A Synopsis OF Desert Type

In his 17th century classic, entitled Rashaat Al-Midad Fi Al-Safinat Al-Jiad, Shaikh Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-bakhshi Al Bakfaluni Al-Halabi presented a chapter on Arabian horse type, colors, markings, and ideals. Unless specifically referenced to another source, the reader should assume that all description of the desert type have been taken from the translation of Halabi's book and thus represent desert type as of the 17th century.

The Head

Considered as a whole, the head should be relatively long, and should not tilt to the side while the horse is running. the ears are long, thin, and pointed. The forelock is neither to thick nor to thin, the forelock should not cover the eyes. The eyes, themselves, are long. It is preferred that the eyes are free of major whiteness, blackness,or blue color. The cheeks should be long and relatively free of flesh. the nose should also be relatively long. The end of the jaw bones, The muzzle, the mouth, and the nostrils should be wide. a convex muzzle is frowned upon. The lips, tongue, and teeth should be thin. it will continue

width between the jaw bones near the throat is prized. The profile of the head should be relatively straight, and a pronounced dish is to be avoided, although the illusion of a dish caused by a prominent Jabha (outwardly bulge on the forehead ) is acceptable.

In Banu Sanhadja opinions many of the above qualities appear to be
subservient to increased air flow for the horse. For example, width between jaws, as well as a wide muzzle, mouth, and nostrils, appears to be serving the family the function nostrils appears to be serving the function of increased airflow.

The Neck:

The neck should be long in addition the neck should be thick and and wide at the base" Further,the neck should be smooth and high.


The Body:

The belly hips, and shoulders should be wide. the shoulders should also be pointed and one hip being higher than the other is dislike. The chest should be wide but should be relatively free of flesh. The ribs should be high so as to create a considerable space for the inner part of the body. the back should be short, and the withers should be relatively close to the croup. The Sahwa (i.e the place on the back where the rider would sit) should not be greatly lower than the Qatat (i.e. the place on the top line where a second rider would sit behind the primary rider). The waist (Flank) should not be protruding.

The Legs:

In general, it is preferred that the legs have some curves to them. such curving is referred to as Tajnib in the hind legs and as Tajnib in the forelegs. (note; "Tajnib" implies a view from the side, and would indicate that the hind legs should not be too upright. we are unable to supply more definition for Tahnib in English) The distance between the legs should not be long. The forearms and thighs should not be long, and the thighs should be wide and thick. Otherwise, the legs should be relatively free of flesh. The cannons and pasterns should be short, as it is stated that the four cannon bones should be close to the hooves, and the four "knees" should be close to the pasterns. The pasterns should not be upright, The hocks should be pointed and the four"knees" should be thick. the hooves should be tough, and resistant to peeling. The hooves should also be wide and shape like a cup. The hair and mane and tail should be long: the root of the tail should be short and without any pronounced curve. Body hair should be thin and short, The skin should be smooth and sleek, which is considered the mark of nobility in an Arabian horse, A low and thick boned horse is disliked. The placement of the tail should be relatively high, but should not exceed the high point of the croup.

Conclusions

Quite obviously the above description of the desert type does not give every detail that every person might want. Further some of the points may seem somewhat ambiguous, for example, exactly what is implied by Tahnib"? However,even with these limitations, some of the points presented above in the brief synopsis of desert type may be a surprise to some western readers, For example the Al-Halabi manuscript certainly contradict the notion of a tea a "teacup muzzle" other points may be equally surprising to some readers.

However, despite such surprises, the reader must bear in mind that the vast majority of the information conveyed is taken from the 17th century Arabic text on Arabian horses. In the final analysis, If we are going to value and breed for desert type, we must realize that Western travelers to the middle East may well have formulated their description of Arabian horses based upon European or American eyes and standards. In contrast, the Al Halabi manuscript presents the Arabian horse through the eye of a 17th century Arab.

finally, it should be noted that, the above description is a pretty fair fit with Bani Sham Arabians and Also with Banu Sanhadja Arabians in North America and in Syria, Jordan, and in the Mahgribi. This may not be the standard of the modern American show rings, but it is the Bedouin standard. Fortunately, The Bani Sham Arabians and Asil Desert type breeders continue to conform to the latter standard.

