Hilal Al Waab was born in 2015 at the legendary Al Waab Stud in Qatar. He is one of the stunning stars from the collection of straight Egyptian horses bred there by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalid Al Thani.
His career as a show stallion has been equally successful. Two World Champion titles, several Gold Champion titles in Europe and the Middle East and he is also the sire of Gold Champion foals.
This has resulted in Hilal Al Waab entering the Hall of Fame of Straight Egyptians as a top sire. His outstanding pedigree is a testament to his success.
Thanks to his owner, Mr Abed S Burqan, we are pleased to announce that Hilal Al Waab is available to breeders in Europe with fresh quality semen.
Please ask for the favorable summer stud fee for late bookers.
photos by Jennifer Ogden
Desert Heritage Magazine n.70
iscr. trib. di Milano n. 466 del 20/09/02 Expedition in A.P. 70% Milano
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Writers
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Joseph Ferriss
Giorgia Mauri
Monika Savier
Judith Wenning
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Pag. 20 Breeding Straight Egyptian Arabians in Italy. Al Murad Stud - part.I
Pag. 29 Victor Adam. Refinement and Elegance
Pag. 37 The Sculptor Jenna Gearing from Clay to Soul
Pag. 53 The Class of ‘59
Pag. 63 Simone Bergamaschi photogallery
Pag. 78 Female Choice
Pag. 102 Reflecting on Hadban Egyptian Stallions
NK Nizam x NK Abla
Offspring of the Stallions
NK NABHAN, NK NIZAM and NK AMAL EL DINE
NK NABHAN NK NIZAM
NK Nadeer x NK Nerham
NK Hafid Jamil x NK Nadirah
ph. Joanna Jonientz
NK NAJDIYA
NK NAWAAL
NK Nabhan x NK Nazli
NK Nabhan x NK Nakibya
ph.
Joanna
Jonientz
NK ALISSIA
NK HAWA
NK Nizam x NK Ninnifee
NK Nasr El Dine x NK Alia
ph. Joanna Jonientz
ph. Jennifer Ogden
Mares the a rabian h orses in i taly
At our stud, we proudly uphold traditions of Arabian horse breeding. We do not do any embryo transfers. Every foal is an A-foal, carried by their biological mother and raised in the healthiest, most nurturing environment in Italy.
TB malala
*2021 (Nabeel Al Khaled x TB Muneera) Siglawy Jedran Ibn Sudan strain
tre balzane stud | h
(Fa Medu Neter x Egyptian Asinah by Ansata Sinan) In foal to Mansour Al Murad Siglawy Jedran Ibn Sudan strain
amoun HadiyaH
*2021 (Jaffal Al Rayyan x Amoun Halisha)
Strain: Dahman Shawaniyah
TB HeBa
(NK Sharaf El Dine x TB Hasna)
Strain: Obayan Om Grees
In foal to Naseem Al Rashediah
www.straightegyptians.it
TB Hejaziya
(Ramses x TB Hasna)
Strain: Obayan Om Grees
06044 Castel Ritaldi, Umbria - ITALY
AL MURAD STUD
The Siglawy Jedran i bn Sudan FaM ily OF MaySO una h ali Ma
by Monika Savier
Photos: Jennifer Ogden, Monika Savier
When it comes to Arabian horse breeding today, the way horses are bred and marketed in the Gulf states sets the standard. In Western European countries such as Italy, resistance is growing. Italy has contributed to the preservation of Arabian horse breeding over the last century and they can now be found in many of the pedigrees of the champions in the Gulf.
Just as some Gallic villages successfully resisted Roman colonisation throughout Europe 2000 years ago, there are still small stud farms in Italy that breed successfully in the shadow of commercial shows. Italian breeders have a particular fondness for Straight Egyptian Arabians and are enthusiastic about the cultural and historical context of their horses. Their ideas are inspired by the flow of time in terms of beauty, health and originality.
One of these stud farms is AL MURAD STUD.
From Apulia, in the deep south of Italy, the Al Murad stud farm has made its way to the centre of Italy. Today, the Al Murad horses are held in the stables and pastures of the Tre Balzane stud farm in Umbria.
Arabian horses have fascinated dentist Maurizio Morra Greco since his childhood. As an international art collector and president of a museum in Naples (fondazionemorragreco.com), he developed a close relationship with these beautiful animals, which have made history like no other.
In 2015 Morra Greco started looking for suitable mares as the basis for his breeding programme.
The first one he chose for his starting point was a direct hit: MAYSOUNA HALIMA. She was born at Ponath Arabians in Germany. With her, he established his Siglawy Jedran Ibn Sudan family at the stud.
MayS ouna hali Ma
(Maysoun x Moufisa al kidir by al kidir)
Man S our al Murad
(ansata nile echo x Maysouna halima)
Maysouna Halima gave him two high-quality fillies, which are now used as broodmares at Al Murad stud:
MAYFOUZA by El Thay Mahfouz and ZAHAARA AL MURAD by Nabeel Al Rayyan.
WHO WAS MAYSOUNA HALIMA?
Her sire, MAYSOUN, was one of the three most famous sons of Ansata Halim Shah. Her dam, Maysouna, was bred by Dr Nagel, who had selected her specifically for breeding with Ansata Halim Shah. Maysoun has more than 300 registered foals, many are show winners and successful performance horses. Her dam, MOUFISA Al KIDIR, was the daughter of the well-known stallion Al Kidir by THEEGYPTIANPRINCE out of AK KHATTAARA. Al Kidir was bred in the USA by the famous breeder Douglas B. Marshall, Gleannloch Farms, Texas. He was later imported to Germany and was owned by Ponath Arabian Stud. He distinguished himself as an outstanding type producer, which was probably also due to his beautiful dam AK Khattaara, who had famous offspring. She was imported from the USA to Italy and later sold to the Gulf region.
Zahaara a l Murad (nabeel al r ayyan x Maysouna halima)
• Desert Heritage Magazine 22
Mayfou S a
(el Thay Mahfouz x Maysouna halima)
Mayfou S a
(el Thay Mahfouz x Maysouna halima)
Man S our al M urad
Desert Heritage Magazine
an S aTa hali M S hah
MANSOUR AL MURAD * 2017, iTaly
an S aTa nile e C ho
MayS ouna hali Ma
an S aTa he J a Z i
an S aTa S udarra
P rin C e fa M onie T
MayS ouna al kidir M oufi S a hali Ma an S aTa W hi T e nile MayS oun M oufi S a al kidir
an S aTa nile G if T
an S aTa hali M S hah
MANSOUR AL MURAD WAS HeR LegAcY TO THe bReeDINg WORLD. Before Maysouna Halima tragically passed away, she gave birth to an exceptional colt by famous Ansata Nile Echo. MANSOUR AL MURAD. He was to be her legacy to the breeding world, which was looking for a healthy and good-looking sire.
MANSOUR AL MURAD - not only has the genetic pool of his outstanding dam, but he is also the son of top producer ANSATA NILE ECHO, who through his sire Ansata Hejazi continues his successful dam line. Both grandsires are sons of Ansata Halim Shah.
The dam line of Ansata Nile Echo, the legendary ‘Nile line’, is probably the most successful line in the globalised Ansata breeding programme.
HOW cAN YOU Rec O gNISe A gOOD bReeDINg STALLION TODAY?
The stallion must be beautiful, perfect in type, conformation and functionality. And he must have a healthy, good character. All these characteristics can no longer be reliably assessed at a show or in competitive sport. That is why most purebred Egyptians have long since stayed away from Arabian shows. Those who are sceptical about photos and video clips and do not have the opportunity to get to know the stallion in person, have a second chance to assess his qualities: they should look at his offspring.
At Tre Balzane Stud, the stallion Mansour Al Murad and his six beautiful fillies can be viewed. His fresh semen is available at a fair price and is of very good quality. Thanks to a new generation of extenders, the fresh semen can be kept for several days and shipped throughout Europe.
The Daughters of Mansour Al Murad
Saida al Murad (Mansour al Murad x dhakira halima)
aM ira al Murad (Mansour al Murad x r adalidaa)
Sel Ma a l Murad (Mansour al Murad x Mufajaa al Murad )
• Desert Heritage Magazine
n ayla a l Murad by Jamil al r ayyan
n a J ya a l Murad
(Mansour al Murad x el Thay k aya)
n a J ya a l Murad
(Mansour al Murad x el Thay k aya)
Take advantage of our passion for horses, our experience and our highly qualified team and a reliable, world-wide network of selected partners.
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p completion of all export documents and customs formalities
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p flight attendance by professional grooms
Victor Adam
The Art of Refinement and Elegance
n by Judith Wenning
Victor Adam was born in Paris in the year 1801. Bearing the same family name as the German artist Albrecht Adam was by the way just a coincidence – the two were not related. Victor Adam was the son of the esteemed engraver Jean Adam, who gave him his first drawing lessons. Already at athe age of 13, Victor Adam entered the French academy “École des Beaux Arts”. Here he studied for four years. At the same time, Victor Adam learned also in the ateliers of Meynier and Régnault.
In the 19th century the Salon in Paris played a very important role. It was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. The Salons took place annually or biannually and were the greatest art events in the Western world. Showing at the Salon in Paris was essential for any artist to become successful. A critical jury often rejected works so that they could not be exhibited, or – in the best case – awarded prizes to the artists. Printed catalogues of the Salons are today important documents for art historians.
Portrait of the artist Victor Adam (Paris 1801 – Viroflay 1866).
Of course, Victor Adam was excited about showing his work at the famous Salons. When Victor Adam was 18 years old, he debuted in public at the Salon with his work. His historic painting was very well received - a great start for the young artist! In 1819 he exhibited
“Herminia succouring Tancred”. Almost immediately afterwards, he received the commission to paint various subjects for the Museum at Versailles. In the following years, he regularly showed his paintings at the Salons. His great artistic talent and especially his
Detail of “Tetouan” (Etalon du Maroc), 19th century lithograph by Godard.
“TWO BAY ARABIANS”, 19th century lithograph on tinted paper.
“Jumping Stallion”, 19th century lithograph.
unusual gift for drawing met much recognition from the public. At the Paris Salons, he was awarded a gold medal in 1824 and a secondclass medal in 1836. Later on, he received several more from Lille, Douai and other cities. After exhibiting numerous important paintings, he retired from publicity in 1838. When he started to show again his work in 1846, he restricted himself to lithography. Victor Adam proved to be an expert in this branch of art. Victor Adam left a huge opus of almost 8000 prints. Despite
his impressive paintings, his works in oil and in chalk, Victor Adam is first of all known through his fantastic lithographs.
Victor Adam left us impressive hunting and battle scenes. He was very passionate about Arabian horses and loved to depict them again and again. His lithographs of Arabians are treasures. They are easily recognizable: Victor Adam drew the Arabian in a delicate and sensitive style. Some lithographs seem almost
Detail of “CHASSE AU TIGRE”, very rare 19th century lithograph.
“DJODAR RACE, EL BEDAIVOUI (Etalon Arabe)”, 19th century lithograph by Lemercier.
“ELEGANT LADY RIDING AN ARABIAN STALLION”, 19th century lithograph by Lemercier.
fragile in a very positive way. Victor Adam’s Arabians are very noble, with small, beautiful heads and huge, well-rounded, often fiery eyes. They are extremely typey horses and have rounded bodies with strong, but elegant legs. Exotic, charismatic Arabians were Victor Adam’s favorites. They appear light-footed, moving effortless over the ground.
Victor Adam depicted European noblemen and generals riding Arabians. He was an avid follower of Napoleon Bonaparte, immortalizing him in numerous pictures. Victor Adam’s portraits show Napoleon with his favorite Arabian stallion, as well as European kings and queens with their steeds. His works comprise also unique pictures of Spahis or of Islamic leaders, as for example Mohammed Ali – the Viceroy of Egypt – or Abd el Kader on their noble Arabian horses.
“ARABIAN STALLION”, 19th century lithograph.
“LOUIS II, ROI D’ITALIE, CHASSE LES SARRASINS DE BARI”, 19th century lithograph by Lemercier.
Some of Victor Adam’s most beautiful lithographs show Arabian horses in their natural environment. The pale background often strongly reminds us of the bright, light colors of the desert. A number of Victor Adam’s pictures are enhanced by a beautifully drawn framework, consisting of Oriental accessories like “Khanjars” (i.e. Arabian daggers) or “Djerids” (i.e. spears). Occasionally, Victor Adam signed his paintings just with his monogram “V.A.” or they were not signed at all.
