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Home , Arabian horse, Bandos (horse), Foundation stock, Horse breed, Horse breeding

How to Find the Perfect Match?

hree years ago Hans Nagel, former WAHO to counterbalance any possible faults of president and brilliantly successful the , but also of the . Trying by Monika Savier of Arabian for almost 60 years, to combine extremes will often go wrong. Tpresented his new book The Arabian Improving the breeding stock by taking – Nature’s Creation and the Art of small steps is preferable – which implies Breeding. This compendium of Arabian that the breeding plan needs to span several is way more than an generations, and good offspring cannot just informative and fascinating read for those be sold, but needs to be kept. That’s the only interested in the history and development way to consolidate the genetic make-up of of Arabian horses all over the world. Nagel’s your breeding stock: step by step. designated aim is to encourage to Which leads to that basic question of embark on the path of the art and science what to take as a guideline when trying to of selection, one of the foundations of find the ideally matching sire for your mare: successful breeding no matter whether for attend shows? Study pedigrees? Search for the racetrack or for Arabian shows. performance instead of beauty, or for the The basic prerequisite for planning matings combination of both? In his book, Hans is profound knowledge about all the Nagel first presents different approaches visible and the genetic traits of both dam to selecting for desired traits, then presents and sire – just importing a champion’s the methods of long-standing and famous semen is not enough if the breeder failed studs, also explaining and substantiating his to first make an honest assessment of the own methods of breeding on Katharinenhof in his and their potential of . The results are conclusive: you can do matching well with this stallion. It ought a lot of serious planning, but you will never to be basic knowledge for breeders that know, a hundred percent, what the is their mares will mainly reproduce their going to be like. His advice: put up your own genetic make-up, no matter which very own breeding goals, methods, and plan, stallion they choose. Objectively assessing and then just give the desired stallion a try one’s own mares, however, is not an easy with your mare – then you will know more. thing to do and is even painful sometimes. Find here some basic explanations of time- Strategic considerations need to be made tested breeding methods. Breeding Methods Explained

by Dr. Hans Joachim Nagel photos: G. Grasso, A. Khruscheva I. Klauenberg, W. Pawlowski, M. Savier, G. Waiditschka

Mares and heading out for pasture in Janow Podlaski, the legendary Polish state stud. In Polish breeding, overwhelming importance is allotted to the dam lines. Great care is taken that the high quality of these lines is preserved, since they are the basis for the female and also for the male side. Sires are mostly chosen from the stud’s own stock, with outside introduced only if new elements are required for the carefully monitored, long-term breeding aims Choice of Breeding Methods 1. A procedure with very little prestige is It is interesting to understand which to champions to champions in order methods are known and applied in to obtain a new champion, without paying today, and which are the much attention to their origin. Or, in the most applicable ones to horse breeding same mindset, to breed a decent mare to in general, and to the a champion stallion hoping that another specifically. This summary begins with the champion will be born. Most Arabian most basic one, and covers all possibilities horse enthusiasts seem to believe this to known today; there are no other secrets. be the fastest and easiest way to success, The art of breeding superior horses lies in because show wins are the ultimate aim. their proper application, combined with However, mostly the results are very careful, honest, intelligent and objective hazardous and doubtful, and the only evaluations. knowledge required is to know show The vast Russian state stud of Tersk is renowned world-wide. In-depth know-how of and a great number of horses made it possible for Tersk to set up a famous that is a cross breeding concept of different lines, all of them kept pure in the stud

