Baladi/Egyptian Horse

Crossed-Flag-Pins/Promex
Country of Origin: Egypt

The Baladi or Egyptian Horse was once a purer breed. Although the Baladi originally hailed from Egypt the close proximity to Arabia and the Nile caused significant changes in this Egyptian horse. It cannot be registered and is not considered as breed any more. What happened? Due to the cross proximity of the Arab horses, there has been significant genetic changes from the mixing of Arab bloodlines throughout history. Also, to increase size and speed, there was an infusion of unregistered thoroughbred bloodlines. Breeders and tribesmen tended not use these horses as breeding stock because of the lack of registered lineage. The resulting Baladi horses are lovely animals and really fast over shorter distances. However, they do not have the endurance capability nor are they as hardy as the purebred Arabian.

The Baladi is around 14.3 hh, has a refined, short, dish face, large nostrils, a small muzzle, short curved ears and large, bright eyes. Their temperament is spirited, forward moving and intelligent. These animals are used for pleasure riding, racing and showing. These animals are also trained to the Baladi Dance (Baladi music is an urban folk style, which developed from traditional Egyptian musical styles in the early 20th century, as large numbers of people migrated to Cairo from rural areas. The sounds of the accordion and saxophone are hallmarks of baladi music--both are Western instruments that have been adopted by Egyptian musicians and modified to play Arabic scales) which is much the same as training a dressage horse in Western Culture much like the Lippizaners.

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