Where have all the Hadbans Gone?

A History - Kimberli Nelson, 2001

Over the years breeders around the world have used the Hadban Enzahi as a breeding horse. In Egypt at the R.A.S they used Nabras, Ibn Rabdan, Mashhour and Baiyyad, the E.A.O. heavily used Nazeer, then Hafid Anter , Germany had Hadban Enzahi, Russia imported Aswan, in the USA we had *SF Ibn Nazeer, *El Akhrani and *Serenity Abu Simbel. Breeders have often wondered why the Hadban Enzahi produced as it did, even puzzled by them. Some call it a blending strain, meaning that it blends well with other strains while not having a particular prepotency for any one trait. Others say it is a diverse gene pool and still others say as it is not prepotent it is not a good breeding horse. Yet, some of the greatest sires of Egypt were of the Hadban strain.

Nazeer is famous throughout the world for siring a string of beautiful horses. He was a successful racehorse and was one of the great breeding stallions of his time. Ibn Radban was said by Raswan to be "A world champion type", often described as commanding and elegant. He sired his share of beauties as well, referred to by Judith Forbis as the "Fabulous Four", Shahloul, Hamdan, Radwan and Samira all out of the mare Bint Radia.

The impact that Aswan had on Russian breeding is legendary. Hadban Enzahi was a tremendous sire for Germany and his daughters were sought after broodmares for many years. But for some reason, the Hadban stallions that came to the USA were not appreciated as those in other countries.

It would seem that the Hadban Enzahi tends to take on the genetic traits of what ever it is bred with. Look at the photos here of three famous USA imported Nazeer sons. While they are all beautiful stallions, they are very different from each other, representing the strain of their dam. Yet, you see the classic look of each that could only come from Nazeer.

*Ansata Ibn Halima (Dahman)		*Talal (Saklawi)		*Rashad Ibn Nazeer (Kuhaylan)

Here are three more photos of Nazeer sons.

Each photo is a representative of its dam line. Looking at *Ansata Ibn Halima you see the beautiful compact Dahman, with *Talal you see the stretchy longer lines of the Saklawi, *Rashad Ibn Nazeer shows the bolder Kuhaylan traits. Alaa El Din also shows the bolder more masculine traits of the Kuhaylan. The photos of Aswan and Hadban Enzahi show us what the Hadban Enzahi should look like as they are both Pure-in-Strain Hadban Enzahi stallions. The differences are slight and subtle but they are there, the slightly shorter back or the arch of the neck and the length of the poll. The set of the front legs or the reach of the hind, the neck is set at a different angle on each strain or the difference in the length and angle of the hip.

Here are three of the Fabulous Four, sired by Ibn Rabdan!

Shahloul	Hamdan	Samira

Three more photos of Ibn Rabdan Offspring

Ibn Fayda (Saklawi)	*Fadl (Saklawi)	*Bint Bint Durra (Dahmah)

Within the confines of Sheykh Obeyd breeding there is one strain that is very rare with less than 35 horses in existence. It is that of the Hadban Al Nazhi known today as the Hadban Enzahi strain.

Long ago, it was written, that in the deserts of Arabia there is a strain praised by people more than any other. Originally from the ancient tribe of the Beni Lam, descending from the Kuhaylat Al Ajuz of the Al Khamsa. Beni Lam owned a mare that possessed a profusely long mane that completely covered her forehead (hadba salifa) and for this reason she was called Hadba. All the horses of this strain descend from the mare of Beni Lam.

It was stated in Notes on the Bedouins and Wahabys published after the death of John L. Burkhardt in 1817,"El Nazahhy, a breed of the Hadbaba. Some tribes reckon the Nazakhy stallions among the number of blood horses." "The Hadaba breeds are much esteemed in the Nedjd."This is a very interesting statement. In Mr. Burckhardts day a "blood horse" was considered the purest and very worthy of breeding. He does not make this statement of any other strain except the Ajuz. The word "Hadaba" means rise of a mountain or bulging.

The strain of Hadba is also mentioned in the Abbas Pasha Manuscript translated by Gulsun Sherif and Judith Forbis as being the fourth preference among all the strains described by Abbas Pasha.

Lady Anne Blunt , in her books and Journals describes the Hadban Enzahi as "also uncommon among the Anazeh, the best having formerly been possessed by the Roala. Hadban Enzakhi is the best sub-strain, and to it belonged a remarkable mare owned by Mohammed Jirro at Deyr. She stood about fourteen hands two inches, was bay with black points, carried her tail very high, and was full of fire. She looked like a racehorse, though not an English one. The other two sub-strains are Mshetib and El Furrd, are not so much esteemed."

Major R. D. Upton in his book published in 1881 "Gleaning from the Desert of Arabia, Page 299, "Hadban Family or strain, but certainly of "Al Khamseh." - Hadban Euzehi - Hadban al-Fert - Hadban Musaileh - Hadban Ghassi - Hadban al-Zaile

Page 328,
Hadban Family: Of the Hadban family we saw horses of the Enzahi, Al Fert, and Ghafil; and of its fine varieties we heard that the first two are most esteemed. Although we did not see many horses or mares of this family, it seemed to be esteemed by the Anazeh generally, and all the horse we saw of it were good and fine animals"

"We also saw a chestnut mare of the Hadban family and of the strain called Enzehi, with a sweet hard level top and a swinging walk."

Khedive Abbas Pasha Hilmi II

In 1893 Hassan Abu Amin brought out of the Arabian Desert and into Egypt a chestnut mare, bred by the Yunus Clan of the Zauba-Shammar Tribe. She was said to be around three years old and would to be incorporated into the breeding program of Khedive Abbas Pasha Hilmi II. Her name was Venus!

This is her story, her history and that of the dynasty she left behind. One little mare, brought out of the deserts of Arabia to a new land where pyramids stand and the ancient gods of Egypt keep watch over the beloved horse of the Bedouin.