results and keep trying and hoping for that one trait at a time is considered, but elusive champion. This kind of proceeding only for a certain period of time, often does not fall under any category of a one generation. As soon as this time is serious breeding program. over or the top priority trait has become consolidated, the next desired trait can be 2. Selection is the most efficient and main addressed – the next trait “rides tandem” breeding tool. Professor Lush, one of the after the first one. outstanding geneticists in the USA, gives the following brilliant definition:“Causing 5. One talks about “index breeding” when and permitting some kinds of individuals to more than one characteristic or trait is produce more offspring than other kinds do is favored through selection. Each of these selection. It is the number raised and added favored traits will be given a “ranking”, i.e., to the breeding herd, rather than the number a higher or lower index, and one would born which matters, since those which are born choose the offspring according to such but get no chance to reproduce cannot affect the a priority ranking. This system ideally composition of the future population”. requires a large population. In horse which are controlled by a central breeding 3. The next method, called single trait organization and under its guidance for selection, means to breed and select for improvement, such a system is often one trait only, for example, for the black applied. It is well known in breeding color or for speed. The first, to breed for or jumping horses. However, color, is undoubtedly the easier goal, since Arabian horse breeders seem to be too the heritability patterns for color are well individualistic to be subordinated by such known. The latter one, applied in race a planned and expensive, comprehensive horse breeding, requires considerable program. knowledge about the successful horse families and sires. 6. “” is very clearly fixed in its definition as: 4. A common method is called “tandem - breeding of father to daughter selection”. Basically, it’s a successive - breeding of son to mother method of single trait selection, as only - breeding of brother to sister BREEDING METHODS

Inbreeding: Full Sister to Full Brother

Mansour NAZEER Bint Samiha Morafic Sid Abouhom MABROUKA Moniet El Nefous ANSATA SHAH ZAMAN Mansour NAZEER Bint Samiha Ansata Bint Mabrouka Sid Abouhom MABROUKA Moniet El Nefous

Line Breeding: Within Bloodlines

Ibn Halima ANSATA HALIM SHAH Ansata Rosetta SALAA EL DINE Alaa El Din HANAN Mona NK NOURA SALAA EL DINE NAHAMAN Ameera NK Nabeelah SALAA EL DINE NASHUA Lotfeia

Cross Breeding: Egyptian/Polish Cross (Example)

Habdan Madkour I Mona I Jamil (Egyptian) Alaa El Din Hanan Mona VISION Negatiw Bandola Euni (Polish) Comet Eunice Epigona

Daily, the broodmare band of Tersk is led to pasture by herders riding Tersk-bred horses Weil / Marbach was a Royal stud before it became - breeding half sister to half brother is a horse. Cross breeding between Arabian a state stud. With foundation sire Bairactar and foundation mare Murana I, breeding started as early combination which some also consider to populations is common. The Arabians as 1817. The stud was the first in to adopt be inbreeding. Inbreeding is recommended of Iran or the breeds of Saudi a concept of breeding pure Arabians according to a systematic concept of breeding when the intent is to create a homogeneous Arabia bred to Polish or Egyptian horses population. fall into such a category, as does the so- called “golden cross” of breeding Egyptian 7. “Line breeding” can be considered a Arabians with those of Spanish origin. milder form of inbreeding. It is the attempt When bred to each other, one of the most to concentrate on a particular horse in the obvious results from cross breeding is pedigree who is admired and preferred, in the fact that such offspring are normally order to obtain offspring closely related to bigger and healthier horses and, often, the particular horse. This procedure allows gifted with superior performance. This many choices: from a very closely related extra power and vitality of the offspring is horse in the first or second generation called “ vigor”, highly appreciated in position to horses more distant or even far all disciplines where good performance is distant. In German terminology, one talks required. about “Blutanschluss” (closing the gap between blood relatives). Line breeding 9. “Outbreeding” means to breed two starts where inbreeding ends, which means different horse breeds with each other. The to breed uncles, aunts, cousins and more Anglo- and the are the distant relatives to each other. result of such a procedure.

8. Very well known is the “cross breeding” 10. The best example for the next method, method. Two horses of a certain origin the “upgrading system”, is the Shagya are far removed from each other in their horses of Babolna. Local Hungarian genetic make-up and are then mated country mares were used in the past as for the purpose of producing a better foundation mares to create this breed. They were crossed with Arabian stallions time pure-bred Arabian stallions were Weil, later Marbach, featured a systematic concept of breeding Egyptian Arabian lines. imported from the Arab countries. Their again introduced into such a population, Today, the stud is also renowned for its offspring were again bred to an Arabian in order to maintain the type. At such a comprehensive range of vocational training courses for equestrians, from grooms to stud managers, stallion and so on for several generations, time, the choice of the stallion becomes a from riders to riding instructors until the percentage of the Hungarian delicate matter, as it needs to be a special female part was greatly reduced. In this stallion who can add type but maintain way, the Shagya breed has been developed, the Shagya characteristics, and therefore and then, after a certain time, Shagya it generally requires the testing of several horses were bred to Shagya horses with stallions before a particular stallion can be excellent results. However, from time to used on a larger scale.

