the context of a global sampling of horse breeds. However, considered with the findings we present here, these three reports make a strong case for the existence of robust, genetically diverse populations of Arabian horses in the Middle East today.
Thus, although the global population of Arabian horses is diverse, loss of diversity within some subgroups like the Straight Egyptian may be reaching levels sufficient to impact animal health Indeed at least three recessive genetic diseases segregate within the Arabian horse, and are already of particular concern within some subgroups 9 , This finding highlights the need for use of genomic tools to manage inbreeding within these populations as pedigree-based calculations may not accurately measure loss of diversity due to historic events Likewise, identity-by-state guided breeding decisions could assist in maintaining rare alleles and heterozygosity in endangered populations, both in the Middle East and abroad.
Historical evidence suggests that the Arabian was selectively bred for its distinctive conformation, characterized by a dished facial profile, graceful upright neck, and high tail carriage, over the last 3, years 2.
Natural selection imposed by the hot and arid environments under which the Arabian horse was traditionally reared may have also altered regions of the genome, thus conferring a cost to relative fitness.
A putative sweep on ECA16 was common to all Arabian subgroups, but not found in control breeds tested here Fig. Dietary supplementation with selenium is suggested as a method to increase activity of the GPX1 enzyme glutathione peroxidase , a candidate gene within this ECA 16 sweep. This increase in activity may reduce oxidative damage to muscle and blood tissues resulting from exercise, thereby improving performance Many studies have examined changes in blood glutathione peroxidase activity pre- and post- training, and resting blood activity of this enzyme is higher in race-trained Thoroughbreds than in other athletic horses However, glutathione peroxidase expression or basal activity has not yet been compared across breeds, nor specifically in athletic types vs.
Therefore, conserved regulatory motifs and additional sequencing across breeds with diverse athletic ability may be logical targets of further investigation across GPX1 , as well as other genes within this candidate sweep region. We also observed evidence of selective breeding for specialized competitions such as racing and show across Arabian subgroups Fig. Although future work is needed to better determine any phenotypes attributable to this sweep, the Straight Egyptian does possess a particularly notable expression of the highly prized concave Arabian facial profile.
Thus, the Arabian horse may be an advantageous model for identification of genes contributing to skull morphology, as has been previously demonstrated in the dog Finally, we identified undocumented relationships between the Thoroughbred breed and the modern Arabian that are contrary to breed registry regulations and dispute long-held myths.
This disagreement may stem from a simple confusion surrounding the naming of these horses. In contrast, we detected evidence of modern outcrossing of registered racing-type Arabians to the Thoroughbred, a practice that is prohibited by Arabian horse registries Figs. Taken together, our observations lead us to hypothesize that only a small proportion of total genetic diversity left the Middle East when Arabian horses were imported to Europe and the USA over the past years.
The residual genomic and phenotypic diversity within the Arabian horse breed in the Middle East is indicative of a high long-term effective population size, and also reflects the overall robust genetic health of this population. The genetic history of the Arabian thus holds greater interest and fascination than the myths that have surrounded this charismatic breed of horse for over years. The application of modern breeding techniques, such as artificial insemination, is producing an international pedigree of modern Arabian horses marked by genetic homogenization, and in some cases, severe inbreeding and pedigree errors.
This emphasizes the critical need for more detailed studies of genomic diversity in native Arabian horses in order to enable conservation efforts and manage inbreeding in at-risk subgroups.
The Middle Eastern subgroups examined here Iranian, Bahraini, Tunisian, Syrian and others may represent refugia of genetic diversity crucial to the future of the Arabian horse.
Sample counts per breed and per lineage group are reported in Supplemental Table S3. The geographical location of the collected samples is shown in Supplemental Fig. Blood and hair sampling from each horse was completed with the consent of the horse owner under all appropriate institutional guidelines and was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committees at Cornell University and and the University of Florida and Genomic DNA was extracted using conventional methods. Although most modern Arabian horse registries fall under the umbrella of the World Arabian Horse Organization WAHO and are registerable across the various national breed organizations, some Arabian horse populations, like those in Iran Persian Asil horse , have remained relatively geographically and genetically distinct.
The Persian Arabian studbook extends back only to , but it is likely that the lineages may be more ancient. In Iran, Mary Gharagozlou worked tirelessly during the second half of the 20 th century to document the pedigrees of pure-bred Persian Arabian horses, including lineages tested in this study We sought out horses that were described by their ownership history and pedigree as representing examples of diverse locally bred lines.
