Riding the Godolphin Arab

Riding the Godolphin Arab

This is just a short note to my friends who have read “The Judgment Vial” on my outside blog and have commented on some of the horsey parts. I will try to clear up any misunderstandings you might have, I hope.

There is clear evidence that the horse, at least in his most basic form, did develop and evolve in North America. Yet, we also know that by the end of the last ice age, about 11,500 years ago, equis, and all members of that family had disappeared from our continent. They were not be reintroduced until the Conquistadors brought the genus equine from Europe and Asia.

The first contribution came from the Spanish, naturally, but we should not overlook the horses brought by the English and the Dutch. The Spaniards were dependent on light, tough, cavalry mounts, while the English and Dutch brought the heavier, draft and dray types.

The terms Arab, Barb and Turk, as applied to horseflesh, became somewhat entangled in the period of our continental exploration. They are, and were, separate and distinct breeds although they shared many common characteristics. The rootstock of the American Mustang was undoubtedly made up of elements of all those breeds, but the breed most favored by the Spanish was the Barb.

While a rapidly growing number of “wild horses”, primarily those of Spanish origin, populated the American West, the colonies in the east were breeding and developing a much different type of horse. If you look back far enough into nearly any American Breed, and I include the Thoroughbred, The American Quarter Horse, The Morgan Horse, and even some of the light carriage horses, you will inevitably come across one or more of the three foundation stallions that are so prevalent in breeds all over the world. They were: The Godolphin Arab, The Darley Arab and the Byerley Turk. All of these sires were famous for their racing “get”, a term designating offspring. Their sons and daughters made their way to our country and dominated the pedigrees of most racing stock. I had the pleasure of owning a buckskin mare of AQHA breeding who traced her lineage back to the great horse Man O War and he to the Godolphin Arab.

The records of the American Civil War did not accurately track the casualties to horses and mules, but most historians have calculated that there were a minimum of a million animals lost in that conflict. I don’t think I have exaggerated that fact in the least.

So, was the hero of my story actually mounted on an Arab gelding as he made his grand round up through the western deserts? If he was lucky he was……(((smile))). They were certainly available in the east if you could afford one and if they survived the carnage. However, everyone, real or fictional, should have that opportunity once in their lifetime, to ride the animal that the Arabs tell us was Allah’s gift to humankind to make up for the ugly things he had to put in the world.

And finally, yes, I do believe that the Appaloosa is a breed unto itself. As they say, only God and two horses, one of which must be an Appaloosa can make another Appaloosa. What remains of that breed today is nearly unrecognizable from the original, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Cavalry to destroy it and some dedicated breeders to restore it.