The Institute for the Desert Arabian Horse’s preservation program

The Institute for the Desert Arabian Horse recently set up a preservation program for the rare and valuable lines of Al Khamsa Arabian horses in danger of extinction.

The program encourages breeders who happen to own horses from such lines and who are not in a position to either sustain these horses or otherwise breed them within the group of Arabian horses recognized as Al Khamsa, to donate or lease the horses to the Institute for the Desert Arabian Horse. The Institute then endeavors to breed these horses and eventually place them or their offspring in a preservation program.

So far two mares from the rare and precious Hamdani Simri strain tracing to the desert-bred mare *Samirah of royal House of Saud breeding have been placed in this program. These are ASF Ubeidiya (ASF Ezra x ASF Eudia by ASF David) and her daughter Jadah Kerasun (by ASF Raphael).  Both mares carry rare lines to early Al Khamsa Foundation Horses such as *El Bulad, *Nufoud, *Nedjran, *Farha as well as some of the very last lines to other Foundation Horses such as Mameluke, Kesia I and Kesia II.  Anita Enander, who is the Institute’s President has more about this program, which I feel is a major step towards concrete action on this front.