The famous Nazeer son Hadban Enzahi was exported to Marbach from . He founded a female line that is renowned up to today 11. In order to be complete, the “reciprocal technical term “probability”. Yet such recurrent selection” method should also a situation of uncertainty, whilst it can be mentioned, a system well known and never be eliminated, can be increasingly successfully applied in sheep and poultry better controlled, if one knows what to breeding. In such a case, individual male study and what to observe. The following lines and female lines are switched with explanation is a guideline for principal each other, and the selection of better considerations, and it is more specifically animals is then based on the performance explained in my previously published of the offspring of both crosses. For large book, “Hanan - The story of an Arabian populations and for a small number of Mare and of the Arabian breed”. selection criteria such a system is suitable. Perhaps the basic idea of this procedure might also lead to some interesting results Traits can be transferred from one in other breeds. At least, the principal generation to the other in a dominant idea is worthy of further consideration. form. For example, stallions are known From all of the above choices most who produce only grey offspring. This Arabian breeders, at least those who is dominance in color. Or they may are proud to have their own breeding consistently produce long ears, or good program, have applied the combined necks or bad front legs, or even, in “cross and/or line breeding system”. In very exceptional cases, every one of his very few cases the inbreeding system offspring looks like the sire himself. This has been used and then in a more or less is a massive dominance. In history, such sophisticated way in particular cases. stallions have existed. They were rare The best examples from the past of the to find and they could be the founder former are the Gainey Fountainhead of a whole new type or even breed. program and the Al-Marah program, and Horses who fit this mold to a greater of the latter is the early Egyptian and the or lesser degree are Nazeer (Mansour x Babson program. Bint Samiha), (Ibrahim x But there is another strong group as Jaskoulka), Ansata Ibn Halima (Nazeer well which has used cross breeding as x Halima), Ansata Halim Shah (Ansata its concept. They argue in favor of their Ibn Halima x Ansata Rosetta), NK Hafid program from their own successful Jamil (Ibn Nejdy x Helala), El Shaklan experience and can support it with well- (Shaker el Masri x Estopa), and Gazal Al known scientific reasons. The Polish and Shaqab (Anaza el Farid x Kajora). Russian studs have applied such a wider Dominance is, however, mostly partial. and alternative concept, as has been In practice, it concerns one trait, or a few explained previously. which are definitely transferred from one generation to the other. A close inspection Inheritance of the offspring of a certain stallion will What has been described above are disclose such abilities. Dominant traits different breeding concepts. Under each are visible, meaning they appear in the of these concepts particular procedures in phenotype. heritability will take place. How the traits of an animal are transferred to the next Recessivity generation, is a further and most exciting The classical example of this form of study and a great challenge in breeding. inheritance is the color. Only if An expression one should always one recessive trait meets another recessive remember when breeding animals is the trait, will the recessivity become evident. Babolna, Hungary’s historic state stud, has a tradition of training every horse that is intended for the breeding program to carriage and also to riding

The historic premises of Babolna, set in a scenic landscape, lend themselves to – a brilliant way of propagating the Arabian breed that Babolna has maintained with a century-old special breeding program