After a very prolific life, Victor Adam died at Viroflay, a small village close to Versailles, in 1867. Victor Adam’s bequest is a treasure, an unsurpassable tribute to the Arabian horse. His lithographs, drawings and paintings of Arabians are today the gems of private and public collections worldwide. q
“GREY STALLION”, 19th century lithograph.
“CHEVAL ARABE NR. 17”, 19th century lithograph by Lemercier.
Jenna Gearing THE SCULPTOR
FROM CLAY TO SOUL
n by Judith Wenning
Some time ago, I came across the Instagram page of the young British artist Jenna Gearing by chance. Her sculptures immediately caught my attention and I wanted to know more... Usually, I tend to be fascinated by sculptures from the 19th century, but Jenna’s works are an exception. They are refined, yet expressive, a real eye-catcher. She certainly has a long and great career in art ahead of her!
Jenna Gearing is a rising British sculptor, born in 1994, whose impressive body of work spans portraiture, wildlife, commemorative public art, and Arabian horses. Jenna relates with a smile: “I’m born and bred in the countryside and having always been around here, and have been so obsessed with horses since young.”
Jenna Gearing discovered her passion for clay at age 11 during ceramics classes at St Leonards Mayfield School in East Sussex, initially creating small vessels and animal figures. By her late teens, Gearing had her first private exhibition in 2012 and soon began casting her sculptures in bronze. Jenna Gearing remembers: “I was an art scholar
to secondary school and studied there, but my first public art was a sculpture I made when I was 16 of a war veteran which ended up in two different museums. I also had a piece bought by the national portrait gallery aged 21.”
Jenna Gearing works in the trio-blend method of capturing → interpreting → representing, valuing traditional skills paired with a dynamic, modern approach. She frequently sculpts from live sittings or photographs, focusing on conveying emotion, character, and realism. Known works include Doe Grazing, Fighting Stags, and a sleek Dachshund. Her sculptures are celebrated for their energy, life, and anatomical accuracy. She specializes also in portraits of elderly war veterans and human figures with deep stories. Notable commissions include: Henry Allingham in the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Captain Eric Brown in the National Portrait Gallery, London. Jenna Gearing
is creating a statue of Billy Fiske (WWII pilot and athlete) near the U.S. Embassy in Wandsworth, London, supported by high-profile endorsement. She also sculpted a commemorative bronze of Eilidh MacLeod, a 14-year-old victim of the 2017 Manchester bombing, placed in Barra’s memorial garden.
Jenna Gearing explains: “My work embodies traditional sculpting skills with a dynamic, modern approach to the finished casting whilst aiming to capture personality and character. I sculpt primarily in clay and plasticine and my sculptures go through the lost wax process at local British foundries to turn into bronze or silver. I usually exhibit in the Gulf every year and this year I will be having a private exhibition in October in Dubai DIFC (Dubai International Financial Center). I regularly go to the gulf countries and work with many amazing clients there, specifically on their own horses and commissions.
My studio in England is in a wildlife park which is so wonderful and peaceful. I love to work daily at new sculptures and have many on the go at once so I can keep interest. In my pastime, I love to ride and train my horses. I like being in the country as I find the space and quiet really inspiring and love being around nature and having plenty of space to gallop my horses.”
Jenna Gearing actively merges impulsive energy with traditional patinas, aiming to capture a moment, gesture, or feeling that is instantly relatable. Jenna Gearing blends classical sculpting techniques with a contemporary sensibility, excelling in bronze animal figures and human
portraiture. Her commissions—ranging from museum pieces to public memorials—reflect her strengths in capturing emotion, narrative, and lifelike presence through sculpture.
When asked, how she became fascinated by Arabian horses, Jenna remembers: “My grandma had an Anglo Arab when I was growing up, we used to ride. Later I spent seven months living in Argentina and one of my favorite horses living with the gauchos was an imported Arabian called Lolo. He was quite sassy and opinionated but I loved him and after a little argument where he decided to be a bronco, we got on famously.”
A special encounter in the Middle East changed her career. Jenna relates: “But when I first started coming to the gulf after lockdown, I was introduced to the show Arabians and fell in love with their beauty and amazing features.”
Jenna Gearing spent also a lot of time studying fellow Arabian horse sculptors. “Of modern artists I love the work of Karen Kasper and Edwin Bogucki,” she explains. “I am very traditional in my approach but do try and occasionally incorporate more modern patination or mounting techniques for a modern twist.”
Asked what inspires her most, Jenna Gearing answers quickly: “My inspiration comes from living. I live in the rolling Sussex country hills surrounded by wildlife and my four dogs and 5 horses and see inspiration in daily life. I love to capture movement and expression and often my own animals help me with reference points. Nature is so beautiful and deserves to be immortalized in bronze.”
Then she continues: “Sometimes I struggle switching off a piece and can find myself so excited by it I’m still working on it into the early hours. I also work on multiple sculptures at the same time so sometimes I don’t know which one to continue first.”
Jenna Gearing explains: “Art has been my full-time career the last ten years and long may it continue. As mentioned, I’m planning a big exhibition in the DIFC of Dubai later this year to show some life size pieces and more dynamic styles to my work. I hope to be able to make more life size or even bigger horses in the future and I love making peoples own special and prized horses for them to cherish forever.”
Asked about her dreams for the future, Jenna responds with a smile: “My dream is to get my own Arabians one day, I have two rescue horses and the rest are Irish breeds, one I bred myself.” q
photo by Gregor Aymar
Frasera
NESHAR
Frasera Mashar x Frasera Bint Nefisa
2012 Hadban Enzahi
Frasera MONIET
Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera Mashalla
2017 Kohailan Radban
Frasera MASHALL
Pharros x Frasera Mashara
2008 Kohailan Radban
Frasera AL MADAL
Al Ayal AA x Frasera Madalla
2020 Kohailan Radban
Frasera IL BELLO
Frasera KALED
Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera bint Nefisa
2017 Hadban Enzahi
LA FRASERA
Straight Egyptian Horses
Frasera Neshar x Frasera Carina 2019 Dahamah Shawan
Frasera KHARIM
Frasera Mashar x Frasera Carina
2020 Dhama Shawan
Frasera RAMSETE
Frasera Ramses Shah x Fasera Wasima 2008 Hadban Enzahi
photo by Alessio Azzali
photo by Gigi Grasso
Mares Frasera MAGICA
LA FRASERA
Straight Egyptian Horses
Majd al Rayyan x Frasera Futura
2006 Dahamah Shawan
Frasera MASHARRA
Frasera Mashar x Frasera Bint Nefisa 2013 Hadban Enzahi
Frasera MADRA
Frasera Mashall x Frasera Madara 2013 Kohailan Radban
Frasera FANTASTICA
Frasera Mashar x Frasera Futura
2013 Dahamah Shawan
Frasera CARINA
Frasera Mashall x Frasera Magica
2012 Dahamah Shawan
LA FRASERA
Straight Egyptian Horses
photo by Nicoletta Abelli
PSE FRASERA
Shahil x Imperial Beveerah
2013 Saqlawi Jedram Ibn Sudan
Frasera KATTARA
2017 Kohailan Radban
LA FRASERA
Straight Egyptian Horses
Nabeel al Rayyan x Frasera Madra
photo by Gigi Grasso
The Class of ‘59
n by Joseph Ferriss
Article published with the kind permission of ArAbiAn EssEncE
the class of 1958 it was clear that 1958 was Nazeer’s year with his largest foal crop: 19 colts and fillies, many of which went on to become famous producers of excellent Arabians. But 1959 would be a slightly different year.
Nazeer’s legacy would continue into 1959 but with fewer foals, siring 13 foals 9 of which bred on within Egyptian breeding today, 4 stallions and 5 mares. The 4 Nazeer colts from this class who bred on were, Hassan
(x Hemmat) a sire for Ahmed Sherif and AlBadeia stud, and Ibn Galila (x Galila) a sire for AlBadeia; and Ibn Maysouna (x Maysouna) and Galal (x Farasha) both sires for the EAO. Galal get emerged as a major influence, particularly in Europe for his sons, Ibn Galal (x Mohga), and Mehanna (x Mouna) and his daughter Marah (x Maysa). Galal daughters became important at the EAO while his son Ameer (x Moniet El Nefous) also became an important sire.
Ibn Galila (Nazeer x Galila) a stallion used by AlBadeia Stud. Judith Forbis photo.
The handsome stallion Galal (Nazeer x Farasha). Judith Forbis photo.
Among the Nazeer fillies of the class of 1959 were Nawara, a full sister to world renowned Ansata Ibn Halima, and Bint Maisa, a full sister to the celebrated Bint Maisa El Saghira. Unfortunately neither left any straight Egyptian foals. The remaining Nazeer fillies of 1959 who went on to produce would each
mare Foze
x Fathia)
have a memorable influence. His daughter Azzar (x Ahlam II) was imported to the US and although she died about 10 years after her importation, she left three daughters and a son that carry on her legacy, now found internationally. Nazeer’s filly Foze (x Fathia) would become a fine broodmare for famed Hamdan Stud but the Europeans would take notice of her quality and she went to Europe to continue her legacy there. Hamdan Stud produced her son Fawzan (Emam x Foze) a handsome horse who raced well and then came to America where he became the sole representative of the Balance branch of the rare Ibn Samhan sire line. Hamdan stud produced Fawzan’s full sister, Nadia who with 14 foals in Europe spread the influence of Foze there. This is the dam line of famed Ansata Halim Shah son, Nigmh. Likewise Foze’s three other European bred daughters spread her legacy.
The world knows well now the fame of Aswan, the Nazeer son from the class of 1958, so in 1959 his full sister was born, Bint Yosreia who also became a broodmare for Hamdan Stud, and a much-admired mare by visitors. Her daughters were of particular note including: the beautiful Yosr (x Korayem) later exported to Qatar, the international traveler JKB Hamda (x Hamdan II), and the lovely Bint
The excellent
(Nazeer
at Hamdan Stud. Judith Forbis photo.
Aswan’s sister Bint Yosreia (Nazeer x Yosreia) at Hamdan Stud. Judith Forbis photo.
Bint Yosreia (x Yakout) who became a broodmare for renowned AlBadeia Stud and is now famous as the grand mother of Paris World Champion mare Gelgelah Albadeia.
Paris World Champion mare, Gelgelah AlBadeia.
Gigi Grasso photo.
The two Nazeer fillies from the class of 1959 that would capture American hearts were Bint Nefisaa (Nazeer x Nefisa) imported by Gleannloch, and Husnia (Nazeer x Burka) known to everyone as the magnificent
Bint Nefisaa (Nazeer x Nefisa), dam of the famous sire El Hilal, photo courtesy of Keri Wright.
The magnificent Ansata Bint Bukra (Nazeer x Bukra). Jerrry Sparagowski photo.
Malekat El Gamal, famous daughter of the class of 1959’s Nagdia, from AlBadeia Stud. Johnny Johnston photo.
Ansata Bint Bukra, imported by Ansata. The global impact of Ansata Bint Bukra is almost incalculable when one considers the powerful influence of all her daughters and granddaughters, not to mention
her world-renowned grandson Ansata Halim Shah. But add to this that Bint Nefisaa also established a strong family in the U.S. from her daughters, but then she was bred to Ansata Ibn Halima to produce the
From the class of 1959 Bint El Dahma II (Sid Abouhom x El Dahma) as a filly. Judith Forbis photo.
handsome stallion El Hilal who became one the most and heavily used Egyptian sires (in the top 30 most prolific worldwide) and is even found in international pedigrees such as WH Justice.
So who was the final Nazeer filly from the class of 1959 who made a mark on the world? It was a remarkable filly who was the only one that year not bred by the EAO: Nagdia from the Sid Abouhom daughter Zahia. Nagdia was bred by AlBadeia and became a superior broodmare with many excellent descendants. She is most famous as the dam line of world renowned Al Adeed Al Shaqab whose sire Ansata Halim Shah is a grandson of Ansata Bint Bukra also from the class of 1959. Without a doubt, Ansata Bint Bukra, Bint Nefisaa and Nagdia stand out as the most influential Nazeer daughters from the class of 1959.
