Morab

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The Morab is a horse originally created by cross-breeding Arabian and Morgan horses. There is evidence that American Quarter Horses have Morab blood in their early history. Morab horses were first bred in the 1800s. The publisher William Randolph Hearst is credited with coining the term "Morab".

Contents

[edit] Registration

Morabs transmit their distinguishing characteristics with a high degree of certainty to their progeny. Foundation stock or first-generation Morabs can possess Morab registration, one-half Morgan registration in the Archival Morgan Record (AMR), and one-half Arabian registration in the Part Arabian Registry (IAHA). This makes first generation Morabs triple registrable, not including various color registries. Succeeding generations of Morabs are not registrable with either half registry.

[edit] History

In 1857, D. C. Lindsley, a notable horse historian, wrote an essay entitled The Morgan Horse. In the essay, he recommended cross-breeding Morgans with Arabian mares if no pure-blood Morgan mares could be obtained, leading to a cross-breed which became known as the Morab.

One of the descendants of these crosses was Golddust, a famous walker and trotting horse who was very successful in the show ring and on the race track. He sired 302 foals, and over 100 Morab horses today can be traced back to him.

The next mention of Morgan-Arabian cross-breeds comes in the 1920s. Publisher William Randolph Hearst had an extensive Arabian breeding program and a short-lived, but important, Morgan program, which included a program of breeding Morabs. Hearst is credited with having coined the word "Morab" for crosses between the two breeds.

Hearst bred Morabs by crossing his Crabbett-based Arabian stallions to his Morgan mares. Mrs. William Randolph Hearst II said in her book Horses of San Simeon that Hearst, "... found the produce were excellent for work on his California Ranch." "He registered 110 horses in the AMHA, 18 of which were Morabs",[1] she said. Quoted in an early American Morab Horse Association Brochure, "According to A. J. Cooke of the Hearst Corp, Sunical Div. … Hearst bred Morabs in the 1930’s and 1940’s for ranch work … and were desirable for the large, rough, mountainous terrain of the Hearst Ranches."[2]

Another Morab breeding program was developed by the Swenson Brothers near Stamford, Texas on their SMS Ranch. Starting from two Morgan stud colts, seven Morgan brood mares, and three Arabian stallions, their program created several notable Morab horses.

Another breeding program, one which was highly influential in the development of the Morab breed, centers on Martha Doyle Fuller of Clovis, California. In 1955, in an attempt to breed a horse that could successfully compete on the open show circuit, Mrs. Fuller developed a Morab breeding program. She had experimented with several horse breeds; however, the Morab was the only one she felt could consistently fill the bill. It was from her breeding program that the first Morab registry was formed. Her son-in-law James founded the American Morab Horse Association, Inc. on July 19, 1973. This first Morab registry was also called ‘Morab Horse Registry of America’, and 'Clovis' for the town she lived in. It issued Gold Seal Certificates to Arabian and Morgan crossed Morabs (Premium Division) and Blue Seal Certificates to those that were approved on conformation with some missing pedigree documentation (Permanent Division). In 1978 they established a 25/75 limit for Morgan/Arabian blood mix.

[edit] Registries

In the early 1980s, as the Morab Horse Registry of America closed with the death of Mrs. Miller. The North American Morab Horse Association (NAMHA) was founded. While it was not able to obtain Mrs. Miller's records, The primary goal of NAMHA was to provide an organization to register Morabs so the breed could continue to grow. It was agreed to accept all horses registered with the Clovis registry, (without knowing that a large number were registered on "type"). When the policy was completely understood and many of the horses began to transfer into NAMHA with sire and dam unknown, the NAMHA board realized that a change had to be made to give the public a "quality" breeding program and be offered completely documented Morabs for sale. Thus began the issued that followed in the next 15 years.

In 1987 the first Morab breeders group was incorporated as the International Morab Breeders' Association Inc. (IMBA). As the Morab breed began a resurgence in the mid to late 1980s. The IMR is a full breed registry, based only on Morgan and Arabian pedigree. However, it accepts any Morab that was registered with a prior Morab registry (regardless of its pedigree) in an effort to protect breed history and maintain breed continuity.

In early 1998, NAMHA emerged as the Purebred Morab Horse Association (PMHA) to enter the world of a Class A National Show and National Futurity. Horses from the Hearst Memorial Registry and NAMHA remain active in the NAMHA Registry and do not breed. They are separated from PMHA stock and have their own awards programs. It is not open for new registrations since 1998.

The PMHA Registry supports only well documented Morgan/Arabian lines. This organization is the oldest of the existing registries / associations today and remains the largest of the three registries.

In early 1999 a third registry was created in Illinois, called the Morab Horse Register.

Over the first decade the IMBA grew, from the original six Incorporates, to an organization of more than 400 breeders and 800 associates on three continents. The IMBA worked to popularize the Morab breed, with articles in magazines and a website. In 1999 the Morab Community Network was formed to combine the efforts of the existing Morab companies to present and market the Morab.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hearst, Mrs. William Randolph. Horses of the San Simeon. San Simeon Press (1985). ASIN: B00194JNTK.
  2. ^ American Morab Horse Association. Brochure.
  • [[1]] www.equiworld.com/ssa/morab/index/htm
  • The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies by Tamsin Pickeral
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