For example, if a chestnut horse is bred Intermediate Heritability to another chestnut horse, then a chestnut This is probably the most common form, foal will always be the result. Certain and the progeny will show traits, or a health problems are also known to be formation of traits, which are partly taken recessive. A horse who is a carrier of CID from the sire and partly from the dam. will only breed another CID horse when Body size, length of ears or carriage, both, sire and dam, are CID carriers. If and many other traits can be found in this only one parent is a carrier, the offspring category. The appearing trait is a medium may or may not be a carrier. Again, in or a mixture of both parents. certain populations there are definitely several traits which are inherited in such a Correlations form, but they are not easy to detect and This item describes two or more positive are mostly overlooked. traits which are linked, or negative traits El Zahraa, the state stud of , is where the pashas pooled the most refined horses they could find all over Arabia. The type they maintained here set world-wide standards A broodmare band in El Zahraa state stud. The stud which are linked at the same time. Also over two generations. This occurs where is renowned for their standards of horsekeeping as positive and negative traits are often found the sire and the sire of the dam “nick” well as for the horses themselves to be connected to each other or vice versa. perfectly together, and this is a well known A positive correlation is found when a formula for successful offspring, as has certain desirable characteristic brings with been explained in the Al-Marah Chapter. it another desirable characteristic; e.g., a In such a case, the mare line on the dam nice head and a finely sculptured beautiful side is practically overplayed, but this is neck. A positive and a negative correlation not always the case; normally it works only could be a beautiful round eye, but it when both sire and dam, on the female always comes with ears that are too long side, are already a good combination. Such in the same offspring. Such correlations situations are a very lucky find and would can be very strong and difficult to break, mean that progress can be made very and to change stallions or mares is often quickly for a breeding program. the only solution in order to overcome Nickability was and remains a successful such a problem. To work with mares who formula in most of the existing breeding themselves have several of such negatively programs, as it has also been in the connected traits means real trouble for the programs mentioned previously. Once whole breeding program. detected, it is a happy “ad hoc” situation. The efforts made to seek intensively for Nickability such combinations will be generously This occurs when a certain sire and a rewarded. As a fact and in general, it is certain mare always produce perfectly nice easier for a breeder to select for traits which foals. This is called “good nickability”, are visible - dominant ones - than which and such nickability might also work well are invisible i.e. recessive. The first can be is an important part of El Zahraas breeding concept: shaded paddocks provide exercise and social interaction. El Zahraa’s Straight Egyptians are registered in the most famous, and closed, stud book there is, producing high-quality offspring from that well consolidated stock and breeding program

