Woo Woo

I'll admit, it sounds like a silly thing to say but I first heard the term, when I began listening to Warwick  Schiller's Journey On podcast. Have you been able to listen to the podcast yet? It's good, not only for the horse content but for your personal development as well. After listening to a few episodes, you may start to understand things differently, in a positive sense. So, what does "Woo Woo" mean? It's an informal slang-type term that refers to concepts, beliefs and practices that are not supported by science but rather, are mystical or even, spiritual in nature. While traditional Horsemanship may focus on biomechanics and behavior psychology, "Woo Woo" explores alternative practices to connect horses and humans together.  For example  have you hired an animal communicator to "speak" with your horse? That's definitely "Woo Woo." To be transparent, I have been a little "Woo Woo" here, having published a blog or two (or three) that you may say are a little "Woo Woo" (or alot) but at the time that I wrote them, I really wasn't thinking them to be "Woo Woo," just stuff I either read, heard or even, experienced over my lifetime. I am enjoying Noelle Floyd's Substack (love, love, love her podcast) which includes a recently written article concerning the presence of "Woo Woo" in the horse world. 

 "So when modern horsewomen begin speaking about energy, animal communication, protection stones, frequency, manifestation, Reiki, numerology, ancestral healing, or sacred contracts with horses, I do not see that as a strange new trend." -  Noelle Floyd

So where am I going with all of this and why am I taking space within this sacred spot focused on the Arabian horse? It's all because of a photo but before I say anything else, let me remind you that what you are about to read is a very informal study, made by a student of the breed, me and only me, without endorsement by anyone else. 

Ansata Nadra (Ansata Hejazi x Ansata Neoma) owned by Al Shaqab, Darryl Larson photo

I started to notice something uniquely different with some of the Arabian horses pictured in the photos I had collected. The horses were looking straight into the camera, not in a challenging or defiant way, engaged with the photographer and making full eye contact, heart wide open and eyes full of compassion and understanding. I melted every time I saw it, as the horses were presenting themselves,  no holds barred.  It is how you would expect a trusting, always raised by loving people, live-in-your-tent kind of horse to look, right? Aĺl the kindness, inner wisdom and people-loving curiosity seemed to be bubbling up to the surface, visible to the world for a second or two, while radiating a loving energy like agape type love (the highest form of unconditional love), upon the onlooker.  At the time, I thought it had more to do with the photographer's expertise, skill and timing and less to do with any phenomena involving the horse and her soft, dark eyes. Certainly, nothing remotely close to a "Woo Woo." In the very beginning, I called it a "look" and then,  "expression," maybe a "gaze," and eventually, the recognition  that maybe this was the "Ansata look" as I found the phenomenon to occur more frequently in the Ansata horses, as compared to other bloodlines.

Ansata Queen Nefr (Prince Fa Moniet x Ansata Nefertiti) currently owned by El Gabry Stud, Judith Forbis photo

I was fortunate, blessed actually, to receive a copy of the collection of Raswan-penned articles, republished by Alice Payne (Thanks Kris). This book helped me to connect what I was seeing,  with Raswan's unique voice. Raswan, having lived in the desert amongst the Bedouin, offered a desert perspective that was very old, born out of a necessity which required living in close proximity to the horse. At the end of the article titled, The Head of the Arabian, Raswan wrote, 

"an expression in their eyes which proves that they are "thinking" (meditating), rational beings with a soul and not just subject creatures to serve us phyically."  

However, Raswan did struggle to define the "look," as I am now stumbling, trying to find just the right words to describe it.  Raswan wrote additional material in another article titled, The Arabian Horse as Your Friend and Companion.  One of the things Raswan said really caught my attention. He said that Ishmael saw a reflection of a deep love for God in his horse eyes. It's like living heaven-on-earth, "...thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven..."

Ansata Delilah (Ansata Shah Zaman x Ansata Bint Misr), Judith Forbis photo

When Judith Forbis published Born to Reign, I read the following passage about Ansata Delilah (Ansata Shah Zaman x Ansata Bint Misr), 

"an independent soul marked Delilah from the day she was born. Standing in the pasture apart from her mother, she would look off into the distance at something sensed but not seen." 

After reading what Judith Forbis wrote, I began to go through the photos that I had collected, to find that more of the horses pictured in the manner I have explained, had Ansata Delilah as a common denominator, on the maternal side of their pedigree, which of course points to one of the most important mares at Ansata and from there, to the worldwide community of straight Egyptian Arabian horses.

