Anglo-Arabian
Encyclopedia
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed
Horse breed
Horse breed is a broad term with no clear consensus as to definition, but most commonly refers to selectively bred populations of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a very broad sense to define landrace animals, or...

. It is a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 (thus, the prefix "Anglo") crossed with an Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...

. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa. It can also be a cross between either an Anglo-Arab and a Thoroughbred or, alternatively, an Anglo-Arab and an Arabian. Another permitted cross is between two Anglo-Arabians. No matter the cross, a horse must have a minimum 12.5% of Arabian blood to be considered an Anglo-Arabian.

France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 is one of the greatest producers of Anglo-Arabians. The French Anglo-Arab traces back to two stallions: the Arabian stud Massoud and Aslam, a "Turkish" horse, probably of the now-extinct Turkoman
Turkoman Horse
The Turkoman horse, or Turkmene, was an Oriental horse breed from the steppes of Central Asia, now extinct. Modern descendants include the Akhal-Teke and the Yamud horse breeds. Horses bred in Turkmenistan are still referred to as Turkoman, and have similar characteristics...

 or "Turkmene" breed. These Syrian
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

 imports were then crossed with a trio of Thoroughbreds, specifically, the Comus Mare, the Selim Mare, and Daer. Some years later, three of their daughters — Clovis, Danae, and Delphine — formed the foundation of the French Anglo-Arabian breeding program. The program's primary Anglo-Arab breeding farm, Pompadour National Anglo-Arab Stud, is located in Arnac-Pompadour
Arnac-Pompadour
Arnac-Pompadour is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.The city is famous for its chateau and its stud farm, the Pompadour National Anglo-Arab Stud, headquarters of the French National Stud and France's principal production centre of Anglo-Arabian horses.-History:Arnac was...

, a commune of central France's Corrèze
Corrèze
Corrèze is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River.The inhabitants of the department are called Corréziens or Corréziennes according to gender.-History:...

 department, home to the famous Château de Pompadour. In addition, the area serves as the French National Studs headquarters. The Anglo-Arabian possesses one of France's oldest studbooks, and the Selle Francais, the country's leading sport horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...

, still bears the stamp of significant Anglo-Arab influence.

In the past, the Anglo-Arab has been used for military purposes. However, at present, its most prominent occupation is that of a general riding or sport horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...

. The breed does well in eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...

, due to its stamina, speed, and jumping ability. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the Anglo-Arabian is considered a "part-bred" Arabian and, consequently, is registered within a separate section of the Arabian Horse Association
Arabian Horse Association
The Arabian Horse Association is the single national organization that is the only breed registry that registers Arabian horses in the United States...

.

Breed Characteristics

As a result of the different crosses that can produce an Anglo-Arabian, the size and appearance is noticeably variable. However, on average, an Anglo-Arabian is a bit taller than the average Arabian and of somewhat less refined type. The largest horses are usually produced by breeding a Thoroughbred mare to an Arabian stallion. The best examples of this breed inherit the refinement, good bone, and endurance of the Arabian, as well as the speed and scope of the Thoroughbred.

Anglo-Arabians average high. The most common colors are chestnut
Chestnut (color)
Chestnut, also known as Indian red, is a color, a medium brownish shade of red, and is named after the nut of the chestnut tree.As Indian red, it is named after the red laterite soil found in India. It is thus an earth tone as well as a red. It is composed of naturally occurring iron oxides. Other...

, bay
Bay (color)
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....

 (sometimes called "brown") or gray
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...

. The breed ideal is for a horse to have conformation that more strongly resembles the Arabian, though they should not look entirely like either a Thoroughbred or an Arabian. They have a long neck, prominent withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...

, a compact and strong body (sturdier than the Thoroughbred), a deep chest, and solid bone. Anglo-Arabians should have small, fine heads, similar to an Arabian, but they should not be overly "dished" in profile.

See also

  • Arabian horse
    Arabian horse
    The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...

  • Thoroughbred
    Thoroughbred
    The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

  • Sardinian Anglo-Arab
  • Gidran
    Gidran
    The Gidran, Gidrán, or Hungarian Anglo-Arab is a horse breed developed in Hungary from bloodstock that included the Arabian horse. All members of the breed are Chestnut. It is an endangered breed today, with only about 200 living representatives worldwide.The Gidran breed began its development in...

  • List of horse breeds
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