It is interesting to note that for the previous class of 1958, Sid Abouhom had no recorded get and only one the year before that. However, the class of 1959 could be considered Sid Abouhom’s year, with his biggest foal crop yet for an old horse. He sired 12 foals, only one less than Nazeer, and from that foal crop emerged 2 stallions and 5 mares of note. His two producing sons from the class of 1959 were Ibn Hamama (x
Hamama) and Ibn Abla (x Abla) and each of these two are responsible for continuing the rare sire line to El Deree, (along with Amrulla).
From the class of 1959 Sid Abouhom’s daughter Bint El Dahma II (x Dahma II) is represented in the Sharkasi bred horses in Egypt, while her daughter Hamida [AK Hamida] became a broodmare for AlBadeia, soon afterward being exported to the US. and is represented by numerous daughters and her son Azeem.
Also from Sid Abouhom’s foal crop were two half sisters of similar sounding names, Bint Gazella I (x Ghazala I), and Bint Ghazalahh (x Ghazalahh), both were imported to the U.S. The lovely Bint Gazella I was from the female line to Bint Yamama already celebrated in the U.S., and Bint Ghazalahh was out of the exquisite Mashhour daughter Ghazalahh who came to the U.S. earlier with Gleannloch but did not produce in the U.S. so Bint Ghazalahh became the only female representative for her beautiful mother in the U.S. for many years.
Two other Sid Abouhom fillies from 1959 were Bint Bint Mabrouka (x Bint Mabrouka [Inshass]) and Bint
Pyramid Society archive.
Bint El Samraa (x Bint El Samraa). Both these fillies became broodmares for The Police Academy and for Ahmed Sherif in Egypt. Bint Bint Mabrouka is renowned for her daughter Rakia, a respected family in Egypt, Europe and America. Bint Bint El Samraa came to the U.S. and produced National performance champions and race winners and she lived to a very old age. Her last daughter was appropriately named Truly Sid Abouhom (Ibn Morafic x Bint Bint El Samraa).
Although Mashhour was one of two primary representatives of the sire line to the great Shahloul in Egypt, he saw little use at the E.A.O. But in 1959 he got 5 foals for his largest foal crop. Among the few foals by Mashhour most horsemen agree that his daughters were excellent. From the class of 1959 came three choice Mashhour daughters, Haseeba (x Lateefa), SF Bint Mamlouka (x Mamlouka) and Hayam (x Tahia). Haseeba was exported to Germany becoming a broodmare for the renowned El Thayeba Stud. SF Bint Mamlouka was exported to Canada by Serenity Egyptian stud and carved a great legacy for superior athletes including halter, performance and race winners, culminating in the export of her son Serenity Habib, an important sire for Marbach.
The noble Bint Bint El Samraa (Sid Abouhom x Bint El Samraa) pictured at the age of 29. Sharon Ferriss photo.
Hayam produced the extremely popular black stallion Bahim Hisan (x Ibn Morafic+++). Mashhour’s 1959 son Seef (x Elwya) would become a heavily used EAO sire, particularly distinguishing himself for his
EAO sire Seef (Mashhour x Elwya). Judith Forbis photo.
daughters, while Seef’s most famous son was the Imperial Egyptian stud sire Ibn Safinaz. Seef’s U.S. imported daughter Lancers Asmara+ would become an international champion and granddam of Gestüt
Rothenberg’s famed stallion GR Amaretto.
Mashhour’s half brother, the charismatic El Sareei sired 3 foals in the class of 1959, one of which bred on,
SF Bint Mamlouka from the class of 1959.
Johnny Johnston photo.
The fine mare Bint Hanaa (El Sareei x Hanaa).
Judith Forbis photo.
the exquisite bay mare Bint Hanaa, who was owned by Ahmed Sherif. She came to the U.S. with her filly Gamilaa by Morafic. Gleannloch bred the full sister to Gamilaa, Bint Bint Hanaa who became a U.S. National winner and Gamilaa also produced National performance winner, Gamal Al Arab+++.
The EAO sire Gassir got only 2 foals in 1959 one of which, his lovely daughter Bint Shahbaa, went to Hamdan Stud and then to Europe, with all 9 of her foals extending her influence.
Bint Hanaa’s Morafic daughter Gamilaa with Ahmed Sherif, great grandson of Ali Pasha Sherif. Judith Forbis photo.
The two Inshass bred stallions Anter and Sameh were little used in 1959 but still produced horses of note. Anter sired the lovely mare Jehan (x Fatin) a line producing international champions, and his son Shamroukh I became a sire for Ahmed Sherif. Sameh only got 2 foals in 1959 but his son Ibn Hafiza would not only become a sire for the EAO but after importation to the U.S. became a sire of U.S. National Champions and many winners in performance.
The desert-bred stallion Sharkasi, who was bought by the EAO in late 1955 after the death of his owner T.G.B. Trouncer, produced 9 foals in 1959, three of which produced for private breeders and the Police College in Egypt.
Speaking of private breeders, AlBadeia stud, as already mentioned produced the influential mare Nagdia (Nazeer x Zahia), and obtained later the mare Bint Bint Yosreia whose dam Bint Yosreia was from the class of 1959. Another 1959 foal that was acquired by AlBadeia was the mare Reema, who was bred by Qassim Ghuma El-Tahawi. Reema was a Kuhaylah Halawiyah, the same family as Hamdan Stud’s Tahawi mare Futna. Unfortunately Reema’s line died
the class of 1959,
Reema (Beshr x Khallawiah) from
bred by Qassim Ghuma El-Tahawi. Photo from AlBadeia Stud book.
out in the 1970s while Hamdan Stud’s Futna line established a noted family in Egypt and the U.S.
Being the other prominent private breeder in 1959, Hamdan Stud produced 4 foals that year. The two Tahawi mares Bint Barakat and Futna each produced a foal by Mozzafar but these did not breed on. What did breed on that year were the foals from the family
The handsome sire of champions Ibn Hafiza from the class of 1959. Judith Forbis photo.
of Ahmed Hamza’s exquisite Skowronek bred mare Mahasin, most notable in 1959 was the handsome stallion Fol Yasmeen (Hamdan x Muneera), who left 6 foals in Egypt and then came to the U.S. where he was a popular sire producing over 170 foals, many of them show winners. Fol Yassmeen is a full brother to Bint Muneera who produced the legendary European sire Fakhr El Kheil.
Judith Forbis photo.
In summary this “Class Of” series was a sort of “class reunion” of some classes from the great decade of the 1950s, a period of great economic growth and regeneration as well as transformational world politics. While I only touched on 3 years of this decade, 1956, 1958, and 1959, other classes also brought us some influential individuals such as Nazeer’s first daughter El Dahma (1950) who is the female line of Anaza El Farid, or the influential Nazeer sons Korayem, Hadban Enzahi (both 1952). Or the mare class of 1951 which boasts Morafic’s dam Mabrouka, the beautiful Hamdan daughter Ameena, the excellent bay mare Mohebba founder of Europe’s famed “M” family and Farasha, dam of the great sire Galal. Or the class of 1953 which included the Nazeer daughters, Fatin, Mamlouka, Abla, and Kamar as well as Moniet El Nefous’s daughter Lubna. And we cannot forget Moniet El Nefous’s famed Mouna from the class of 1954. Class of 1955 brought us Richard Pritzlaff’s import Rashad Ibn Nazeer, the great EAO sire Amrulla, and the beautiful Maysa, dam line of Ruminaja Ali. The class of 1957 brought us EAO’s exquisite
Bint Bukra, the Albadeia foundation sire Ibn Maisa, the magnificent Ansata Bint Maysouna, the internationally influential Kaydahom, and the unforgettable queen, Bint Moniet El Nefous. Essentially all of the groundwork for the modern Egyptian Arabian horse that we celebrate today was set down in the decade of the 1950s. The foal crop classes of the 1950s in Egypt stand as a remarkable testament to a great nation who accomplished an incredible feat at the same time that Egypt was trying to build its newfound independence into a truly modern Arab nation. Drawing on all of the resources of the past from powerful rulers, to cultured noblemen, to superior Bedouin horsemen and with the guidance of key European Arabian horsemen and other international resources, the EAO not only survived the challenging decade of the 1950s but generated from it some of the finest and most revered Arabian horses the breed has known. As with all “class reunions” we look back to see what has become of our youth and the resulting successes as the course of life plays out and these “reunions” have revealed that Egypt has much to be proud of today. q
The stallion Fol Yasmeen (Hamdan x Muneera) from the class of 1959 as a young horse at Hamdan Stud. Judith Forbis photo.
The excellent sire ZT Faa Iq whose pedigree is filled with famous ancestors from the decade of the 1950s described in the “Class Of” series. Gigi Grasso photo.
Simone Bergamaschi
Text by Giorgia Mauri
With his photographs Simone Bergamaschi tells stories, with a single image he has the ability to take the viewer to unexplored places, to atmospheres charged with emotional tension, right to the centre of the action, and from there, from this vantage point, he gives the viewers a new scenery through a small detail that had escaped them at first glance, a detail that the eye had absorbed into the scene but that the senses had not yet unravelled, whose meaning had not yet been brought into focus.
Bergamaschi’s ability to construct these scenes of reality in a single shot is astonishing not only for the precision of the narrative intent, but also for the invitation to explore the image, to take the time to understand the connection between the stimuli given, to give substance to the narrative suggested by the artist, to follow the steps that lead from one’s own reality to the reality constructed with such mastery by Bergamaschi.
In his photographs there is everything: there is emotion, the sound of gunshots, the clatter of hooves on the ground, the laughter of children, the beating of tribal drums, the shouts of the crowd during the show and then the jubilation at the award ceremony. But there are also the silences. There is the tension of waiting before entering the ring, there are the quiet moments of transition from one state of mind to another, the suspended moments when the only sounds are the gentle footsteps, a heartbeat, the flapping of wings. It is there that Bergamaschi begins the story, pushing the emotional tension beyond the current reality and beginning the journey of discovery, the human journey of reflection on what lies in between, on how far a moment can be stretched, on what and how many emotions can fit into a moment.
Simone Bergamaschi
+39-3489164564 | bergamaschifoto@gmail.com
simone_bergamaschi_fotografo | b_studio_foto
ph. Musa
Almomen
Simone Bergamaschi
Simone Bergamaschi
Simone Bergamaschi
Simone Bergamaschi
Simone Bergamaschi
Le Soleil Arabians
Within all of us lies the power to rise, To dream boldly and soar beyond limits. When you believe, you unlock infinite possibilities. If you can see it, you can achieve it. If you believe, there’s no horizon too far to reach
Why walk when You can Fly?
Le Soleil Arabians embodies the spirit of boundless freedom and timeless beauty. A symbol of strength, grace, and the courage to chase the skies.
Specialized in the Horse in Art Worldwide shipping available
For more information please contact: Judith Wenning WhatsApp: +49 172 4700325 or judithwenning@hotmail.com www.gallery-atelier.com
Atelier – Fine Arts & Antiques
About the Gallery
Atelier - Fine Arts & Antiques is the only art gallery worldwide specializing in antique Arabian horse art. It is owned by Judith Wenning (born Judith Wich) and located just outside Munich, Germany.
Since many years, she is an established name in the world of Arabian horses. She breeds straight Egyptian Arabians at her stud farm Orienta Arabians, has published countless articles in international magazines and authored the book “Jewels of the DesertThe Magic of Egyptian Arabians”.
Judith Wenning has always been interested in the Arabian horse in art. In the past years, one of the major subjects of her writings were Arabian horse painters and sculptors - antique and contemporary. In 2022, Judith Wenning founded the gallery Atelier - Fine Arts Antiques.
Today Atelier - Fine Arts & Antiques is specialized in buying, selling and researching equine art. The main emphasis is clearly on Arabian horse art, mostly from the 19th century with a few contemporary. The gallery offers works by well-known artists of the 19th century, such as Victor Adam, Carle Vernet, Horace Vernet, Alfred de Dreux, Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps, Albrecht Adam, Baron Gros, Georges Washington, Henry Alken, Hippolyte Lalaisse, Noel D. Finart, Theodore Gericault, Eugene Fromentin, Adolf Schreyer, Pierre-Jules Mene, Alfred Barye, etc. Visitors and interested people can expect to find a unique choice of carefully selected works.
