**There is a Middle Eastern story of a gift given to Abraham's son Ishmael. Out of a wind spout, amidst the swirling dust came a beautiful prancing horse. His people called it "Drinker of the Wind" and soon every tribe had their own horses.
Some years later the prophet Mohammed was traveling across the desert with the Bedouin. He forbid the horses to drink water, saying it was the will of Allah. After three days he allowed the horses water but also called them to him with the call to war. Only five horses forsook the water and heeded the call, and from these descended the five breeds of Arabian horses. They had high foreheads to receive Allah's blessing, high tailed greatness, and high arched necks showing their remarkable spirit. **
I was invited to tour the Arabian Horse Center here in Kuwait where these horses are bred and records are kept of the bloodlines. I am not a horse person, but there are few chances to get out here and friends told me that the place was well worth a visit.
Everything at the State Stud was well groomed, landscaped and stately. I was already enjoying the scenery and the comfortable seats before they brought out the horses.
The first thing you notice about the Arabian horses are their distinctive heads, flaring nostrils and high foreheads. They hold both their heads and tails high as they move, giving them a slightly startled appearance. I soon became entranced in their movements around the show space. They moved with both grace and fierce energy. Seeming to float at times, then they would abruptly stop and turn direction with flick of their manes and tail. It appeared to be a well rehearsed dance routine made up of intricate steps, all for the sake of our enjoyment. It didn't sink in until later that we were being informed of the center's breeding program. This was not where they trained show horses.
To illustrate this, the foals were brought out with their mothers. I learned that they are born dark, and their coats lighten as they grow older, to adapt to the heat of the desert. The babies were as graceful as the mares, and mother and son danced together in harmony using the same steps. This beauty of movement is inherited and innate.
The Arabian horses were originally used by the Bedouin in a variety of ways because they are versatile, hardy and gentle around people. I heard them described as being "light-boned", which I would suspect is a necessary requirement for traveling across sand.
In Kuwait this horse has become part of the people's history and heritage, and they feel strongly about preserving the breed. It was a great loss for the breeding program to have the country overrun by Iraq during the war, and most of the animals killed or stolen. Since then the number of locally bred horses has risen with the help of some imports from Germany and the US. Today the center houses records, hosts shows and generally promotes the breed throughout the Middle East.
I was quite enjoying the tour. I was being served exotic looking drinks, both hot and cold, while watching the horses. Every care was being taken to makes me feel welcome. A delicious lunch was served and I ate way too much. I realized that this was the first time that I had experienced Kuwaiti hospitality. It was so nice to be greeted as a welcome guest, and not a necessary bother. This experience put Kuwait in a considerably better light. I started to imagine all expats being brought to the Horse Center when they arrived in Kuwait, straight off the plane. What a great welcome and introduction to Kuwait this would be! The sign to the toilets says it all.
When our host explained the name "drinkers of the wind", I immediately thought of the recent sand storms that have blown through the city. The wind picks up dust and trash, creating a thick fog. Even indoors with the windows shut I can taste the dust, smell the sewers and feel the sand going up my nose. I am literally drinking the wind, and it isn't pleasant. But now that I have seen the purebred Arabians dance and prance in their unique and elegant way, I have a new apprecition of the image "drinkers of the wind".
