Arabian horses

The Arabian breed is the purest and oldest existing breed.  For many, it is the most beautiful horse. There are artistic references to this animal at least 2,500 years before Christ, and the country most related to it is the desert. Later, with the conquest of the Muslims, the breed spread to the rest of the world.

It is a horse breed characterized by good health, intelligence and beauty.  One of its hallmarks is a short, fine head.  In this image, we can appreciate its profile, short and fine head and the arched curve of its neck.  Its withers are also rounded and its body long and straight.Its limbs are long and very powerful, with defined tendons.

Its nose and ears are small and its eyes are big. Its great mobility is owing to the arch that is formed with the union of the head and neck, called the mitbah, which allows it to change direction with ease and speed. Its walk is characteristic as it usually carries its tail very high and its head erect.  When racing, the elegance of its gallop makes contemplating it a marvel.

With a history of more than a thousand years, the Arabian horse has been an essential part in the best of other equine breeds.  The Arabian was the species selected by Europeans to improve the continental breeds, using Arabian sires to cross with European mares. The Bedouins have multiple legends about the horses as they believe these animals were a gift from Allah. One of the most beautiful myths says that Allah created the desert, the South wind and the horse that had the ability to fly without wings.

The most characteristic element of the Arabian horse is its strength. Its head has great mobility because of the arched curve of its neck.  Its eyes are lively and very expressive, always the color black, surrounded by a very fine skin on the eyelids.  The ears are small in proportion to the head, with convergent points and great mobility. Its height ranges between 143 and 152 centimeters normally and its tail has a high root with a silky feel like the mane.

A curious fact, they stand out in their peculiar bone formation with 17 ribs, while other breeds have 18, 5 lumbar bones, while others usually have 6, and 16 vertebrae, while the normal is 18.