134 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



154. Organizations and records. The organization 

 devoted to the interests of this breed is the American 

 Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, with headquarters 

 at Louisville, Kentucky. When this organization was 

 first effected, in 1891, it had the name National Saddle 

 Horse Breeders' Association. The change was made to 

 the present name in 1899. The association has published 

 six volumes of its register, each volume containing 3000 

 registrations. 



ARAB HORSE. Fig. 21. 

 By Homer Davenport 



155. The Arab horse is notable as a saddler, and to im- 

 part vigor, quality and intelligence in cross-breeding. His 

 blood has been prominent in the development of the Per- 

 cheron, Hackney, Thoroughbred, Russian Orloff, Tra- 

 kehner, Hanoverian, French and German cavalry, coach 

 horses and polo ponies; in fact, a large proportion of 

 our present-day types are more or less traceable to the in- 

 fluence of the Arabian horse. 



156. Early history. There has been a great deal of 

 query as to where the Arab horse came from. It seems 

 probable that he came originally from Mesopotamia, 

 although some writers hold that his native home was in 

 the vicinity of Nejd. According to Plumb, the Arabs are 

 descendants of Ishmael, who according to tradition, in- 

 herited a valuable horse of the Kuhl race. The Anazeh 

 tribe descended in a direct line from Ishmael, through 

 Sheik Salaman, who lived about 1635 B.C. (four genera- 

 tions removed from Ishmael), and who owned five famous 

 mares. From this ancestry has come the purest and 

 best Arab horse blood. This race was in existence many 