The Victor Adam Exhibition 2025
In the summer of 2025, the gallery hosts a captivating exhibition on the French painter Victor Adam (Paris 1801 - Viroflay 1866). He was a famous and sought-after artist of the 19th century who dedicated many of his precious artworks to the Arabian horse. Victor Adam is especially known for the refinement and elegance of his works. The exhibition features a collection of rare 19th century lithographs and original drawings. They are available for sale.
Visitors are always very welcome by appointment. Please call or send a WhatsApp to +49 1724700325.
A free catalogue of the “Victor Adam Exhibition 2025” can be obtained in electronic form via email or WhatsApp. Worldwide shipping of artworks available.
Judith Wenning
Victor Adam: Tetouan
Victor Adam: Le Derviche
female choice
and the Impact of Assisted Reproduction Technology on the Lives of Stallions and Mares
And the impact Of aSSiSted repROductiOn technOlOgy On the liveS Of the stalliOnS and mAreS “femAle chOice” la “Scelta femminile” e l’impattO delle tecnOlogie di RiprOduzione aSSiStita Sulla vita di StallOni e fattrici
“FEMALE CHOICE” La “scelta Femminile” e l’impatto delle tecnologie di riproduzione assistita sulla vita di stalloni e fattrici
WAHO CONFERENCE – ABU DHABI – APRIL 2025
In 2025, the WAHO Conference was held in Abu Dhabi thanks to the generous invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
I t was the fir s t conference s ince the last one in Jorda n over t wo years earlier a nd was attended by m ore interested country registrars and o bs ervers than ever befo re. Every country faces challenges and difficulties, so the conference provided a valuable opportunity for attendees to discuss these issues and learn from each other, with the aim of improving the lives and conditions of their Arabian horses.
The well-being and future of the Arabian horse lies in our hands. We have reached a stage where careful consideration and decisions are required to ensure progress. WAHO held numerous meetings and votes to plan the way forward.
WAHO invited Monika Savier, from Italy, to discuss breeding and outline the pros and cons of natural ways compared with scientific methods.
As a seasoned breeder and journalist, Monika has been able to discuss her knowledge and queries with breeders, veterinarians, geneticists and medical scientists, shedding light on the current situation.
Her talk will provide plenty of food for thought.
Susan Carden
CONFERENZA WAHO – ABU DHABI – APRILE 2025
Nel 2025, la Conferenza WAHO si è tenuta ad Abu Dhabi grazie al generoso invito di Sua Altezza lo Sceicco Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
È stata la prima conferenza dopo quella tenutasi in Giordania più di due anni fa e ha visto la partecipazione di un numero senza precedenti di registrati e osservatori dei paesi coinvolti. Ogni paese deve affrontare sfide e difficoltà, quindi la conferenza ha offerto ai partecipanti una preziosa opportunità per discutere questi temi e imparare gli uni dagli altri, con l’obiettivo di migliorare la vita e le condizioni dei loro cavalli arabi.
Il benessere e il futuro del cavallo arabo sono nelle nostre mani. Si è raggiunta una fase in cui sono necessarie un’attenta riflessione e decisioni oculate per garantire il progresso. La WAHO ha tenuto numerose riunioni e votazioni per pianificare la strada da seguire.
La WAHO ha invitato Monika Savier, dall’Italia, per discutere dell’allevamento e illustrare i pro e i contro dei metodi naturali rispetto a quelli scientifici. In qualità di allevatrice esperta e giornalista, Monika ha potuto discutere le sue conoscenze e le sue domande con allevatori, veterinari, genetisti e scienziati medici, facendo luce sulla situazione attuale.
Il suo intervento fornirà molti spunti di riflessione.
Susan Carden
At first, I hesitated to accept the invitation, but then I remembered what the Syrian breeder, Basil Jadaan, told me in an interview many years ago: ‘The horses can't talk. You have to speak for them and write what they would say’. I will take this opportunity to present their concerns here as well, as far as I am able to.
This talk is about natural reproduction and the effects of “assisted reproduction technologies” (ART) and breeding methods from the perspective of our horses. I would like to contrast my presentation of the original natural processes of reproduction, from which this noble breed has emerged, with the widespread use of today's reproductive technologies, and address a few problems that we already have in breeding or that are on the horizon. I do not want to paint a picture of a romantic loser, but rather use this report to remind you that we should not carelessly and out of commercial interest turn natural reproduction into a case for veterinary medicine. Of course, reproduction
All'inizio ho esitato ad accettare l'invito, ma poi mi sono ricordata di ciò che il signor Basil Jadaan, allevatore siriano, mi disse in un'intervista molti anni fa: "I cavalli non possono parlare. Bisogna parlare per loro e scrivere ciò che direbbero". Colgo l'occasione per esporre anche qui le loro preoccupazioni, per quanto mi è possibile.
Questo discorso riguarda la riproduzione naturale e gli effetti delle “Tecnologie di Riproduzione Assistita” (ART) e dei metodi di allevamento considerati dal punto di vista dei nostri cavalli arabi. Vorrei contrapporre la mia presentazione dei processi naturali di riproduzione originari, da cui è nata questa nobile razza, all'uso diffuso delle tecnologie riproduttive odierne e affrontare alcuni problemi che abbiamo già nell'allevamento o che si profilano all'orizzonte.
Non voglio dipingere il quadro di un romantico perdente, ma piuttosto usare questa occasione per ricordarvi che non dovremmo trasformare incautamente e per
technology can be a great help in special cases, but as an industry it has greatly increased the costs of breeding and in some contexts it is counterproductive. And my point is that, somewhere along the line, the mental and physical welfare of the horses themselves has been almost totally forgotten. I am not a veterinarian, but I have been a breeder and equestrian journalist for 40 years. Various veterinarians and geneticists have supported me with facts and results from scientific practice. For the last 100 years, the world has been changing rapidly, the consequence of this is that modern assisted reproductive technologies can now determine the course of our horses' lives. Horse breeding has become more expensive but not necessarily more successful. No more ‘horses of the century’ have been born in recent years, despite science and modern technologies for improving breeding. Instead, our breed's gene pool has narrowed considerably. What also falls by the wayside is the natural contact between stallions and mares, their communication and their libido. And that has its side effects.
When we talk about horses today, we reveal not only something about the nature of the animals and their breeding, but also about the society in which they live. Lifestyle, prosperity and self-interest have fundamentally changed the way we deal with the horses entrusted to us in recent years. Here is an example: Just a generation ago, responsible horse breeders would have retired a stallion that had low fertility and taken him out of breeding. Or a mare with a noble pedigree does not want to accept her foal. Today, these cases are a welcome challenge for
interesse commerciale la riproduzione naturale in una pratica di medicina veterinaria. Certo, la tecnologia di riproduzione può essere di grande aiuto in casi particolari, ma come industria ha aumentato enormemente i costi dell'allevamento e in alcuni contesti è controproducente. Il punto è che, ad un certo punto, il benessere psicofisico dei cavalli stessi è stato quasi del tutto dimenticato. Non sono una veterinaria, ma sono stata allevatrice e giornalista ippica per 40 anni. Diversi veterinari e genetisti mi hanno supportato con fatti e risultati provenienti dalla pratica scientifica.
Negli ultimi 100 anni il mondo è cambiato rapidamente e la conseguenza è che le moderne tecnologie di riproduzione assistita possono ora determinare il corso della vita dei nostri animali. L'allevamento dei cavalli è diventato più costoso, ma non necessariamente di maggior successo. Negli ultimi anni non sono più nati “cavalli del secolo”, nonostante la scienza e le moderne tecnologie per migliorarne l'allevamento. Al contrario, il pool genetico della nostra razza si è notevolmente ristretto. A venire meno è anche il contatto naturale tra stalloni e fattrici, la loro comunicazione e la loro libido. E questo ha i suoi effetti collaterali.
Quando parliamo di cavalli oggi, riveliamo non solo qualcosa sulla natura degli animali e sul loro allevamento, ma anche sulla società in cui vivono. Lo stile di vita, il benessere e l'interesse personale hanno cambiato radicalmente il modo in cui trattiamo i cavalli che ci sono stati affidati negli ultimi anni. Ecco un esempio: solo una generazione fa, degli allevatori responsabili avrebbero ritirato dalla riproduzione uno stallone con bassa fertilità. Oggi invece questo stesso stallone viene accettato e utilizzato grazie alla tecnologia riproduttiva. Un altro esempio: può capitare che una cavalla con un pedigree nobile non voglia accettare il suo puledro. Questo come spiegherò avviene in conseguenza della forzatura messa in atto dall'utilizzo della tecnologia per la riproduzione. Oggi questi casi sono una gradita sfida per la “tecnologia di riproduzione assistita” (A.R.T.), considerando anche che questi problemi genetici sono ormai diffusi in tutto il mondo.
Sorprendentemente, l'utilizzo di una moderna tecnologia di riproduzione viene data per scontata. In alcuni Paesi
MOnIkA SAvIER
‘assisted reproductive technology’ (A.R.T.) In reality these genetic problems are now spread around the world. Surprisingly, modern reproduction technology is taken for granted. A ‘shifting baseline’ has taken place in some countries whereas in others, resistance is growing in the interests of the horses and the question of economic sense.
When I watch the vets at my stud freeze the semen, and straws containing billions of sperm are suspended in nitrogen containers, I wonder how the Arabian horse has managed to successfully spread from the Orient across the continents for thousands of years, healthy and lively, without ultrasound, swab tests and hormone administration.
The decision of whether or not to allow artificial insemination and embryo transfer are left to individual countries to decide. There are mandatory rules which have been in place for many years, stating that foals produced by any form of in-vitro fertilization, gene editing or cloning cannot be registered in a WAHO approved stud book. They are difficult for the Registries to police. By readjusting a few important parameters in the rules and regulations, we can initiate changes. Today, there are many owners of Arabian horses who do not know the real world of their animals, neither their social behaviour nor their communication with each other.
The character of their horses, a truly important element, is unknown to many. They are investors. Their horses are
si è verificato un aumento della tolleranza (shifting base line), mentre in altri cresce la resistenza nell'interesse dei cavalli o per questioni legate ai costi relativi all'utilizzo di tale tecnologia.
Quando guardo i veterinari della mia scuderia congelare il seme e osservo le paillettes contenenti miliardi di spermatozoi venire congelate in contenitori di azoto, mi chiedo come il cavallo arabo sia riuscito a diffondersi con successo dall'Oriente attraverso i continenti per migliaia di anni, sano e vivace, senza ultrasuoni, esami con tampone e somministrazione di ormoni.
La decisione di consentire o meno l'inseminazione artificiale e il trasferimento di embrioni è lasciata ai singoli Paesi. Esistono regole obbligatorie per tutti i Paesi membri, in vigore da molti anni, che stabiliscono che i puledri prodotti da qualsiasi forma di fecondazione in vitro, editing genetico o clonazione non possono essere registrati in un libro genealogico approvato dalla WAHO. Per i Registri è difficile il controllo. Riaggiustando alcuni parametri importanti delle norme e dei regolamenti, possiamo tuttavia avviare dei cambiamenti.
Oggi ci sono molti proprietari di cavalli arabi che non conoscono il mondo reale dei loro animali, né il loro comportamento sociale, né la loro comunicazione reciproca. Il carattere dei loro cavalli, un elemento davvero importante, è sconosciuto a molti. Alcuni sono investitori, i loro animali sono tenuti in grandi scuderie per essere addestrati e accoppiati. Per questi proprietari, i
MARBAcH, STATE STud, THE MARES MO.SA
kept in large training stables to be trained and mated. For these owners, the horses are often little more than collector's items. They trust their experts, veterinarians and trainers, and usually leave the breeding decisions to them.
Experienced breeders know that by artificially interfering with reproduction, they are depriving the horses of an important part of their lives: the desire and joy of sexual communication. Who does not know from breeding practice in the past that mares did not show heat at all in front of certain stallions, although the veterinarian measured a 4 cm large follicle? Or the stallions that would rather neigh after the old fat warmblood mare than concentrate on the young champion mare in front of their noses. Meanwhile, reproduction has become an expensive problem area. In veterinary medicine, the background of these behaviours is rarely reflected upon, because the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry and reproduction technology take care of the problems themselves. Artificial hormones in every phase of the heat or as accompaniment and ‘protection’ of the pregnancy are standard today. Most veterinarians follow a protocol without considering the situation and condition of the mare individually and including it in the treatment. The most common current husbandry conditions for
cavalli sono spesso poco più che oggetti da collezione. Si fidano dei loro esperti, veterinari e addestratori e di solito lasciano a loro le decisioni sull'allevamento.
