Toskhara Arabians

History

Named after their favorite and original broodmare Mia Toskhara (right), Toskhara Arabians is owned and operated by Christine and Dick Reed.  It is unique in that they have bred and shown Arabian horses in both the United States and Europe, with significant success.  Starting their horse career in 1989, they had really just begun to be successful in their breeding when Dick's job was transferred to England in 1993.  They all moved (including the horses!) and lived there for ten years, returning to the US in late 2003 to settle in Horse Country USA -- Aubrey, Texas.

While in Europe, they took the opportunity to purchase 20 mares in foal, and two stallions directly from the Polish Arabian State Stud farm. Toskhara concentrates on Arabians that combine type, confirmation, and athleticism. The horses joined a select broodmare band of US bred horses including a few Khemosabi daughters (left), a Ferzon granddaughter and a Baskhemo daughter. These Arabian horses began producing foals of the highest quality, from bloodlines in which many are unique to the US.  Over the years, we have consistently acquired select mares from Poland to add to our herd, and feel that the Polish influence in the US has been giant.  We offer breeders the opportunity to access these famous and proven Arabian horse bloodlines without the expense and risks associated with importation.

Our Arabian horses are currently successfully competing in halter and a wide array of performance classes, as well as in racing.  Our horses are best known for trainability and athleticism with numerous National Championships in Reining, including that of our Senior Stallion *Kordelas with Top Ten honors in 2004.  We have since made our mark in a big way in Western Pleasure, Hunter pleasure,  Sporthorse, Dressage, Halter and Racing.

The Toskhara tradition continues with athletic, well-built, physically and mentally sound horses that are beautiful and eager to please horses, who can compete on the top level anywhere in the world.

Performance Perspective

"The innate athletic ability of our pure Polish horses are proving ideal for competition in American show rings and race tracks. In just the few short years we have had riding age get to show, we've had great success in Western Pleasure, Hunter Pleasure, Reining, Racing, Dressage, Sporthorse, Country English Pleasure, Endurance racing and the Working Western division," comments Dick.

"Our particular love is Reining, and we"ve had great success so far in raising and showing highly competitive Arabian reiners," he adds. "*Kordelas (Monogramm x Kabala) blazed the path for us, as he excelled as a reiner earning U.S. National Top Ten honors in his only year in competition. Now, his get are proving every bit at talented. TA Etoile was multiple National and Scottsdale Top Ten in Reining and was National Champion in the Reined Cow Horse division in 2008.  TA Horizon was US National Reserve Champion in the 2010 Reining Futurity at US Nationals.  TA Giovanni is Canadian and Youth National Champion Reining horse as well as multiple Regional wins.  Many Kordelas get have been Top Ten in the Reining Futurity over the years, too many to accurately name with many up and comers," Dick explains.

"What makes a great Reiner and western division horse is something certainly inherent in Polish bloodlines. Strong hindquarters, deep hips, low hocks, powerful impulsion and a solid structure from shoulder to tail are essential. Add to that a general athletic structure and highly-trainable attitude and you have an conformation perfect for raising great working and western pleasure horses, which is what we're seeking to do at Toshkara Arabians."  He adds,"it's important to note that our success and influence is not limited to the Arabian breed, and that in fact our trainer Anthony Champion, a product of the quarter-horse dominated Texas reining community, has been completely won over by our horses, their talent and heart. Anthony actively shows in open, all-breed competitions alongside the locals, and he wins his fair share of the time. It's going to be a long road before Arabians are on even footing in the mainstream reining community, but we are having success convincing prospective buyers that 'beautiful riders deserve a beautiful Horse.' That message resonates, as it's quite evident that our Arabians are certainly capable of competing and winning in open competitions, so why not choose a horse that is just as pretty as it is athletic?"

Toskhara horses are certainly talented in the Working arena, but have also made quite a statement in the Main Ring show arena.  The US National Western Pleasure Junior Horse class in 2010 had no less than 3 Kordelas get in the finals arena.  Trainers continually pick them out of a crowd for their low set hocks, balanced and elastic movement, trainability, quiet dispositions and the ease in which they perform.  They appear to enjoy their jobs, and why not?  It's easy and natural for them!  The same qualities that make a great reiner also make an athlete in most any other discipline.  You will also consistently see Toskhara horses winning in the Hunter Pleasure ring with several National Top Tens.  *Kordelas first Country English Pleasure horse, TA Matisse, just hit the show ring this year and turned heads doing it.

