Breeding Philosophy according to Cesam Arabians
and other important aspects in our daily living with the most beautiful - the Purebred Arabian Horse!
And also important information for you who is (maby) plannign to buy a horse from Cesam Arabians.
Please scroll down to read!
Photo: Fredrik Liljegren ©


This is the Breeding Philosophy according to my beliefs and my goal in the Arabian Horse Breeding. You may agree or disagree, in either case, respect is one of the key-words.

Preservation breeding - Old Polish - Old Russian - New Polish - Pedigree Breeding - Standard of Type for example!

Here at Cesam Arabians we use the Breeding Philosophy of Preservation Breeding within Old Polish bloodlines, as well as a touch of Old Russian bloodlines. We also have one mare with the bloodlines mentioned above plus an addition of New Polish bloodlines.

We also see to Pedigree Breeding by using Selective Linebreeding to some extent, but without loosing the touch to see the individuals good or bad things.

Our emphasis it to breed beautiful pure Arabhorses with TYPE, correct legs & movements, energetic, forward going movements, correct body & topline with beautiful, small heads and long necks. And also to breed pure Arabhorses that can be ridden in all diciplines. Our Arabhoses must, besides TYPE, have stamina, courage, durability, kind temperament, riding-ability & breeding-ability.

For us is Classical Type essential! We do not aim to breed for extreme type, just Classic Arabtype according to official breed standard. Correct legs & movements are also essential for us, as our wish is to have pure Arabhorses that are durable for a long time. Correct body & topline for us are a good depth in chest, a broad front and short, strong back with a long, not to level croup.

Breeding - Horsmanship - Education - Diciplines - Riding - Showing - Environment and MUCH more!

Every horse is unique and as such every individual has their own training-
programme, conduct after age, education and menatality. Even though most of our horses are mainly used in breeding, they are all (that have the age for it) ridden. And it is mostly forest riding in hilly forests. But they are also trained in dressage, showjumping & Western riding to mention just some diciplines. We believe in a varied AND individual training for each horse. Once and a while we compete with our horses in diciplines like show-jumping, dressage, western-classes, “bruksridning”, hunting et cetera.

The horses that are not ridden (i.e. youngsters) are going on promenades in the forest for environment training. The foals starts from day one with a modified form of Imprint Training.

Now and then we also show our Arabs in In-Hand classes at Shows. The show-training is also built on individual basis, like the ridden training. We train our horses by our selves for the shows, but sometimes take help from  a professional handler. We do not use any kind of artificial methods in our training-programme, weather it is for riding or show.

We have very hilly paddocks and fields, and our horses are out all day building up their durability in their legs and in their muscles. Their muscles and durability is provided naturally in our, as mentioned, hilly fields and paddocks.
During the Winterseason the horses is almost out all day for about 10-12 hours. During the SUmmerseason they are out both day and night, grazing in  hilly fileds in a large companionship, though without the stallion, who has company of his Shetlandgelding.

We give our horses a good analyzed haysilage, produced in the "right way" by a good farmer. Every horse is individually fed and to complete the hayratio we give the Swedishproduced oats and thereafter, if need, also müsli from Salsa Hästfoder (www.salsafoder.se). 

All horses are regually dewormed. The blacksmith is out on regular basis to trim or shoe their hooves. All horses are vaccinated with Equiffa, Equp T and Botox B.

Registration - Horsepassport - Microchip - Veterinary - Insurance!

All horses are registred in ARAB, have passports and are microchipped. No horse isleaving Cesam Arabian until all papers are correct. When final payment is done from de the buyer, the passport is leaving with the horse, while the registration certificate is going back to ARAB for registration of new owner. The horses are veterinary examined before leaving too, an insurance for me as a seller and for you as a buyer. The running veterinary care is taken care by MDV Hans-Eric Fahlström (spec. in gynaecology and fertility) and MDV  & horse dentist Ronny Rosander. All horses are insured in SveLand, A1.

Photo: Fredrik Liljegren ©

Preservation Breeding

The Purebred Arabhorse is a cultural inheritance and as such this breed must be kept from the past for today and for the future. The word Preservation Breeding it self is mearly a tool in any breeding programme and has the meaning of preserving a genetic breeding-stock for the future. There must be a plan for breeders with either similar breeding work or similar ideas and convictions of breeding to preserve a specific breeding material.

