Egyptian vs. Polish Arabs

sarahv · 07-04-2009, 08:57 AM

Is there an Arab person out there that can tell me the difference between Polish and Egyptian Arabs? Is is just bloodlines or is there a difference in looks or temperment?

Texas Paints N Arabs · 07-04-2009, 10:40 AM

Bloodlines are a big difference, in my personal opinion straight egyptian tend to be a little hotter than polish. Although with the straight egyptian I think you get more of the dishy head than with a polish. Personally I wouldn't trade for one of my polish arabs, they are wonderful well mannered, calm horses.

rivervu2 · 07-04-2009, 11:06 AM

There is a huge difference, aside from the bloodlines. The Polish horses tend to have more substance, both physically and mentally. The Egyptian has a finer body type and most often a prettier head. They are also very sensitive horses, almost ethereal. They form very strong bonds with their people and don't tolerate mistreatment. I worked with both breeds but loved the Egyptians for their intelligence and sensitivity.

Druydess · 07-04-2009, 12:21 PM

I have 4 Polish Arabs, and aside from the bloodline difference, the Polish do seem calmer and have more physical substance as was mentioned. There are always exceptions though. My 4 year old is a little more hot than the others, but that could be her age; they tend to mature later. On the other hand, a friend of mine has a pure Egyptian stud who's as gentle as a lamb. Both breeds are very intelligent and bond to their owners. It depends largely on how you handle/train them. They need patience, time, and understanding; you can't cowboy these horses.
They all come from Egyptian lines originally.
There are some pics of my Arabs on Meet the Horses if you'd like to see the physical difference.

Danni L · 07-04-2009, 12:29 PM

i agree with every one. i think they both have strenths and weaknesses. i've had the pleasure of working with a couple of amazing polish arabs, but the one i bonded with most was a egyptian filly.

ahabarabs · 07-04-2009, 12:58 PM

A lot depends as well on what you desire to do with your horse, a lot of different polish lines do well in english/park/driving/ etc. they tend to be quite athletic, and less "refined" than the "classic arab" that a lot of people think of.. back in the 80's it was the "in thing" to have "pure polish" or "straight egyptian", but that has passed for the most part, so you see a lot of crosses now, ..........

with egyptian, you've really got "new egyptian" and "old egyptian" old is more going back,and staying along the lines of the desert breed (al khamsa-turfa for instance) they are usually quite typey, little, and "compact",they usually don't have a lot of "action",are generally very quiet,and easy to work with,and are not for the most part ever seen much in the "show world". new egyptians are pretty popular in the show arenas, they usually have a lot of refinement, are fairly "hot" sometimes, some straight's used to do well in some of the english/park classes, but those divisions have gotten so competitive, that usually it is more of a cross (i.e. polish/egyptian x etc.)

Russian/Spanish arabs are generally typey, fairly quiet horses, that are good for someone if they want a arab with a lot "substance" as they are generally bigger bodied, they do well in halter/western/hunter, type disciplines as they don't have much "action" usually.
Crabbet is really good to, most of the foundation crabbet stock came from desert/poland, they are known for being generally quite typey, fairly quiet,easy to handle, and though not really known widely for being "action horses" some of the biggest, most talented, english/park horses of today trace back to crabbet bred/egyptian, (i.e. Bay-abi, foundation sire for Sheila Varians famous "Bey" line, just one example).

Druydess · 07-04-2009, 01:13 PM

Great info Ahabarabs!!
I have a Polish Mother/daughter who have high percentage Crabbet & some Russian..very quiet, somewhat typey, and with good action. Good mix.

ahabarabs · 07-04-2009, 02:01 PM

Yeah, even my "idol" horse of all time Countess Vanessa, (who was NSH) arab side was crabbet!!!! she was probably 5-6 x national park champion, and truly a "freak" among the park world!

jtfer1968 · 07-04-2009, 02:19 PM

My daughter's arab is straight egyptian and we got her at 20 years old. She still have so much energy, I can't imagine how she was as a baby. But, she is so attached to my daughter and is perfect for her.

