Challenges of Breeding Arabian horses

With Derek Thompson as moderator, the opening session at the World Arabian Horse Racing Conference dealt with the topic of breeding and some important remarks were recorded

Khalid Al Naboodah (UAE) and Ali Al Haddad (Iraq highlighted the challenges they face in breeding in the UAE while Kathy Smoke and Sam Vasquez said breeding was not a problem in states it was more of an economic factor that baulked Purebred Arabian horse racing.  “Breeding is a challenge for us in UAE. We import everything and the weather is not helpful. We are fighting hard and struggling against many internal and external factors and above all the tough weather conditions pose the real challenge,” Al Naboodah said. “I believe in the importance in the mother’s bloodline, but I don’t agree it’s 75% for the mother against 25% for the stallion. I think its 50-50,” the UAE owner said.

Kathy Smoke said, “We are doing a very good job to preserve this noble creature. The Arabian horse breeding is flourishing in America, but like other industries, it was hard it by the recent economic problems. We have enough races but we don’t have enough horses and this is the dilemma. I invite others to send their horses to race in our country.”

American Sam Vasquez said, “We have good stallions and mares but the breeding industry is not very attractive and this is correlated with other factors including marketing, of course. The whole process depends on what returns small breeders can earn and whether this is encouraging or rewarding is a very big question.”

“I have been breeding for satisfaction at the beginning, but now I’m making profits. I understand in all bloodlines one must know how to select the right stallion for the right mare. I hope breeders would be more professional,” Vasquez stated.

Catarina Genberg of Sweden said she is not fully involved in breeding.” I have been in the racing for quite a long period and so far things are going well as far as racing is concerned.” 

Iraqi Ali Al Haddad stated that breeding was challenging in the UAE. “I’m living in UAE and find it always very difficult to breed and bring up good horses. The lack of natural feeding (grass) is a very big disadvantage,” he said.

“If I would lie to send my horses to US to race there, it may cost me $50.000 per head. Nobody is helping us in this,” he said.

Kishore Mirpuri (Indian/Poland) said, “We have good Arabian horses in Poland and they do well against their Russian-bred horses on many occasions. I think breeding is promising in Poland and I think we need to mix horses for example from Poland with stallions from Russia and definitely the product would be fascinating. We need to have the qualities of the Arabians mixed.”

Marie Ange Bourdette of France said, “I have bred some good horses that did well in races and became great stallions like Akbar and I don’t know why they have changed his name to Al Qahir.”

Martial Boisseuil, Director of Racing (Europe) of Wathba Stud Farm spoke of the challenges and success of breeding operations based in Normandy.