Sweet Meadows Sanaya
This is Sweet Meadows
Sanaya, formerly of Forest Hill Arabians. She is an example of the rare
"bloody-shouldered Arabian." I have included some other pictures below, as
well as a story that her owner at Forest Hill shared with me. My thanks
goes out to Jenny Pond of Forest Hill Arabians for allowing me to use these
pictures and all this great info!
The Legend of the Bloody
Shouldered Arabian
As told to Carole Deegan by a friend, horse master and
scholar of the Howettat tribe.
Once upon a time many years ago in the desert of Arabia, there was a
Bedouin warrior who owned a very special Arabian mare - a mare he rode into
battle and to whom he entrusted his life.
There was a very special relationship, a bond of trust, love and mutual
respect. Either would have given his life for the other. In fact, their bond of
trust was so strong that the mare often "read her master's thoughts," doing
exactly what he needed at exactly the right time, allowing them to win many
battles and to be the envy of all Bedouin tribes.
Years passed and one day in a fierce battle the master was severely
wounded, falling across the neck and shoulder of his beloved war mare. Although
her master was unconscious and she was many miles from home, the mare balanced
him across her shoulder, carefully carrying him toward home. She traveled for
days without food or water to return her master to his family.
When the courageous mare finally arrived at the encampment, she was
exhausted and weak, and her master dead. As the family carefully removed the
master's body, they saw that the mare's shoulder was heavily stained with his
blood, leaving a distinct red mark on her shoulder. Although they had lost their
leader, the Bedouin family was eternally grateful to the mare for delivering his
body from the battle. They knew that the long journey had been difficult for the
mare, and they were very concerned for her because she was heavily in foal.
As the days passed, the cherished mare received only the best food and
care, and she was visited and admired not only by members of the master's tribe,
but all the other tribes in the area.
Finally, the time of her foaling arrived, and there was great concern for
the cherished war mare. But when the long-awaited foal was born, he was vigorous
and healthy and of exceptional quality. He also bore the identical "bloody
shoulder" that his mother had from her master's blood.
It was then that the Bedouin tribe realized that Allah had rewarded this
mare and their tribe for their courage, loyalty and faith and that the "bloody
shoulder" was a reminder of his favor.
Since that time, hundreds of years have passed, but once in a great while
there is a mare of exceptional beauty, quality and courage who foals a very
special foal graced by God with the "bloody shoulder." The Bedouins have
continued to believe this is a sign of Allah's favor. Who are we to disagree?
