Random Thoughts on Equine Wholeness

He really loved people...an honest to goodness "live-in-your-tent-horse," Haliluyah MH (El Halimaar x RDM Maar Hala) with Melissa McCarty Raulerson

For 20 years or so, I have blogged about individual Arabian horses, like many other similarly-minded breed enthusiasts you will find currently on Facebook, Instagram and other forms of social media. Despite the great storytelling, are we using this shared knowledge to make better, more informed breeding decisions? Have we incorporated the genetic influences of the horses presented in social media outlets or am I placing more weight on what may be just "feel good" stories solely meant to entertain us?

A few weeks ago, I was listening to an interview that Paul Kostial had with Joel Desmarteau of Markelle Arabians. Joel, the breeder of the celebrated stallion, Marajj (Marwan Al Shaqab x RGA Kouress), repeatedly stressed the value of the matriline throughout the interview.

"And when you have a strong proven tail female line, you can start seeing patterns and consistencies with structure and presence and look that they give and that gives you something to rely on." - Joel Desmarteau

It's not that what Joel was saying is brand new, never before said; it's just that in our current breeding culture, the role of the stallion is so unrealistically over-stated, which is a bit weird when you stop to consider that the breed has always been matriline-focused. It's like we want to tell whomever will listen that we honor the Bedouin tradition, while still grasping a western sire line perspective, especially if you own and stand a stallion.

When my friend, Gari Dill-Marlow was alive, she helped raise awareness for and appreciation of elite mare lines, across all breeding groups. She treasured mares who reproduced their equal or better, especially in male form. She felt that in this way, a breeder could dominate a pedigree faster and more completely with a particular matriline, both top and bottom. 

These days, I find myself thinking a bit differently about Arabian horse breeding and I can't help but wonder over a fractured understanding of the breed, through segregation by bloodline. Maybe the breed would be better served if our breeding focus would be on equine wholeness (to borrow a holistic concept) instead of horses who by virtue of their pedigree, fit within the parameters of a highly favored bloodline group. Equine wholeness promotes horses who are sound of mind, body and spirit, that is, mentally stable, emotionally balanced individuals, with a spirit that is loyal to the breed, desirous of human connection, possessing the correct structure (conformation) and free from systemic  diseases, which allows said horse to function within an intended discipline free from pain, lameness or medication needed to treat said conditions.

Ensign to Fadaan

In the late 1930s, General J.M. Dickinson, purchased Gulastra from W.R. Brown. He bred Gulastra to *Aziza, one of the mares that W. R. Brown had imported from Egypt, producing the stallion, Julep in 1939. It is through Julep's son, Julyan, that the sire line of Mesaoud exists in straight Egyptian breeding. 

Julyan sired the 1966 bay stallion, Ensign.

Although Ensign is recorded for having sired 28 purebred foals; Al Khamsa recognizes only 2 of those foals: the 1969 chestnut stallion named Julyen and the 1972 chestnut mare, TF Aurora. It is through TF Aurora that this smaller branch of the Julyan/Mist Aana family remains extant in SE breeding.  Ensign was one of 6 foals that resulted from the cross of Julyan with the Hallany Mistanny daughter, Mist-Aana. El Reata Juan (1968) was their black stallion, while Julyana (1964), Julyanne (1967) and Bint Mist Aana (1972) were the 3 bay daughters. 

I found their 1971 son, Fadaan, really interesting  because he was so different! While the body color of his full siblings were either dark bay and black, Fadaan was grey, a coat color which I have noticed to intensify Arabian breed type dramatically. Add to this fairytale image a beautiful neck, a compact frame and big black eyes, and he is physically representative of what most people envision an Arabian horse to be.

Through Bint Maaroufa, found on the sire side of the pedigree and Aana, on the maternal side, are 2 lines to the ethereal, Fay-El-Dine, a double great grandsire of Fadaan. This is the interesting thing about genetics and how the impact of one ancestor, whose role is found way back, in the 4th and 5th generations is expressed. I am also sure that the additional crosses of Fadl and his full sister, Maaroufa,  helped to bolster the genetic presence of Fay-El-Dine! 