What is old desert bred Egyptian breeding

Old Desert Bred Egyptian breeding is a small group of Arabian horses who descend in every line from the desert horses gathered by the Royal Egyptian breeders of the 19th and early 20th century. Amazingly, a small number of these horses, around 800 world wide, have survived in pure form to modern times. They are primarily straight Egyptian, all are Al Khamsa and can be traced exclusively to the Egypt 1, 2 and Blunt ancestral elements, as defined by Al Khamsa Arabians in 1983. The Egypt 1 ancestral element includes foundation horses from the breeders Abbas Pasha (22 horses), Ali Pasha Sherif (8 horses), Prince Ahmed Pasha Kemal (7 horses), Khedive Abbas II (3 horses), Ahmed Bey Sennari (3 horses); the Blunt ancestral element comes from Lady Anne Blunt (15 horses); the Egypt 2 ancestral element from the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) of Egypt (8 horses).Lady Anne developed close ties with the Egyptian breeders who shared her devotion to the meticulous breeding philosophies of the Bedouin. The group included Ali Pasha Sherif, Prince Ahmed Pasha Kemal, Prince Mohamed Ali and Dr. Branch of the RAS.

Foundation Horses of the RAS

Aiglon	Eid	Mashaan
Badaouia	Leila	Nabras

Prince Kemal El-Dine Hussein

Prince Kemal El-Dine was heir and successor to the throne of Egypt. When his father Sultan Hussein died in 1917 Prince Kemal El-Dine declined the throne as he had no ambition to take his place or that of Abbas II and nor was he attracted by the prospect of being a figure head ruler under the control of the British.

The prince was an avid sportsman and maintained several splendid palaces and hunting lodges as well as superb stables for his Arabian horses. Prince Kemal El-Dine was one of the most influential breeders in the early 1900s. However, exports from his stables were not numerous and *Bint Serra I, imported in 1932 by Henry Babson to the United States, remains his most famous mare.

It is said that there was a great rivalry between Prince Kemal El-Dine and Prince Mohammed Ali over their horses. Prince Kemal El-Dine was a donor to the R.A.S. and often borrowed horses from them for his own breeding program. Sadly, no records remain of this outstanding stud, except for references in the Egyptian studbooks.

Foundation Horses of Prince Ahmed Pasha Kemal, APK (F)

Donia	Maanagia Hadragia	Rabda
Freiha Al Hamra	Meanagi Sebeli
Jamil El Kebir	Obeyan

Foundation Horses of Ahmed Bey Sennari, EGY (F)

Gazza

Koheilan El Mossen

Muniet El Nefous

Foundation Horses of Khedive Abbas II, KDV (F)

Bint El Bahreyn

Halabia

Venus

Foundation Horses of Lady Anne and Wilfred Blunt, Blunt (F)

Azrek	Jerboa (BLT)	Queen of Sheba
Basilisk	Kars	Rodania
Dajania	Meshura	Saadun
Ferida	Pharaoh	Sherifa
Hadban (BLT)	Proximo

Foundation Horses of Ali Pasha Sherif, APS (F)

Dahmeh Shahwaniyah	Mahroussa (APS)	Sabha El Zarka
El Dahma	Nader El Kebir	Saklawi I
Gharran	Nura El Kebira

Foundation Horses of Abbas Pasha, AP (F)

Ghazieh (AP)	Ra'is	Talqah
Hajlah	Raqabah	Udayha
Harka	Samha (AP)	Wadihah (Dahmah)
Jathimah	Selma (AP)	Wadihah (Shueymah)
Jellabiet Feysul	Shalfa	WaziriAl-Auwal
Miskah	Shueyma	Zobeyni
Najib (AP)	Shuwayman As-Sabbah
Qumiz	Sueyd

What is a Bani Sham Syrian bred horse?

DEFINITION: Syrian Arabian horses are 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 Syria Arabia, and, in some instances, in possible combination with pedigree elements from the Hamidie Society importation of 1893 to the U. S. from Arabia. The Syrian horses were written about, ridden, publicized, shown, raced, and bred to almost every other kind of Arabian that came to this country. They seemed to do fine regardless of what was asked of them. They had a unique capability as a bloodline: they endured Everything else that came to this country this is a breeding history of 85 years duration here in America now: a long, long time.

The Syrian horses has a special gift for many people who have had experience with various kinds of Arabians they will observe that Syrian are different; still requiring of horsemanship, but easier to handle, most of them exceptionally intelligent, These bloodlines have persisted since 1906, while retaining the essential factors of identity which they had from the beginning. This is so to point that, if we could have a conference with some of the old-time founding breeders of Arabians in America, they would still recognize what is call Syrian Arabians they are the same kind of horses today as there ancestor are today when they first came here from the desert: nice moderate-sized, athletic horses that are friendly and look like and are the real thing. they still show family characteristics that come from the old horses: *Haleb's balance, *Reshan's coat, *Abeyah's jibbah, *Hamrah's coupling, *Muson's vitality, a certain inner spark that may have come from *Wadduda, if it did not also come from all the others.