The World famous Arabhorse genetic Mr. Michael Bowling once wrote: “The goal of Preservation Breeding is to keep in the world the traits, characters, hereditary factors which make one aspect of a breed or species different from another – in short, preserve genes for the future”...”preserved genes will benefit a larger population in future”...

In modern breeding today, the producing of new Pure Arabhorses are restricted to individual financial status – geography – fashion breeding – and so on, which will in the end only lead to a wider use of some lines, some stallions, some mares hence neglecting others, which in turn will lead to loss of genetic diversity. Other aspects is also of course of most importance like the environmental status i.e. nutrition, riding, training, out door living, medical attention and so on.

According to a quotation from Albie Jacobs, Preservation Breeding can be done in two ways: “Breeding by everybody as the wish but without a plan” or “Breeding by everybody with a master plan to preserve the type(s)”

At Cesam Arabians we have a special love for the Old Polish and Old Russian bloodlines as our primary emphasis. And we always keep in mind...”Once gone – always lost”... hence the use of genetic diversity by preserving the Old Polish bloodlines as a major for us.

Photo: Fredrik Liljegren ©

Old Polish & Old Russian Bloodlines

We use the Old Polish bloodlines used at the Polish State Studs up till 1968 (prior to the importation of Palas SU) together with the Babólna-blood from Hungary and the use of Old Russian bloodlines used at Tersk with foundation-blood from the Polish State Studs and Crabbet Park Arabian Stud in England. The Old Polish bloodlines (+ Old Russian & Crabbet) include Sirelines as for example Kuhailan Afas or.Ar. - Kuhailan Haifi or.Ar. - Bairactar or.Ar. - Ilderim or.Ar. - Kuhailan Zaid or.Ar. – Krzyzyk or.Ar. – Kuhailan Adjuze or.Ar – Mahruss or.Ar. – Zobeyni or.Ar. – Abu Argub or.Ar. – and Damlines as for example Woloszka f. c:a 1810 – Gazella or.Ar. – Sahara or.Ar. – Mlecha or.Ar. – 214 Scherifa or.Ar. – Fatme or.Ar. – Nedjme or.Ar. – Rodania or.Ar. – Szeikha or.Ar. The Strains in most cases are predominately of Kuhailiyah/Kuhailan and Saqlawiyah/Saqlawi.

Our horses have Original Arab-horses in their 5th generation, as most Old Polish Arabs have.

New Polish Bloodlines

As mentioned we also have one mare with New Polish bloods, which in this case is Palas SU (Aswan EG x Panel SU/Nil EG). His Sireline is Saqlawi I or.Ar. and his Damline is Selma or.Ar. Palas used in a sire’s maternal line has, in my opinion, the best qualities of the newer Polish bloodlines.

Sireline

Tap root sire in the sireline branch, who ends in the foundation sire.

Damline

Tap root dam in the damline branch, who ends in the foundation mare

Strain

Shows the root of the Damline (Tail female line) and with Bedouin costum is the strain following the Damline no matter what Sireline.

Original Arabs

Desert bred pure Arabhorses Other abbreviations used are – or.Ar. – d.b. – D.B. – OA

Photo: Carina Jönsson ©

Pedigree Breeding

A pedigree is a sum of ancestors and as a breeder one must be able to interpret this pedigree. Just by looking at one, two or maybe three generations is not being of use for the future, instead you have too look at generations further back, all the way to the tap root. As it self, the pedigree says nothing as they are simply names on a paper. However together with the information of each individual in this pedigree with its breeding-result, show-result, racing-result, riding-result et cetera, you get much more knowledge.

We use Selective Pedigreebreeding here at Cesam Arabians within the pure Old Polish bloodlines, with a touch of Old Russian bloodlines as well as New Polish bloodlines.

Inbreeding

Means breeding with father - daughter, son - mother and fullbrother – fullsister and ONLY these three relations! Some breeders (and by all means genetics too) are however also calling breeding with close up relatives for Inbreeding. The special positive traits you wish to do with Inbreeding are of course strengthen, but so are the negative traits. Inbreeding according to the above definition is something we do NOT use our selves or do NOT recommend!

Linebreeding

Is breeding within the family, so that the relationship between the sire and the dam is not closer than – for example - cousins, next-cousins or maternal grandparents. A fundamental rule for genetics, scientists and experience breeders are that the best breeding results, comes out from Selective Linebreeding. The term selective simply means that you choose from special ideal bloodlines for your breeding programme.

