The following are excerpts from a precious article, Introducing the Asil Horse Of Khuzestan, written by the late Mary Gharagozlu and published on the WAHO website. This is one of those rare informative articles that lets Arab voices speak about what features to look for in an Arabian horse. The Bedouin quoted here is a leader from the Aal Kathir, a large branch of the Bani Lam Bedouins settled in Khuzestan (ex-Arabestan) in Southwestern Iran since the 1600s. Mary Gharagozlu (photo below) is the narrator. The foreign words used are in farsi, her native language. Read on, and savor the description of a good horse according to a Bedouin authority, all the way down to what he thinks of the “dish” and the flat croup. There. Sheikh Hajat of the Al Kathir, said to be one of the most authoritative men on the dispersal and fame of the strains of Khuzestan, lived not more than forty kilometers away. It was at the risk of becoming stuck in the mud that we decided to attempt to go to him. We had a fantastic drive which was more like sailing on a sea of mud than driving, but we eventually got there,…
There are a handful breeding programs in the USA that I follow closely, like Carrie Slayton’s in California, and Bev Davison’s in Idaho. They have the same bloodlines as I do, more or less, and we collaborate. Bev now has a few high-percentage Abbas Pasha Saqlawi horses for sale or lease, mostly males and some females. The grey five year colt, SpiritWind AhsahmMoon, is one that caught my eye. The senior stallion Subanet Jabbar SDA is also for sale. He is the sire of my Kinza. He has a nice chestnut 3 year old colt below, SpiritWind Jabani. Jabani is not for sale.
The late Danah Al Khalifa sure knew how to pick stallions for her Sitah-linebred mares. Georgous Rabdaan Muttaawi (Musannaan Al Meemar x Rabda Shaawieh by Burkaan D3) is just one example. He is the sire of the two full sisters Danika and Dhahabiah, bred by Danah. Dhahabiah is the one that died last week, sadly. Photo credit Jehangir Rustomjee, who has all the archives of Bahraini horses.
Bint Mayadah is doing very well for her new/old owner Steffi Weirich, who took the pictures in her pasture. I am very happy that Steffi took her on.
Badia Al Arab (Monologue CF x Barakah Al Arab by Wadd Al Arab), now a yearling, is slowly growing into an excellent filly. Thrilled about her, and sad about her half sister out of Wadha, which I lost a day after birth to an infection