Nabilah Egyptian Arabian Bloodstock
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Endurance
The best kept secret…… Straight Egyptians and straight Egyptian related horses have the lowest heart rates and excel at long distance riding.
Everybody who does endurance knows the following bloodlines, that is, if they know the bloodlines at all, Ahir, El Fagr, Anchor Hill Omar, Shah Jehan, Rafeek, Ibn Ziadan, Rosina and Mamdua who are all Straight Egyptians, First Star, Darius and Chrystal Shah who contained a high percentage of Egyptian blood. All the above horses are well known in endurance circles due to the fact that their foals excelled on the track especially when crossbred to English bloodlines. This outcross causes a taller horse with hybrid vigour. Not many Straight Egyptians were ridden in endurance because there were not many of them around and they were mostly used for breeding. Their owners also felt that they were too valuable to participate in endurance. We do not share this point of view as many of our SE horses partake in endurance.
The Egyptian horses contain the original blood lines of the Bedouin horse without any addition. The Bedouin were feared worriers and their horses’ stamina and speed were legendary. Even Napoleon Bonaparte mounted himself on one of these noble steeds. It was common knowledge that there was no other horse that could match the horse of the Bedouin’s courage, speed, agility and stamina. The characteristics of the SE Arabian were forged in the furnace of the desert.
The Nabilah horses are very well suited for endurance due to the fact that we select our horses for type, movement, correct conformation, straight legs good hooves and temperament. In short the original characteristics of the desert horse. Our horses are also hardy. They stay outside in the veld in winter and summer. Only the stallions, mares with young foals and show horses are stabled. A SE or asil horse has no coarseness of any nature. Their legs are fine and their hooves not too large. A horse cannot move economical and light footed with soup plate hooves and tree trunk legs. Refined legs and medium sized hoof enable the horse to move with lightness and agility over difficult terrain minimizing the amount of shock that the horse’s legs have to endure. The Bedouins had a saying that a horse’s hoof must just be large enough for a mouse to make its nest in.
In our opinion the recipe for a successful endurance horse is found in the original conformation of the desert Arabian. They were not too large, they had well laid back shoulders, short backs and a long croup, and due to the laid back shoulder their necks had a natural high setting. This general conformation allowed them to stand over more ground than other horses with more height. This caused a longer stride. They therefore had the advantage of a longer stride without the excess body weight.
They had short canon bones and well let down hocks with long forearms and a long distance between their hip and hock joint which allowed for maximum leverage. Once again, a special advantage for a horse of their size.
Their skin was very thin and refined to allow for maximum cooling effect, similarly their coats were very short and refined. They had large nostrils a large windpipe for maximum oxygen intake. They were deep in the chest to allow ample space for lungs. They carried their tails high which also allows for better cooling. Each noble characteristic had a practical application.
Taking the above into consideration I see no logical reason to breed them differently. The idea that a larger horse will have an advantage on the endurance track is in our opinion a fallacy. They may have more speed over shorter distances but will not have the same advantage over a longer distance.
Movement is of utmost importance. If a horse is incorrectly conformed it would not be able to move economically. The most important factors inter alia involved in movement are the shoulder, the hindquarter and the hind leg. Movement is an intricate mechanical issue but the basics are as follows: Oom Sarel van der Walt a person whom had knowledge to spare once told me that to judge movement you must first look at the walk. The horse must over track, in short he must over step his fore hoof print with his hind hoof by at least 6 inches or approximately 15 cm. This gives you the indication that the horse’s conformation is basically correct and the horse should be able to move well. If on the other hand the horse does not over track it is an indication of a conformational defect that would lead to bad movement. The shoulder must be well laid beck and not upright. A simple test is to draw a line vertically down in front of the withers and this line should end up behind the position of the elbow. Apart from this the angle between the scapula and humerus should also be correct. The angle should be about 85 degrees see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_conformation
A laid back shoulder causes a long flat movement where an upright shoulder and a short forearm will cause a high knee action which is undesirable. The conformation of the hind leg and the hip is of great importance. A hind leg that is too straight (Post-Legged/Straight Behind) will cause difficulty in engaging the hind quarter. A hip that is too flat (Flat "hip") caused by a flat pelvis, this is where the line from point of hip to point of buttock is flat and without a proper angle. It is more difficult to engage the hindquarters, so the back tends to stiffen. An endurance horse should not have a flat hip like a jersey cow as this will cause it to move like a jersey cow. Unfortunately some of our SE lines tend to have incorrect conformation in this area. An easy test is to see where the sit bone is situated. It is usually just below the tail, have a look at the skeleton of a horse. If the sit bone is on the same level as the point of the hip the hip is too flat. The Arabian should have a high set tail and not an elevated hip. This usually also gives rise to a croup that is higher than the whither. In my view this is a very serious defect. Unfortunately it seems to be encouraged in the show ring as I have seen very few judges discriminating against this defect.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_conformation
The correct conformation of the noble horse of the desert is a proven recipe that has been successful over the ages. “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”.