Gli allevatori esperti sanno che, interferendo artificialmente con la riproduzione, privano i cavalli di una parte importante della loro vita: il desiderio e la gioia della comunicazione sessuale. Chi non sa, in base all'esperienza delle pratiche di allevamento del passato, che a volte poteva capitare che le cavalle non mostrassero affatto il calore davanti a certi stalloni, anche se il veterinario misurava un follicolo di 4 cm? Oppure chi non ha osservato che gli stalloni preferivano rincorrere la grassa cavalla mezzosangue piuttosto che concentrarsi sulla puledra Araba pluricampionessa che avevano davanti al naso.
Nel frattempo, la riproduzione è diventata un'area problematica e costosa. In medicina veterinaria si riflette raramente sui retroscena di questi comportamenti, perché l'industria farmaceutica, come l'industria alimentare e quella della tecnologia della riproduzione, si occupano già di questi problemi. Gli ormoni artificiali in ogni fase del calore o come accompagnamento e “protezione” della gravidanza sono oggi uno standard. La maggior parte dei veterinari segue un protocollo senza considerare la situazione e le condizioni della cavalla individualmente e includerla nel trattamento.
JAnOv POdLASkI, STATE STud
JOANNA JONIENTZ
JANÓW PODLASKI, STATE STUD
stallions and mares, which require strict separation, stallion quarantine, and controlled breedings, can be traced back in many countries to national laws for the prevention of infectious diseases, a price we have to pay for the globalisation of reproduction, i.e. the shipment of semen.
A lot has changed in the behavioural psychology of horses, and the reality at stud farms today shows that not only do breeders suffer from the cost explosion caused by artificial reproduction, but that stallions and mares have also had to change and adapt their lives immensely. So how do we make their lives better, from a horse's point of view?
Just a reminder: if you are male and want to breed, you have to be nice! In principle, it has always been about one thing, at least for stallions: showing yourself, courting,
Le attuali condizioni di allevamento più comuni per gli stalloni e le fattrici, che richiedono una rigida separazione, la quarantena degli stalloni e gli allevamenti controllati, possono essere ricondotte in molti Paesi alle leggi nazionali per la prevenzione delle malattie infettive, un prezzo che dobbiamo pagare per la globalizzazione della riproduzione, cioè per la commercializzazione del seme. Molto è cambiato nella psicologia comportamentale dei cavalli e la realtà odierna delle scuderie mostra che non solo gli allevatori soffrono per l'esplosione dei costi causata dalla riproduzione artificiale, ma che anche gli stalloni e le fattrici hanno dovuto cambiare e adattare immensamente la loro vita. Come possiamo quindi migliorarla dal punto di vista del cavallo?
Solo un promemoria: se siete maschi e volete riprodurvi, dovete essere gentili! In linea di massima, almeno per gli stalloni, si è sempre trattato di una cosa sola: mostrarsi, corteggiare, convincere la cavalla... e infine riprodursi. È questo che rende lo stallone affascinante e pacifico, a differenza della sua reputazione. In linea di massima, cerca di andare d'accordo con tutti, perché non sa mai quando si presenterà l'occasione di coprire una cavalla. Ma per potersi comportare in questo modo, ha bisogno di un minimo di opzioni socio-ambientali, di esercizio fisico, auspicabilmente della possibilità di girare nei pascoli e almeno dell'opportunità di vedere, annusare e toccare le sue fattrici.
In biologia, esiste il termine scientificamente provato di Female choice “Scelta Femminile”. Questo termine si riferisce a un sistema di accoppiamento la cui caratteristica più importante è il fatto che nel mondo animale il maschio deve lavorare per l'accoppiamento. Deve esibirsi. Ad esempio, può cantare in modo particolarmente bello, o presentarsi con colori sgargianti, eseguire danze o portare doni: in ogni specie, il maschio ha il suo specifico comportamento da esibire per tenere testa ai suoi concorrenti nel gioco della conquista della femmina al fine dell'accoppiamento. deve impressionare la femmina e convincerla di essere “quello giusto”. I concorrenti sono sempre gli altri animali maschi, che devono essere sconfitti.
Gli stalloni mostrano il loro carisma e i loro corpi atletici, accompagnati da molte grida, per farsi sentire dalla
THE MARES In EL ZAHRAA, STATE STud
MO.SA
MO.SA
convincing the mare... and finally breeding. This is what makes the stallion charming and peaceful, quite unlike his reputation. In principle, he tries to get along well with everyone, as he never knows when an opportunity to breed a mare might arise. But to be able to behave in this way, he needs a minimum of behavioural options, exercise, hopefully the chance of turn-out on the pastures and at least an opportunity to see, smell and touch his mares. In biology, there is the scientifically proven term ‘female choice’. This term refers to a mating system whose most important characteristic is the fact that in the animal world, the male must work for the mating. He has to perform. For example, he can sing particularly beautifully, or present himself in bright colours, perform dances or bring gifts - in every species, the male has his specific advertising behaviour to keep his competitors in check. He has to impress the female and convince her that he is ‘the one’. The competitors
fattrice. Devono esibirsi per poter avere rapporti sessuali, perché le femmine sono esigenti in natura e pongono condizioni e richieste elevate.
Il meccanismo evolutivo della Scelta Femminile fa comprendere come le strategie riproduttive dei due sessi siano completamente diverse. In poche parole: “I maschi puntano alla quantità e cercano di accoppiarsi con il maggior numero possibile di femmine. Le femmine, invece, puntano alla qualità e si accoppiano solo con il maschio migliore. Questo perché per loro la riproduzione è molto più costosa, lunga e a lungo termine. Per questo motivo, il maschio deve avere molti contatti, mentre la femmina deve respingerne molti. Una delle caratteristiche più importanti è che la maggior parte dei maschi in natura raramente o addirittura mai, trova una compagna.”, scrive la biologa Meike Stoverock. (Meike Stoverock, Female choise, principio e fine della civiltà maschile, 2022). charles darwin scrisse una volta: “chi vince, si accoppia”,
nATuRAL BREEdInG
MO.SA
are always the other male animals, which have to be defeated.
Stallions show their charisma and athletic bodies, accompanied by a lot of shouting, to be heard by the mare. They have to advertise themselves to be able to have sex, because females are choosy in nature, setting high demands and conditions.
Female Choice says that the reproductive strategies of the sexes are completely different. Simply put: ‘Males go for quantity and try to mate with as many females as possible. Females, on the other hand, go for quality and only mate with the best male. This is because reproduction is much more costly, time-consuming and long-term for them. So, the male must get many around, and the female has to fend off many. One of the most important characteristics is that the majority of males in nature rarely or never find a mate,’ writes biologist Meike Stoverock (Meike Stoverock, Female Choise, Vom Anfang und Ende der männlichen Zivilisation, 2022).
e il conquistatore doveva essere non solo forte ma anche intelligente per poter affrontare le sfide evolutive. darwin chiamò questo principio “selezione sessuale”.
Se una cavalla deve produrre un buon stallone, deve esercitare un ruolo dominante nella mandria, intelligenza, orgoglio e compostezza per produrre un figlio sicuro di sé. Un puledro cresciuto con una madre sottomessa, difficilmente sentirà il desiderio di lottare per il ruolo di cavalla leader o di stallone da monta. Gli allevatori esperti sanno che una madre timida produce puledri timidi, ma una cavalla dominante imprime questo carattere ai suoi puledri, ed esso viene trasmesso per generazioni e, per esempio, crea le condizioni migliori per un futuro cavallo da corsa. Gli addestratori cercano cavalli il cui comportamento sociale nel branco mostri la mentalità del “meglio morto che secondo”. cercano quelli che non si lasceranno superare dagli altri in pista e lotteranno sempre per arrivare davanti, anche quando la situazione è difficile.
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charles darwin once wrote: “he who conquers, mates,” and the conqueror had to be not only strong but also intelligent to be able to take on the evolutionary challenges. Darwin called this principle “sexual selection.” If a mare is to produce a good stallion, she must have a dominant role in the herd, intelligence, pride and composure to produce a confident son. A normal foal, raised with a submissive mother, is unlikely to feel any desire to fight for the role of a leading mare or stud stallion. Experienced breeders know that a timid mother produces timid foals, but a dominant lead mare imprints this character to her foals, which is passed on for generations and, for example, creates the best conditions for a future racehorse. Trainers look for horses whose social behaviour in the herd shows the mentality of ‘better dead than second’. They are looking for those that will not let themselves be overtaken by the others on the racetrack, and will always fight their way to the front, even when the situation is difficult.
Anche se alcuni scienziati comportamentali ritengono che lo stallone sia il leader del branco di giumente, le osservazioni sui cavalli selvatici hanno ripetutamente dimostrato che lo stallone deve lottare per entrare e ottenere il ruolo di leader nel branco di giumente all'inizio del loro periodo di calore, attendendo che la giumenta principale lo accetti. Solo allora si potrà dire che è lui a comandare nell'area riproduttiva, mentre la cavalla leader continua a occuparsi delle decisioni importanti nella vita generale della mandria. Ciò include la vitale ricerca di cibo e il sistema di allarme precoce delle fattrici con i puledri di fronte a un predatore all'orizzonte.
Quando gli stalloni escono dal paddock, non scappano, ma sarà molto probabile trovarli nella stalla delle fattrici. Diversamente se la mandria di giumente esce, è certo che si stia spostando verso pascoli migliori.
Esiste un sottile equilibrio tra i comportamenti di
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Even if some behavioural scientists assume that the stallion is the leader of the mare herd, observations of wild horses have repeatedly shown that the stallion has to fight for entry and his leadership role in the mare herd at the beginning of the mares' heat period until the lead mare accepts him. Only then can it be said that he is the boss in the reproductive area, while the lead mare continues to take care of the important decisions in the general herd life. This includes the vital search for food and the early warning system of the mares with foals in front of a predator on the horizon. When stallions break out of the paddock, they don't run away, but can be found in the mare stable. If the mare herd breaks out, it may well be that they are on the move for better pastures.
There is a fine balance between the mating behaviour of the sexes, and even if the stallion is finally allowed to mate with the mares after a long courtship and with a great deal
accoppiamento dei due sessi e, anche se lo stallone può finalmente accoppiarsi con le cavalle dopo un lungo corteggiamento e una grande quantità di posture, deve comunque lottare per ogni singola cavalla.
Nel farlo, deve essere attento e ingegnoso, perché ogni cavalla è diversa dall'altra e l'atto stesso dell'accoppiamento richiede che lo stallone riconosca se la cavalla è davvero pronta, da un punto di vista ormonale, a lasciarsi montare da lui senza opporsi e potenzialmente causargli gravi lesioni. Questa “debolezza biologica” costringe lo stallone a usare la sua intelligenza e il suo fascino per corteggiare la cavalla, a convincerla per avere successo. Per questo deve investire una grande quantità di energie. Questo processo è molto formativo per il suo comportamento sociale e fa parte del suo codice comportamentale.
Oggi, molti dei nostri stalloni non devono più essere affascinanti per potersi riprodurre e la cavalla non ha
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of posturing, he still has to fight for each individual mare. In doing so, he has to be careful and inventive, because every mare is different and the mating act itself requires the stallion to recognise whether the mare is really ready, from a hormonal point of view, to let him mount her without fighting him off and potentially causing him serious injury. This ‘biological weakness’ forces the stallion to use his intelligence and charm to woo the mare, to convince her in order to succeed. They had to invest a great deal of energy into this. This is quite formative for his social behaviour and part of his behavioural code. Today, for so many of our horses, the stallion no longer has to be charming to be able to breed, and the mare no longer has any decision-making power over the stallions. In fact, today's stallions are often rather difficult, even dangerous, they no longer know natural limits, they lack the education from the mares and the realisation that they have to submit to certain conditions in order to succeed. As a result, they can develop not only health problems but
più alcun potere decisionale sugli stalloni. In effetti, gli stalloni di oggi sono spesso piuttosto difficili, persino pericolosi, non conoscono più i limiti naturali, non hanno l'educazione delle fattrici e la consapevolezza di dover sottostare a determinate condizioni per avere successo. Di conseguenza, possono sviluppare non solo problemi di salute, ma anche vizi di stalla che sono segni di un forte stress mentale. Invece di proporsi alla femmina, aspettano il veterinario con la vagina artificiale. Nessuna autopromozione, nessun concorrente, solo la consegna del seme. Lo stallone può essere famoso, ma sicuramente triste.