Outcross breeding

At one or two occasions you need to use Outcross Breeding, especially when there have been Inbreeding or Linebreeding for several generations, and new blood is needed. Have faults been done in the Inbreeding or Linebreeding they can be corrected as some extent by using Outcross breeding. Though, one must have in mind, Outcross breeding is only useful when you have a specific goal to reach, otherwise it can destroy to much and to easy.

Photo: Fredrik Liljegren ©

Breed standard (according to the international standard accepted by SAHF)

The typical Arab horse is known by its beauty, elegance and nobility combined with pride, classic lines and floating movements. A horse that lacks these qualities can of course be a good horse, however not a typical Arab horse. The Arab Horse is very intelligent, easy learner and most affected. The temper is lively but kind. The Arab horse is also long-lived, persistant, patient, easy to feed and is easy to accustom to new and different circumstances. Sight and hearing is very sharp.

Skeleton The skeleton is of exceptionally hard quality. The scul is short and broad, the eye sockets are big and ground. The ribs are 17 pairs (sometimes 18). The sacral vertebraes are 16 – other breeds has generally 18. The lumbar vertebraes är often 5 instead of 6
Head Relativley small and wedge-shaped. The nasal profile is wedged under the eyes. The forehead is broad with a huge distance between the eyes. A bulge between or just above the eyes (jibbah) is often seen with the Arab horses. The cheek bones are round and deep.
Ears Lovely chiselled with curved tips and harmonically placed.
Eyes Big, dark eyes and set rather low on the head. The eye white can sometimes be seen with the Arab horse. This is no major fault, though it is not desirable with to much white.
Nostrils Large and finely edged parallell to the nose. They must be flexible with an enormous capacity to expand when moving or exertion.
Nose Small, as well as from the front as from the side. The underlip must be firm and well closed, unless the horse is very old.
Neck Long and elegantly arched. It is more pronounced with the stallion than with the mare, as she can have a more straight neck. The neck must be set high and the throath-line between head and neck (mitbah) must be long and softly arched.
Shoulder & withers The shoulder is well laid back to give a long step. The withers is clearly defined and long (sometimes with a “lance’s mark”). This even if the Arab horse due to shorter vetrtebraes usually not have as high withers as for example the Thoroughbred.
Back & loins Relativly short and well musculed back. Short and strong loins with no hollow in front of the highest point of the croup. The back line is quite horizontal over loins and croup to the tail dock.
Croup Lightly ”takat” to rather flat with a good width from both point of hips and point of buttock as possible and with a good distance between the point of hips. On a grown horse the point of croup must not be higher than the withers.
Ribs & belly Well arched ribs and a well closed girth.
Legs The arab horse has a relativly long forearm and short cannonbones with well marked ligaments. Knees and hocks are well marked.The cannon bone is straigt, dry and broad – not tied in below the knee or hock. The gaskin is broad and well musculed.
Hooves Round and hard with best quality.
Tail Tail is set high and is carried elevated in an arch horizontal or higher than the back line. This is – together with the noble head and the proudly carried neck – one of the breed’s special and distinguishing features. Sometimes is the tail carried towards one side, which is acceptable.
Coat, hair, skin The skin is very thin and fine (the bloodveines are often visable) and has a silky texture and quality. Legs are clear or excess hair or is rarely seen. The mane and tail is silky and has sometimes lightly waves.
Colour & markings All colours are accepted besides skewbald. Grey is very common. They are born dark but lighten up during the years – some get all white. Some are fleabitten grey. Some roan horses keep their colour for life. True black is very rare. White markings are very common and can sometimes be very big. (i.e. Sabino – parti-coloured).
Height Is variable due to breeding, inheritance and climate. The most usual heights are between 145 to 155 cms, but is varied both down and up, and their is no set limits.
Action & style The Walk is free and forward going. The Trot is exceptionally light and floating and also forward going. A free and movable shoulder and forearm. The backlegs must work with a powerful and energetic forwardgoing movements with well arched hocks. The hock action is very important. The frontlegs are working with a ”schwung”. The canter is even, elastic and well balanced.
Example of serious faults and defects Heavy common head ("ramskopf"). Ewe neck or stiff, straight neckplacing. Sloppy ears. Over- or undershot. Small eyes. Naroww cheek/shallow jaws. Flat ribs. Oxy feet or flat feet. Straight hocks or overhocked week gaskins. Short and trippy walk. Short distance between point of croup and tail dock. Narrow, apple rump or split croup. Low tail set.

Photo: Fredrik Liljegren © Photo: Fredrik Liljegren ©