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The Beautiful Arabian by Bonnie Rupp
Arabians have been described as people-oriented, sensitive, intelligent, affectionate, gentle, loyal
and courageous, all traits that have traveled with them from the desert, across Europe and Africa to America. This was the horse that became Bedouin legend and these traits still set this horse apart.
The Bedouin depended on his warhorse to literally 'watch his back'. The Arabians' larger lungs and heart enable them to have more endurance than other breeds of horses. They also have a larger brain,
which may account for their versatility and certainly for the way they respond to humans.
 As a breeder of Arabian horses for many years I would like to tell you a little about these wonderful horses.
They are the oldest domestic breed of horse and have unique characteristics that set them apart. A dished
head, a sprung barrel, a high tail carriage, a friendly disposition and a tendency to bond with humans are
some things that you will notice first about the Arabian. This breed also has assets that aren't., readily
apparent such as eyes set far apart and to the side of the head which gives them excellent peripheral vision.
The Arabians' increased ability to see to the side and behind helps them to react quickly and surely saved
many Bedouin lives when the Arabian was a desert warhorse. The Bedouin depended on his warhorse to
literally 'watch his back'. The Arabians' larger lungs and heart enable them to have more endurance than other
breeds of horses. They also have a larger brain, which may account for their versatility and certainly for the way they respond to humans.
Arabians have been described as people-oriented, sensitive, intelligent, affectionate, gentle, loyal and courageous, all traits that have
traveled with them from the desert, across Europe and Africa to America. This was the horse that became Bedouin legend and these traits still set this horse apart.
We live in North Dakota and our weather can become severe very quickly. When I was a young breeder we had a what they called
a 'snirt' storm. The bare fields didn't have the usual snow cover so when the wind blew the snow mixed with the dirt (snirt), which
made it impossible to see more than a few feet. I was alone on the farm with two small daughters and had gone out earlier in the day
to put the young stock in. As the day went on there was no let up in the storm, in fact it was getting worse with each passing hour. I
knew I was on my own until the storm broke and that I had to somehow move the big herd of mares from the pasture into the barn.
The warnings on the radio and television were to stay indoors as this storm was a killer. In ND we take these warnings very seriously
, but all I could think about was that herd of mares suffering through the storm.
Using no sense at all, I decided to try to get the herd in. Bundling up my oldest daughter, the two of us made our way toward the
barns. We opened the side door to the big barn and then made our way to the smaller barn, which was next to the pasture gate. My
daughter stayed in the barn to blow a whistle, which I hoped I would be able to hear to keep myself oriented as I made my way in
the storm. I was sure the herd would be some hundred yards north of the barn where they had a windbreak. I made my way along
the corral as far as I could before striking out blindly across the pasture hoping to find the mares where I thought they would be. I
nearly bumped into a horse before I saw her. Thankfully it was one of the old lead mares so I put a rope around her neck and started
back in the general direction of the barn hoping the rest of the herd would follow.
We somehow made it back to the gate where I took a quick look back to find only the mare I was leading, none had followed. I let
her go and she ran across the yard to the open barn door. I figured I was pressing my luck but decided to go back a second time
and try to get the herd to follow me. Again I gathered up a mare, this time calling and blowing my whistle and, at last, they began to
follow. At least I thought they were following as I could only look behind for a split second at a time and couldn't see much when I did.
As we neared the gate the herd realized where they were and took off toward the open barn door. As the herd bolted they bumped
me, and the mare I was leading, knocking me off my feet and under the mare. She stood there over me as the rest of the mares
plowed by. I could feel her being jarred by other horses but she stood there over me, protecting me, letting them all go by.
When the last horse was past she sidestepped off me and went on to the barn. I got to my feet to gather up my daughter and shut the
barn door. By then there was zero visibility and we blindly felt our way back to the house. As I sat there with my daughters waiting
out the storm I thanked God and Allah for the traits they had surely given the Arabian. This is one of my own Arabian stories but I could tell you more and so can other Arabian owners.
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