Something About Nazeer

1st Nazeer portrait by Gladys Brown Edwards

Gladys Brown Edwards, a much beloved and respected artist, author and breed historian  painted a portrait of Nazeer, selected as the cover of the 1972 December issue of Arabian Horse World. The original painting was owned at one time, by the late straight Egyptian breeder, Robert E. Cowling. 

2nd Nazeer portrait by Gladys Brown Edwards

Almost 10 years later, Gladys Brown Edwards painted a second portrait of Nazeer, one in a series of 7 paintings she created for the Arabian Horse Association of Southern California, in recognition of her 50+ year career with the Arabian horse breed. 

Nazeer, a masculine name of Arabic origin signifies vigilance, wisdom and guidance, qualities most often attributed to a prophet. While Nazeer, as a living, breathing individual was before my time (he was foaled in 1934); paintings, like the GBE portraits and photos of Nazeer were a good introduction to him. Still, I wish that I had the opportunity to see Nazeer in real life, to stand in front of me, in all his magnificence, as he had for people like Dr. Hans Nagel and Judith Forbis. In all the photos I have seen, I never got the sense that Nazeer was smaller in stature, approximately 14.2 hands. Maybe his significance in straight Egyptian breeding created a "larger-than-life" impression that also carried over to his physicality? 

Do you also know that Nazeer was more than 12 years old, when General Tibor Pettko von Szandtner found him at a private racing stable and brought him to the EAO for breeding? 

In his wonderful book, Hanan-The Story of an Arabian Mare and of the Arabian Breed, Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel wonders why it took so long for someone to recognize Nazeer's value and include Nazeer within the EAO breeding program. Not only were his hocks poor, Nazeer had uneven front hoofs. Could this be the reason?  Dr. Nagel explains that Nazeer's neck was shorter in length than normal and in order to graze, he had to spread his front legs apart, the left front leg placed behind, while the right front leg was placed forward.  While the right front hoof remained flat on the ground; greater weight was borne by the tip of the left front hoof, giving the heel room to grow. As a consequence of this behavior, Dr. Nagel explained, a club foot develops.  So it is important to state that the club foot in Nazeer's case occurred as a behavioral defect, rather than a hereditary defect he can pass onto his get. 

I've owned the Hanan book for many years and have read it several times. It's one of my favorite books and I am sure it is yours too and if you don't own a copy, I strongly encourage you to look online for an available copy.