LadyAshen · 07-04-2009, 02:27 PM

My Ashen is a mix of Crabbet, Polish, SE lines. Her mix makes her compact and sturdy, with a good head. She is gentle and intelligent, and never forgets an insult. With children Ashen shines, but she has spirit.

Barngoddess · 07-04-2009, 02:53 PM

I've had the pleasure to work with both Egyptian and Polish Arabs. I have found the Egyptian to be a bit more flighty than the Polish. My gelding, who is Polish/Crabbet is definately less "spring loaded" than our mare (Egyptian, Russian and Polish). I find Arabs to be much more exuberant than other breeds -- our current horses are as peppy and lively at 20 as my first horse was when I got her as a six year old.

Druydess · 07-04-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyAshen

My Ashen is a mix of Crabbet, Polish, SE lines. Her mix makes her compact and sturdy, with a good head. She is gentle and intelligent, and never forgets an insult. With children Ashen shines, but she has spirit.

Very cool!! Do you have a pic of her? The aforementioned "mother" is my Avatar, and there's a pic of her and my 2 full Arab sisters on meet the horses...they have mostly Polish, some Crabbet, and some Russian as well..

LadyAshen · 07-04-2009, 04:03 PM

Ashen is MY avatar!

She would never ever allow me to have another horse as my avatar. Ashen rules in my house.

Barngoddess · 07-04-2009, 04:57 PM

That is SO funny! My boy OWNS me -- no joke. If I try working with another horse when he is around, he stands at the gate staring at me an whinnies during the entire training session!

LadyAshen · 07-04-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barngoddess

That is SO funny! My boy OWNS me -- no joke. If I try working with another horse when he is around, he stands at the gate staring at me an whinnies during the entire training session!

You too! Whenever I try to help my friends groom their horses, Ashen will quietly walk up to the other horse, and then bites them!

She won't get mad at me, she just takes it out on the other horse!

Ashen might be jealous, but she knows what side her bread is buttered on!

ahabarabs · 07-04-2009, 06:20 PM

Oh yes I had a mare once that was bought as a show prospect, and just became a spoiled pet that was very jealous, I had training horses coming and going, and she would strain to try to stare intently from her stall,( her stall was down aisle, so she would have to stand sideways with face pressed to bars to see) as long as I was messing with them, and I tried turning her out with some of the training horses as she was generally pretty good turned out with others, except for the ones she had seen me working with, those she targeted out of herd, and so viciously attacked, almost ran one through a fence, so she was never able to be turned out with any I was working after that.

horselady · 07-04-2009, 06:40 PM

I have one stallion that is Polish from the Silver Vanity Line, Raffles. Strong, bold and built heavy than another from the Padron, egyptian ,line, fine boned, firey personality, yet comical , will bite anyone who he does not like and has not changed in 15 years that I own him.,
My personal mare, Silly was egyptian, and she took no guff from anyone or anything. and would only allow me to ride her. She was all boss, and yet very loving.

Druydess · 07-04-2009, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by horselady

I have one stallion that is Polish from the Silver Vanity Line, Raffles. Strong, bold and built heavy than another from the Padron, egyptian ,line, fine boned, firey personality, yet comical , will bite anyone who he does not like and has not changed in 15 years that I own him.,
My personal mare, Silly was egyptian, and she took no guff from anyone or anything. and would only allow me to ride her. She was all boss, and yet very loving.

My grey mare (the Avatar) is also from the Silver Vanity/Raffles line. Also has Gdansk, Duel, Silver Drift, and Tornado...very muscular, compact and is the smoothest riding mare I have...you barely move in the saddle - her back is nearly motionless during the trot. Smart as a whip too!

Druydess · 07-04-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyAshen

Ashen is MY avatar!

She would never ever allow me to have another horse as my avatar. Ashen rules in my house.

She's gorgeous! I may have to add a black to my herd...

My five really aren't jealous so much as curious. I've taught them if they want to get attention, everyone has to play nice, and they do. (different situation with new horses such as yours) If one is near me, the other do come up to see if they're missing anything. And they're all so gentle. It's amazing to be surrounded by 5 mares, all with their own personalities, and never having to worry about them being disrespectful or pushy.
Ashen's biting thing is sorta comical though..