NABILAH HORSES on the endurance track:
Straight Egyptians
Nabilah Fahd (Shari Silic Pasha x Badeia Imp)
Nabilah Bareg (Shari Silic Pasha x Badeia Imp)
Nabilah Paseka (Shari Silic Pasha x Nabilah Nadara)
Nabilah Bashir (Nabilah Nagama x Nabilah Bath)
Egyptian related bred out of our stallions
Akbar Jacobus (Shari Silic Pasha x Keheilan Simone) bred by Eugene Geyser
Theorika Amir (Shari Silic Pasha x Clairborne Aliha)
Jair Dariah (Nabilah El Rafaar x Benlarich El Sheika)
Why do the Nabilah horses excel in endurance riding?
When you do endurance you should know your bloodlines!!
Hamasa El Fagr (Farag x Menah)
Omar ridden by Graham Goodwin
A story of an Arab mare who determined her own destiny - Akbar Zephira was a very successful endurance horse and has now retired. She was bred by Eugene Geyser. Download here.
Nabilah El Dahmoor Nabilah Nagama x Akbar El Damah
Nabilah Bareg (Shari Silic Pasha/Badeia Imp) a very correct stallion was sold to Willie and Tanya Buchling in their capable and enthusiastic hands he has done very well in endurance.
Tania wrote the following about Bareg;
“Firstly we want to thank and congratulate Eugene for breeding and entrusting us with one of his finest stallions bred out of Badeia. Bareg had so many odds stacked against him because of an injury sustained before we started training him the vet told us that he will not be able to ride endurance because of the injury. Our hopes were shattered but we quickly realized that he was not about to give up we took it slow at first and above all expectations he has completed 6, 80km rides successfully. He has won four rides and received best condition horse 3 times he also rode the fastest time on the track in his category five times. He has a resting pulse of 32 and within 10 minutes of riding a course he has a recovery rate of 48. He has no end always striving to be in front he sets his own pace throughout the ride and does not deviate he is a go getter pushing his own limits further with each ride and at the same time he has such a sweet nature very intelligent and knows exactly what is expected of him. ”
Nabilah Bareg Shari Silic Pasha x Badeia (imp)
Bascheer is 6 yrs old and has already successfully completed 1050km. He was the best prepared horse, juniors, at the Alma Endurance Ride, 2010. He came second at the Loskop endurance ride 2010. He successfully completed the 200km at Fauresmith, 2010. He competed in the SANEF schools team 2010 where Northern Gauteng colours were awarded to Cara Roelofse, his rider. He will be competing at the 120km FEI 3-nations race during April 2011. Cara Roelofse participates on Bascheer. According to Cara, Bascheer has a wonderful temperament. He is like an excited young puppy who wants to investigate and experience everything and is a great pleasure to ride. He carries his rider with willingness and consideration. He is a very sound horse. Lenkta Roelofse, mother of Cara.
Nabilah Bascheer Nabilah Nagama x Nabilah Bath (owned by Ferdi Botes, Naja Stud)
Nabilah Fahd was ranked 26th on the Endurance Riding Association of South Africa (ERASA) list for horses in the 80km section during 2008. Fahd has completed 1200 competitive kilometers he has excellent pulse rates, resting 36 - 38, between legs and final 42 - 56 - depending if the ride is Vet Gate or Compulsory Hold. He has ridden National and Provincial qualifying times. In the show ring he has been placed 1st Novice gelding, and placed in different riding classes.
