Things You'll Need
- Access to a computer and/or library
- Ability to perform research and ask questions
Instructions
Identifying an Arabian Horse
Look at the head first. Arabian heads are usually concave, showing at least some dish between the ears and the nose. Some Arabians may have straight profiles, but their heads should be wedge shaped and short, with exceptional breadth between the eyes and a small muzzle. The nostrils will be delicate but able to flare extremely when animated. Ears should be tipped in, and smaller in the male than the female. The eyes of the Arabian are incomparable to other breeds. Huge, large, and lustrous, they should be dark and without any sign of white around the eye. Blue eyes are frowned upon and rarely, if ever, seen. When the dish is prominent in the face, it is highly desirable, and was referred to as the "jibbah" - which was the term the Bedouins used for this feature.
Examine the tail-set. Other breeds, such as the Saddlebred and Morgan, aspire to the tail-set of the Arabian and will use all manner of methods to achieve it. In the Arabian, the flagged tail is a natural trait, needing no cosmetic or trick to make it happen. The tail is carried arched well away from the body, and when in motion, is flagged high and sometimes even curled over the back in sheer "joy of life". Some say this is due to the Arabian backbone being one to two vertebra shorter than other breeds, but whether this is the cause, or it is simply a matter of the natural elegant carriage of the animal itself, is up for debate.
Look at the body. The body of the Arabian is shorter than most other breeds, and more square. The ideal Arabian should form a "three circle" horse, with each part - the forehand, the center, and the rear - all being approximately equal in balance, height, and substance. The neck should be longer rather than shorter, and arch from withers to poll. Where the head joins the neck is a very refined feature the Bedouins called the "mitbah". This feature made the head able to swivel on the neck, allowing freer movement and air intake. Typical size is 14.1-15.1 hands, with weights between 800-1100lbs. There are always a few above and below these averages. The overall impression should be one of tremendous strength in a smaller frame. Joints are large, bone dense and tendons clearly defined. Feet should be large and well rounded. Movement is another defining trait. The walk should be loose and free, with the back hoof overstepping the front hoof print. The trot should be "floating" - giving the impression of the horse all but flying across the ground without touching. The canter should be rounded and rocking, and the gallop, the natural gait of the Arabian at speed, should be clean, fast, and powerful.
Get up close and personal with the horse. The Arabian should be distinctively people-oriented. As a breed that relied entirely on humans for their survival in the desert, and often slept in the tents with their human masters, the breed must show high intelligence and interest in people and their interaction. Owners of Arabians will often compare them to large canines rather than compare them to other horse breeds. Arabians have been accused of being "hot" or "crazy", but this is often a direct result of taking their natural high intelligence and abusing it, or otherwise molding the animal into something it was not meant to be.