The Crabbet line started in England in the late 1800s from imported Arabians brought to Crabbet Park Stud. While abroad, members of the English nobility fell in love with the breed, which led them to start a breeding program. After the initial arrival of the imported Arabians, Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt set out to Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia to bring back the best Arabian horses they could find. They carefully studied the lineage of the horses to produce the best of the breed.
Crabbet Arabians make stellar riding horses because of their soundness, athletic ability, and good temperaments. The Crabbet type of Arabian horse is a popular breed for showjumping and dressage. Today, the majority of Arabians can trace back to the Crabbet bloodlines. The Shagya-Arabian is a unique type of Arabian horse developed over 200 years in the Astro-Hungarian empire from Arabian stock and modern riding breeds. Many people consider the Shagya a type within the Arabian breed, whereas others consider them part Arabians or Anglo-Arabians. The Shagya-Arabian was created in 1789 by the Hungarian military. They sought a cavalry horse that contained all the Arabian characteristics but with a larger size and greater jumping ability.
