Common Terminology and Definitions

These definitions are to help you understand some of the breeding groups and terminology used concerning arabian horses. Much more could be said about each of these groups/phrases, but in the interests of length, I have tried to 'keep it short'. If there is another term you would like to have defined here or you don't feel that a definition is accurate, please feel free to contact me.

An EXCELLENT site for more information is Cenpak's definitions page

  • Al Khamsa Those horses in North America that can be reasonably assumed to descend entirely from asil bedouin Arabian horses bred by the horse breeding tribes of the deserts of the Arabian pennisula, without admixture from sources unacceptable to Al Khamsa. Read more about this preservation group at the Al Khamsa site
  • American Foundation Arabian Horse Association Arabian Horses originally imported into North America were characteristic of the desert horse -- prized for their hardiness, substance, versatility, stamina, soundness, athletic ability and intelligence, without sacrifice of beauty and presence. The goal is to preserve and promote these qualities valued by the early breeders of Arabian horses in America and to ensure that horses with those same attributes will be available for future generations. est 2001 (rarely AK) This preservation effort originated in the US in 2002 (their website is: American Foundation Arabian Horse Association and contains three subgroups:
    • Early American Foundation Those horses whose ancestors trace 100% to the horses listed in AHR Volume V, registration numbers 1-2924.
    • American Foundation Those horses whose ancestors trace 100% to the horses listed in AHR Volumes I - X, registration numbers 1-16015.
    • American Foundation Bred Those horses whose ancestors trace 75% to the horses listed in AHR Volumes I - X, registration numbers 1-16015.
  • Asil An international organization for the preservation and rearing of the Asil Arabian horse. The Asil Arabian is a horse whose pedigree is exclusively based on Bedouin breeding of the Arabian peninsula, without any crossbreeding with nonArabian horses at any time. 'Asil' Arabians are only those hroses recognized by the Asil Organization. The Asil Arabian horse should have the riding qualities and characteristics of type which distinguish the desert Arabian The word 'asil', itself, is derived from the Arabic language and means pure, true, noble and genuine. (usually AK)
  • Babson (SBE)Commonly refers to all horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses imported by Henry Babson. Henry Babson did import horses which were not straight egyptian and these horses are not considered a part of this group. *Turfa is an example of an AK mare that Mr. Babson imported who is not straight egyptian. (always AK)
  • Babson/Brown Horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses imported by Henry Babson and those horses imported or bred by W.R. Brown (Maynesboro Stud) The Brown horses were discussed in the article: "Egyptian Breeding and W. R. Brown," Khamsat 6: 4 (November 1989): 13-15 written by Carol Schulz (always AK)
  • Babson/Serhabbas Horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses imported by Henry Babson or to the stallion Serhabbas, a stallion used/bred by Babson Farm. (always AK)
  • Babson/Sirecho Horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses imported by Henry Babson or to Sirecho (always AK)
  • Babson/*Turfa Horses for which every ancestor traces back to a SBE (straight Babson Egyptian) or the mare *Turfa also imported by Henry Babson (always AK)
  • Babson Farm Bred Horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses bred at Babson Farm (Mr. Babson also used non-SE horses in his breeding program; these horses are not included in this term) (always AK)
  • Bedouin Source 1) Horses that are listed in the Blue Arabian Horse Catalog as being "BLUE STAR". 2) *Wadduda. 3) *Ibn Hafiza. (always AK)
  • Blue List (elig) Originally published by Miss Jane Llewelln Ott as a catalog/list of horses proven to trace in every line directly to the Bedouin bred horses of the desert. Published in 1961, the Blue Arabian Horse Catalog (BAHC) is believed to be the first document in the US whose goal was the preservation of certain bloodlines within the Arabian horse. Because the catalog(s) obviously did not contain horses born after publication, horses born after the last publication date are considered 'Blue List eligible' if all parents trace back to horses listed in the BAHC. For more information go to this site concerning Blue List Arabians. It is also a wonderful source of information about some other preservation groups (always AK)
  • Blue List/Sublist Basilisk The Blue Catalogue 'sublisted' the mare Basilisk so these horses all descend from horses listed in the Blue Catalogue and the mare Basilisk. This group should more properly be referred to as 'sublist Basilisk' rather than BL/sublist Basilisk, however a number of people use the BL/sublist Basilisk terminology. Start a trend and refer to these animals correctly as 'sublist Basilisk' ;-) (always AK)
  • Blue List/Sublist Dwarka Horses that trace in all lines to horses in the BAHC or to the stallion Dwarka (the sire of *Aldebar). (always AK)
  • Blue List/Sublist Nureddin Horses that trace in all lines to horses in the BAHC or to the stallion *Nureddin II (but not to his granddaughter Sharima). (never AK)
  • Brown/Maynesboro Stud Horses that were imported by or bred by WR Brown at his Maynesboro Stud. (sometimes AK)
  • CMK all horses which meet the following criteria (rarely AK):
    • 75% or more by pedigree descended from CMK sources
    • tail sire line to CMK source
    • tail dam line established in North America by 1950
  • Colonial An Australian designation. Early Australian bloodlines, including some Crabbet.