immediately bred for selectively, possibly Stallions in one or two steps, but the second has to The stallion has considered to be the be discovered first, before selection can dynamic part. A stallion’s role is to bring take place. new, better, or additionally required improvements into the herd. Some traits The roles of Stallions and Mares can be influenced faster than others, as In addition to the above and whatever their heritability is higher. Body size is system is applied, certain remarks should highly hereditable, fertility is low, tail be made concerning the role and the carriage medium, just to name a few importance of stallions and mares. examples. It is apparently quite a common observation that the stallion has greater Mares influence on the front part of a horse and The historical Arabian breeders the mare has more on the hind part. strongly believed in the importance Advocates of this observation refer in this and superiority of a mare line. Modern respect to an obvious, easily recognizable research in genetics has confirmed this fact, when breeding a horse to a . idea, and the influence of a mare on her In such a case a hinney tends to have the foal is rated to be, at least, 10% higher front part of a horse and the rear part of a than the influence of the stallion. Also, donkey, while a resembles more the as a principle, the mare plays the role front part of a donkey and the hind part of of the more permanent and conserving a horse. This looks somewhat amusing and part. Her traits and characteristics are simple, but it does seem to be factual, since more solid, her structure is more difficult many results confirm such facts. to change, both in a positive and in a Even a suitably appealing stallion can, negative direction. Therefore, the choice after all that has been said above, either of the mare line, with all its traits, is of damage or boost a good population of vital importance for success. To upgrade horses tremendously, and it is advisable to a mare line is difficult and can take test a stallion carefully before he is used on generations. a larger number of mares. A stallion has to prove he is able to introduce the required about each registered pure-bred Arabian, improvements. However, it is possible to listing all of its known ancestors of certain use a stallion who, besides having some past generations and should be understood excellent and desirable characteristics, as follows: This horse goes back in all its also has certain unwanted faults which generations to stallions and mares which are clearly evident; for example, a very belong to one or the other Arabian strain, small stature or sickle-hocked hind legs. without any mixture or interference of any Two outstanding stallions illustrate the outside, foreign blood. value of intelligent breeding decisions and These so-called Arabian strains are knowledge, as Skowronek is an example cause for many breeders to have a lot of of the former, and NK Hafid Jamil of the unanswered questions; certain people have latter. Aswan, not perfect either, is the given them too great an importance. third one who was blessed to be in the The reality is different: hands of very wise breeders. Since one - To breed according to strains is obsolete. can obviously see the faults, they could be There is no base at all to do so. To breed of a dominant nature. However, if such a according to families is the correct way. stallion is bred to a correct mare, and only - Strains today are a nice ornament and a those offspring are retained for breeding historical remembrance. When these strain which do not show such a negative trait, names are used for the Katharinenhof the problem can be bred out, with the good horses as an affix, this should be seen as and desirable qualities hopefully retained. paying homage to traditional historical The three above mentioned stallions have habits. proved the truth of this conclusively, as - Strains are an old method of genealogy evidenced by their numerous outstanding according to the old Latin dictum of progeny. This is not possible when one has “mater semper certa est”. A strain relates to to deal with a recessive undesired trait. a cetain female line only; no consideration It has been noted many times that, of the corresponding sire, as stallions are although the dam and sire play the most not on record prior to about 150 years important roles, the grandparents also ago. The strain-name of the dam is given show a significant influence. The foal to all her offspring from generation to that is born is the object which needs to generation. However, a Siglawy horse in be studied closely. Consequently, prudent Iraq and a Siglawy horse in Egypt have breeders, when choosing a stallion, will ask practically nothing in common, unless to see the parents of a stallion before they it happened that they are from the same make a final decision. At the least, this family source. will minimize the risk of a mistake which - The origin of the strain names is obscure. would have been easy to discover. There are many stories and reports about how these strains and their names came up. ­Pure Breeding It appears that they relate to one particular This section deals with the genetic impact horse in history, who becomes the source of pure breeding. It has in principle of everything that follows. For curious no relationship to the term “pure-bred breeders, it is recommended to study the Arabian” which is used commonly by so-called “Abbas Pasha Manuscript” and the public in describing the Arabian other relative documents. breed. This terminology has a hist­orical The scientific approach regarding this connotation. The pedigree certificate issued purity is totally different. However, the issue by the appropriate National Society is the of purity created a great deal of confusion corresponding historical documentation when connected to the term “asil”, which has been used by a group of breeders, animal would be considered as “pure” in who applied this word only to a certain its genetic make-up, if its offspring look group of horses. The word “asil” (or “asyl”) alike and being alike means that their translates into the English word for “pure”. homozygeous are clearly in surplus. However, in the Arabian language the Compared to any other , the word “asil” is used to describe an authentic Arabian horse could still be considered to Arabian horse. It does not mean that there occupy a special position in this respect. exists a certain section within the breed Their degree of homozygosity is considered which deserves such a name. All Arabians to be higher than that of other breeds, an are pure or asil, and the ones which