Nabilah Fahd Shari Silic Pasha x Badeia (imp) (owned by the Nabilah stud and very competently ridden by Charmaine Nickeson
Shari Silic Pasha ridden by Elmarie
Nabilah Fantasia and Shari Silic Pasha
Nabilah Nahd
Nahd is the result of breeding Pasha to Nabilah bint Saklabilah. He is a line breeding of the original Nabilah imports, Zahir and his son Ziadan, Baraka and Nabilah. Apart from this Nahd’s dam was the only SE mare in the country with no Nazeer blood and whose blood line predated Nazeer. She is a representative of old Egyptian breeding. Bint Saklabilah was bred out of Anchor Hill Omar x Nabilah Saklabilah. Anchor Hill Omar was a legend in his day winning numerous championships in the riding classes and National Champion stallion in 1978. Bint Saklabilah’s full brother Nabilah Sheitan followed in his sire’s footsteps and won many championships under saddle.
Anchor Hill Omar is mainly from Babson bloodlines which also predates Nazeer. The Babson’s are known for their performance ability under saddle. Nahd’s sire Shari Silic Pasha is bred out of the 5 times national champion Hamasa El Fagr who in his own wright has breeding to dream about with the legendary Bukra as his tap root mare. Nahd is truly a priceless stallion with rare bloodlines that are no longer available in modern Egyptian breeding.
Nabilah Saqarah
Saqarah is an athlete through and through. He is extremely athletic with a length of stride that is incredible. His sire Nafis was bred by her highness princess Alia of Jordan. He thereafter went to Qatar where her was a very successful race horse. Running is in his blood. If you are looking for height and athleticism Saqarah is the answer. He stands well over 15 ha, has an incredible shoulder well laid back and deep. He has a neck rarely seen in SE breeding and a strong hind quarter. His temperament is kind. His dam Gulilah Saraqa is our best producing mare, she is tall, over 15 ha very correctly conformed with wonderful type and movement. She is bred out of Shari Silic Akbar and the imported mare Sraab. The Sraab bloodline is a Nazeer line breeding containing Nazeer 9 times and Alaa El Dine the sire of the legendary Hanan, 4 times. Unfortunately Nafis died recently leaving only a handful of stallions mostly bred by the Nabilah stud.
Marzoukh (imp)
Marzoukh is the epitome of good conformation and functionality. There is just no faulting his conformation. When searching for a stallion overseas I drafted a wish list of ideal characteristics I would like to have in a stallion, actually non-negotiables. Importing a stallion is an expensive exercise and should not be taken lightly. Great was my surprize when Janice from the Kehilan Stud Texas informed me that they have what I was looking for. The colt had just come second in his class at the Egyptian Event and was third in the top 10 colts. One of the characteristics I was searching for was a temperament similar to the older type of Arabians, dependable, calm, solid but fiery. I was amazed that this was exactly what Marzoukh is. He is bold and scared of nothing. No use trying to get him to perform shaking a plastic bag he is just not impressed. Not even a fire extinguisher impresses him. He will show off his moves when it suits him! Marzoukh is a line breeding of Mahksous, a Sultan son. Sultan is also the sire of the well-known performance horse Sakr. Sultan is a son of Sameh successful race horse and widely used as a sire by the EAO. The dam of Ahir, Deena is also a Sameh daughter. The Sameh proginee were well known for their functionality.
Nabilah Nahd (Shari Silic Pasha x Nabilah Bint Saklabilah)
Nabilah Saqarah (Nafis (imp) x Gulilah Saraqa)
Marzoukh (imp) Mahknificent x Marquis Jewell
Akbar Zephira AK El Bashaar x Johrhemar Shamaliah
We recently made Nabilah El Dahmoor (Nabilah Nagama/Akbar El Damah), a Babson line breeding, available to Johan Calitz a very experienced endurance rider. Johan has successfully completed his first ride on El Dahmoor.