***Many thanks to the Facebook groups like Arabian Horse Historical Photos, Babson Egyptian Enthusiasts and Al Khamsa Community plus, Sheila Cone and Brittany N Thompson for the body shot photo of Ensign and Fadaan. Without you, this blog post would not exist***

Love is in the Air

Valentines day reminds me of the greatest equine love story that I know. 

Love Is In the Air 

Everywhere I look around (I look around...) 

Love Is In The Air 

Every sight and every sound (and every sound...) - lyrics from Love is in the Air, written by Harry Vanda & George Young

In the mid-60's, *Ansata Ibn Halima went to Gleannloch Farms to be shown and also, to breed the mares that the Marshalls had already imported from Egypt, before the arrival of *Morafic. In Judith Forbis' charming book, The Gift; she writes in the voice of her horse, touching upon the relationship that *Ansata Ibn Halima shared with one of the imported Gleannloch mares, *Bint Maisa El Saghira (Nazeer x Maisa): 

"My favorite traveling companion was Bint Maisa El Saghira, who often told me to calm down and relax. She became a very stabilizing influence during my show career. A tall bay mare beloved for her beauty and charm, she won admirers wherever she went. She too collected many halter championships as well as performance championships in English pleasure. Together we were wonderful ambassadors for the Egyptian Arabian horse because we were kind, handsome and athletic." 

Dahmah Shahwaniah was the result of the affection that both horses shared for each other. I don't think a greater love story exists in any breed, let alone the Arabian breed, across all bloodlines. 

 ***originally posted in February of 2023 and brought forward in celebration of Valentines day. Enjoy with my best wishes***

Pashas, Princes & Kings

NK Qaswarah (NK Hafid Jamil x NK Nariman) as photographed by Alaa Youssef Jr.   

This time of the year always reminds me of Ezzain and it still hurts like hell to know that NK Qaswarah is no longer alive but I can express the same sentiment for his owner, Mr. Usamah Alkazemi.  I wish it were not so in either case.

 13 years ago, Ezzain was home to 45 or so horses.  Approximately half of those horses were sired by NK Qaswarah and additionally, 12 horses were sired by a Qaswarah son like Aneesilnefous (x NK Momtaza) and Yaasoob (x NK Nada). If I had not fully understood the critical role that NK Qaswarah held at Ezzain prior to my visit, I was overwhelmed when faced with the reality of his importance in Kuwait. 

In Dr. Nagel's book, The Arabian Horse: Nature's Creation and The Art of Breeding, he wrote the following about NK Qaswarah, 

"NK Qaswarah is producing a very distinctive type with stunning expression and is among those stallions which are strong in producing excellent males and females."

Monika Savier in a Tutto Arabi article written at the time of NK Hafid Jamil's death, mentions NK Qaswarah too,

"This NK Hafid Jamil son was an eye catcher from birth on and left as a young colt for Ezzain Stud in Kuwait. All his life he was surrounded mostly by NK daughters who were, however, of different mare lines‐a unique situation. NK Qaswarah created his own kingdom; nowhere can you see finer Arabians and prettier heads than in this stud."

I went to Kuwait having seen many photos of Qaswarah that Usamah Alkazemi shared with me, but it is really different to see the horse, in real life, standing before you, as compared to seeing the horse in the photo. Such was the experience I had with Qaswarah. I was overwhelmed by him despite being familiar with the horse and understanding the significance of all that had been written about him by people I admire, including his breeder.  He was stronger-bodied and more robust than he appeared in photos. That surprised me, he was no toy horse. In his presence, you felt the strength of his character and, immediately, felt compelled to honor him with respect. He enjoyed to be scratched on his back, especially by the wither and I appreciated the opportunity to engage with him, to touch the living, real horse, the "smilemaker," as Usamah referred to him. I remember that his back was significantly wider and stronger than many horses I had met; I could feel the immense power emanating from every muscle in his body. And yes, he was balanced, as if every part of his body was made, only for him. 