We grouped Arabian horse populations based on the origin recorded for founders identified in pedigrees maintained by the studbook. These horses are often associated with the Egyptian stud farm of Abbas Pasha or the Egyptian Royal Agricultural Society breeding programs 2. Outside of Egypt, records on these horses are currently maintained by the Pyramid Society organization, and in North America the Al Khamsa Arabian registry. Poland has a long history of selective breeding of Arabian horses 6 , 8.
Arabian lineages were first imported to Poland in and their numbers supplemented over the years by new horses imported directly from the Middle East beginning in Violence during World War I and II nearly destroyed all Polish-Arabian horses and the modern lines maintained in the Polish breeding program were started between and We also identified groups of samples with origins in Bahrain, Iran, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Tunisia, as well as a collection of 17 Thoroughbred and two Standardbred samples as reference outgroups.
Genotyping was conducted at GeneSeek Inc. For whole genome sequencing data, raw Illumina reads were first processed with trimmomatic v0. First, processed reads were aligned to equCab2 using BWA mem v0. GATK Queue v. Genotype calls from each genotyping array batch and the whole genome sequences were combined sequentially using PLINK v.
After applying these filters, the data set included , SNPs. We applied the following filters for specific analyses: PCA and Arlequin: --maf 0. Given the presence of closely related individuals within subgroups of horse samples gathered for this study, we filtered individuals by relatedness to provide less biased sets for use in some of the analyses. We filtered samples based on pairwise identity-by-descent IBD and inbreeding coefficients.
Sample counts per breed and per source study are shown in Supplemental Table S4. The final expanded data set included genotype data for samples from 19 different horse breeds across , SNPs. We did not observe evidence of study-specific batch effects Fig. Due to the small sample sizes for the Bahrain, Syria, and Tunisia groups, and given we observed similarity in these samples on the PCA plot Fig.
PGDSpider version 2. Arlequin version 3. In the AMOVA, populations were defined based on breed, and groups were defined based on Arabian lineage or breed, in the case of the Thoroughbred and Turkemen samples. To investigate possible influence of over-representation of our Arabian cohort on the PCA result, we performed several additional PCA runs using different subsets of Arabian horses selected using varying criteria.
The PCA plots that included balanced numbers of horses across breeds, and across subgroups within the Arabian breed, had very similar shapes and distributions of clusters Supplemental Fig. In addition to the samples generated in this study, we added the Thoroughbred and Icelandic samples from 34 , in order to increase Thoroughbred sample size and as an additional outgroup, respectively.
The optimal number of clusters K was evaluated using the plots in Supplemental Fig. Plots were generated for a defined set of selected K values. Similar clusters in sequential K results were identified, and colors were kept consistent for these similar clusters across plots for different K values. The clusters of samples in the multi-origin ancestry group were ordered based on the fraction of each cluster assigned to the Straight Egyptian and Thoroughbred groups.
Local ancestry inference requires phased haplotype data as input. Local ancestry inference was conducted using RFMix A set of flat racing Arabian samples was identified as the putatively admixed group. The relatedness filter was applied in order to reduce the sample size of the non-racing Arabian reference group, given the smaller size of the other reference groups included in the analysis. Otherwise, no assignment was made. Variant information, including coordinates and flanking regions, is given in Haplotypes and their phylogenetic relationship were reconstructed as described in Because the Y-haplotyping procedure requires both higher quality and a larger quantity of DNA, we were only able to perform Y-haplotype analysis for five of the 12 male racing Arabian samples included in the RFMix analysis Fig.
In order to strengthen the analysis, we conducted the Y-haplotyping analysis for new samples from five male racing Arabians and 18 male non-racing Arabians. Aggregation of several alternative methods to detect selection signatures has been suggested as a way of increasing the reliability of selection signature studies H values were estimated at each SNP position in the data set. All scans were run using default H-scan parameters.
The estimated values of each statistic were then given at the position of the center SNP of the window. H 12 values were estimated following the definition provided in We noted large peaks near the centromere of ECA 7 and 11 in many subgroups. As these were also noted by Petersen et al. Selection scans were applied to 8 different sample groups. We also included origin-based groups for the three origin groups with sufficient sample size: Iran, Straight Egyptian, and Multi-origin Ancestry.
Samples with known performance use were excluded from these origin-based groups in order to avoid potentially confounding use-specific signals. A full list of identified regions is reported in Supplemental File S1. Olsen, S. A gift from the desert: the art, history, and culture of the Arabian horse. Kentucky Horse Park, Forbis, J. The classic Arabian horse. Carneigie Museum of Natural History, Fages, A. Cell , —
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