The
Arabian or
Arab horse (
Arabic: الحصان العربي
[ ħisˤaːn ʕarabiː],
DMG ḥiṣān ʿarabī) is a
breed of
horse that originated on the
Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with
archaeological evidence of horses in the
Middle East that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.
The Arabian is a versatile breed. Arabians dominate the discipline of
endurance riding, and compete today in many other fields of
equestrian activity. They are one of the top ten most popular
horse breeds in the world. They are now found worldwide, including the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, continental Europe, South America (especially Brazil), and its land of origin, the Middle East.