*Ansata Bint Bukra (Nazeer x Bukra), Jerry Sparagowski photo

Sometimes the transfer of psychic powers may skip a generation, as we may see with *Ansata Bint Misr. However, in studying the available photos of *Ansata Bint Bukra (the maternal granddam of Ansata Delilah), it is possible that she also had this all-knowing,  loving, intentful gaze and passed it on to her granddaughter, Ansata Delilah. Raswan also wrote about this, which  I now offer to you in closing:

"For this supernatural reason, the mare is always considered supremely important among the Bedouins. A stallion can only take secondary place. The psychic powers of Arabian horses descend through mares only and are thus retained within pure Arabian horses."

Maybe dear reader, you may read all of this and dismiss the photos as nothing more than a one in a million moment, taken by a world class photographer, forever frozen in time. Or maybe, you are like me and in a fraction of a second, recognize something sweeter, something special, swirling like a fragrance around you, only to be absorbed into the core of your being. Then, you decide, after all, it is your woo woo.

****The photos of Ansata Nadra, Ansata Queen Nefer, Ansata Delilah and *Ansata Bint Bukra were published in Judith Forbis' Born to Reign. Many thanks to Judith Forbis. Darryl Larson and Jerry Sparagowski. Without you, there would be no story.***

A Million Thank Yous

I'm not really sure when we actually crossed over to a million page views but sometime over the last 3 days, it really happened for this blog. 

There are so many people who make this blog doable, for example, where would I be without any of the photographers, the "visual storytellers" of our breed, who allow me to post their pictures and to the authors of the many books and magazine articles that I have read over the course of 50 or so years, helping to educate a long ago chubby Cuban kid, crazy in love with Arabian horses. And finally, an overwhelming amount of gratitude for you dear readers, for coming here to this place, to read, discover and celebrate this common ground we share, this is all for you and all for the love of an Arabian horse.

Once Upon a Time in September

The Arabian Horse, by the French artist, Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault. Executed by the artist for Adam and Zoë Elmore, during his London stay in 1821

In honor of his 96th birthday (8/2026), Desert Heritage Magazine published a new article written by Dr. Hans J. Nagel, titled: Nagel's breeding aims and its historical roots. A guide in turbulent times. I recommend the article to you, dear reader. It's good. While the majority of the article examines the historical heritage of the Arabian horse, (which in of itself, will offer you the opportunity to understand the breed a little more intimately); Dr. Nagel caught my attention when he discussed the modern Arabian horse of today. For many years, I understood that the breed was at a crossroads and now, well, it seems that we are past that point. With a global population somewhere around 200,000 horses, it is interesting to consider the  breed-changing influence exerted by the halter show ring upon the world-wide community of Arabian horse breeders. Which sort of makes sense, once you understand the metrics, in terms of the greater volume supporting halter showing. For example, in disciplines that are better-suited to the Arabian horse's historical strengths, horse racing or endurance riding, there are a smaller number of horses (1,500 to 4,000) participating, as compared to the 30,000 horses participating in halter presentations.  Of the remaining population (160,000 horses), a large chunk of that number are employed as breeding horses, in programs that are focused on producing halter horses for the showring. If you missed it, what Dr. Nagel is saying is that it takes 20 percent of the breed to support the production of the 2% who will be competitive in today's modern show arena. And by "competitive," we are referring to horses who align with modern show ring type per the scoring categories used by the judges: type, head & neck, body & topline, legs & feet and movement. The phenomenon has taken what is at its very core, an Eastern horse with thousands of years history behind it, to an Arabian horse shaped by Western ideas of correctness, untested or unproven through sport. Think of it, thousands of years of history, initially shaped by the unforgiving desert climate and fine-tuned through selection by the Bedouin for speed and endurance, has evolved to become a horse who can score perfect twenties, within an artificial setting. 

"How regrettable would it be if one of the oldest and most beautiful creatures produced by the Orient were to lose its originality. In its originality, this Arabian horse is a unique world cultural treasure - shaped by constant confrontation with the forces of nature, formed by the wishes and demands of its breeders and adapted to the limited possibilities available to a wandering, unsettled population that existed for a thousand years." - Dr. Hans J. Nagel

NK Lam el Dine

Have you seen the cover of the new issue of Desert Heritage Magazine? Dr. Nagel's newest breeding stallion prospect is pictured on the front cover. A handsome two-and-a-half-year-old black colt named NK Lam el Dine, by NK Nabhan (NK Nadeer x NK Nerham) and out of NK Lina (NK Kamar El Dine x Muneera Al Ariba). He is expected to assume stud duties next year, March 2027. Dr. Nagel offered, "he has been chosen to further strengthen the solid leg and body conformation and to guarantee the lightness and elegance of the NK Arabians is transmitted to the following generations.

I was looking for something else, which made me think of this colt and when I entered his name in Google, I found a much different horse, however, with the same name!

