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• In the many wars that took place in Europe during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, Arabian horses proved to be superior over native breeds. Two great promoters of the Arabian were Louis XV and Napoleon. Following his Russian defeat, Napoleon and his officers were only able to flee back to France thanks to the stamina of their Arabian horses. All the other types of horses fell victim to the cold and the stresses of war. European rulers realized that hte way to improve native breeds was to crossbreed with the Arabian. They acquired Arabian stallions to crossbreed with the native mares. At that time, little thought was given to the idea of pure Arabian breeding. Only a few wealthy buyers, such as King Wilhelm I, took part in the breeding of pure Arabian stock.
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