One of Toskhara Arabians newer successes is in the Sport Horse arena.  Dominating the Region 9 Championships in 2010, a Toskhara-bred horse was Champion and/or Reserve in almost every major Purebred class at the Sporthorse Regional Championships.  Under the tutelage of our trainer Wendye Gardiner, every horse taken to Sporthorse Nationals so far has been at least Top 10, with TA Monet+/ winning Two Reserve National Championships in Dressage.  Toskhara horses are naturals in this division because of their elegant power, quiet accepting trainability and Amateur-minded dispositions.  Their powerful hindquarters, balanced shoulders, great bone and feet and elastic movement are a real hit with the Sporthorse judges, something not often seen in the Arabian breed.

There is truly something for everyone at Toskhara Arabians, whether you want to wear the roses at Nationals or just hit the trails with your best friend, Toskhara Horses will be there for you every step of the way.

Polish Foundation

"Our overriding ambition as breeders of primarily imported pure Polish lines is not only to perpetuate this rare lineage, but to take advantage of its predictable power to create superbly athletic and extremely beautiful horses," comments Dick. "Christine and I have bred Arabians for over 17 years, the first several with primarily fashionable American lines. In the early 1990s, we began making multiple excursions to the Polish stud farms, we learned many of their philosophies and insights. Since, we have imported about over 30 mares and foals, and built a miniature model of the Polish program at our facility." Toskhara's senior sire is *Kordelas, an international champion in halter, a successful race horse and a champion reiner. "*Kordelas was hand-picked as a compliment to our mares, and adds the extreme beauty of the Monogramm and Negatraz influence in his sire line, along with one of Michalow's premier mare lines through Kabala, dam of *Kawalkada and granddam of *Kwestura, both U.S. National Champion Mares."

The *Kordelas foals have really begun to make their mark on the show arena, and are winning at the highest levels in multiple disciplines.  Notable names include: 

TA KHALIL (pictured left)- 2008 US National Champion Reining Futurity horse and multiple wins at Nationals and Scottsdale. 

We have also sold several young *Kordelas get as foundation breeding stock throughout north America," Dick adds.  "The modern Polish influence in America is again flexing its genetic muscle, as breeders are beginning to realize the Polish lines are the most useful and predictably powerful in the world. Arabian horses today are being sought as beautiful performance horses, both useful and elegant. Where better to find this resource than in the prolific Polish breeding program? And with Toskhara Arabians flourishing right here in America, it makes access to these irreplaceable lines that much more convenient," he states.

(TA Etoile pictured left)

Meet The Reeds

Christine Reed: Visionary

"There is so much passion about owning and breeding Arabian horses around the world," she remarks. "I, too, have that passion, and at some point realized it comes with some responsibility to not only preserve the integrity of the breed but to add to its heritage. I am of European descent, and my husband Dick and I had the good fortune to move from our home in the states to England for many years. This afforded us the opportunity to frequently visit the great Polish state studs. I can't tell you the effect this life-changing period had on my 'passion' for breeding Arabians. It is very evoking to see the quality that exists there, and to ultimately realize it didn't come as a result of one great 'fashionable' stallion, or an ideal 'cross', but rather from about 200 years of study and practice. My 'passion' has since evolved into a commitment to create Arabian horses who have a heritage that complements their quality, and to breed to influence a generation not just for a foal. The passion so many of us feel for our horses can easily overwhelm us. These are truly the most beautiful and rewarding horses in the world. But, to marry that passion with the responsibility to really understand what is at the heart of this breed, what has made it endure and flourish, and what gives it today, the greatest potential of all the horse breeds, is really the higher calling of being passionate about Arabian horse ownership," she tells.

"I am blessed with many good fortunes, and now can devote my days to pursuing this calling. I am daily reminded how wonderful the experience is to raise a stunning foal, to know the mare for all the years of her life, and to understand the great mix of decisions and combinations that went into creating her quality, her legacy and the promise of her foal. Mostly, breeding these special horses is a direct link back to the history of our humanity, and we are still, today, in touch with this vivid connection to our ancient past. It's a passion none of us can run wild with, rather we have to carefully monitor it with respect to all the accumulated 'passions' that brought us and them together at this moment."