  • Crabbet/Blunt Any horse that was bred by or ever owned by the Blunts whether it be at their Sheykh Obeyd Stud in Egypt or at the Crabbet Stud in England. Also any horse that was bred by or ever owned by the subsequent owners of Crabbet Stud until it's demise. (rarely AK)
  • Dam Line The 'ultimate' dam on the pedigree. The mare at the 'bottom' of the typically drawn pedigree. The dam's dam's dam's dam's...... dam.
  • Heirloom Egyptian Arabian horses descend entirely from the Al Khamsa Foundation Horses and their predecessors exported from Arabia Deserta before 1914 that figure in the pedigrees of the Root Mares and Root Stallions of the Royal Agricultural Society preservation breeding program. (always AK)
  • Davenport Horses descended entirely from the Historic Davenport Desert Arabian Stud. The group consists of individuals descending from horses imported by Homer Davenport in 1906 to the U. S. from Arabia, and, in some instances, in possible combination with pedigree elements from the Hamidie Society importation of 1893 to the U. S. from Arabia. (always AK)
  • Dickinson/Travelers Rest Horses that were imported by or bred by Brig. General J. M. Dickinson at his Travelers Rest Farm. (rarely AK)
  • Donoghue Any horse bred by Gerald Donoghue and family. (never AK)
  • GSB (incl. Crabbet) Any horse that was registered in Wetherby's General Stud Book (GSB), which is the registering body for Thoroughbreds in England and also was the Arabian Registry before the Arabian Horse Society of England came into being.
  • Harris Horses imported by or bred by Albert W. Harris. (rarely AK)
  • Heirloom/El Deree (HL/ED) Horses which trace in all lines to horses which are Heirloom or to the stallion El Deree. (always AK) For more information on this group, please visit their website at Heirloom El Deree Arabians
  • Kellogg Any horse bred by WK Kellogg, foaled at the Kellogg Ranch, or imported by WK Kellogg. Does not include horses bred after the Ranch was turned over to the Remount. (rarely AK)
  • Patton (Remount) The horses rescued by General Patton at the end of WW II and imported to the US by the US Government. (never AK)
  • Polish Any horse that was bred and/or foaled in Poland. The pre-WW I Russian horses are also included in this category. Many of the horses we traditionally consider Polish were actually bred in what was then Russia but have survived only through the Polish pedigrees. Skowronek is also included in this category, though he was foaled at a geographical location that was, and still is, inside the Russian border. (never AK)
  • Pritzlaff Horses which trace in all lines to horses imported or bred by Richard Pritzlaff (always AK)
  • Sire Line The 'ultimate' sire on the pedigree. The sire at the 'top' of the typically drawn pedigree. The sire's sire's sire's..... sire.
  • Sheykh Obeyd Bedouin Arabians who trace in all lines to Arabians originally introduced to Egypt by Abbas Pasha, Ali Pasha Sherif, Prince Ahmed Pasha Kemal, Khedive Abbas II, Ahmed Bey Sennari, Wilfrid and Lady Anne Blunt, and the Royal Agricultural Organization (RAS). (always AK)
  • Straight Babson Egyptian (SBE)Commonly refers to all horses for which every ancestor traces back to straight egyptian horses imported by Henry Babson. Henry Babson did import horses which were not straight egyptian and these horses are not considered a part of this group. *Turfa is an example of an AK mare that Mr. Babson imported who is not straight egyptian. (always AK)
  • Pyramid Society Egyptian first published in 1970
    • Straight Egyptian The definition - in part - is "a horse which traces in every line of its pedigree to a horse which is a numbered horse found in the Royal Agricultural Organization stud books beginning on page 45 of Volume 1 and ending on page 230 of Volume 4 (or) a horse which is a lineal ancestor of a horse described (above), or a horse which was conceived and born in a private stud program in Egypt and which was imported directly to the United States and registered by the Arabian Horse Registry of America prior to the extension of EAO supervision to private Egyptian stud programs as reflected in Volume 4 of the EAO stud book" (most, but not all, AK)
    • Egyptian Related Horses whose sire or both grandsires are considered to be straight egyptian. Horses whose dam is straight egyptian are excluded. This term/definition is/was used for horses born in 2004 and earlier.
    • Egyptian Sired horse, as defined by The Pyramid Society, is a purebred Arabian who is produced by breeding a Straight Egyptian stallion to a purebred Arabian mare who is not Straight Egyptian, beginning with registrations of 2005. All existing horses presently meeting the definition of Egyptian Bred/Related will be grandfathered in through the remainder of their lifetime. Only horses of certifiable ancestry are eligible for classification as Straight Egyptian or Egyptian Sired, as defined by The Pyramid Society, and therefore eligible for Society managed and promoted programs.
  • Russian Any horse that was bred and/or foaled in Russia after the inception of the Tersk breeding program around 1930. (RARELY AK)
  • Spanish Any horse that was bred and/or foaled in Spain. (never AK)
  • Sublist Basilisk The Blue Catalogue 'sublisted' the mare Basilisk so these horses all descend from horses listed in the Blue Catalogue and the mare Basilisk. (always AK)
  • Sublist Dwarka Horses that trace in all lines to horses in the BAHC or to the stallion Dwarka (the sire of *Aldebar). (always AK)
  • Sublist Nureddin Horses that trace in all lines to horses in the BAHC or to the stallion *Nureddin II (but not to his granddaughter Sharima). (not AK)
  • Veragua The horses owned by the Duke of Veragua in Spain; specifically the horses accepted as Purebred Arabian even though they could not be identified after the papers were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. (never AK)

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