Akbar Jakobus "Langasem" Shari Silic Pasha x Keheilan Simone
Two of our horses Nabilah Fahd (Shari Silic Pasha/Badeia Imp) and Akbar Jakobus (Shari Silic Pasha/Keheilan Simone) are in the capable hands of Charmaine Nickeson. Fahd and Jakobus or Dodi and Scollie as Charmaine refers to them both excel on the endurance track.
Charmaine wrote the following about Jakobus:
Jakobus is now out of novice phase, has completed 3 x 80km and 2 x 40km. He did his first competitive ride at Mogale on the 5 February 2011 , FEI 1*.
At the moment he is being ridden by a light weight rider, we have kept his speed below 16km an hour during his novice phase in order that he could qualify to ride the FEI 1* at Mogale.
He is qualified for Fauresmith 2011.
Jakobus is very willing to work and has gained a lot of confidence after the last ride at Onderstepoort in November. He is however not a horse for a novice rider - the rider must be experienced.
He has good confirmation low heart rates and moves well.
Jair Dariah Nabilah El Rafaar x Benlarich El Sheika
Marius and Liza Fourie are the proud owners of Akbar El Rafaar (Shari Silic Pasha/Benlarich El Sheika), a straight Egyptian stallion bred by myself. El Rafaar has bred a number of horses that is doing well on the endurance track. Jaïr Dariah (Akbar El Rafaar x Malperthuis Nikita) is a granddaughter of Shari Silic Pasha out of old English endurance lines on the dam side. She is also related to Jaïr Ahira who won the Tri-nation International Challenge FEI** 120km Endurance race in 2010. She and her rider, Ashleigh Reeve, was selected for the Northern Gauteng SANEF schools team two years in a row (2009 and 2010) and have accumulated 1000 competitive barefoot kilometers without being eliminated once. They received the Junior Best Condition prize during the Alma 80km event in August 2009 and won the Loskop FEI* 80km Young Rider competition in May 2010. Dariah inherits her good pulse rates/recovery rates from her father who is proving to be an excellent endurance horse sire. Most of his purebred Arabian offspring compete barefoot on the endurance tracks of South Africa.
Teorika Amir Shari Silic Pasha x Clairborne Aliha
Teorika Amir is a 7 year old Arabian gelding. Up to now he successfully completed 574.7km. He is a very comfortable ride although very energetic. His pre-ride pulse is normally 36 and he recovers quickly with slip times of 3 minutes after a leg. He has a lovely temperament and is a wonderful horse to work with.
Teorika Portia is a 8 year old ango-arab mare. Up to now she successfully completed 414.2 km. She has beautiful movement and is a very nice ride. She has done all her rides with a heavy weight rider and her pulses are very low and she recovers quickly. She got a 3rd place in the heavy weight category at Ditholo 2010.
Teorika Amir
Fauresmith 2011
The Nabilah stud was represented by five horses, two horses bred out of our stallions and three horses of our own breeding. Teorika Amir (Theo and Erika Henn) and Jair Dariah (Marius and Liza Fourie) were both chosen for the Northern Transvaal-team. Erika finished 45th on Teorika Amir and Francois finished 60th on Jakobus.
Fauresmith is a gruelling 201-km endurance ride stretching over three days. It is held in south-western Free State, characterised by flat plains and rocky hills. It was as usual very vold with temperatures dropping to -9C during the night, with a few drops of ice rain.
The course was laid out by Dr Hans Aschenborn, father of Gisela Uijs, the co-owner of the Nabilah stud.
Jakobus on the course during the first day
Jakobus being groomed at the checkpoint by Charmaine, his trainer
Francois, the rider of Jakobus, reaching for a sandwich after a leg of 30 km
Charmaine trying to read the vet-card, needing two pairs of glases to do the job! It is called old age....
Jakobus with his rider Francois, trainer Charmaine and breeder and owner, Eugene Geyser after successfully completing the ride.
Last vet-check after completing 201-km. Holding thumbs that the vet will be satisfied.
Jakobus approaching the finish line at a trot.
An elated Theo and Erika Henn on passing the final vet-check and successfully completing the ride.
Jakobus and Amir, two half-brothers.
