*AL HAMDANIAH, "the bloody-shouldered mare", was imported in 1947 by R. L. Conolly and produced two Al Khamsa mares: BINT SIRECHO by SIRECHO and BLUE STAR by IBN FADL, and one stallion: AL-KHOBAR by IBN FADL. Over the past fifty years, people recognized the beauty, stamina, and desire to please that these horses have, and bred them to produce some very nice horses.

Although in the past five decades quite a few horses may have been produced, the numbers are dwindling. I have compiled a list of these horses produced since 1972 to try to bring your attention to this fact. For the purpose of this study, I separated these horses into two groups, one being horses which include the imported horses *TAAMRI, *RUDANN ( of the Roach ancestral element), *FURTHA DHELALL , *SINDIDAH (of the Cobb ancestral element), or *AL-OBAYYAH, and one being horses which do not include these imports, the latter of which I am concentrating my energy on for this article. My reason for this is not because either group is better than the other, that is just not true. I have had the opportunity to spend time with, enjoy, and breed horses of both groups. I believe that while both groups are represented by some exceptional horses, the horses of these two groups are a bit different from each other. While they both are eager to please their human companions, they have a slight difference in appearance, movement, and personality. The horses listed are generally smaller in size, a bit smoother in the body with more delicate legs. Adding the Roach or Cobb blood seems to create a larger horse, which in turn usually makes the horse less "delicate" looking. This doesn't make them better, just different and some people like bigger horses, some don't. It has been my experience that horses with the added elements seem a little slower to trust people, which may be good as some people maybe shouldn't be trusted.

The main difference in the two groups is the number of horses included. While the horses with the above five ancestors are relatively stable in number, thanks to breeders like Edie Booth, Rodger and Case Davis and Sherry Nungesser just to name a few, and Don Hartzell who gave us horses for both groups, the horses without the above five ancestors are not stable and are low enough to demand attention if we are to keep these horses around for future generations. To my knowledge, there have only been five horses produced in the past five years. Of the horses produced in the past ten years, a large majority of the stallions are either deceased, gelded, or of unknown whereabouts along with a few of the mares. I know of two of the older mares that are being bred within their group and we can only hope they produce. Al Fea has been bred to Dahfinah Royel-T and Shelahlah to MD Mgadar Phoenix.

I have been lucky enough to have known quite a few of the Hamdani Arabian horses in the relatively short time I've been involved with Al Khamsa horses and they are special. While it seems that it takes longer to gain the trust and friendship of this group of horses, if you take the time to earn their trust, they are your friend to the end and will do anything you ask of them. They definitely have a mind of their own, which at times can create a problem for some people who don't accept it as sheer intelligence and take advantage of it as such. The Hamdani Arabian has the heart to go the extra mile with you and then carry you back as thanks for taking him with you. They have a true desire to please. Our stallion MD Mgadar Phoenix, for example, the first time we saddled him, he held himself very upright and proud, and when I rode him, he seemed to be born for it. He has occasionally been a bit high-spirited when he is on his own, but under saddle he is totally content and willing to do it all! He thrives on being ridden. We were trying to get some video tape of our horses last fall and Mgadar was not cooperating. He just wanted to graze and roll. So, I tied the lead onto both sides of his halter and hopped on bareback. He immediately came to attention and responded perfectly to my direction. He has such a wide range of personality it is amazing! He gives me a "look" when his feelings are hurt that really tears at my heart. He is a very sensitive horse who enjoys love and attention, plus seems to understand every word you speak to him on a human level. He remembers everything, good and bad. I also had the opportunity to spend time with Dahfinah Royel-T, known to his friends as "Joe", and he is one of the sweetest stallions I have ever met. He loves hugs and kisses and gives them back to you . He has inherited the "bloody-shoulder" that *AL HAMDANIAH is so well-known for, and it gets darker every year. He also responded with perfect understanding under saddle. There is such intelligence apparent in their eyes that it is impossible to deny. Other Hamdani horses I've known have given me additional memories. The mare Surfetta, owned by Gordon Yeullig, is another example of the trustworthiness of these horses. I was riding her, through a pasture of about twenty stallions ranging in age from two to five, bareback, when about halfway through I realized she was in heat! The stallions were swarming around us and Surfetta, although showing signs of estrus, kept right on being the excellent mount that she is, and on several occasions gave a warning kick to ward of the stallions when they got too rowdy. I realize this was not a smart move on my part, and thanks go to Surfetta for having the intelligence and caring for me to make sure I didn't get hurt. These horses are capable of so much, if they trust you, and are more than willing to accommodate what you want of them. Several times, I've been out with a Hamdani horse, feeding or whatever, and climbed up on their back to sit a while and they were as calm as if I were standing beside them, and these horses were NOT riding horses and had not even been sat on before. Azraq, a 1973 stallion, was a very small horse, barely passed pony-height, but he hadthe strength of a horse ten times his size even at age twenty. He produced two stallions in 1992, one of which has been gelded and the other, out of the mare Shelahlah, found a home where they realize his importance and are attempting to register him with the Arabian Horse Registry of America. Al Fea is a wonderful mare to ride, as are so many of these horses. I can not praise them enough.

I am not against having horses for the joy of riding and the friendship they give us. On the contrary, that should be our reason for having them in the first place. But, if you decide to replace that horse you love so dearly, remember it is a Hamdani Arabian and do your breeding carefully.

If I have inadvertently neglected to include a horse on the list that you know qualifies, I apologize, and PLEASE let me know, as mistakes can be made. I would very much like to know about any horses I may have missed.