The Legendary Origin of Equis Arabica

THE LEGENDARY ORIGIN OF EQUIS ARABICA

According to the Prophet Mohammed, praised be he, when God thought unto Himself to create the horse He said to the searing hot South Wind: "Of thy substance will I make a new being for the glory of my chosen ones, the shame of my enemies and a robe for them that serve me." And the wind said: "Be that Being made." And the wind condensed itself. And the angel Gabriel caught a handful of it and said to God: "Here is the handful of wind". And God took the handful of wind and created a horse of chestnut color, like gold and God imprinted on the horse's forehead a white star and on its foot a white marking. God then said to it: "Behold, I have created thee and made thee Arabian, and thou shalt have station and power above all things of the beasts that are subject to Man. Success and happiness are bound to thy forelock, bounty reposes on thy back and riches are with you wherever you may be. And I have endowed thee to fly without wings; you are for pursuit and for flight. And thou shalt carry men who will glorify me, and thou shalt glorify me with them thereby." And God set loose the fast runner, and he went on his way neighing. And the Lord said: "O red one, thy neighing shall bring terror to the unbelievers. Fill for them their ears with the sound of thy voice and make them tremble before thee.

Many years later the angel Gabriel said unto Ishmael in Mecca, "Behold, a treasure which God has prepared for you from the beginning. Go forth now, Ishmael, to the tops of the hills." But Ishmael knew not what he should call nor what it was that had been promised him. And Gabriel told Ishmael the words that he should speak. And a wild mare answered to the words of Ishmael and ran towards him and put her mane beneath his hand and yielded herself unto his will. And Gabriel said: "This noble creature of the dark skin and painted eyes is a gift of the Living God to serve you as a companion in the wilderness and reward you, because you have not defiled yourself with pagan gods, but remained in the faith of your father Abraham." Ishmael took a blue bead, for good fortune, and attached it to the forelock that fell between her luminous black eyes and over the white star in the center of her forehead saying: "My blessed companion and friend of my Creator, thou wilt never fail me." Thus, Ishmael, the son of Abraham, was the first to mount the horse, the first to whom God gave him in obedience.

This wild mare which Ishmael received was in foal and she produced a son from which many celebrated Arabian horses have descended. This wild creature of the desert and her descendants were not just physical beings created to serve Man, but rational beings as well, loyal, capable of love, spiritual affection and intelligent reasoning.