Historical Development

Historically, the Arabian horse has been introduced into China to improve the local breeds many times starting with the establishment of the Jurong stud farm in 1933 with 10 horses imported from England. Meanwhile, the province of Guangxi also commissioned a British merchant in Hong Kong to import three Arabian stallions from India. A further 23 Arabian horses, including seven stallions, fifteen mares, and one foal were imported to Jurong Stud Farm in 1937. In 1938 the stud was moved to Qing Zhen horse farm, by 1949 the number of Arabian horses kept there had reached 700. Much later, in the 1990s, a total of 8 stallions and ten mares were imported, mainly from U.S.A. and were kept at the stud farm owned by China National Animal Breeding Stock Import and Export Corporation. Unfortunately, to the best of our knowledge, no living purebred descendants of any of the above mentioned horses remain in China today.

Current Development

In the past decade, the development of Arabian horses in China has been flourishing and rapid, with a continuous increase in the number of horses and a gradual improvement in their quality. In February 2017, CHIA represented China and joined the World Arabian Horse Organization as an Applying Registering Authority Member. CAHA is a subsidiary of CHIA, which with the support of WAHO has introduced the "Registration Rules and Procedures for Chinese Arabian Horses". All WAHO rules are followed.

Future Prospects

CAHA is responsible for registering and managing Chinese Arabian horses, while also paying attention to welfare protection, horse breeding, and event operations for Chinese Arabian horses. As of the finalization of this volume, the number of Arab horses in China had approached 600. We believe that the publication of this first volume of the Chinese Arab Stud Book, which is a great achievement and a continuation of the past, will undoubtedly promote the vigorous development of the Chinese Arab horse industry. We strongly believe that the story of Arabian horses in China will go on in the years to come, and the legacy and spirit of Arabian horses will also be carried on from generation to generation.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, the China Arabian Horse Association will continue to strengthen international cooperation, promote the development of Arabian horse breeding in China, and enhance the influence of Chinese Arabian horses in the international arena.