Anche il principio della scelta femminile sta rapidamente scomparendo nell'allevamento odierno dei cavalli. In passato le femmine definivano i loro cicli riproduttivi, potendo decidere almeno in parte se accettare o meno le avances di un determinato stallone. Ma ora è l'allevatore a decidere, il veterinario fa il suo lavoro e insemina la cavalla. Probabilmente la cavalla non riesce nemmeno a
also stable vices which are signs of severe mental stress. Instead of being able to advertise themselves, they wait for the vet with the artificial vagina. no self-promotion, no competitors, just delivering semen. The stallion may be famous, but sad.
The principle of Female Choice is also fast disappearing in today's horse breeding. This had previously defined their reproductive cycles, able to decide at least to some extent whether or not to accept the advances of a particular stallion. But now the breeder decides and the vet does his job and inseminates the mare. She probably never even gets to see a stallion - she no longer has a choice.
These mares also suffer a loss of power and image in the herd. Some have low libido and reduced fertility. Or, if they do become pregnant, they have miscarriages, or when the foal is born, their maternal instincts no longer exist, they produce little milk or even reject the foal completely. It has taken a long time for horse breeding to reach
vedere uno stallone: non ha più la possibilità di scegliere. Queste cavalle subiscono anche una perdita di potere e di immagine nell'allevamento. Alcune hanno una bassa libido e una ridotta fertilità. Oppure, se rimangono incinte, hanno aborti spontanei o, quando il puledro nasce, il loro istinto materno non esiste più, producono poco latte o addirittura rifiutano completamente il puledro.
C'è voluto molto tempo perché l'allevamento dei cavalli arrivasse a questo punto di ampia de-naturalizzazione del processo riproduttivo. Qual è stata la causa scatenante?
Una delle innovazioni tecniche del XX secolo ha avuto un impatto particolarmente significativo sull'allevamento e, in ultima analisi, sull'ambiente di vita dei cavalli: lo sperma congelato e, di conseguenza, l'inseminazione artificiale. Inizialmente utilizzata solo a livello locale, in breve tempo si sviluppò la capacità di raffreddare o congelare lo sperma e di spedirlo in tutto il mondo. I cavalli arabi entrarono a far parte dei mercati globalizzati. Lo sperma poteva essere acquistato e venduto online o sui social
Jennifer Ogden
this present point of extensive de-naturalisation of the reproduction process. So, what was the trigger?
One of the technical innovations of the 20th century had a particularly significant impact on breeding and ultimately on the living environment of horses – Frozen Semen and as a result, Artificial Insemination. At first only used locally, before too long the ability to chill or freeze semen and ship it worldwide was developed. Arabian horses became part of globalised markets. Semen could be bought and sold online or on social media. Freezing and unlimited storage in liquid nitrogen without an expiry date made it possible to send it across all continents. Now the semen came to the mares. This was certainly an advantage in connection with risky horse transport and an enormous gain for the stallion owners, who were now able to sell many more breedings. With the increasing use of A.I., an existential disadvantage for colts born of those breedings arose. From then on, they lost value everywhere. And this is how it came about: Before the widespread use of transported semen, we looked for interesting stallions that fitted into our breeding
media. Il congelamento e la conservazione illimitata in azoto liquido senza data di scadenza rese possibili l'invio in tutti i continenti. Ora lo sperma arrivava direttamente alle fattrici. Questo è certamente un vantaggio rispetto ai rischiosi trasporti di cavalli e un enorme guadagno per i proprietari di stalloni, che furono in grado di vendere molti più monte. con l'uso crescente dell'A.I. (Inseminazione Artificiale), si creò uno svantaggio esistenziale per i puledri nati da quegli allevamenti. Da quel momento in poi, persero valore ovunque. Ecco come si è arrivati a questa situazione: prima della diffusione del seme trasportato, cercavamo stalloni interessanti che si adattassero al nostro concetto di allevamento. Andavamo alle mostre o li visitavamo nelle loro scuderie. Prendevamo in considerazione il loro temperamento e la loro complementarità con le nostre fattrici. di solito i loro figli potevano essere acquistati a un prezzo ragionevole.
Ma con l'accesso illimitato al seme dei campioni, i proprietari delle fattrici scelgono di allevare con quegli stalloni, piuttosto che comprare i loro figli. vale la pena
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concept. We went to shows or visited them at their home stables. We took their temperament into consideration, and how they would complement our mares. Their sons could usually be bought for a reasonable price.
But with unlimited access to the semen of champions, mare owners choose to breed to those sires, rather than buy their sons. Which in some cases also led to the market being saturated with their colts, so the breeder would discover that their market value was below their production costs, Unlike the breeders of Thoroughbred racehorses - their rules forbid anything other than natural covering, for very good reasons.
While on the race track and in endurance sports, breeding selection is largely based on the athletic performance of mares and stallions, the selection of show horses and certain bloodlines is left to their own markets. On the catwalk of Arabian horse shows, we find perfect beauty, sometimes bordering on the acceptable, because the functionality of the animals is subordinate to it. These winners share the market of good mares, because their stud fees are too expensive to experiment.
ricordare che per quanto riguarda i cavalli da corsa purosangue inglesi gli allevatori devono sottostare a rigide regole che vietano qualsiasi pratica diversa dalla riproduzione naturale, come abbiamo visto, per comprensibili ragioni.
Mentre sulle piste da corsa e negli sport di resistenza la selezione degli allevamenti si basa in gran parte sulle prestazioni atletiche di fattrici e stalloni, la selezione dei cavalli da esposizione e di alcune linee di sangue è lasciata al loro mercato. Sulla passerella delle mostre di cavalli arabi, troviamo una bellezza perfetta, a volte al limite dell'accettabile, perché la funzionalità degli animali è subordinata ad essa. Questi vincitori si dividono il mercato delle buone fattrici, perché le loro spese di monta sono troppo costose per fare esperimenti.
Gli stalloni meno "alla moda" vengono spesso trascurati e, di conseguenza, si rischia anche una riduzione della loro qualità, perché, come dicevano i grandi allevatori prima dell'inizio del secolo: “Servono 50 giovani stalloni per poter selezionare 2-3 stalloni di punta che faranno progredire l'allevamento”.
Less fashionable stallions are often overlooked, so as a result, we also risk a reduction in stallion quality, because as the great breeders said before the turn of the century: ‘You need 50 young stallions to be able to select 2-3 top stallions that will advance breeding’.
As a result, the gene pool of our current horse breeding has narrowed. A look at a modern pedigree often shows a high degree of inbreeding, but far too rarely with a strategic breeding concept. Inbreeding is a tool to successfully implement our idea of breed type, which today means beauty, functionality and brand homogeneity. Inbreeding can also be used to successfully suppress bad genes. However, not everything that meets an ideal of beauty is also healthy for the development of the breed. Therefore, inbreeding should only be used up to a certain percentage and according to scientific criteria. How did the already quite high level of inbreeding in Arabian horses come about?
The genetic makeup of champions, whether on the racetrack or at an ECAHO show, is highly coveted and expensive. Using them in breeding is a status symbol for many. In addition, there is the hope of being able to repeat this success with their own mares. But it's not that easy, because genetics is a broad field. Sons and daughters or siblings each have a very different genetic makeup,
Di conseguenza, il pool genetico del nostro attuale allevamento di cavalli si è ristretto. Un'occhiata a un pedigree moderno mostra spesso un alto grado di consanguineità, ma troppo raramente con un concetto di allevamento strategico. L'Inbreeding, cioè la consanguineità, è uno strumento per implementare con successo la nostra idea di “tipo” di razza, che oggi significa bellezza, funzionalità e omogeneità del "marchio".
L'Inbreeding può anche essere usato per sopprimere con successo i geni cattivi. Tuttavia, non tutto ciò che risponde a un ideale di bellezza è anche salutare per lo sviluppo della razza. Pertanto, la consanguineità dovrebbe essere utilizzata solo fino a una certa percentuale e secondo criteri scientifici.
Come è stato possibile arrivare a questo livello già piuttosto elevato di consanguineità nei cavalli arabi?
Il patrimonio genetico dei campioni, sia in pista che in un'esposizione ECAHO, è molto ambito e costoso. Utilizzare i campioni nell'allevamento rappresenta uno status symbol per molti allevatori. Inoltre, c'è la speranza di poter ripetere questo successo con le proprie fattrici. Ma questo non è un procedimento così facile, perché la genetica copre un campo molto vasto. Figli o figlie, fratelli e sorelle hanno ciascuno un corredo genetico molto diverso, anche se spesso sono riconoscibili parallelismi e somiglianze. Il
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although parallels and similarities are often recognisable. The semen of champions is now used everywhere. More than 1000 foals sired in his lifetime is not uncommon for outstanding champions due to artificial insemination and the shipment of frozen semen. Unlike in nature, these winning chromosomes spread all over the world. Many stallions, on the other hand, are hardly used at all. When the champions' offspring are then mated with each other to consolidate the famous characteristics, the so-called popular-sire effect arises.
Genetic defects can now become dominant and homozygous, causing diseases that can be passed on genetically. You could match two beautiful, perfect looking show champions, neither of which show any physical or genetic defects, and yet their offspring can have a lack of type for the show ring and inherit both conformational issues and genetic disorders. Why is that? Luckily, nature has packed a second set of chromosomes into each working cell. This is how a functioning organism can develop from two blueprints of life, even if there are disorders on one set of chromosomes. One of the chromosomes must be free of defects to ensure health. However, this life-saving heterozygosity could be lost through repeated inbreeding. If, unfortunately, two equally defective chromosomes meet due to mating, we
seme dei campioni è ormai utilizzato ovunque. Grazie all'inseminazione artificiale e alla spedizione di sperma congelato, non sono rari i casi di campioni eccezionali che hanno generato più di 1000 puledri nel corso della loro vita. A differenza di quanto avviene in natura, questi cromosomi vincenti si diffondono in tutto il mondo. Molti stalloni, invece, non vengono quasi mai utilizzati. Quando i figli dei campioni vengono fatti accoppiare tra loro per consolidare le caratteristiche divenute famose, si verifica il cosiddetto effetto “popolar-sire”: i difetti genetici possono diventare dominanti e provocare omozigosi, causando malattie che possono essere trasmesse geneticamente. Si possono accoppiare due campioni da esposizione bellissimi e perfetti, che non presentano difetti fisici o genetici, eppure la loro prole può presentare una mancanza di “tipo” per il ring ed ereditare sia problemi di conformazione sia disturbi genetici. Perché?
Fortunatamente, la natura ha inserito un secondo set di cromosomi in ogni cellula funzionante. È così che un organismo funzionante può svilupparsi a partire da due progetti di vita, anche se ci sono disturbi su un set di cromosomi. Uno dei cromosomi deve essere privo di difetti per garantire la salute. Tuttavia, questa eterozigosi salvavita potrebbe andare perduta a
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nATuRE HAS PAckEd A SEcOnd SET OF cHROMOSOMES
InTO EAcH WORkInG cELL
have bred a homozygosity with regard to these genes. In nature, these horses will probably become ill and thus be eliminated from reproduction by natural selection. Other genes are suppressed, some lines die out due to old age or because they are often considered unpopular, and healthy genetic diversity is slowly lost. When the inbreeding level rises to a dangerous level, this can result in both genetic disorders and physical defects. Fortunately, genetic testing is now widely available. Through education and dissemination of information, WAHO and our breed societies actively encourage testing both stallions and broodmares, with the simple slogan "To prevent affected foals, test before you breed".
