On the evening of the 13th March 1945, 60 years ago on Sunday, a group of horses from the polish stud Janow Podlaski arrived to the outskirts of Dresden in eastern Germany seeking shelter from the advancing armies of Russia from the east and Germany from the west. The group included mares in foal, (some had even foaled along the way) foals, young horses and stallions. They were driven as a herd and the stallions were riden. Stud director Andrzej Krzysztalowicz mounted on Amurath Sahib was in charge of the group.
This was the night on which the allied air force made their devastating raid on Dresden and all but obliterated the city from the map. 35000 people died that night.
Many horses also died that night and in the morning the few that were still alive were rounded up.
The stallions Witraz and Wielki Szlem were held during the night by a Janow groom and in the morning when the raid was over help came. He couldn't open his hands to release the leads, his fingers were prized up, the leads had eaten into the flesh. Anddrzej Krzysztalowicz has described how Amurath Sahib's tail caught fire and he had his work cut out to stay on top. But the stallions were saved and when the war was over returned to Poland where they made their contribution to rebuilding the polish breeding program.

This is only one story of many, in all bloddlines, about the dedicated people who have been willing to offer everything to save these wonderful horses.

The words of Jan Rudacsz groom at Janow for 55 years are appropriate " all these horses are good horses.......always remember the sacrifices that have gone before them. Care for these horses, love and respect them for we are all very fortunate to have these horses at all".

How true. Don't ever forget what's happened before, it gives meaning to the future.

It make sme so sad that people do not seem to learn at all. I dare not think of the horses (let alone humans) living in Bagdad, Fallujah, Mosul...... I know that many horses died in Kuwait... why?

A most sobering remembrance.

Yes, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who managed to save some horses. We are so very, very, very fortunate to have them in our lives. They are everything good and pure in our world.

Perhaps one day this quote will come true...

"We look forward to the tiime when the power of love will replace the low of power. then will our world know the blessing of peace." -Willilam E. Gladstone

--Susan

Dresden was one of the saddest days in the last century.

Thank you, Britta, for writing this and reminding us about the importance of history. I agree, Ladypurr! It was a sad day for all of us but so grateful that those horses were saved.

Yes Pete it was. But so was "Magdeburg" bombed the last time Jan.16/1945, when 60,000 women,children and seniors died.
I wass there, so was Dr Walter Olms, how can we ever forget.

About Dresden, there is a book "Die Kamera klagt an", which shows
many photos of "Dresden". iTS HORRIFYING.

During the war and afterwar, thousands of horses died, and many were eaten, as was human flesh, by many a STARVING child. Matter of fact statistics state "Seven million horses died during the war" serving men.

Trakehners, Arabs came in from the east already in 1944, pulling carts with the belongings of those fleeing from the Russians.
Many of these horses were mares, some with foals at side, and made it.Their harnesses never taken off, little water and feed, and in way below zero weather, with the desire to survive and their love and loyalty for humans. But then those were "HORSES" not garden ornaments.

Eventually there were some tenthousand horses stranded at the east side of the Elbe River, outside of Rothensee. All breeds, all sexes.
those with a brand, like the Trakehners, Oldenburgers and some Arabs were recognized and taken into the eventual stud books. Others were just given a breed status, and continued from there.
I can see them today, altough it is some 60 years ago. Why is it that I cant remember what day it is, yet all from age two on forward?

Those breeders of horses, horse lovers, who went through this
no-one will ever change into breeding ornaments. Their RESPECT for horses and true horse people is simply too great, and some learned to dispise those who degenerate equine for their own selfish motives, other than preserving the breed. Can you blame them?

Hansi

I forgot where I first read about Dresden and my memory is rusty, but as I recall, it was on orders from Germany that the Polish horses were required to evacuate to Dresden. When the bombing started, frantic grooms tied the horses to anything they could find - bushes, shrubs. Some horses ran off, never to be seen again. I thought it was the tail of Witraz that caught fire rather than Amurath Sahib, but the "young slip of a lad" hung on to the lead rope of Witraz in one hand and that of Wielki Szlem in the other and they remained safe.

In the morning, Anddrzej Krzysztalowicz could not bear to look at the scene in front of him. Thirty of his beloved stallions lay dead. So many mares lost their foals on their forced marches with little food, it makes a person wonder what the Polish Arabian would be like today had the war never happened.

Which brings me to my favorite poem. Look back on mans history of freedom..Trace his present days strenth to its source...And you,ll find that mans pathway to glory...Is strewn with the bones of a horse.

The horse of all the domesticated animals was the most important to man in creating dominion over the world. The horses strength pulled man's plow, his speed allowed him to hunt, his stamina allowed transport over long distance and his courage won his wars. Man historically paid great honor to the horse, unfortunately modern man no longer understands this relationship as the machine has replaced the horse for all these functions. This is why modern man doesn't see the ethical difference between eating a horse and eating a cow. Part of mans convonent with the horse was not to eat it but to nuture and protect it.

The Poles understood the importance of the horse as they depended upon the horse for defense in a land with no natural borders. This is why they have such an allegence to the most noble of all horses, the Arabian. Throughout the last two centuries of tubulence in Central Europe the Polish people have defended the Arabian horse and even today maintain public support for three large Arabian breeding farms.

A couple of years before his death, Christine and I visited with Director Krzysztalowicz in his office in Janow. On the wall was a large oil painting of Wielki Szlem and Witraz being held while fire and bombs surrounded them. It had great meaning for us as we owned the intensely Witraz bred Stallion ALGONKWIN (42.375% Witraz blood) for eleven years up to his death last summer. One of the fantastic things about Arabians is the recorded history of the breed and the fact that one can have the blood of these noble horses running in the pasture.

I have nothing but the greatest respect for how the Poles breed and there utter consistancy over time...And you have some great blood running in your pastures..Little Poland in big Texas