Shagya Arabian
Encyclopedia
The Shagya Arabian was developed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the 19th century at the Bábolna
, Mezőhegyes
, Radautz, Piber
, and Topolcianky studs
. Today it is most often seen in the Czech Republic
, Austria
, Romania
, the former Yugoslavia
n countries, Poland
, Germany
, and Hungary
, but has been exported to other nations and is bred around the world. A purebred
Shagya Arabian today has bloodlines can be traced in all lines to the stud books of Radautz, Babolna, and Topolcianky. The breed is considered by some to be a subspecies of Arabian horse
, but due to the presence of a small amount of non-Arabian breeding is considered an Anglo-Arabian
or a partbred Arabian in some places.
One of the major founding sires
was Shagya, a gray
Arabian
(or, some say part-Arabian) stallion
with some ancestors of the Kehilan and Siglavy strains. Born in Syria
in 1810, he was taller than the average Arabian of the time, standing 15.2 hands
high (62 inches at the withers
). He was mostly used for crossbreeding at Babolna, bred few asil
Arabian mares, and thus has no pure Arabian descendants today. Many of the Arabian stallions standing at Babolna and other studs were crossbred with mares who already possessed a great deal of Arabian influence due to the long Turkish occupation of Eastern Europe. Some Thoroughbred
s and Lipizzan
s were also used. In all cases, meticulous pedigree
records were kept.
Originally, these predominantly, but not Asil
("pure") Arabian horses were referred to by the generic term Araberrasse (Arab "race" or breed, indicating predominantly Arabian ancestry) but was changed after the second World War into Shagya by the Hippologist Dr. Gramazky because he was worried that the non-purebred descendants of Shagya would be mixed up with the Purebred Arabian horses that were also produced in Hungary. At time, the name was chosen because Shagya was in virtually every Pedigree as an ancestor, though many other Arabian bloodlines are also a part of the Shagya breed.
While Shagyas are not considered "pure" or asil
Arabians, they have a closed stud book and have special status within the World Arabian Horse Association
(WAHO). In 1978, WAHO stated that Shagya Arabians that have been bred pure after the system of Babolna and Topolcianky may be termed "pure bred Shagya Arabians", and the Shagya breeders' organisation is under WAHO patronage as associate members, allowed to use the WAHO emblem. However, WAHO also was clear that Purebred" in this case means that the horses have been bred pure among themselves and are not to be confused with the term "purebred Arabian." Some aficionados note that the meticulous recordkeeping of the Hungarian studs actually has produced horses with longer and more complete pedigrees than some horses accepted as "purebred" Arabians by mainstream registries. However, in spite of this argument, Shagyas remain a distinct bloodline group and are generally not accepted as "pure-blooded Arabians."
or purebred Arabian horse, with high carried tail, sound bone and excellent endurance. However, due to the small influx of non-Arabian breeding and the breeding goals of the Hungarian studs, Shagyas tend to be taller, less refined, and bigger-boned than purebred Arabians; the modern Shagya is usually at least 15 hands tall and commonly 16 hands, whereas the breed standard for the Arabian ranges from 14.1 to 15.1 hands, with some individuals over and under that height.
horse, and is also driven
in harness
. It was a hardy cavalry
horse and is now popular in sport horse
disciplines such as dressage
, eventing
and endurance riding
. The 2006 FEI Endurance World Champion was a Shagya gelding bred at Babolna.
Bábolna
Bábolna is a town in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary.In 1437-1438 there was a peasant revolt.Bábolna also houses the famous riding school, and a world-famous stud farm.-References:...
, Mezőhegyes
Mezohegyes
Mezőhegyes is a town in Békés county, in the Southern Great Plain region of south-east Hungary. It is home to the Hungarian State Stud , founded in 1784 and famous for its Nonius, Furioso-North Star and Gidran breeds of horse.-Geography:...
, Radautz, Piber
Piber
The Piber Federal Stud is a stud farm dedicated to the breeding of Lipizzan horses, located at the village of Piber, near the town of Köflach in western Styria, Austria...
, and Topolcianky studs
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
. Today it is most often seen in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n countries, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, but has been exported to other nations and is bred around the world. A purebred
Purebred
Purebreds, also called purebreeds, are cultivated varieties or cultivars of an animal species, achieved through the process of selective breeding...
Shagya Arabian today has bloodlines can be traced in all lines to the stud books of Radautz, Babolna, and Topolcianky. The breed is considered by some to be a subspecies of Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
, but due to the presence of a small amount of non-Arabian breeding is considered an Anglo-Arabian
Anglo-Arabian
The Anglo-Arabian or Anglo-Arab is a crossbred horse that now also has its own status as a horse breed. It is a Thoroughbred crossed with an Arabian. The cross can be made between a Thoroughbred stallion and an Arabian mare, or vice-versa...
or a partbred Arabian in some places.
