Egyptian Arabians in the Wall Street Journal

[Roberta Jo Lieberman <woik@home.com>]

This morning's edition of the Wall Street Journal features a front-page
"Marketplace" (second section) article about Egyptian Arabians. It
reports that many Egyptian breeders are shunning the reverse importation
of straight Egyptians from the US back to Egypt...even though these
animals are purebred descendants of the same stock originally imported
from Egypt to the US by Judith Forbis et al starting in the '50s and
'60s. One breeder quoted claims they that American-bred Egyptians have
been "exposed to different feeding, training and environment, which
affects their quality." ... "Horses born in the US...are no longer
Egyptian. They're American." The article goes on to say that these
breeders say that only "EAO horses look and behave like true Egyptian Arabians."

"You can see it in their manner," said one person quoted. "Imported
horses are calm and quiet. My stallions are vain, conceited. They're
like lions." This breeder goes on to say that her "tough breeding
regime" produces superior stock. The article then describes her
"desolate" cement stables in the middle of the desert, cold in the
winter and hot in the summer. Water must be trucked in the tankful.
"The desert makes the difference," the breeder is quoted.

The article goes on to assert that there is "general agreement" (doesn't
say among whom -- presumably the Egyptian breeders interviewed) that
"among Arabian horses -- Polish, Russian and Spanish -- the Egyptian
Arabian has the genetic edge. The arched neck is more gentle and sits at
the proper 90-degree angle to the shoulder line. The nostrils are more
prounced, the jaw rounder, the eyes deeper and set wider in relation to
the forehead. The dished nose is slightly more concave. The ears more
slender and pointed."

If I quote any more, I may run afoul of copyright laws...so if you are
interested, pick up today's WSJ or check their website at wsj.com (don't
know if the story is there but it's worth a look if you're interested).

--Bobbie


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=