are of opinion generally accepted; how much, mixed blood are, in the understanding of however, they vary from each other is Bedouin breeders, simply not Arabians. different from case to case. An Arabian The fact that a horse has a long or a short with a lot of good Arabian points fitting pedigree – i.e., its known history is longer into a population indicates that it is a or shorter – does not qualify it for one or valuable member of the pure bred Arabian the other category. Only the definite proof population. that its blood is mixed to a certain degree All animals contain in their genetic make- makes it an “impure horse” and therefore up a certain percentage of homozygosity. not asil. Regrettably, history could not It is a general assumption that half of offer any reliable instrument or means of their genes are homozygeous. The other determining purity of blood, as there was remaining part is heterozygeous. When no blood test or DNA, such as is available homozygeous genes match each other in today. History offered only two choices: the process of proliferation, then in such a one is a matter of belief, and the other is the case the homozygosity increases and other reality of the living horse. It is realistic to variations will disappear. The practical assume that all of the early foreign buyers view for such increase is based on the who purchased their Arabians from the amount of inbreeding with the goal being hands of the , or those who chose to concentrate the desirable genetic material them as foundation horses for their studs and to preserve it for future generations. In were knowledgeable, and careful enough to order to obtain such a high percentage of give first priority to a physical examination homozygosity, a strong closed inbreeding or of the horse as such, before deciding line breeding programme must be applied. whether or not to purchase it. They were At the same time, this method increases probably aware that one should not believe the prepotency of every single horse. In too much in a Bedouin’s statement, and this applying such a programme however, fact is supported by the fact that the Abbas careful attention has to be paid to good Pasha emissaries asked as many witnesses or bad genes, since both types of genes as possible to authenticate their purchases, are or might be existent, and both types as is well documented in the Abbas can become dominant. In this respect Pashas manuscript. It is both illogical line breeding or inbreeding can become a and ludicrous that certain persons of the danger, but only if used carelessly or with present day should claim for themselves “stable blindness”. the legitimation to argue and to judge the Unfortunately, some of the known bad purity of present day Arabians on the basis genes relate to health problems and are of paperwork. Such ideas and proceedings recessive; they belong to the heterozygeous should be treated with contempt and part, such as S.C.I.D. or the C.A. condition. completely ignored. If the status of each horse is known, one can According to the scientific approach, an avoid the spreading of these negative traits by selective choice of stallion and mare. variations will even be better maintained About 350 Arabian horses of all ages are living in the marvelous State Stud of El Zahraa near Cairo with One can even eliminate such problems with the advantage that an animal can its unique oriental flair in certain groups of horses by adopting a adapt better to different conditons of clearly designed severe selection procedure. life, due to a higher degree of hybrid In order to embark upon a programme vigour. When all variations are exhausted, like the one at Katharinenhof, it is of vital progress comes to its end. The fear of close importance to examine the following: breeding - at this level - seems therefore, - To make sure that the basic stock is to increasingly lose its horror. free from such bad genes which would This above excursion is written only to influence the health of the offspring later inform people and make them aware on. about what they are doing and the risk - To choose such horses in which a certain that, theoretically, they may run when degree of inbreeding can be assumed and one is working with a small and limited which already have a higher degree of number of horses or a small genepool. homozygosity in their genetic make-up. Therefore, under practical aspects, a very In this respect, one can talk of a certain severe evaluation of all offspring born is percentage of inbreeding. needed and a strong degree of objectivity - The newest studies by computer is required in what to select and which simulation about breeding cousins to animals should be removed from the cousins, which takes place extensively herd. This will eliminate doubts and in certain breeding programmes, have worries later on. revealed that the so-called “genetic drift”, In considering the above, Katharinenhof ’s where certain gene variations increase and programme is based on a specific kind of others disappear, is rather positive, if it is line breeding and inbreeding, consisting done consistently. A certain degree of of 4 damlines and 1 sireline, in order to concentrate and to increase in this way the but only in one or the other trait for positive elements in the total population which they are selected. It must also be and yet leave enough room for variations. very clear that the is of Under this scheme, it is assumed that one vital importance. It has to be studied and finds in each of the chosen mare-lines known as well as possible. The El Zahraa specific positive elements which should Egyptian horse population was chosen be spread over the whole population. The as a source for Katharinenhof ’s concept, way to do so is by means of the stallions. mainly for three reasons: Hopefully, a stallion is born out of such - This population was not too big; a mare-family which has picked up such - It can be assumed that the homocygocity positive elements and is able to transmit had already reached a higher level; these elements into the other families. - The type of horse bred in El Zahraa This requires strong selection on the remained very close to the type of stallion side. Those who do not show Arabian which reflected an original type such positive traits or are not able to which described as “the Southern type”. transmit them, are not suitable and must The final result of such a method should be removed. As mentioned before, it is be the increase of desirable qualities of therefore quite important that stallions the whole group or in each family, and are chosen which are not too dominant, not only of a few single animals. m