As Dr. Nagel already has said, NK Qaswarah was a consistent sire, equally siring memorable horses of both genders who possess his quality, for example, the full sisters: Badrilbdoor and Shamsilshmous (both out of Azhaar), Dorrah and her full brother Aneesilnefous (both out of NK Momtaza), Ekramilbari (out of NK Yasmin), Alttafilbari (out of Ajmal Ibtihaj) and Thettwa (out of Albaheiah). These were my personal favorites. NK Qaswarah defined the Ezzain breeding program with a very unique look that can not be found anywhere else in the world. Over his lifetime, NK Qaswarah has proven to be the type of horse that at one time, inspired Pashas, Princes and Kings with his beauty and the ability to pass it on. I am none of these men but still, equally inspired as these men were. It is only now, in this season of my life that I am able to understand Usamah's bold appreciation for his stallion. I am grateful for the opportunity he provided to me, that is, to go beyond the photo and experience how the dream of one man, became the cornerstone for yet another man's dream and from Ezzain, Qaswarah became the source of many, more dreams, in the hearts of Arabian horse lovers all over the world.

*Wafiza's Story

Polly Knoll photo of *Wafiza, circa 1980

*Waheeba was imported to America in utero, meaning, she had been bred and checked in foal to *Ibn Hafiza. Within a few months of her importation in 1970, *Waheeba foaled a bay filly, who was named *Wafiza, a feminine name of Arabic origin, meaning to protect or guard by someone who possesses a presence so refreshing, it is like someone opened a window to let the fresh air in. 

*Wafiza is a maternal sibling of Shaheeb but it is through the sires that the siblings are uniquely different, Shaheeb is sired by Ansata El Sherif, who carries 2 crosses to Nazeer, about 25%. While Shaheeb is low percentage Nazeer, *Wafiza has no Nazeer blood, as *Ibn Hafiza is a Sameh (El Moez x Samira) son out of Hafiza, sired by Hamdan, out of Mahfouza, a Hamdan daughter. What's also interesting about *Wafiza is that she carries a very low percentage of the Blunt desert horses, less than 3%.  

*Wafiza produced 3 fillies and 6 colts:

• Khepri, a 1974 grey stallion, by Ansata El Sherif
• Contentment Badra, a 1976 grey mare by Mohssen
• Chafa Sherfiza, a 1977 grey mare by Ansata El Sherif
• Chafa Al Bukra, a 1978 grey mare by Ansata El Sherif
• Chafa Hafiz Halim, a 1979 grey stallion by *Ansata Ibn Halima
• CES Sherif Feisal, a 1980 grey stallion by Ansata El Sherif'
• Chafa Halim Bey, a 1981 grey stallion by Halim Pasha
• Chafa Shah Walim, a 1984 grey stallion by Ansata Ibn Shah
• CES Anwar, a 1985 bay stallion by *Jamil

It's almost like you want to jump in her photo and invoke the full meaning of her name, to insure the perpetuation of an outcross line we would have today with no Nazeer influence and a lower percentage of the Blunt desert horses, i.e. the Gleannloch stallion, *Zaghloul (Gassir x Gharbawia), who also carried a low percentage of the Blunt desert horses: 2.3%. It's hard to believe that this opportunity existed 40 years ago and no one thought this may be good for the future of a healthy gene pool.