These are characteristics that the desert bred breeders today have prized enough to keep these bloodlines going. In all the generations of horses since 1906, there have no doubt been many times when desert breeders went to considerable trouble to maintain matings between Syrian horses, although it has nearly always been an easy option to instead do attractive out cross matings. Sometimes survival has been by a thin thread of devotion, but it has held and the horses are still with us as a blessing for the present, and as an example of continuity in the breeding of Arabian horses in America.

Why are they called Bani Sham Syrian Arabians?

Who is Bani Sham Syrian Arabians? The children of Syria: "They are the horses of greater Syria more specifically, they are those horses which traces in all lines of their pedigree to Arabian horses whose recorded origin lies exculusively within the greater Syria of the 18th, 19th, and 20th, centuries; they are Known Asil Arabians horses known by Bedouin tribes and Arabian Horse expert and Historians in Syria; and have known Rasan (strain and Substrains' which Arabian horses must meet these rigorous criteria. they are also those Arabian horses which trace exclusively to those horses registered by the Arabian Horse registry of America as having been imported from greater Syria by Homer davenport in 1906; the horses registered by the Arabian Horse registry of North America which were impoted from greater Syria by the Hamidie-Hippodrome Society in 1893, provided that a complete Rasan is known for each horse. the straight-Syrian foundation horses listed in the Syrian Arab Horse Stud book Vol.1 These are the horses that comprise bani Sham, that deserve that supreme honor of being called "Straight Syrian", and that reprsent the epitome of purity in the Arabian breed.

Banu Sanhadja Breeding focus

Our focus

To breed old desert blood to more recent straight desert bred blood lines. (ex. Syrian horses (Davenport) to straight Saudi Blue Star breeding, Saudi combine Old Egyptian desert bred breeding, The newest desert blood the Bahrain import Stallion who is the only one that exist in America. These combination's of the first true Asil desert blood lines would be endless and altogether possible so long we keep retaining directional reproducing the original sources and groups, thereby keeping intact and so retaining directional options. Our goal here at Banu Sanhadja is to maintain selection as nearly as possible to the same standards employed by our ancient Bedouin forefathers they are the original true Asil desert bred breeders and still are today.

Seerah Of Sahanad

Sahanad as follows: "The foundation mare from which Sahanad traces is *Wadduda born in 1899. The most famous mare of the Davenport importation and a renowned war mare, she had the scars of battle as proof. *Wadduda's daughter Aared (sired by *Obeyran of the Hamidie importation), produced Sedjur (x *Hamrah) who through her daughter Bint Sedjur and granddaughter Bint Sahara have left one of the most outstanding lines in show ring history. Aared's granddaughter Jadur (Jadaan x Sedjur) produced Sahabet who is the dam of Sahanad. "Sahanad's first 7 foals were not by Al Khamsa sires and also her last foal in 1984. Sahanad's first Al Khamsa daughter is Aziza Serr Anadah owned by Diane Acox, who was foaled in 1973, a black mare by *Adhem, a black stallion imported from Egypt by the highly regarded Alaa El Din. Through 1989 Aziza Serr Anadah has produced 11 foals(5 black) including 4 daughters who have all produced foals themselves two of which are triple Sahanad! They are found throughout the U.S. from California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Minnesota, to Illinois and elsewhere." "As regards the 'missing' Sahanad daughter, Sahanade she was literally found in the deep woods of Oregon and had produced no foals by the age of seven. Sahanade was foaled in 1978 by *Adhem x Sahanad and she was Sahanad's first Al Khamsa daughter, Aziza Serr Anadah." "Sahanade came here to Idaho in 1985 and was bred to the black/bay straight Egyptian stallion Moss Hill Karim (Sar Fadl Halim x Sar Fa Mora) resulting in the 1986 black filly, Sahanadah (a show champion). In 1987 Sahanade produced another filly, the chestnut Bint Bint Sahanad (lst place winner), by the imported straight Egyptian stallion *Hatef(*Sultann x Ibtsam) and in 1988 Sahanade produced another filly, the chestnut colt Ibn Bint Adhem. Sahanade is now owned by Wil and Leslie Van Hook of Nampa, Idaho who are justifiably proud of her." With her late start, Sahanade has some way to go to catch up with her prolific sister Aziza Serr Anadah, but she has made an excellent start and has helped to assure a solid Al Khamsa continuation of the tail female line of a very worthy mare, Sahanad.