by the PTF

by the Al Khamsa Preservation Task Force

Al Khamsa’s Preservation Task Force has been in action for some years, and is currently re-evaluating its priorities and goals, in order to do the best job possible in preserving Al Khamsa rare lines and genetic material for the future. Kate Rhodes has joined Edouard Al Dahdah as co-chair, and a group of enthusiastic members are volunteering to get the Al Khamsa website and Social Media working together to help the cause.

There are multiple paths to preservation: rare Ancestral Elements, like Crane, where the whole Element is hanging by a thread; rare Foundation Horses like *Mirage, where his presence is scarce anywhere in a pedigree; and rare Tail Male or Tail Female lines, where *Wadduda, a mare that is not uncommon in the middle of a pedigree, is nearly gone in Tail Female.

Of course, there are breeding groups like the Babson-*Turfa group, and subdivisions of breeding groups like the Core Haifi within Davenport breeding, or special subsets of Straight Egyptian breeding like the El Deree sire line. The Preservation Task Force cannot take on everything, but supports efforts in support of all of these.

In fact, almost any line that is not Straight Egyptian (and some that are!) should be considered Endangered. All Combined Source bloodlines are especially at risk. Time has never been more urgent!

Some people might imagine that a line that is rare might be that way because of lack of quality, or beauty, or authenticity. However, in the vast majority of cases, this is just an accident of life. For instance, sire lines tend to diminish in number over time. This is a process that has been going on since the domestication of the horse, but it doesn’t mean only the best survives. It is often just the lucky.

If you feel you would like to be a part of Al Khamsa’s purpose in preserving bloodlines — such a worthwhile part! — please contact preservation@alkhamsa.org.

Taali Jmal, 1998 bay mare (Latif MA x Taali Monieta), traces in Tail Female to *Wadduda.

Listen to your horse. Watch your horse. Value your horse. And you will be rewarded beyond measure.

Brownstone Farm Our Farm Since 1972 Joe & Sharon Ferriss 1059 Lukesport Road • Quincy, MI 49082 Tel. (517) 639-4443 • e-mail: ferrissjs@dmcibb.net