all for the love of a horse...: DOUBLEVISION

10 February, 2024

DOUBLEVISION

HC Abla Raqqas is a 2013 Hadidi daughter, out of Ravenwood Sensation (Ravenwood Majesty x Ravenwood Cody). I wasn't planning to blog about her again but her owner, Christine Emmert, shared the above photo with me. Her hind end is engaged, her back serves as the "bridge of energy", connecting back to front, allowing her hind leg to reach far under her, to drive her body forward, in a relaxed and calm manner, while remaining supple. Do you see the bulging muscles on each side of her spine, in the area between her loins and croup? That's your proof that she is really working her hind end. Christine takes alot of photos that I enjoy seeing but this particular photo ranks up there with Gigi Grasso's photo of Taghira B, *Pharrah, Emira, Zlota Nic and *Serenity Sonbolah. I love it because it is comforting to know that there are still robust Arab Horses who move like HC Abla Raqqas. So, million dollar question, is there a genetic reason for this movement?

Her pedigree unites several key breeding programs, namely Gleannloch, Marbach, The Babson Farm, Albadeia, Pritzlaff (by way of Rafter G and Ravenwood Ranch), plus as an added bonus, an infusion of additional EAO blood through the harder-to-find stallion, Akhtal (Amrulla x Hagir). Digging a little deeper, you will discover an interesting relationship between Ravenwood Majesty and Ravenwood Cody on the maternal side of the pedigree. They are paternal siblings, both sired by RG Al Mone, an Alcibiades out of *Bint Moniet el Nefous, a Nazeer and Moniet el Nefous daughter, imported by Richard Pritzlaff in the late fifties. There are additional sources to Moniet el Nefous blood in the pedigree, for example, *Bint Moniet's maternal siblings, Mabrouka and *Soufian, who are somewhat different from *Bint Moniet el Nefous, on account of Sid Abouhom and Alaa el Din. Despite the diversity in type and size between these 2 horses, together they intensify Moniet el Nefous' genetic influence.

The stallion Anter, is also a horse whose influence is concentrated in the pedigree, through his son, Gharib, as well as his daughter, *Somaia, an Anter/Abla daughter imported by Gleannloch. I want to also believe that the multiple crosses to Hamdan, further enhance the influence of Anter. And, as if having Farida in the matriline is not already a great thing, her influence is further strengthened through horses like Noha (the tail female line through Nefisa), *Soheir II (the tail female line of Fagir) and *Ansata Ibn Halima (the sire of El Hadiyi, who appears twice).

It's not that these horses are better than other Egyptian horses, that's not what I am trying to say. Throughout my years of study, the horses who make-up the ancestry of HC Abla Raqqas are the horses that I have learned to look for, as they more consistently produce the phenotype which appeals to me, that is, strong-bodied mares with broad chests, deep heart girths, wider backs and powerfully muscled hind ends. You see these attributes come alive in HC Abla Raqqas' body.

Double Vision? The EAO-bred mare, Abla (Nazeer x Helwa)

HC Abla Raqqas is strongly reminiscent in her phenotype of the Anter/Abla daughters and yet, the strength of her body reflects the impact of Farida and the power this particular foundation mare continues to exert through the generations to improve the coupling. I am reminded of what Judith Forbis once said after meeting Abla at the EAO, "a very classic, pretty-headed and strong-bodied Nazeer daughter." I feel that today, one can describe HC Abla Raqqas with the same words said by Judi over 60 years ago.

3 comments:

AnonymousSunday, February 11, 2024 2:06:00 PM
Thank you so much Ralph. In that shot she is just starting to move from a full stop. After sunset. She is amazing
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DianeSunday, February 11, 2024 4:55:00 PM
Ralph ponders the question: "So, million dollar question, is there a genetic reason for this movement? "

My response - yes, indeed it's gene-coded! It all comes down to the skeletal combination of proportionate lengths and angles, in the right places, particularly the hindquarters. 😉 Though the forequarters have to 'match' to facilitate the power-laden hindquarter movement fully 🤗

This gene combination is what I'm breeding for. Ameer El Koloob (US) over Talika Farad and Greenmantle Ghashahn daughters, to my mind, has the capacity to perpetuate these genes. In time, Khe Amiin Tabou SSR (US) with her performance centric pedigree will present another generation of performance centric foals. 🤗
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AnonymousSunday, February 11, 2024 5:56:00 PM
Beautiful mare!
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MY FAVORITE WEBSITE

If you want to understand the desert Arabian horse on a deeper level, then you will want to visit Daughters of the Wind, a blog maintained by Edouard al-Dahdah, since 2008. It's my favorite place to visit, on a regular basis. For me personally, the information that Edouard presents is at times so profound, that I find myself weeks, even months later, still thinking about what he has written. I consider him a treasured source of inspiration and for the times that I don't feel like writing anymore, a significant source of encouragement. In one place, you will be able to read of the horses, their heritage; as well as the culture, traditions and the geography of the land, from where they originated. I strongly encourage you to visit his blog to broaden your understanding and deepen your appreciation for the Bedouin-bred horse.