Bred and owned by the Al Saadi Stud, this is the 2019 NK Lam El Dine, also sired by NK Nabhan and out of NK Lina. He is definitely chestnut and the video shows him competing at the 2024 Iraq Summer International Festival, where he was named Silver Champion Senior Stallion, after placing 2nd in the 4-to-6 year old stallion class. The black Katharinenhof colt would have been a weanling, at the time of the chestnut stallion's Iraqi win.

Is it the "el" or "El" that makes the difference in the naming convention of these 2 horses? Who is the correct NK Lam el Dine? Or should I say NK Lam El Dine?

Chasing Unicorns

When I found the Arabian Essence video on YouTube, I knew from reading the auction catalogue, that the Janów Podlaski breeding parade happened on Monday, after the Summer Sale. No doubt about it, I had missed the Pride of Poland auction this year! As I watched the Janów video, little did I realize the surprise that I soon would be stumbling upon, approximately 27 minutes and 30 seconds into the video. I feel kind of silly saying this to you dear reader, after all, Pogrom, a highly decorated 2009 stallion, was leased and shown by David Boggs of Midwest Arabians and named champion in Scottsdale, Las Vegas and the US National Show rings, all in 2013. This is not a new horse, just breaking onto the Arabian scene. Although, that's what he feels like for me. For 17 years, Pomgrom has been making history, while I was lost, somewhere in a fog.

Pogrom, a son of QR Marc (Marwan Al Shaqab x Swete Dreams) was the result of the wisdom and lifetime expertise of Dr. Marek Trela. Despite the promising results seen in America, the fact that QR Marc was still young and had not had many opportunities within a pure Polish breeding program,  was like a test of faith and Dr. Trela was up for the challenge. He was committed to finding the right mare for him. Dr. Trela decided upon Pętla (Visbaden x Petra). Why Pętla? Dr. Trela explains, “we were trying to go back to the pedigree of Kuhailan Ajuz, which was lost in World War II. The idea of sending Pętla’s mother to Bábolna to be bred to Visbaden, a Russian-bred stallion on lease there, was Director Krystalowicz. We were trying to get a stallion to continue that line; we didn’t succeed with a stallion, but we did with the mare. Pętla is really a very good, strong producer." In April of 1990, Pętla foaled one of the heaviest foals born at Janów, almost weighing 125 pounds! Dr. Trela remembers the day warmly, "If you see a newborn foal that big and strong, correct and pretty, that means that something important has happened.”

It was  interesting to listen to Dr.  Trela's comments, throughout the rest of the Pogrom footage (ends at 31:40). One begins to understand the value of incorporating Pogrom in the program, for his correct conformation, including the strength of his body and legs. Not only as an individual is Pogrom built perfectly, but also, as a prepotent sire, particularly of daughters, who mature to become foundational broodmares. I believe Dr. Trela when he says,  "he is everything a Polish stallion should represent. 

Below, additionally are a few horses who also appear in the video and are connected to Pogrom as sire or grandsire, to underscore his consistency, as a breeding stallion:

• Barbula (filly out of Bforta) @ 37:58q
• Arabis (colt out of the Ekstern-sired Atma) @ 35:03
• Colt foal (out of Winnica, racing program) @ 31:54
• Europea (a Paris-sired filly out of the Pogrom daughter, Eunuria) @ 1:03:42

No horse lives forever and the reality is that Pogrom is not getting any younger and is approaching his 18th year. Pogrom makes me wish that I owned a mare, just so I could breed to him. No kidding. He is that good, no, wait, scratch that, he is recognized for siring his outstanding conformation and type onto the next generation. Plus, history will continue to reveal that  Pogrom sires mares who become influential broodmares, by establishing vibrant families of their own. In this community, I have seen too many stallions die, only to read breeders quickly express their "if only...". Well, here's a "heads-up" from me to you dear breeder...NOW IS THE TIME. Take action before it is too late and you run out of "if only" because regret, well, that's not so easy to live with. I personally know that.

***thank you to Arabian Essence, for once again providing the window to the Arabian horse world. I am a fan, for many years now. Also, thanks to Midwest Arabians for the Pogrom article. Without you, this blog would not exist.****

Pride of Poland 2026

The Pride of Poland Auction occurred on Sunday, August 9th. The Summer Sale followed on Monday morning. Although I have never had the opportunity to attend, I look forward to the auction each year and selecting my favorites from the lots offered. I had downloaded the catalogue in July and initially, skimmed over the pages, making note of the several Ekstern daughters, grandaughters and great-grandaughters. I figured that I would return to the catalog in a few days. 

It wasn't until last weekend, that I was able to finally, grab some quiet time and dive deeply into the catalogue. It was then that I realized that the auction was now past. How did that happen? And now, what does it matter which horses I liked more? I struggled with this post all week! Should I or shouldn't I continue writing what felt like old news. What is done, is done and can't be undone, right? OK, so this blog post is for the fans, who love to talk about Polish horses any time, any day.

