El Mokhtar was of Egyptian Arabian bloodlines, rarely shown, and originally not even broke to ride because he was considered valuable.

Shortly after his arrival in America, El Mokhtar was seen by The Black Stallion author Walter Farley.

El Mokhtar was also trained to do the 'courting' scenes with the gray gelding Talishma, who played the mare Johar in the film.

No modern veterinary facility was available in Morocco, making surgery impossible, and as a result, El Mokhtar was humanely euthanized on the set December 31, 1983.

El Mokhtar was unusually tall for a purebred Arabian, and very 'Egyptian' in type with a long, clean-cut neck, small head, and fine boned for his size.