Slim Pikkens · 07-04-2009, 08:00 PM

This is an interesting topic. My boarder's Arab is Egyptian and was started by people who were used to training the colder blooded quarter horses. They failed miserably. When this little gal came to me, a past Arab owner, we proceeded very slowly with her training and the training of her new owner. There is now a marvellous bond between them now that I never tire of watching.

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07-04-2009, 08:57 AM
sarahv Weanling Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 340	Egyptian vs. Polish Arabs Is there an Arab person out there that can tell me the difference between Polish and Egyptian Arabs? Is is just bloodlines or is there a difference in looks or temperment?

07-04-2009, 10:40 AM
Texas Paints N Arabs Coming two Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,842	Bloodlines are a big difference, in my personal opinion straight egyptian tend to be a little hotter than polish. Although with the straight egyptian I think you get more of the dishy head than with a polish. Personally I wouldn't trade for one of my polish arabs, they are wonderful well mannered, calm horses. __________________ Horses help take us to a place which we cannot reach by ourselves

07-04-2009, 11:06 AM
rivervu2 Started Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 2,406	There is a huge difference, aside from the bloodlines. The Polish horses tend to have more substance, both physically and mentally. The Egyptian has a finer body type and most often a prettier head. They are also very sensitive horses, almost ethereal. They form very strong bonds with their people and don't tolerate mistreatment. I worked with both breeds but loved the Egyptians for their intelligence and sensitivity. __________________ *"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have."* *Thomas Jefferson*

07-04-2009, 12:21 PM
Druydess Coming two Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,556	I have 4 Polish Arabs, and aside from the bloodline difference, the Polish do seem calmer and have more physical substance as was mentioned. There are always exceptions though. My 4 year old is a little more hot than the others, but that could be her age; they tend to mature later. On the other hand, a friend of mine has a pure Egyptian stud who's as gentle as a lamb. Both breeds are very intelligent and bond to their owners. It depends largely on how you handle/train them. They need patience, time, and understanding; you can't cowboy these horses. They all come from Egyptian lines originally. There are some pics of my Arabs on Meet the Horses if you'd like to see the physical difference. __________________ "Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match."

07-04-2009, 12:29 PM
Danni L Yearling Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Red Deer,Alberta Posts: 627	i agree with every one. i think they both have strenths and weaknesses. i've had the pleasure of working with a couple of amazing polish arabs, but the one i bonded with most was a egyptian filly. __________________ Rain- gorgeous grey 6 year old mustang, just getting started under saddle Guido-adorable yearling Appaloosa Sport Horse

07-04-2009, 12:58 PM
ahabarabs Weanling Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: indianapolis, indiana Posts: 487	A lot depends as well on what you desire to do with your horse, a lot of different polish lines do well in english/park/driving/ etc. they tend to be quite athletic, and less "refined" than the "classic arab" that a lot of people think of.. back in the 80's it was the "in thing" to have "pure polish" or "straight egyptian", but that has passed for the most part, so you see a lot of crosses now, .......... with egyptian, you've really got "new egyptian" and "old egyptian" old is more going back,and staying along the lines of the desert breed (al khamsa-turfa for instance) they are usually quite typey, little, and "compact",they usually don't have a lot of "action",are generally very quiet,and easy to work with,and are not for the most part ever seen much in the "show world". new egyptians are pretty popular in the show arenas, they usually have a lot of refinement, are fairly "hot" sometimes, some straight's used to do well in some of the english/park classes, but those divisions have gotten so competitive, that usually it is more of a cross (i.e. polish/egyptian x etc.) Russian/Spanish arabs are generally typey, fairly quiet horses, that are good for someone if they want a arab with a lot "substance" as they are generally bigger bodied, they do well in halter/western/hunter, type disciplines as they don't have much "action" usually. Crabbet is really good to, most of the foundation crabbet stock came from desert/poland, they are known for being generally quite typey, fairly quiet,easy to handle, and though not really known widely for being "action horses" some of the biggest, most talented, english/park horses of today trace back to crabbet bred/egyptian, (i.e. Bay-abi, foundation sire for Sheila Varians famous "Bey" line, just one example).