While any of the mares offered represent an opportunity to own some of the very best horses that Poland has to offer, initially, my Pride of Poland choices were:

• Wiosenna Miłość (Al Ayal AA x Waranga) her maternal granddam is an Ekstern daughter
• Pila (Abyad x Piba) her maternal granddam is Pilar, a Fawor daughter. If you believe that the coat color predicts the genetic influence, Fawor was similarly colored
• Elfira (Ekstern x Elfuria) her dam was sired by a Simeon Sadik son
• El Gazona (Kahil Al Shaqab x Elgazonda) her dam is an Al Maraam daughter
• Mahira (Ekstern x Mata Hari) double Monogramm
• Efidenia (Pomian x El Fatna) her sire is a Gazal Al Shaqab son out of Pilar, her dam is an Ekstern daughter

My Summer Sale picks are as follows:

• Foggara (Ganges x Foggia) Ganges combined with Gazal Al Shaqab & Fawor
• Passionaria (Gazal Al Shaqab x Pianosa) there aren't many Gazal Al Shaqab daughters left, combined with Pianosa, a Eukaliptus daughter
• Penta (Ecaho x Pepina) there aren't many Ecaho daughters left, combined with Pogrom's dam, Pętla
• Pia (Ganges x Pianissima) a Pianissima daughter combined with Ganges
• Pelifa (Lawrence  El Gazal x Peresta) At the 2022 Summer Sale, Celadon, a Pogrom son out of a Lawrence El Gazal daughter was offered

As I thought about the significance of each horse completely, I narrowed my choices down to my top 3: Passionaria and Penta, because the sires of these mares are no longer available for breeding and given their reputation for siring excellent daughters, that quality is maximized, as these sires have been combined with powerfully elite mare lines, the very best that Poland has to offer. My 3rd choice would be the bay Pomian daughter, Efidenia. I really like her look. I just fell in love with her. She is substantial but yet, elegant with a lot of type. And that neck! I would love to breed her to Pogrom, to further her body type for future generations, all for the love of the Polish Arabian horse.

Ten Feet Tall

El Shaklan (Shaker El Masri x Estopa) was one of our taller Arabians, measured at 16 hands

In Count Waclaw Rzewuski's 1821 manuscript,  Concerning Oriental Horses, he writes, 

"It is a great error to believe that desert Arab horses should generally be small. Some of them are, as everywhere, below average size, but this lack of growth is not typical of the Bedouin strain. To the contrary, some of them are found to be large and even very tall." 

So much of the available written information concerning the Arab horse does appear to be unified in support of a smaller size. 

One of my favorite prints ever, AN ARABIAN HORSE, as drawn by Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault, in 1821

James Luck, the translator of Rzewuski's book (published by Andrew Steen's Tales of the Breed), added, "When reading Rzewuski's comments on the size of horses one should keep in mind that for him a medium sized horse seems to have been between 15 and 16 hands."  

Count Rzewuski, in recognizing the taller Bedouin-bred horse,  offers some of the sizes of the taller horses he purchased, "I even bought, for Her Highness, the Queen of Württemberg, the Bedouin horse Abou-Arkoub, a deep iron-grey, two-year-old, that measured 17 hands; Obeiyan abou Dahman, a bay, age three-years, that stood 16 palms, Seglawi Giedran, a golden sorrel, age four-years, that also stood 16 palms. Among those that I have reserved for myself, was the famous El Messenneh el Wehabi, which I purchased from Abd-el-Aziz, Prince of the Wahhabis, who was 17 hands high."

Size does matter to Rzewuski as he makes it a point to forever record in his significant reference tome the height of the taller horses that he was personally involved with. 

In Lady Wentworth's The Authentic Arabian Horse, she wrote, "There is no standard height, but so long as type is not lost, the bigger, the better." In an article written about the stallion, Pogrom (QR Marc x Pętla), and published on the Midwest Arabians site, noted breed historian, Scott Benjamin shared, "Pogrom represents size. “I think [his sire Visbaden] is the first time that the Poles have introduced a stallion outside of their own program who actually has length of leg. We need that, because people are getting taller; they need horses with size.”

How does the height of Arabian horses compare to other breeds? Check out the following chart, published by Horse Illustrated magazine:

I'm not suggesting that taller horses are better than horses who measure 14 hands and/or smaller. If that is what you are getting from this blog, then, apologies, because that was never my intent but if our breed narrative favors a smaller sized individual, then perhaps our history needs to be updated to celebrate our taller-sized horses, which according to Rzewuski, were more common than we were led to believe.