The Story of Shaheeb

Shaheeb (Ansata El Sherif x  *Waheeba) as photographed by Jerry Sparagowski 

Foaled in January 1975, Shaheeb, a straight Egyptian stallion, offered breeders a unique pedigree, as bred by El Sherif Arabians. His dam, *Waheeba, an EAO mare imported in 1970, was a complete outcross to Ansata El Sherif, a combination of blood that you just didn't find so easily in the eighties.  What's really interesting about the EAO-bred mare, *Waheeba, is the absence of Nazeer in her pedigree, not a single drop. Nada. While Ansata El Sherif is double Nazeer, approx 25%, *Waheeba has Nasralla, Balance, Shahloul, El Sareei, Sid Abouhom, Ibn Rabdan as the sires in the first 5 generations of her pedigree. If anything, *Waheeba shares common ground via the sires of the foundational broodmares in Ansata El Sherif's pedigree, i.e. Sheikh El Arab, the sire of Halima and Rouda, the maternal granddam of Zebeda (also the dam of Shaker El Masri by *Morafic) and Shahloul, the sire of Bukra and El Sareei.

In the May 1981 issue of Arabian Horse World, Rubio Arabians in Ukiah, California offerred the then 6-year old stallion for sale. Not only was he a proven breeding stallion; he was also trained as an English saddle horse.

In the records that I have available to me, he sired the following horses:

• Sheba Shareei, a 1989 bay mare, out of Monshareei, a Shah Nishan+ grandaughter,  out of a Gainey bred mare
• Sultans Kasadd, a 1990 grey stallion, out of AK Mohra
• Eraf Rafeek,  a 1991 black stallion, out of AKMarnah
• Eraf Shahkar, a 1991 grey stallion, out of Al Tahara

While Sheba Shareei produced a son in 1997, sired by a Prince Ibn Shaikh son, he was gelded and this line did not continue further. The 3 sons also do not appear to have sired any get, as Al Khamsa does not record any descendants.

It's bittersweet to discover horses like Shaheeb and wonder over the impact that these horses might have exerted, if only the opportunities extended to them were a little broader.

Ansata El Sherif

"El Sherif  was a very classic, short-coupled stallion with a beautiful short face and large dark eyes." - Judith Forbis, his breeder

Some photos, like this Polly Knoll photo of *Ansata El Sherif, are deeply etched in my memory, never to forget. It's a favorite, as was the trend to photograph these horses portrait-style, against a dark background. No matter how many years may pass, one look and I immediately remember that long-ago summer day at Bentwood, meeting horses that I never believed I would meet in my lifetime. 

Ansata Rhodora

Ansata El Sherif, an *Ansata Ibn Halima son out of *Ansata Bint Bukra, was a full brother to Ansata Rhodora. As a young colt, he was sold to Dr. Clarence Hardin and his wife, Daisy of Placerville, California. Do you know that the Hardins loved Ansata El Sherif so much, they named their farm after him, El Sherif Arabians? Ansata El Sherif spent most of his life with the Hardins. He was purchased as a mature horse by Bentwood Farm. 

Do you know that "El Sherif" is more like a title or surname and less like a first name? Think of the word "El" as the Arabic equivalent of the determiner, "The" and "Sharif" as "Honorable", "Distinguished" or even, "Noble". 

Cynthia Culbertson, a beloved author, historian, straight Egyptian breeder and former Pyramid Society President, once said of Ansata El Sherif, 
"He was quite a 'fairytale' type of white stallion -- very true to his Dahman strain, compact with a lovely head and eye."

Overall, in terms of a particular horse who combined the best qualities of Bukra with the best qualities of *Ansata Ibn Halima; Ansata El Sherif was that beautiful horse. His strong topline, short-coupling, well-sprung ribs and generous heart girth enabled Ansata El Sherif to enjoy an athletic career. There was not much that this champion horse could and would not do. He was talented under saddle, winning many prizes in Native Costume, English Pleasure and Western Pleasure. Unfotunately, in the time period that Ansata El Sherif lived, there was more demand for straight Egyptian mares, than actual mares to purchase. Despite the short supply of Egyptian mares, Ansata El Sherif did cover Egyptian mares but he was popular with non-SE breeders too, as he crossed well with mares of all bloodlines but in particular, mares of Spanish blood. He sired approximately 167 purebred Arabian Horses who in turn, have produced grand-progeny that are spectacular too.