all for the love of a horse...: The Melancholy of September

14 September, 2025

The Melancholy of September

Hermann Marsian took this unique photo of *Ansata Ibn Halima+ in 1980, at Ansata Arabian Stud, then located in Lufkin, Texas. I had never seen this particular photo before and probably, if you don't participate on Facebook, you have not seen the photo either. Hermann posted the photo a long time ago, in December 2017, within a Facebook group dedicated to the Egyptian Arabian horse, Photos and History of the Straight Egyptian Arabian Horse

Who is *Ansata Ibn Halima+? The legendary straight Egyptian stallion, imported from Egypt by Don and Judi Forbis, was foaled in 1958, sired by Nazeer and out of Halima, a bay Sheikh el Arab daughter out of Ragia (Ibn Rabdan x Farida).

Not a flattering photo of Halima, some may even criticize me for using it. Apologies, I like it, as it very obviously shows the desert-like dryness of Halima's head, the prominence of bone in her face is evident. In the 66 years from his date of foaling, it is interesting to consider the enduring influence of*Ansata Ibn Halima+, within the context of his RAS-bred dam. Halima, a 1944 broodmare, represented the classic breeding formula used by General Tibor von Pettko-Szandtner at the EAO: Mansour top-crossed onto Ibn Rabdan. Combining Sheikh El Arab (Mansour x Bint Sabah) with Nazeer, also a Mansour son, intensified the impact of the Ali Pasha Sherif horse, Saklawi I, and yet, was also a very smart decision, as Nazeer was known for carrying the influence of a mare forward, to the next generation. Little did anyone realize at the time when Halima was bred to Nazeer, that her double Mansour colt would one day become the living standard by which many other horses would be judged.

Within the last few weeks, I blogged about the stallion, Gazal Al Shaqab, as defined by his breeder, Michael Byatt, within a podcast he appeared in, for We Love Arabian Horses. In that episode, Michael defined Kajora (Kaborr x Edjora) as a stretchey, elegant bay mare possessing a great neck, longer, finer poll and prominent bone in her face. Michael explained that he wanted to take all the great qualities that Kajora had and breed her to Anaza El Farid, a proven straight Egyptian stallion to produce a more exotic horse that was not only pretty but athletic. Gazal Al Shaqab was the desired end result and *Ansata Ibn Halima+? He is the maternal grandsire of Anaza El Farid through his daughter, Bint Deena.

quote from Saint diamonds.com

***Many thanks to Edouard Aldahdah for the photo of Halima, posted in his blog, Daughters of the Wind, November 2019. Also, I need to credit Judith for her photo of Kajora and of course, Hermann Marsian for his photo of *Ansata Ibn Halima and that brings us to the We Love Arabian horses podcast, one of my favorites and the school of thought inspired by the interview with Michael Byatt***

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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.

14 September, 2025

The Melancholy of September

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