J. W. v. Goethe (1827)

Who could fail to be fascinated by the symmetry, grace, and beauty of a creature? These factors, however, have come to be more and more pursued for their own sakes, as criteria for commercialization. The emphasis often is on catwalk glamour only. Whether in breeding of fish, poultry, rabbit, cat, dog or of cattle, the pursuit of the factor beauty bears strange fruits. This endeavour has often caused breeding programmes to go astray. In the Arabian scene, it culminated in show-mania to such an extent that many serious hippologists disapprove of shows.

Type means an evaluation of form with regard to the breeding objective and the performance pursued. (Witt).

Other horse breeds just have an examination of the conformation and nothing more. To paraphrase an Ernst Jünger quotation, one could say: The catwalk queens at a beauty contest are like Californian apples – they look wonderful, but take a bite and they taste dull.

That the fascinating conformation of the Arabian horse tempts us to compete these beauties against one another can be understood. It cannot be understood, however, as a motive in itself. Beauty has become the only factor being bred for. If we consider the type of the Arabian to be a noble one, we should realize that nobility means, first and foremost, a successful combination of character, willingness to perform and gender related type characteristics. The Bedouin primarily bred performance horses. These horses were distinguished by their great character and high intelligence which often showed in their faces. The concave nose bone that fascinates the ‘head hunters’ ever so much was never, or only seldom, a breeding criteria for the Bedouin.

It was as late as in 1985 that the Asil Club, with the knowledge of these facts, decided to hold its own event, the Asil Cup International. Right from the beginning, the event was designed to do justice to the Arabian horse by including as large a range as possible of performance disciplines – distance rides, dressage, Haute Ecole – and also by the presentation of other horse breeds that either stem from the Asil Arabian or were improved by it. The regular change of location, the variety of the horses presented there, and art exhibitions with pictures and sculptures of the Arabian horse, intend to inspire not only the insider but also a wider public. One could say that we have managed to make a virtue out of necessity. We can be proud of the Asil Cup International as an event that distinguishes itself from the numerous other Arabian horse shows because of its elite horses and of its character as an outstanding social occasion.

In the following chapter we will present further arguments to make us aware that the Arabian scene should be seen in this and no other way. The excesses, as they have spread in the USA in particular, and which sometimes led to cruelty and deception manoeuvres, should be penalised. The exhibition of horses should not be the exclusive domain of the professionals, but every owner should be given the pleasure to show his or her horses.

The public at Arabian shows often responds enthusiastically to exaggerated trotting actions. Every Arabian has a tendency to impress with its strutting trot. We should, however, counteract the overvaluation of this gait which was of little interest to the Bedouin. We should do so all the more since there are breeding stocks of pure-bred Arabians which, because of the influence of non-Arabian blood, show this trotting action to an unnaturally exaggerated extent. Counteractive measures should also be taken when horses are manipulated or artificially stimulated.

More than a millennium ago one of the greatest Arab authors wrote: ”If you only look at a horses beauty, you will never appreciate its real value!”
Al Mutanabbi (Abu at Tayyib) 915-965 AD.

W. Georg Olms (1999)

They are neither beautiful nor large, but they are light-footed and are venerated so highly by the Arabians nor for their outward appearance, but for their virtues and their race. They are not used at all for menial tasks, but only for riding.

C. Niehbur (1772)

The principles and rules which the Arabs observe in the selection of their noble type breeding stock differ from ours. When choosing our breeding animals, we usually look first for beauty, and then only for the good characteristics; the Arabs, however, proceed in reverse order. This is particularly obvious in the way they select the stallions for their mares. Whenever they have the choice of several horses of equal background (or equal nobility), they always give preference to the one demonstrating the greatest speed, the most strength and endurance. The beauty of its conformation is of far less importance here and is regarded as more or less irrelevant; however, they insist (as Arvieux says) on a faultless conformation. K. W. Ammon (1834)

As the horse receives no dressage training, it uses its natural walking gait or, when urged, it gallops. Only Europeans ride at a trot.

J. Polak (1865)