The next revolution in reproduction technology was the invention of embryo transfer (ET). Within the past 25 years or so, Embryo Transfer as a method of breeding has become commonplace practice in many countries. In the earlier years, breeders considered that ET would be helpful in certain rare cases, for example, for an exceptional mare with a medical indication that prevented her from carrying a foal to term herself. Gradually the popular concept crept in that if stallions could produce multiple foals in a year,
causa di ripetuti incroci. Se, sfortunatamente, due cromosomi ugualmente difettosi si incontrano a causa dell'accoppiamento, abbiamo allevato un omozigote per quanto riguarda questi geni. In natura, questi cavalli probabilmente si ammaleranno e saranno quindi eliminati dalla riproduzione per selezione naturale. Altri geni vengono soppressi, alcune linee si estinguono per vecchiaia o perché spesso considerate impopolari, e la sana diversità genetica si perde lentamente. Quando il livello di consanguineità sale a un livello pericoloso, si possono verificare disturbi genetici e difetti fisici.
I test genetici sono oggi ampiamente disponibili. Attraverso l'educazione e la diffusione di informazioni, la WAHO e le nostre società di razza incoraggiano attivamente il test sia degli stalloni che delle fattrici, con il semplice slogan “Per prevenire puledri malati, fai il test prima di allevare”.
La successiva rivoluzione nella tecnologia della riproduzione è stata l'invenzione del trasferimento embrionale (ET). negli ultimi 25 anni circa, il trasferimento di embrioni come metodo di allevamento è diventato una pratica comune in molti Paesi. Nei primi anni, gli allevatori ritenevano che l'ET fosse utile in alcuni rari casi, a esempio per una cavalla eccezionale con un'indicazione medica che le impediva di portare a termine un puledro da sola. Gradualmente si è diffuso il concetto che se gli stalloni potevano produrre più puledri in un anno, allora anche le cavalle avrebbero potuto fare lo stesso.
Le cavalle di valore potevano continuare la loro carriera in esposizione o in monta, mentre la cavalla ricevente si occupava di partorire e allevare il suo puledro ET. Poi gli allevatori si sono resi conto che potevano produrre più puledri da una stessa cavalla in un anno da diverse cavalle riceventi e quindi, in teoria, vendere più puledri più rapidamente, perché dopotutto il tempo costa molto nel settore dell'allevamento. Solo una piccola percentuale di questi puledri ET multipli nati nello stesso anno è di alta qualità, il che comporta problemi di benessere per gli altri poiché, comunque siano stati concepiti, c'è un mercato limitato per i puledri inferiori alla media.
"Solo le cose rare hanno un valore aggiunto”, diceva l'economista Karl Marx 150 anni fa. Produrre più fratelli nello stesso anno dagli stessi genitori rende i puledri parte di una serie e banalizza il pedigree. Abbiamo bisogno di qualità, non di quantità!
Valuable mares could carry on with their show or ridden careers while the recipient mare got on with the business of carrying and raising her ET foal. Then breeders realised that they could produce several foals from one mare in one year out of several recipient mares, and thus in theory sell more foals more quickly, as after all, time costs money in the breeding business. Only a small percentage of those multiple ET foals born in the same year will be top quality, which leads to welfare issues for the others as, however they were conceived, there is a limited market for below average foals. ‘Only rare things have added value,’ said the economist Karl Marx 150 years ago. Producing several siblings in the same year from the same parents makes the foals part of a series and also trivialises the pedigree. What we need is quality, not quantity!
And have we thought enough about the welfare of both the donor and recipient mares during this time? Creating an embryo transfer foal is not that easy. Various veterinary procedures are required, hormones are used to
E abbiamo pensato abbastanza al benessere delle cavalle donatrici e riceventi durante questo processo? Creare un puledro con trasferimento di embrioni non è così semplice. Sono necessarie diverse procedure veterinarie, l'uso di ormoni per sincronizzare le cavalle donatrici e riceventi, con regolari ecografie interne. Poi, a volte sono necessari 2, 3 o più lavaggi dell'utero per recuperare un singolo embrione vitale. C'è anche un rischio per la salute dell'utero della fattrice e per la sua fertilità futura. Ci vuole molto tempo, molto lavoro, molte iniezioni di ormoni e costi veterinari elevati per ogni gravidanza ET riuscita. In sostanza, per dirla tutta, le cavalle donatrici vengono ingravidate, il più delle volte utilizzando l'A.I., e poi abortite. Le cavalle trattate in questo modo possono diventare depresse e persino pericolose. So che questo aspetto è stato molto discusso dalla WAHO e dai suoi Paesi membri, sin dall'introduzione e dall'ampia disponibilità dell'ET, comprese le delibere di questa Conferenza che hanno riguardato le preoccupazioni per il benessere delle cavalle donatrici che hanno più puledri
synchronize the donor and recipient mares, with regular internal ultrasound scans. Then, sometimes 2-3 or more flushings of the uterus are necessary to retrieve a single viable embryo. There is also a health risk for the dam's uterus and future fertility. It takes a lot of time, a lot of work, a lot of hormone injections and high veterinary costs for each successful ET pregnancy. Essentially, to be blunt about it, the donor mares are impregnated, most often using A.I., and then aborted. Mares used in this way can become depressed and even dangerous.
I know this is something that has been much discussed by WAHO and its Member countries, ever since the introduction and widespread availability of ET, including the deliberations at this Conference arising from welfare concerns for donor mares who have multiple foals per mare per year produced by this method. Added to that are the complications for Registries, when frozen embryos are sold, exported and stored, waiting to be implanted at some future date into the recipient mares.
I will now touch briefly on epi-genetics, which involves genetic control influenced by factors other than the
all'anno prodotti con questo metodo. A ciò si aggiungono le complicazioni per la gestione dei Registri nazionali, quando gli embrioni congelati vengono venduti, esportati e conservati, in attesa di essere impiantati in una data futura nelle cavalle riceventi.
vorrei ora soffermarmi brevemente sull'epigenetica, che prevede un controllo genetico influenzato da fattori diversi dalla sequenza del DNA del cavallo. I cambiamenti epigenetici, che possono essere di tipo evolutivo o ambientale, possono attivare o disattivare i geni e sono necessari per uno sviluppo salutare. In questo caso mi riferisco all'influenza delle fattrici sui puledri che partoriscono e allevano.
La figlia o il figlio naturale dei due genitori è il cosiddetto puledro A. È il puledro che è stato portato in grembo dalla madre. Questo puledro non porta con sé solo il suo DNA, ma anche il suo carisma, il suo carattere, i suoi movimenti e tutto ciò che il puledro riceve nell'utero dalla madre, che lo porta in grembo per 11 mesi, lo cura e lo educa per altri mesi fino allo svezzamento, consolidando così tutti questi tratti ereditabili.
BREEdERS HAvE TO LEARn MORE ABOuT THE InFLuEncE OF GEnETIcS
horse's DNA sequence. Epigenetic changes, which can be developmental or environmental, can switch genes on or off and are required for normal development and health. In this case I am referring to the influence of the mares on the foals they give birth to and raise.
A natural daughter or son of the two parents is the socalled A foal. It is the foal that was carried by its own mother. This foal not only carries her DNA, but also her charisma, her character, her movements and everything that the foal receives in utero from the mother mare, who carries it for 11 months, caring for it and educating it for further months until weaning, thus consolidating all these heritable traits.
You could say that an ET foal, i.e. the B or C foal from the same year, has three parents - the genetic sire and dam and the unrelated recipient mare. These foals will be heavily influenced by the mare that actually carries and gives birth to them, in just the same that way foal A is. Many recipient mares are not even Arabians, which can affect the in-utero growth of the foal, this in turn affects their eventual adult height, their limbs in particular, and their movement. This can all lead to future metabolic issues, and of course the behaviour and temperament of the recipient mare also has a strong influence. various
Si può dire che un puledro ET, ciò è il puledro B o C dello stesso anno, ha tre genitori: il padre e la madre genetici e la cavalla ricevente non imparentata. Questi puledri saranno fortemente influenzati dalla cavalla che li porta in grembo e che li partorisce, proprio come il puledro
FROM OOcyTE TO EMBRyO In 6 dAyS
vERy OPTIMISTIc ESTIMATIOn OF cOSTS
clinical studies have clearly shown that these epi-genetic changes in humans and animals can be and are passed on to the next generations. I think this is something that would benefit from further research in our Arabians. Regardless of which artificial method is used to produce the embryo, the greatest risk of changing the Arabian horse breed gradually but fundamentally is the effect of epi-genetics on the development of the foal through recipient mares of a different breed, character and body size.
However, the adoption of the A.R.T. method for the reproduction of our horses was not yet complete. The next step was the development of in-vitro reproduction, which also makes use of embryo transfer and is therefore also subject to all the possible risks and side effects, as previously mentioned. For good reasons, the registration of foals produced by any form of in-vitro reproduction is not permitted by WAHO, and all Registries have been asked to add a declaration to foal registration application forms stating this method was not used. I will therefore not go into great detail here, but for those of you who are not familiar with this method in brief: It involves removing the oocyte (egg) from the donor mare and placing it in a glass dish in a laboratory. There, the egg to be fertilised is brought together with the sperm. This can either be by IcSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) which involves manually selecting a spermatozoon
A. Molte cavalle riceventi non sono nemmeno arabe, il che può influenzare la crescita in utero del puledro, che a sua volta influisce sulla sua altezza da adulto, in particolare sugli arti e sul movimento. Tutto ciò può portare a futuri problemi metabolici. Va considerato inoltre che, naturalmente, anche il comportamento e il temperamento della cavalla ricevente hanno una forte influenza. diversi studi clinici hanno chiaramente dimostrato che questi cambiamenti epigenetici negli esseri umani e negli animali possono essere e vengono trasmessi alle generazioni successive. Ritengo che questo sia un aspetto che meriterebbe ulteriori ricerche a beneficio dei nostri cavalli arabi.
Indipendentemente dal metodo artificiale utilizzato per produrre l'embrione, il rischio maggiore di modificare la razza del cavallo arabo in modo graduale ma fondamentale è l'effetto dell'epi-genetica sullo sviluppo del puledro attraverso fattrici riceventi di razza, carattere e dimensioni corporee diverse.
Tuttavia, l'adozione del metodo A.R.T. (Assisted Reproductive Technology) per la riproduzione dei nostri cavalli non era ancora completa. Il passo successivo è stato lo sviluppo della riproduzione in vitro, che si avvale anch'essa del trasferimento di embrioni ed è quindi soggetta a tutti i possibili rischi ed effetti collaterali, come già detto. Per molte valide ragioni, la registrazione di puledri prodotti con qualsiasi forma di riproduzione in vitro non è consentita
under a microscope and injecting it into the oocyte with a fine needle; or by IvF (in vitro fertilisation) - This method involves ovum pick-up, which is the collection of multiple oocytes from the donor mare, which is not a pleasant procedure for her, incubating them with sperm and allowing natural fertilisation to occur without human intervention. Once at the required growth stage, the resulting embryo can then be implanted in a recipient mare, or frozen and stored until it is needed.
Live embryos are then frozen and float by the hundreds in the nitrogen containers of large laboratories or specialised stud farms. Many embryos are full siblings, as the expensive and complex methods are only worthwhile if several embryos can be produced at the same time. This in turn significantly increases the risk of inbreeding. In most cases, these embryos are sold at auctions, most likely without declaring the method used to produce them, possibly exported and then used in the recipient mares with all the risks of epi-genetic influence, as already described. We should ask ourselves what consequences follow from the findings outlined above? How can WAHO and its members better control selection? What trade-offs could be made between A.R.T. and the life quality of horses? Today, after thousands of years, it seems that we have somehow neglected the most important natural reproduction behaviours of our horses, leading to an irresolvable conflict with profit-orientated reproduction technology. Sexual selection by the choosy mares was both the tool and the origin of evolutionary adaptation. It is the adjusting screw that determines the success, health and survival of individuals and species. The common
dalla WAHO, e a tutti i Registri è stato chiesto di aggiungere ai moduli di richiesta di registrazione dei puledri una dichiarazione che attesti il non utilizzo di questo metodo. Non entrerò quindi nei dettagli, ma per coloro che non hanno familiarità con questo metodo, lo illustrerò in breve: si tratta di prelevare l'ovocita dalla cavalla donatrice e di collocarlo in un piatto di vetro in laboratorio. Lì, l'ovulo da fecondare viene unito allo sperma. Questo metodo può avvenire tramite IcSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), che prevede la selezione manuale di uno spermatozoo al microscopio e la sua iniezione nell'ovocita con un ago sottile; oppure tramite FIv (Fecondazione in vitro). Questo metodo prevede il prelievo di ovociti multipli dalla cavalla donatrice, procedura non piacevole per lei, la loro incubazione con lo sperma e la fecondazione naturale senza l'intervento umano. Una volta raggiunto lo stadio di crescita richiesto, l'embrione risultante può essere impiantato in una cavalla ricevente o congelato e conservato fino al momento in cui è sarà necessario utilizzarlo.
