Morab
The Morab is an American breed of horse originally developed through the cross-breeding of Arabian and Morgan horses. The breeding of Morab horses began in the late 1880s with the intent of creating a fine carriage horse that was still substantial enough for moderate farm labor.
 A bay Morab under saddle | |
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Distribution | United States |
| Traits | |
| Height |
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| Color | any solid color |
| Breed standards | |
History
The Morab originated in the late nineteenth century as a result of cross-breeding of Arabian and Morgan stock; it retains some characteristics of each breed.[2]:450 The first Morab registry was created in 1973. Prior to this, Morabs were primarily undocumented horses bred for type. Many early Morabs were registered with the American Morgan Horse Association, as the Morgan studbook was still open that time, and these horses have since been fully assimilated into the Morgan breed.
William Randolph Hearst was a Morab breeder, and is credited with the coinage of the name of the breed.
Characteristics
The Morab usually stands between 144 and 157 cm (14.1 and 15.2 hands) at the withers,[1]:487 but may reach 163 cm (16.0 h).[2]:450 It may be of any solid color, including bay, black, chestnut or gray, or sometimes buckskin, palomino or dun.[2]:450[3]
The head is generally fine, with a broad forehead, large eyes, small ears, and a slightly concave profile. The mane and tail are thick, the tail high-set and often held high.[2]:450
References
- Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
- Élise Rousseau, Yann Le Bris, Teresa Lavender Fagan (2017). Horses of the World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691167206.
- Morab Coat Colors, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2009-02-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)