MY FAVORITE WEBSITE X 2

The Horse In Word and Picture is the blog of Rania el Sayed, a very talented photographer, whose equine photography is second-to-none. I still remember when I first learned of Rania, it was all because of the late Dr. Nasr Marei. At the time, Nasr published an article that featured Rania's photography. I was thrilled by the photography and later, "meeting" Rania was one of the highlights of my horse life. I loved her photo of Mangooma and Rania, in an act of kindness never to be forgotten, let me use her photo in my blog. Thanks Rania for all of your support. You'll love Rania's blog and all of the equine topics she covers, including the straight Egyptian Arabian Horse. She really pushes me to think deeply about things that I haven't thought in a while. And you don't have to join Facebook, to read her posts. .

MY FAVORITE BOOK

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Judith Forbis', The Classic Arabian Horse, published in 1976, is MY FAVORITE BOOK...EVER. Prior to the publication of this book, we really didn't have anything that compiled the history, the bloodlines & breeding practices and conformation (including breed type) of the straight Egyptian horse in one volume. You had to dig through multiple sources, sometimes in languages foreign to one's own, to try and develop an understanding of the Egyptian Arabian horse. So, this is my recommendation to you today, especially if you are just starting, this is the most important book you will ever own. You can find the book on Amazon, previously owned, at a very affordable price.

A NEW FAVORITE BOOK

Many times, I have heard other enthuiasts say, "if only I could get into the mind of this breeder and understand the Arabian horse as he or she does!" Dr. William Hudson, a long-time breeder, weaves together his lifetime of experiences including the latest developments in equine genetic science with the history, art and culture of the Arabian horse. This is not the type of book that you will read, cover-to-cover, in one sitting. You will find yourself turning to this massive 1,500 page, 2-volume set, over and over. If you love Arabian horses and want to understand the breed intimately, on a deeper level, this is the only book you will ever need to own. If you are breeding Egyptian Arabian horses, I urge you to purchase this 2-volume set before you breed one more horse!

MORE FAVORITE BOOKS...

One of the questions that I am asked most frequently is which book(s) do I recommend? Previously, I mentioned Judith Forbis' THE CLASSIC ARABIAN HORSE which is a great introduction to the breed and to Egyptian Arabian horses specifically. But now, you have read that book and are ready to go deeper. So, this is the book that I recommend reading (VOLUME II ) without hesitation. It's fantastic. The depth of this book, within tail female lines, sire lines and strains found in Egyptian (EAO) breeding is not found anywhere else. If you are serious about the Egyptian Arabian horse, whether a breeder, student or enthusiast, you must read this book, at least once!

STILL MORE FAVORITE BOOKS

In the Preface, Dr. Nagel wrote, "Since it is claimed that the Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest on earth, one has to accept that it is also in the crossfire of many opinions which sometimes clash vigorously. There are obviously many doubts and errors, and the advocates of different concepts seem to be not ready to settle on a common stance. It should encourage the reader to think...The refreshing variety of thoughts surrounding this noble member of the great family of horses should not be lost." Whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Nagel, is not what is important but rather, the resulting thought that this book will inspire. I can't even tell you how many times I have read this wonderful book cover-to-cover. It's one of the more provocative books that I have ever read and each time I have read it, a part of the book that had not impacted me previously, will cause me to think deeply for days, weeks and even months at a time. So, dear reader, I recommend this book to you, in the hope that it will inspire you to think deeply about our breed and examine why, you feel the way you do.

"The ideal Arabian type is recognizable at sight to the experienced horseman and novice alike. It falls short of the ideal if it reminds one of another horse or breed. It falls short of the ideal if it is so plain and uncertain of type as to require a sign: 'This is an Arabian horse.' It falls short of the ideal if it is so coarse and masculine as to remind one of a small Percheron, at one extreme, or so highly animated and elf-like as to remind one of a gazelle at the other extreme. The ideal type stands out alone. You know it immediately when you see it."-Ben Hur, from his 1951 Western Horseman article, Type in the Arab

In the summer of 2006, when I discovered Blogger, the last thing on my mind was creating a blog. At the time, I had been participating in a popular Egyptian Arabian horse website and desired to find a website that would allow me to "cut-and-paste" the posts that I had written for future reference. From those humble beginnings, this blog was born. I'm not a professional writer and although I want to say that writing is a hobby; I think it is better to say that I write for the love of the breed. I've had the good fortune to meet a number of horses who are now considered legendary, as well as some really wonderful people, who are equally legendary. Over the years, people have suggested that I charge a subscription fee or pursue paid sponsorships but you know how money changes everything and this blog, after all, is a labor of love. So, there you have it, the story of the blog. Many thanks to the 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 45 or so years, helping to educate a long ago 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, all for the love of an Arabian horse.