National Arabian Horse Day – February 19, 2025

History of National Arabian Horse Day

The Scottsdale Show, under the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, created National Arabian Horse Day in 2021 to be celebrated on February 19. The aim is to increase the public’s interest, as well as inform them about the exclusiveness of the Arabian horses. The day is also supported by the Arabian Horse Times and was first celebrated in 2022 amidst wide acclaim. This was to be expected, as the Arabian horse holds a special space in the hearts of many horse admirers.

Arabian horses are natives of the Middle East, particularly the Bedouin populated parts. Thousands of years ago, these desert Arabs bred and domesticated the animals, and have used them for purposes such as war horses. The horses were introduced into other parts of the world through the Islamic conquest of Arab warriors in European, Asian, and North African states. Although there were other horse breeds in Europe before the Arab conquests, the Arabian horse’s distinct features made it widely coveted, and between the 11th and 13th centuries, they were crossbred with the local breeds, producing European breeds with distinct Arabian features. The historic Crabbet Arabian Stud in England, founded by Lady Anne Blunt and her husband between 1878 and the 1970s, produced horses that contributed to the spread of Arabian breeds to parts of Russia, North and South America, Poland, and Australia.

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, wealthy American entrepreneurs fascinated by the beauty and distinct features of Arabian horses began to import them from the Middle East and Europe. Through the extensive breeding programs in the late 20th century, which saw the birth of about 30,000 Arabian foals yearly, the horse breed became exceedingly abundant in the U.S. Today, of the few million Arabian horses in the world, more than 50% are in America.