07-04-2009, 01:13 PM
Druydess Coming two Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Deltona, Florida Posts: 1,556	Great info Ahabarabs!! I have a Polish Mother/daughter who have high percentage Crabbet & some Russian..very quiet, somewhat typey, and with good action. Good mix. __________________ "Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match."

07-04-2009, 02:01 PM
ahabarabs Weanling Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: indianapolis, indiana Posts: 487	Yeah, even my "idol" horse of all time Countess Vanessa, (who was NSH) arab side was crabbet!!!! she was probably 5-6 x national park champion, and truly a "freak" among the park world!

07-04-2009, 02:19 PM
jtfer1968 Long Yearling Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Central Florida Posts: 1,265	My daughter's arab is straight egyptian and we got her at 20 years old. She still have so much energy, I can't imagine how she was as a baby. But, she is so attached to my daughter and is perfect for her. __________________

07-04-2009, 02:27 PM
LadyAshen Yearling Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 705	My Ashen is a mix of Crabbet, Polish, SE lines. Her mix makes her compact and sturdy, with a good head. She is gentle and intelligent, and never forgets an insult. With children Ashen shines, but she has spirit. __________________ And God took a handful of South wind and from it formed a horse, saying: "I create thee, Oh Arabian. To thy forelock, I bind Victory in battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil And a Treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth... I give thee flight without wings." -- from Ancient Bedouin Legend

07-04-2009, 02:53 PM
Barngoddess Weanling Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 350	I've had the pleasure to work with both Egyptian and Polish Arabs. I have found the Egyptian to be a bit more flighty than the Polish. My gelding, who is Polish/Crabbet is definately less "spring loaded" than our mare (Egyptian, Russian and Polish). I find Arabs to be much more exuberant than other breeds -- our current horses are as peppy and lively at 20 as my first horse was when I got her as a six year old.

07-04-2009, 04:03 PM
LadyAshen Yearling Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 705	Ashen is MY avatar! She would never ever allow me to have another horse as my avatar. Ashen rules in my house. __________________ And God took a handful of South wind and from it formed a horse, saying: "I create thee, Oh Arabian. To thy forelock, I bind Victory in battle. On thy back, I set a rich spoil And a Treasure in thy loins. I establish thee as one of the Glories of the Earth... I give thee flight without wings." -- from Ancient Bedouin Legend

07-04-2009, 04:57 PM
Barngoddess Weanling Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 350	That is SO funny! My boy OWNS me -- no joke. If I try working with another horse when he is around, he stands at the gate staring at me an whinnies during the entire training session!

07-04-2009, 06:20 PM
ahabarabs Weanling Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: indianapolis, indiana Posts: 487	Oh yes I had a mare once that was bought as a show prospect, and just became a spoiled pet that was very jealous, I had training horses coming and going, and she would strain to try to stare intently from her stall,( her stall was down aisle, so she would have to stand sideways with face pressed to bars to see) as long as I was messing with them, and I tried turning her out with some of the training horses as she was generally pretty good turned out with others, except for the ones she had seen me working with, those she targeted out of herd, and so viciously attacked, almost ran one through a fence, so she was never able to be turned out with any I was working after that.

07-04-2009, 06:40 PM
horselady Kid Safe Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: albany new york Posts: 6,423	I have one stallion that is Polish from the Silver Vanity Line, Raffles. Strong, bold and built heavy than another from the Padron, egyptian ,line, fine boned, firey personality, yet comical , will bite anyone who he does not like and has not changed in 15 years that I own him., My personal mare, Silly was egyptian, and she took no guff from anyone or anything. and would only allow me to ride her. She was all boss, and yet very loving. __________________ www.rainbow-horse-retirement.com We love and take care of your companion for the remainder of his lifetime

07-04-2009, 08:00 PM
Slim Pikkens Seasoned Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,046	This is an interesting topic. My boarder's Arab is Egyptian and was started by people who were used to training the colder blooded quarter horses. They failed miserably. When this little gal came to me, a past Arab owner, we proceeded very slowly with her training and the training of her new owner. There is now a marvellous bond between them now that I never tire of watching.