THE CLASSIC POLISH ARABIAN HORSE

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There are numerous descriptions defining Polish Arabian Horses, whether referred to as "Old World Polish," "Pure Polish," "Heritage" or any Arabian recognized as "Polish" based on PASB registration. 

The definition described herewith is a personal opinion derived from research, observations, common sense and the great luck in having knowledgeable individuals throughout the world who have gladly shared what they themselves have gleamed over the years. I am not a professional researcher or a member of academia, but just a small breeder of Polish Arabian Horses who has defined what I consider a "Classic" Polish Arabian. 

It is not so much as to what they "look" like or the discipline(s) in which they may excel, but rather basic criteria based on pedigree.  These horses should have certain recognizable physical attributes which encompass form-to-function athleticism, soundness, courage and heart, speed, beauty and importantly, character and disposition. It is without doubt that over the centuries, the people of Poland and those surrounding areas which may once have been part of Poland developed a "type" of Arabian horse from imported stallions and mares which exemplified these attributes through their adherence to sound breeding philosophies and management.

          1)  The sire and dam lines of a Classic Polish Arabian (CPA) should descend directly from the founders of the seven (7) sire and fifteen (15) dam families.

          2)  All other horses throughout the pedigree from the 4th generation and before must descend 100% from verifiable Original or Desert Bred Arabians (OA or DB), regardless of country of original or "type." 

We all want our horses to be "purebred" and to be proud of their heritage and history. In today's modern world there are distinct types of Arabians, some defined by location and origination and some by discipline. Examples are Spanish or Russian bred -- or those of mixed pedigree bred specifically for racing or show disciplines.  The reality is that through a process known as "recombination" -- which occurs in each generation -- DNA is randomly selected to get passed down.  Going back further than great-great-great-great-great grandsires and dams, while DNA can be "inherited" from many of those ancestors, the amount of total DNA (and therefore attributes and abilities both positive and negative) inherited from any given distant ancestor will vary greatly.  Generally speaking, there is a 5% probability that NO DNA will be inherited from any of the 128 individual horses in a 7th generation, counting the individual horse as Gen 1. 

The truth of the matter is that it is extremely difficult to define a "Purebred" Polish Arabian when such horses have been bred for centuries without the modern genetic tools for verifying sires.  Additionally, these horses were nearly decimated during the two World Wars that Poland and Europe endured, and the Polish breeders had to rebuilt and reestablish breeding herds from a very small number of surviving individuals.  

The PASB has definitive criteria for registration in the Stud Book for those horses foaled and bred in Poland, even though the stallions used may not be of Polish bloodlines.  This has created to a confusion and misunderstanding as to what IS a "Polish" Arabian. My observations in no way are meant to criticize, remark on or otherwise conflict with the PASB and the Polish Jockey Club, which maintains the Stud Book.  It is my personal opinion that recognition and a further identification as a "Classic Polish Arabian" takes things a bit further in understanding and dealing with the simplification of "what is a Polish Arabian Horse."

It is time to establish the criteria moving forward so that future generations of our cherished horses will be unquestioned and appreciated.

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Thank you!  All input appreciated and invited.