The Arab-Barb or Arabian-Berber (Arabic: حصان عربي بربري) is a breed of saddle horses originating from the Maghreb. It is the result of crossing the Arab and Barb breeds and shares a common genetic origin with the latter. The first Arab-Barb studbook was created in 1948.
The Arab-Barb is of medium size and has a square build, exhibiting the typical morphology of a saddle horse suited for speed, with a significant chest circumference. It is used primarily for fantasias, as well as for agricultural work and pulling in rural regions of the Maghreb, although this applies mainly to horses with a majority Barb heritage.
The Arab-Barb is a common horse breed throughout North Africa, with an estimated population of around 185,000 in 2010. There is also a small population in Europe.
Naming
This breed is primarily known as "Arab-Barb" in French, whether in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, or France, with variations in the use of hyphens and capitalization, such as "Arabe Barbe" and "arabe-barbe." Lætitia Bataille notes that the naming can depend on the genetic origins, using "arabe-barbe" when the Arab heritage is dominant and "barbe-arabe" when the Barb heritage is dominant. However, Elise Rousseau, author of the unreliable Guide Delachaux, uses only the name "barbe-arabe" and considers "arabe-barbe" as a simple synonym. In Chad, the name retained for the breed is "Barbe-Arabe."
In Arabic, the name provided by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Horse (SOREC) in Morocco is العريب الرببري (ʿarīb barbarī).
In English, the breed is called "Arabian-Berber" in the CAB International reference work (2016), or "Arab-Barb" in various scientific publications and in Mauritania. In German, its official name is "Araber-Berberpferd," but "Araber-Berber" can also be used.
History
These horses come from crosses between the Barb, notably Moroccan, and the Arabian. The dendrogram and factorial correspondence analysis between the Barb and the Tunisian Arab-Barb show an overlap in the genetic makeup of the analyzed individuals, confirming a common genetic basis.
The formation of the breed stems from the French colonization of North Africa in the late 19th century when purebred Arabian horses or crosses were mixed with the indigenous Barb. According to veterinarian Dr. Yassine-Hervé Jamali, French breeding agents were concerned about the "degeneration" of the Maghrebi Barb, a well-characterized and differentiated breed from the Arabian in historical documents, and proposed "regenerating" it through crosses with the Arabian.
In Algeria, indigenous Barb mares from Tiaret (in the western part of the country) were crossed with Arabian stallions starting in 1877, with a military objective of "correcting" the morphology of the Barb, which was considered defective. The horses resulting from these crosses then reproduced among themselves.
Algeria was the first country to establish a stud book for the Arab-Barb breed in 1948. The Moroccan stud book for the Arab-Barb was opened the same year. Arab-Barb horses have been presented in Algerian shows since 1975.
Description
Size and Weight
CAB International indicates a size range of 1.52 m to 1.62 m (2016), while the Delachaux Guide indicates 1.40 m to 1.55 m. In Tunisia, the reference measurements recorded in the DAD-IS database are 1.50 m for females and 1.55 m for males. In Chad, the reference measurements are smaller, averaging 1.42 m for females and 1.47 m for males.
In Algeria, a height of 1.55 m is indicated for both males and females. The Arab-Barb of the coastal plains is larger than the one from the high plateaus, which is larger than the one from the desert regions, with the smallest being found in the mountains. The Algerian Arab-Barb is smaller than the Barb, with a smaller cannon circumference. However, it is larger than the Arab-Barb of Morocco and has a larger cannon circumference. Morphometric measurements vary significantly depending on the breeding region.
Birth weight ranges from 60 to 65 kg. In adulthood, the weight ranges from 420 to 450 kg according to the DAD-IS data in Tunisia, and from 400 to 500 kg according to the data from Algeria.
Morphology
The model is that of a medium-bodied oriental horse. The Arab-Barb is generally larger and sturdier than Arabian horses, with higher hindquarters and feet adapted for speed. The body shape is always "square." The limbs are slender compared to the mass of the horse. The chest circumference is relatively large, which is a necessary quality for a fast saddle horse. The withers height is equal to the croup height, making the Arab-Barb a "horizontal" horse.