Every light horse breed in the world owes a nod to the Arabian horse. Even some draft horse breeds have in their pedigree, the occasional Arabian. When a touch of refinement is needed, it’s often added with an infusion of Arabian. Even pony breeds have benefited by crossbreeding with Arabians. Some crossbreeds are considered breeds in their own right and have their own registries.
Morab
A Morab is a Morgan and Arabian Cross. It’s perhaps one of the oldest recognized crosses, first developed when elegant driving horses were in demand. The registry wasn’t established until 1973. The original intent was to create a stylish, strong horse for driving. These horses tend to look like Arabians, but with a more sturdy bone structure. It’s because of the Morgan influence that leads Morab enthusiasts to claim that these horses are less prone to leg unsoundness.
And like Morgans, Morabs tend to have copious manes and tails. They are also thought to be less hot-tempered than many full Arabians, and this can make them more suitable for family horses or horses for less experienced riders. While the original purpose of the Morab was as a driving horse, today they can be found being ridden and driven in every type of horse sport.
National Show Horses
This breed registry was established in 1981. NSHs were originally a cross between Arabians and American Saddlebreds. Today, horses entered into the registry may be Saddlebred/Arabian crosses, or any combination of any breed as long as they are at least 50% Arabian. All horses must be registered with their respective registries, however, and accepted into the NSH books by the board of directors.
NSHs tend to be more refined than Saddlebreds or other riding horse breeds, but taller and more upright than Arabians. They have very long, elegant necks and are shorter backed than purebred Saddlebreds. And of course, ideally, they should have the high, brilliant action in all gaits. NSHs can be of any coloration, including pinto and palomino. They are primarily shown saddle seat or in harness, although they can be used for most other horse sports.
Ango-Arabians
Anglo-Arabians are Arabian and Thoroughbred crosses. Horses may be Arabian x Thoroughbred or any combination of Anglo-Arabian and Arabian or Thoroughbred. But, any horse must be at least ⅛ Arabian to qualify for the registry. Anglo-Arabians were originally bred for military use. But, today they are used as sport horses. They are primarily used for riding or driving in English disciplines.
Pintarabian
A Pintarabian is an almost-Arabian with color. This breed is over 99% Arabian but with a gene that gives it its eye-catching tobiano pinto coat color, which is not a trait of pure Arabs. The breed standards for Pintarabians is identical to the Arabian, except that they must have the tobiano coat color. The registry has been around since the mid-1990s.
Quarab
If you cross the two world’s most popular breeds, you end up with a Quarab. Arabian Quarter Horse crosses are popular riding horses, combining the refinement and endurance of the Arabian with the temperament and sturdiness of the American Quarter Horse or Paint Horse. There are three types of Quarabs - stock, straight and pleasure. Stock types look more like American Quarter Horses and Pleasure types look more like Arabians. Straight favors neither but has qualities of both.
Araappaloosa
No other part-bred Arabian type registry allows leopard spots, but the Araappaloosa. These horses are extremely hardy and known for their intelligence. These horses should be more refined than a straight Appaloosa, with all the best qualities of both breeds.
Welara
Welaras are large ponies that are Welsh crossed with Arabian. Most of us would call the unregistered version an Arab Welsh cross. The roots of the breed go back to Lady Wentworth, who was instrumental in establishing Arabian horses in Britain in the late 1800s. These are most often used as sport ponies and driven or used for English riding disciplines.
Of course, there are many other Arabian crosses out there. Most either don’t identify their breed as a part Arabian such as the Trakehner, and others have closed stud books, like the Shagya Arabian. Others are just good horses, who happen to have a higher percentage of Arabian blood, than other light horse breeds.
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