Where can I find some general information on black stallions?
I tried typing Black stallions into Google, and all I get is stuff about a book called "The Black Stallion." I want to know about the horse, where it originated, where it is most commonly found, and things like that.
I couldn’t even find anything on Wikipedia about them, only the book with the title.
The other answer above me is right- black is a common color in many breeds of horses, but there is no one breed called "Black". The Black Stallion was a series of children’s books by author Walter Farley that came out in the 70’s when I was in grammar school. The star of the series, the "Black" as he was called, was actually a dessert bred Arabian stallion, or an Arab-Thoroughbred cross of some type. The story goes that he was supposedly bred and raised in a wild herd in one of the trucial sheikdoms of Saudi Arabia, and he was owned by a Bedouin tribal chief. At some point, according to the story, he was stolen by thieves who put him on a ship bound for the US, where he met the main human character in the story- Alec Ramsay, who was a young man in his late teens when the series begins. The ship sinks when a fire breaks out aboard her, and Alec is saved only by being pulled clear of the wreckage by the "Black". The Black swims on through the night and eventually the pair end up on a deserted island in the South Atlantic, somewhere near the equator. During the weeks that follow, both boy/man and horse struggle to survive, and Alec gradually tames the stallion and is able to ride and work with him. Eventually, the smoke from one of Alec’s fires is spotted by a passing freighter, and the pair is rescued. After a stop in Rio de Jainero, Brazil, they sail for home on another ship. Once they reach New York, Alec takes the "Black" to a farm owned by his neighbor and old friend, retired jockey and race trainer Henry Dailey. Henry soon realizes that the stallion is no ordinary horse- and after training the horse to accept a saddle and bridle, he and Alec begin working on getting him ready to race. Eventually, the horse is entered into a 3 way match race against the greatest champions of the day, which he wins easily. Shortly after that, Alec, his parents, and Henry join forces to found what will become Hopeful Farm in the rest of the series. But the "Black’s" winning such a famous race hasn’t gone unnoticed by the press- or by his real owners, the sheik and his family. The Sheik makes a journey to New York to claim the stallion and take him back to his original home in the desert. But before leaving, he makes a promise to Alec, and tells the boy that he will send the "Black’s" firstborn foal to the US for Alec and Henry to raise and train for racing. And the story continues……. I grew up reading all of this series, and the stories are some of the best ones I have ever heard or read. But there is NO breed called "Black", much as we all might wish there were. I hope this helps.
Black is not a breed, and lots of breeds have black traits! Stallion is not a breed either, he’s a breeding tool, for lack of a better word.
So if you are looking for a black Arabian Stallion, you could find some info. Same with Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Morgan, Percheron, Shire, Donkey (they are called Jacks). So Google is trying to make you be more specific in your search. Yes the Book is great and so are all the movies, but there is no actual history there just a story!
Good luck,
References :
The other answer above me is right- black is a common color in many breeds of horses, but there is no one breed called "Black". The Black Stallion was a series of children’s books by author Walter Farley that came out in the 70’s when I was in grammar school. The star of the series, the "Black" as he was called, was actually a dessert bred Arabian stallion, or an Arab-Thoroughbred cross of some type. The story goes that he was supposedly bred and raised in a wild herd in one of the trucial sheikdoms of Saudi Arabia, and he was owned by a Bedouin tribal chief. At some point, according to the story, he was stolen by thieves who put him on a ship bound for the US, where he met the main human character in the story- Alec Ramsay, who was a young man in his late teens when the series begins. The ship sinks when a fire breaks out aboard her, and Alec is saved only by being pulled clear of the wreckage by the "Black". The Black swims on through the night and eventually the pair end up on a deserted island in the South Atlantic, somewhere near the equator. During the weeks that follow, both boy/man and horse struggle to survive, and Alec gradually tames the stallion and is able to ride and work with him. Eventually, the smoke from one of Alec’s fires is spotted by a passing freighter, and the pair is rescued. After a stop in Rio de Jainero, Brazil, they sail for home on another ship. Once they reach New York, Alec takes the "Black" to a farm owned by his neighbor and old friend, retired jockey and race trainer Henry Dailey. Henry soon realizes that the stallion is no ordinary horse- and after training the horse to accept a saddle and bridle, he and Alec begin working on getting him ready to race. Eventually, the horse is entered into a 3 way match race against the greatest champions of the day, which he wins easily. Shortly after that, Alec, his parents, and Henry join forces to found what will become Hopeful Farm in the rest of the series. But the "Black’s" winning such a famous race hasn’t gone unnoticed by the press- or by his real owners, the sheik and his family. The Sheik makes a journey to New York to claim the stallion and take him back to his original home in the desert. But before leaving, he makes a promise to Alec, and tells the boy that he will send the "Black’s" firstborn foal to the US for Alec and Henry to raise and train for racing. And the story continues……. I grew up reading all of this series, and the stories are some of the best ones I have ever heard or read. But there is NO breed called "Black", much as we all might wish there were. I hope this helps.
References :
Horse owner and a fan of the Walter Farley series.