“Remem­bering the Past…Shaping the Future” is the motto that char­ac­ter­izes the Institute’s research, educa­tion, and conser­va­tion programs. These programs depend on your involve­ment and support. Find out how you can Get Involved!

Histor­ical Research

RECLAIMING MEMORY: An Oral History of the Desert Arabian Horse

extends the oral tradi­tion of the Bedouin to the West, making recol­lec­tions of Western breeders, trainers, and other indi­vidual asso­ci­ated with the Desert Arabian horse avail­able to the public, researchers, histo­rians, and future custo­dians of the breed. Inter­views focus on indi­vid­uals whose length, breadth, and depth of knowl­edge of the Desert Arabian horse can best inform future breeders, custo­dians, and others capti­vated by the magic of the Desert Arabian. More infor­ma­tion about this program, including how you can get involved, is here.

THE BABSON INFLUENCE: A Retrospective

is a 504-​​page mono­graph reflecting the Institute’s first histor­ical research project. This effort focused on the horses imported by Henry Babson and their inter­na­tional influ­ence on Arabian breeding. Noted Arabian researcher Arlene Magid said “Quite simply this is the most impor­tant book on Arabians published in the last decade. It is one of the most impor­tant books on the breed ever published.” Limited edition, indi­vid­u­ally numbered. Avail­able at $95 plus ship­ping ($5 US, $20 Canada, $35 else­where). [Buy now]
[Errata]

Genetics Research

The Insti­tute has begun work on a Conser­va­tion Assess­ment and Manage­ment Plan. The first element is to iden­tify the mito­chon­drial DNA types of all asil dam lines in the West. Addi­tional work will estab­lish stan­dard genetic measures of diver­sity and lead to recom­men­da­tions on breeding prac­tices to conserve the Desert Arabian horse for the next hundred years.

Conser­va­tion Programs – DARE/​AEGIS

The Desert Arabian Repro­duc­tion and Research program (DARE) accepts horses via dona­tion for research and test breeding. More infor­ma­tion is avail­able here. Arabian Equine Genetic Inven­tory System (AEGIS) accepts dona­tions of semen from rare and/​or excep­tional stal­lions for research projects. More infor­ma­tion is avail­able here.

Events

The Insti­tute spon­sors a wide variety of educa­tional events. These include an annual sympo­sium, clinics on confor­ma­tional assess­ment and move­ment, and clinics on perfor­mance showing. [Sign up here to get announce­ments of educa­tional events.]

Perfor­mance Recog­ni­tion – Drinkers of the Wind

Each year the Insti­tute recog­nizes top perfor­mance horses. Top tens are awarded in two divi­sions:  horses that compete at Class A levels and  those who show­case the Desert Arabian horse at local, commu­nity, and youth shows. Partic­i­pa­tion is free. More about the program, including how to enroll, prior winners, and stories about successful competi­tors is avail­able here.

Publi­ca­tions

In addi­tion to prod­ucts of research projects, such as The Babson Influ­ence, the Insti­tute publishes an occa­sional peri­od­ical, Al Khaima, and an on-​​line newsletter Al Majlis. Back issues of Al Khaima are avail­able. To receive the on-​​line newsletter, sign up here.

Library/​Archive

Arti­cles that result from Insti­tute research or that are written for the Insti­tute are archived on-​​line here. The Insti­tute is also compiling a library of histor­ical books, arti­facts, photos, videos, and other mate­rials. Dona­tions to the archive are welcome.

Collab­o­ra­tion

A hall­mark of the Insti­tute is its collab­o­ra­tion with other orga­ni­za­tions. Reclaiming Memory is being conducted in consul­ta­tion with the Insti­tute for Oral History at Baylor Univer­sity, Texas. The mtDNA research project is being done in coop­er­a­tion with the Univer­sity of Cali­fornia, Davis. Insti­tute symposia and clinics have been supported by the Arabian Horse Asso­ci­a­tion of Arizona, the Arabian Horse Foun­da­tion, the Pyramid Foun­da­tion, Michigan State Univer­sity, Wisconsin Egyptian Arabian Horse Asso­ci­a­tion, and Virginia Coop­er­a­tive Exten­sion. The Insti­tute has spon­sored the National Breeders Confer­ence offered by The Pyramid Foun­da­tion and has a booth each year at the Egyptian Event.