IRANIAN HORSE BREEDS
The Asil (Arab),
The Caspian Pony, The Kurd, The Turkoman
and The Native Iranian Horses
The Asil (Arab)
Referred to in the
West as the Arab,
the Iranian branch
known as the Asil
has not only preserved
the traditional strain
system, ie.,
Koheilan
Hamdani,
Obayan, Saglavi,
Hadban, etc. , but,
has also preserved the
original traits that made
this breed
world-famous. Beauty,
Intelligence, and above
all courage and
stamina, combined with
a gentle nature. In
structure, more
attention is paid to
ability than merely it's
outward appearance.
For the above reasons,
there has been
considerable Western
interest in acquiring
Iranian Asil stock.
The National Horse
Society has as one of
its aims the
acceleration in the
propagation of this
breed
Two Asil
stud books exist.
1. The
International:
WAHO accepted
Asil Stud Book
2. The National
Asil Stud Book
The Caspian
Pony
An elegant and
refined pony,
this horse is a
miniature Arab
of great value
for the young
in show-jumping
and racing.
Ancient stone
engravings
and archeological
findings
point to the
fact that
the Caspian pony
may in truth be
the first horse
to be used in
the Middle East.
This pony has had
much success abroad
and is now bred in
Bermuda,
England, and New
Zealand.
The Kurd
Like the Asil,
in its own habitat,
the Kurd is known by
different names, depicting
differences in breeding
and outward appearance, i e.,
Jaff, Afshar,
Sanjabi, etc..
The Jaff, the model of
the horse in Persian miniatures,
in all probability has Asil blood.
In other Kurdish strains,
altogether a strong compact horse,
there are traces of
possible descendance from
the Nisaean War Horse,
mentioned by Greek historians.
Excellent for long
distances and mountanous areas,
The Kurd also has
the ability to carry heavy weight.
The Iranian Thourouhgbred
The breeding of Thouroughbreds
in Iran was commenced with
high quality stallions and mares.
Attention and care in the technical
management of their breeding
give hope of a promising future.
The above can already be observed
on the racetrack.
The Turkoman
In accordance
with historical fact,
archeological findings,
and research, the
Turkoman is one of
the first breeds in Iran
to have been developed and
bred for use in specific purposes.
Primarily used in raids,
this horse is slim, tall,
and finely built, possessing speed
and stamina, making it an ideal
horse for the racetrack.
Similar to the Asil and the Kurd ,
the Turkoman also has several branches,
the best known the Akhal-Take
and the Yamut. A cross with
the Western Thoroughbred
produces good horses both for the track and for show-jumping.
The Native Iranian Horse
Indigenous to all parts of Iran,
the size and build of these horses
change in accordance with the area
they are bred in, i e. rugged mountainous
tribal terrain, or agricultural
plains and valleys. Altogether, they are
not very large, yet sturdy and strong,
as well as sure-footed. For centuries
this horse did all the hard menial jobs,
used for pulling carts and carrying heavy loads.
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