“Your breeding program is something that defines itself. Whatever plans you may make in the horses you add or try to add, your program will tend to go its own way and define itself.”

Serabaar (Ibn Fa-Serr x Serabah) is such a horse for us.  We brought him home to use on Masada Faadana (Ibn Saafaddan x Masada Serrasaada) as part of our non-Maaroufa program.  We had a noted University check him just before shipping. They said, in error, that he was reproductively normal.  Little did we know at the time that we were bringing the sterile stallion home to breed to what we later discovered was the sterile mare!   I guess in that way they were meant to be together.

Faadana absolutely loved him and couldn’t bear him out of her sight.  They even spent a winter sharing a pasture together.  He was the only one that came out looking pregnant since Faadana is on unlimited feed.

What a grand horse Serabaar is.  He is a favorite with farm visitors.  They all want to breed their mares to him! (ME too!)  He dances and shows off for visitors but could be led with a silk thread as he does it.  Although now 31 years young (2001) he still loves to show off and capture hearts with his regal gentle ways.

Although he came to us sterile he has since created a family here!   His only Babson replacement, a son, Ibn Sabbah Bedu (x Shar Sabbah) came after a flurry of secret Midnight E-Mail between Bruce and John Fippen. I intercepted one of the messages and sent off my own “I want him too” to the  Fippens.  Bruce was going to slip in another stallion into his stallion collection “as my birthday present!”  Its a Good line, I recommend it.   I think it would have worked!   Ibn Sabbah is now “our dressage and jumping show horse” and has done very well against all breeds.   He, like his dad, is a joy to handle.

In the fall of 1996, Ibn Sabbah was about to leave for the trainer’s after mowing pastures. I had hoped all summer to get a photo of him with his sire.  I had envisioned one of those classic shots of the stallions arching their necks, ears alert, eyes bright looking at each other. Time had run out, the trailer was hitched.  It was now or not. Ibn Sabbah had just been collected the day before for a cooled shipment test (which he passed with flying colors) so I expected the spark would be there.

We washed both stallions and dressed them up in show halters.  We only had the two of us so Serabaar was tied to the fence.  Bruce led Ibn Sabbah up.  I was poised with the camera, ready for action or at least interest.  The resulting photos were not at all what I had expected.  I have photos of two very relaxed stallions; Ibn Sabbah licking Serabaar’s face!  Actually the photos show who they really are and very much of what they are like to live with.

Another stallion, Midbar Fa Rabdan (Ibn Fa-Serr x Aroufina), a twenty-three year old 7/8 brother in blood to Serabaar was beckoning us from Diane Clark’s in Maine.  He was a beauty, leggy and elegant with a powerful trot. (What another stallion!!!  He would be stallion number 6!  Are we nuts, they outnumbered the mares!)  We were not able to get a fertility test due to the remoteness of the farm.  His owner took a look around to make sure the neighbors weren’t watching and did a quick manual exam. Looked and felt promising!  We bought him!  Maine is a long way from Arizona and when the shining silver Bateman van pulled up, I felt as if I had walked all that way myself.  He was in the box stall in front.  It seemed like forever before he walked down the ramp and into our lives.

You would think we would have stopped there...  Early one Sunday morning in 1996 two of Serabaar’s nieces, Almoraima Sarita and SSH Serahsaafa and Serabaar's 3/4 sister, LCA Bint Serabah arrived here from New York!!!  “Sarita” (Mah Deluque x LCA Bint Serabah) is owned by Beate Wallawach and was here on lease to breed to Midbar Fa Rabdan.  LCA Bint Serabah (Serr Rou x Serabah) and two month old SSH Serrahsaafa (Almoraima el Cid x LCA Bint Serabah) were purchased from Beate  by Elizabeth Dawsari

LCA Bint Serabah

All of these events can’t help but leave me knowing that a sterile stallion really can be at the very heart of a breeding program.

      Bint al Bahr Babson Arabians  a.k.a. “Serabaar Arabian Stud”