The connection between Arabian horses and the people who share their lives is legendary and inspiring. Writing about the Arabian horse is one of my greatest pleasures… 

 This week I have been looking into the connection between Arabian horses and their owners reading and writing down notes for the third book in the Daughters of the Wind series.. It is said that the nomadic lifestlye was partly responsible for creating this special bond between the Bedouin and his Arabian horse.  Living in such a close family environment with the Bedouin gave the Arabian horse an understanding of his family – then time cemented the special ability to relate to human beings. This is one of the qualities that breeders and Arabian horse lovers most admire about the Arabian breed.

For our stud, recent years have presented some challenges that have indeed tested the very fibre of our conviction as breeders.
But I remember a story Don told me after a particularly difficult week and I would love to share this with you. It is about long time breeder and neighbour Mrs Jill Flack. Although we don’t know this Arabian breeder personally Don was listening to the radio on Melbourne Cup several years back day when Mrs Flack rang the local station to talk about her relationship with her Pure Arabian stallion Callicrates.
A number of years ago Mrs Flack suffered a stroke and described for the listeners how Callicrates would walk beside her wheelchair nickering encouragement in her ear. When she fell from her chair the stallion allowed her to pull herself back into her wheelchair by his tail. It brings tears to your eyes just thinking about it.
On several occasions I too have had some touching moments with our horses. One of the most recent was last year. This particular morning I heard the terrible news that our beloved Borzoi was in renal failure and had to be put to sleep. I was about to put the halter on my darling little mare Sorsha when Don told me the news. I was so upset I rested my head against the stable door and sobbed. The next moment I felt Sorsha’s muzzle pushing into my neck then resting on my shoulder. Sorsha’s muzzle stayed pressed to my neck the whole time I cried and only when I eventually moved did she take it away.

These true stories clearly show how emotions like love, understanding and trust are a very real part of the Arabian horse’s genetic make-up and a very real part of life with Arabian horses. It proves that not a moment of time spent enjoying the company of our horses can ever be wasted, it simply strengthens the bond and connects us to experiences that can defy the imagination and exceed our greatest expectations.

My Sorsha…