Horse Breeds of the Week – Arabo-Friesian, Arab-Haflinger & Araboulonnais

Today we learn more about three different horse breeds of the world & like last week, these three are all connected by Arabian blood.

Pleased to Introduce

The breeds for this week all come from the granddaddy of many horse breeds, the mighty and beautiful Arabian whose blood flows through the veins of a wide variety of breeds & types. Today we’ll take a look at the lovely Arabo-Friesian, the adorable Arab-Haflinger & the mighty Araboulonnais.

Regardless of the cross, the Arabian blood always lends a refined & dignified air.

Arabo-Friesian

Arabian & Friesian blood was first mixed during the Spanish invasion of the Netherlands late in the 16th or early in the 17th centuries, creating the lovely Arabo-Friesian.

This was a forced cross as during Spanish occupation local Dutch farmers were forced to use Spanish stallions who carried Arabian blood.

A Grudgingly Good Match

The resulting animals proved to be athletic & desirable and their lines later went on to become instrumental in the creation of both the Orlov Trotter & the Morgan. More recently in the 1960’s more Arabian blood was added to Friesian mares with the intention of increasing lung capacity, endurance & strength while retaining the baroque Friesian look.

Arab-Haflinger

Another Arabian cross that was initially met with resistance, the Arab-Haflinger came to be when some breeders decided Arabian blood might refine the Haflinger animals.

Scientific Process

This was a methodical process on the part of the breeders, and the idea was to slowly refine the Haflinger through several generations of cross-breeding.

Due to this careful process, breeders were able to retain the strong, friendly physical characteristics of their Haflinger breed while creating a stronger animal with slightly refined & more elegant features.

Araboulonnais

Relative to the previous two, the Araboulonnais is a relatively new breed of France. Created by combining the blood of two unlikely sources, the small, lively Arabian and the strong & elegant Boulonnais.

An Interesting Mix

This cross came about late in the 20th century and began with the idea that these two breeds would blend beautifully while preserving both the handsome gentleness of the draft and the hardy refinement of the desert horse. This was a successful combination and the resulting animal is a perfect compliment to both breeds.

More to Come

Next week we’ll take a look at one more Arabian cross, the mighty Aralusian, the sturdy Ardennes and the highly endangered Arenberg-Nordkirchener.