Gli embrioni vivi vengono congelati e trasportati a centinaia nei contenitori di azoto dei grandi laboratori o degli allevamenti specializzati. Molti embrioni sono fratelli pieni, poiché i metodi costosi e complessi valgono la pena solo se si possono produrre più embrioni contemporaneamente. Questo, a sua volta, aumenta notevolmente il rischio di consanguineità. Nella maggior parte dei casi, questi embrioni vengono venduti nelle aste, molto probabilmente senza dichiarare il metodo utilizzato per produrli, eventualmente esportati e poi utilizzati nelle fattrici riceventi con tutti i rischi di influenza epigenetica, come già descritto.
Dobbiamo chiederci quali conseguenze derivino dai risultati sopra descritti. Come possono la WAHO e i suoi membri controllare meglio la selezione? Quali compromessi ci possono essere tra l'A.R.T. e la qualità della vita dei cavalli?
Oggi, dopo migliaia di anni, sembra che abbiamo in qualche modo trascurato i comportamenti riproduttivi naturali più importanti dei nostri cavalli, portandoli a un conflitto irrisolvibile con la tecnologia riproduttiva orientata al profitto.
La selezione sessuale da parte delle giumente esigenti era sia lo strumento che l'origine dell'adattamento evolutivo. Era ciò che determinava e regolava il successo, la salute e la sopravvivenza degli individui e delle specie.
Il denominatore comune al di là di tutte le differenze dovrebbe essere la nostra cura e il nostro sostegno nei
MO.SA
denominator across all the differences should be our care and support of the horses and the realisation that they only need assisted reproduction in rare cases. This makes it all the more important to honour and preserve healthy Arabian horse breeding in all its natural diversity.
MONIkA SAVIER
I would like to thank the many people who supported me, especially Massimo Rubei, veterinarian, k atrina Murray, WAHO-Executive Secretary, Saria Almarzook, Geneticist and Maike Stoverock, Biologist, for her stimulating research about the Female Choice
confronti dei cavalli e la consapevolezza che solo in rari casi hanno bisogno di riproduzione assistita.
Ciò rende ancora più importante onorare e preservare l'allevamento sano dei cavalli arabi in tutta la loro naturale diversità.
MONIkA SAVIER
Vorrei ringraziare i tanti che mi hanno sostenuto, in particolare Massimo Rubei, veterinario, katrina Murray, segretaria esecutiva della WAHO, Saria Almarzook, genetista, e Maike Stoverock, biologa, per la sua stimolante ricerca sulla Scelta Femminile
MO.SA
Reflecting on Hadban Egyptian Stallions
n by Joseph Ferriss
Article published with the kind permission of ArAbiAn EssEncE
I grew up in the city knowing nothing about horses as a child other than they seemed as big as elephants, at least the ones my grandfather raised. He died just before I began my studies at Michigan State University. Little did I know that he was a friend of some of the people at MSU who maintained the Arabian breeding program there. While I was attending that university in the 1960s the Egyptian stallion Ghalii (Nazeer x Galila) was there. He was a gift from the Egyptian government to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Benson who appropriately gave Ghalii to MSU to add to its long established Arabian breeding program. I did not learn about him until 1970 when a nearby Arabian breeder Mr. Perry gave such glowing descriptions of this impressive and noble stallion. By then Ghalii had died so I never got to see him but Mr. Perry’s descriptions conjured up visions in my head of the noble horse of
the desert which I had been learning about from the writings of Homer Davenport, the Blunts and Carl Raswan. I learned that Ghalii was of the Hadban Enzahi strain and I began to notice that stallions of this strain seemed to generate much favor in Egypt’s history.
By now there is hardly anyone has not heard of the name Nazeer, the “all seeing, all knowing Saker eyed” pearl white stallion of the past. He is perhaps the most famous Egyptian stallion and sire of the Hadban Enzahi strain. An entire article on the Hadban Enzahi strain could fill a book and Dr. Hans Nagel has already written some very thought
Above is Ghalii (Nazeer x Galila) as a youngster in Egypt before his export to the U.S. in late 1960 as a gift from the Egyptian Government. He was one of two Nazeer sons of the Habdan Enzahi strain given as gifts, the other being the legendary Aswan given to Russia. Neither Ghalii or Aswan became a part of straight Egyptian breeding but both have contributed quality get in the countries to which they were given. Forbis photo.
Nazeer in old age, (Mansour x Bint Samiha) the “all seeing, all knowing Saker eyed” pearl white stallion. He became the most famous of all Hadban stallions in Egypt, imparting a world wide impact as a sire. Forbis photo.
provoking words on this strain. But I would like to just share a few reflections on it since its name seems to conjure up such a high degree of respect.
In Egyptian lines the Hadban Enzahi strain begins with a young mare titled “Venus” brought to the stud of Egypt’s Khedive Abbas II about 1893. She had come from the famed and noble Shammar tribe, perhaps not too far from where the 2007 WAHO conference was held in Syria. When Venus foaled the filly Hadba in 1894 the legacy of the Hadban in Egypt commenced. Like a large oak tree with two main branches, Hadba had two daughters to carry on the family, Bint Hadba El Saghira and Gamila.
In the earliest of times of Egypt’s RAS government stud, the stallion Ibn Rabdan had emerged as a much admired horse and sire which brought considerable merit to the Hadban. He was a grandson of Gamila. Pictures of him confirm the favorable comments about his “world champion” like silhouette, though less than extreme head. As a sire he often produced horses of his striking dark color with very
little if any white markings. Often they had his good length of neck, strong sloping shoulders and prominent withers imparting an overall “Adonis” like attractiveness in form. He was considered a dominant sire imparting his color and looks with the exception of the occasional powerful dam that would keep his form but imprinting her grey color and usually improving on his head type. Ibn Rabdan also had a half brother Baiyad (Mabrouk x Bint Gamila), a Hadban stallion who is found in pedigrees of Ansata Nile Echo and Glorieta Zafir.
All of the other Hadban stallions of fame after Ibn Rabdan were from the other large branch of the tree, Bint Hadba El Saghira. Whereas the line from Gamila goes quickly to the stallions Ibn Rabdan and Baiyad, the big branch of Bint Hadba El Saghira’s line was blessed with many females to extend the strain. After all, without the mares we are without the strain. Bint Hadba El Saghira added two more branches to the tree through her daughters Samiha and Bint Rustem.
Ibn Rabdan, 1917 chestnut stallion, the first chief sire for the RAS and one of the most important Habdan Enzahi stallions.
SAMIHA
It appears that Samiha’s line was popular among racing enthusiasts in Egypt. Her daughter Fayza provided racing stock though eventually this line died out at the RAS. But Samiha’s other daughter Bint Samiha put her on the map by producing Nazeer. Suffice it to say whole books could be written about Nazeer. His influence through both sons and daughters has given great honor to the family name. Sire of 101 get, a huge number in Egypt in his time, he crossed well with all strains. Some of his famed sons were of the same strain as he was making them first generation pure in the strain Hadbans. These include such stallions as: Hassan and Galal at the EAO, Hadban Enzahi in Europe, Aswan in Russia and Ghalii and SF Ibn Nazeer in North America.
Bint Samiha also had two daughters, Samha (x Baiyad) and Shams (x Mashaan), each making the Samiha family larger.
While the first get of legendary Nazeer did not reach U.S.
shores until 1958, eleven years before that Bint Samiha’s blood came to the U.S. in 1947 in the form of the mare Mamdouha (Kheir x Samha x Bint Samiha). Mamdouha was carrying a filly Gamila (x Enzahi) when imported. This became the first Egyptian Hadban line in America. Today it is still admired with such examples as Ali Zafir (Ruminaja Ali x Glorieta Zaafira), now back in Egypt and the lovely black mare Rhapsody In Black (Thee Desperado x Aliashahm RA) to name a few.
In Egypt Samha produced the lovely Kamla, mother of Europe’s great Hadban Enzahi and also Bint Kamla. Aside from imparting an ivory like fineness, Hadban Enzahi also had the most perfect Arabian ears, just the right size and perfectly placed on his head much like 19th century artists engravings. Kamla’s line seemed to continue a particular kind of refinement and beauty. Egypt retained her daughter Bint Kamla who produced Shaarawi, successor at the EAO to his legendary sire Morafic. It just seemed to get better as Bint Kamla’s daughter Lutfia would become Europe’s source of great beauty and style while her sister Nazeema
Hadban Enzahi, a 1952 grey stallion, son of Nazeer and out of Kamla, A fined skinned horse as though carved from ivory, he was truly a Hadban Enzahi on both sides of his pedigree. His near perfect shape and set of the ears is reminiscent of 19th century art and something we wish we had more of today.
at the EAO would produce such charmers as Nizam (x Shaarwawi), Misk and his brother Okaz (x Wahag), and the handsome Ibn Nazeema (x Ameer). Samha also produced Zahia (x Sid Abouhom). Zahia became the premier Hadbah mare for Al Badeia Stud in Egypt, esteemed as the dam line of Al Adeed Al Shaqab.
Bint Samiha’s daughter Shams founded the Maysouna
family that is equally admired for its beauty and style. This is the dam line of the great broodmare sire Ansata Abu Sudan. It is also the dam line of famed sires Makhsous, The Minstril and more recently the handsome double Hadban Laheeb Al Nasser (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x Bint Saida Al Nasser). Shams other daughter Sherifa (x Gassir) represented the Hadban line in the EAO sires Hafid Anter and Aybac.
Ali Zafir (Ruminaja Ali x Glorieta Zaafira), stallion born in the U.S. now back in Egypt. Erwin Escher photo.
The lovely black mare Rhapsody In Black (Thee Deseperado x Aliashahm RA). Randi Clark photo.
BINT RUSTEM
Bint Rustem was the other daughter of Bint Hadba El Saghira. She produced the mahogany bay stallion Mashhour who, though narrowly represented, sired the important EAO sire Seef and a number of important daughters. The Bint Rustem branch is perhaps the largest family of Hadbans and is carried forward via two daughters Hind and Salwa, both by Ibn Rabdan, making them double Hadban.
Space does not permit extending this whole large family but suffice it to say that Hind’s line is a big one represented by such famous stallions as Russian sire Aswan (Nazeer x Yosreia); Europe’s Ibn Galal and Shaker El Masri (sire of El Shaklan); Galal, Farazdac and Gad Allah at the EAO, Imperial Mahzeer in Qatar, and Khofo, Simeon Shai, and Thee Desperado in the U.S.
Salwa is represented by such notable stallions as: Egypt’s Nasralla (Balance x Sehr) and Ashour (Anter x Lateefa); Morocco’s El Sud El Aaly (Nazeer x Lateefa); Europe’s Gharib (Anter x Souhair); and SF Ibn Nazeer in Canada and the U.S.
Maybe I am being a bit subjective here because these Egyptian horses of the Hadban Enzahi strain come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, but it seems that stallions of this strain often prove to be great sires in the long run. I see often horses of excellent proportions with great shoulders, stylish movement, good refinement and a harmonious overall balance of athletic qualities with noble Arabian type. The name “Venus” was associated with the Roman goddess of love and beauty. How fortunate it was that the mare “Venus” came to Egypt in 1893 from the timeless campfires of her Shammar Bedouin keepers. It is a tribal offering that has become an Egyptian treasure--the Hadban Enzahi strain--the mother of great sires.
Shaarawi (Morafic x Bint Kamla) the successor to Morafic at the EAO.
Misk (Wahag x Nazeema) a sire at Shams El Asil and full brother to Okaz who went to Syria.
The Minstril (Ruminaja Ali x Bahila) tracing in tail female to Maysouna. Javan Schaller photo
Laheeb Al Nasser (Al Adeed Al Shaqab x Bint Saida Al Nasser). Both his sire and dam are of the Hadban Enzahi strain.
Gigi Grasso photo
Shaker El Masri (Morafic x Zebeda)
SF Ibn Nazeer (Nazeer x Lateefa), the last Nazeer son imported to the U.S. Johnny Johnston photo
