Horsemanship among the Arabs

📖 In short

Among the Arabs, horsemanship (furusiyya) is the art of riding skillfully, but also a set of values: courage, generosity, loyalty and helping the weak. An Arab horseman isn't just someone who rides well, but someone of noble character.

🤩 Did you know?

The track for conditioned horses in Madinah was roughly 8.5 to 12 kilometers long.
Antara ibn Shaddad is one of the most famous Arab horsemen and poets.
The Arabian horse is one of the oldest and most beautiful horse breeds.
Among the Arabs every horse had a name it was known by.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 The Arab and his horse

The Arabs loved horses greatly, caring for them like members of the family, remembering their bloodlines and names, and praising them in their poems.

🔍 Horse racing

The Arabs held horse races, and the Prophet ﷺ held a horse race in Madinah. They conditioned their horses, training and feeding them so they became light and fast.

💡 A horseman's skills

From childhood a horseman learned riding, shooting, fencing and enduring long journeys. He practiced staying firmly in the saddle while the horse galloped fast.

🎯 Horsemanship today

Horsemanship is still alive in Arab countries: in races of purebred Arabian horses, show jumping contests, and “fantasia” displays in Morocco, where riders gallop together and fire gunpowder.