At Pakistan army facility, breeding Arabian horses is a passion and a science
With its long, arched neck, refined wedge-shaped head and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world.
It is also one of the most ancient, with archaeological evidence available of horses in the Middle East that resemble modern Arabians dating back over 4,500 years. In Pakistan, over 600 Arabians can be found at the Remount Depot Mona military facility located in Mandi Bahauddin, with the animals specially trained for equestrian games and dressage events.
Founded in 1902, the depot is spread over 10,000 hectares of land, complete with roads, buildings, a canal and a train line, and serves as a hub for breeding and nurturing horses, donkeys and mules.
Pakistan started importing Arabian horses almost 70 years ago, often placing them in competitions as prized show animals and keeping a pool as gifts for foreign dignitaries.
“Pakistan has 808 Arab horses, which are registered with the World Arabian Horse Organization, of which 627 animals are from the Remount Depot Mona while only 181 are from all over the country,” Brig. Mohammed Naeem, the commandant of the depot, told Arab News during a visit to the facility last week. WAHO, founded in 1970, is a UK-based charity with 82 affiliated countries that works to preserve pure Arabian bloodlines, promote breeding knowledge globally, coordinate member clubs, establish uniformity in breed terminology, and consult on other Arabian horse-related matters.
But what makes the Arabian horse so special?
“Among known breeds of horses, the most ancient breed is the Arabian horse, which originated around 2,500 B.C. from the Arab Peninsula,” Naeem said, adding that the animals were renowned for their “exceptional beauty,” particularly when they ran and raised their tails, showing off their “elegant form.”
Even though the precise origins of the Arabian are unknown, the breed is thought to have originated
on the northern edge of the Syrian desert.
“They are widely recognized as one of the most famous horse breeds in the world,” Naeem added.
Pakistan became a member of
WAHO in 1997, with Mona Remount Depot its sole representative in the country. While horse breeding at the depot began as a passion in 1956, the depot successfully turned to science in 2021 when it launched a test tube program.
“At our facility, we have successfully witnessed the birth of 15 test tube babies thus far, with an additional 12 pregnancies currently ongoing,” Naeem said. The first Arab horse at the depot was imported in 1955 from the US and 31 others after that from different countries.
“The price of an imported Arabian horse varies from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the quality and pedigree of the animal,” Naeem said.
“The expenses for importing also vary depending on the country of origin and whether the animal is transported in a single cage or a group cage. From Gulf states, it costs around $10,000, while from Western countries and the US, it can cost up to $20,000.”