Origin
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
was Shagya, a gray
Gray (horse)
Gray or grey is a coat color of horses characterized by progressive silvering of the colored hairs of the coat. Most gray horses have black skin and dark eyes; unlike many depigmentation genes, gray does not affect skin or eye color Their adult hair coat is white, dappled, or white intermingled...
Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
(or, some say part-Arabian) stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
with some ancestors of the Kehilan and Siglavy strains. Born in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 1810, he was taller than the average Arabian of the time, standing 15.2 hands
Hand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high (62 inches at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
). He was mostly used for crossbreeding at Babolna, bred few asil
Asil
The word "Aseel" Is an Arabic Name and adjective that means: Original, Authentic, Genuine, Pure, Origin, Root, Unique.The word "asil" is Arabic in origin and means "pure"...
Arabian mares, and thus has no pure Arabian descendants today. Many of the Arabian stallions standing at Babolna and other studs were crossbred with mares who already possessed a great deal of Arabian influence due to the long Turkish occupation of Eastern Europe. Some Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s and Lipizzan
Lipizzan
The Lipizzan or Lipizzaner , is a breed of horse closely associated with the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, where the finest representatives demonstrate the haute école or "high school" movements of classical dressage, including the highly controlled, stylized jumps and other movements...
s were also used. In all cases, meticulous pedigree
Pedigree chart
A pedigree chart is a diagram that shows the occurrence and appearance or phenotypes of a particular gene or organism and its ancestors from one generation to the next, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses....
records were kept.
Originally, these predominantly, but not Asil
Asil
The word "Aseel" Is an Arabic Name and adjective that means: Original, Authentic, Genuine, Pure, Origin, Root, Unique.The word "asil" is Arabic in origin and means "pure"...
("pure") Arabian horses were referred to by the generic term Araberrasse (Arab "race" or breed, indicating predominantly Arabian ancestry) but was changed after the second World War into Shagya by the Hippologist Dr. Gramazky because he was worried that the non-purebred descendants of Shagya would be mixed up with the Purebred Arabian horses that were also produced in Hungary. At time, the name was chosen because Shagya was in virtually every Pedigree as an ancestor, though many other Arabian bloodlines are also a part of the Shagya breed.
Bloodlines
Asil
The word "Aseel" Is an Arabic Name and adjective that means: Original, Authentic, Genuine, Pure, Origin, Root, Unique.The word "asil" is Arabic in origin and means "pure"...
Arabians, they have a closed stud book and have special status within the World Arabian Horse Association
World Arabian Horse Association
The World Arabian Horse Organization is the world organization for the preservation, improvement and preservation of Arabian horses. WAHO grants membership to nations after examination of national breeding stud books, and review of regulations for each country.-Candidates for membership:...
(WAHO). In 1978, WAHO stated that Shagya Arabians that have been bred pure after the system of Babolna and Topolcianky may be termed "pure bred Shagya Arabians", and the Shagya breeders' organisation is under WAHO patronage as associate members, allowed to use the WAHO emblem. However, WAHO also was clear that Purebred" in this case means that the horses have been bred pure among themselves and are not to be confused with the term "purebred Arabian." Some aficionados note that the meticulous recordkeeping of the Hungarian studs actually has produced horses with longer and more complete pedigrees than some horses accepted as "purebred" Arabians by mainstream registries. However, in spite of this argument, Shagyas remain a distinct bloodline group and are generally not accepted as "pure-blooded Arabians."
Traits
The Shagya Arabian exhibits traits similar to the asilAsil
The word "Aseel" Is an Arabic Name and adjective that means: Original, Authentic, Genuine, Pure, Origin, Root, Unique.The word "asil" is Arabic in origin and means "pure"...
or purebred Arabian horse, with high carried tail, sound bone and excellent endurance. However, due to the small influx of non-Arabian breeding and the breeding goals of the Hungarian studs, Shagyas tend to be taller, less refined, and bigger-boned than purebred Arabians; the modern Shagya is usually at least 15 hands tall and commonly 16 hands, whereas the breed standard for the Arabian ranges from 14.1 to 15.1 hands, with some individuals over and under that height.
Uses
This breed is recognized as a ridingEquestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
horse, and is also driven
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
in harness
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
. It was a hardy cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
horse and is now popular in sport horse
Sport horse
Sport horse, or Sporthorse, is a term used to describe a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term generally refers to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving. The precise definition varies...
disciplines such as dressage
Dressage
Dressage is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as "the highest expression of horse training." Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the World Equestrian Games...
, eventing
Eventing
Eventing is an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This event has its roots in a comprehensive cavalry test requiring mastery of several types of riding...
and endurance riding
Endurance riding
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide....
. The 2006 FEI Endurance World Champion was a Shagya gelding bred at Babolna.
External links
- http://www.Shagyas.com - Shagya breed information portal
- http://www.shagya-araber.info/indexe.htm - International Shagya Society
- http://www.shagyaregistry.com - American Shagya Arabian Verband
- http://www.shagya.net - North American Shagya Arabian Society
- http://www.horsequest.com/bredshow/shagya/shagya.htm Shagya Horse Breed Spotlight