The name of this breed in Turkmen sounds like Ahak-tekeaty. Nobody will be able to name the exact date of its appearance today. However, experts believe that she is already 5 thousand years old. This breed is considered one of the oldest. Like the Arabian, it is considered to be purebred, that is, it never crossed with others. The Akhal-Teke breed of horses tolerates heat very well. If the horse falls into other conditions, she will be able to quickly go through the period of acclimatization. In our review, we will consider the main features of this breed.
How did the breed appear
Let's look at this issue in more detail. Many today like the beautiful Akhal-Teke breed of horses. But not everyone knows the history of its occurrence. First, it’s worth mentioning the place where she appeared. In the oasis of Ahal there was a tribe of Turkmens. This oasis was located in the settlements of Artyk and Beherden. Now it should be clear where the name Akhal-Teke came from: a horse from the Teke tribe, who lives in the oasis of Akhal. At one time, Turkmenistan was part of the Russian Empire. The breed of Akhal-Teke horses is so called in Russian. In other languages, the name sounds similar. For example, in English it is Akhai-Teke, and in German it is AchalTekkiner.
Breed features
To understand what the Akhal-Teke breed is, you need to remember the history of its origin. The tribe teke had its own way of life, led a nomadic lifestyle. From that time, the horse was required to be fast and hardy to cope with long transitions and work.
The Akhal-Teke breed of horses is distinguished by the following specific features:
- Lack of excess fat.
- Hotness.
- Endurance.
- Rapidity.
- Mind.
- Undemanding to food.
With all these advantages, it is worth saying that the Akhal-Teke breed is more sensitive to care errors than everyone else. These animals should be treated with special trepidation. If trained properly, the horse will show excellent results.
How does the Akhal-Teke breed of horses show itself? Description of the features of this species allows us to conclude that it is best suited for horse riding. The conditions of detention allowed the horse to form a suitable character. These animals are strongly attached to people, they are hard going through a change of owner. It is believed that the Akhal-Teke breed was created for sports. These horses lend themselves well to training. However, they have a hot temper, in some cases they may show excessive aggression.
Main characteristics
It is believed that the very distant ancestors of the Akhal-Teke were wild horses living in the Kara-Kum desert. In the sands there were rather harsh living conditions, therefore the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is quite hardy. Animals tolerate a lack of water. Due to the high viscosity of the sand, a special gait has developed among the breed representatives. Although these horses have thin skin and short hair, they tolerate a wide range of temperatures: from -30 to +50 degrees. This allows you to grow them in various climatic zones.
Externally, representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed look very fragile, but they are distinguished by great strength. There are known cases when a stallion wounded by a saber carried two horsemen on itself from the battlefield.
How Akhal-Teke residents appeared among the Turkmen
This is a very interesting question. Although everyone knows that the Akhal-Teke horses are horses from Turkmenistan, they were not the founders of the breed. According to some researchers, they began to breed them in ancient Parthia, and the Gods themselves gave these animals to the Parthians. The Turkmens liked the playful graceful animals, with the help of which it was possible to quickly move around and effectively wage battles, which happened very often in those days. Therefore, they also began to breed them. Caring for horses allowed them to be preserved and increased their number, but in other countries there were no such horses.
Mention of the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is found in chronicles about Alexander the Great. He and his warriors discovered white and golden horses when he entered the Turkmen lands. In the Russian Empire, this breed was called argamak. Don and other species have already been bred from it. During the Soviet Union, Akhal-Teke were bred in many areas.
Today, several stud farms operate on the territory of Russia, where this breed is bred. Despite significant difficulties, it was able to be preserved in its pure form.
Characteristic
What characterizes the Akhal-Teke breed of horses? Photos do not convey all the beauty of these animals. You will never confuse this breed with other horses. Akhal-Teke horses are tall (stallions at the withers reach 1.6 meters) and have a dry physique. Horses are very graceful. Because of this, they are even compared with greyhounds and cheetahs. In the appearance of the breed, one can notice the predominance of elongated lines. Horses have a long and high withers. The chest is deep enough, and the croup is muscular. It is also worth noting that the neck and head of the animal have an unusual shape. Their profile is straight or hunchbacked. The forehead may be slightly convex. The front part is a little sophisticated and long, the ears are thin, long, widely spaced. Representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed have incredibly expressive and large eyes. They have a slightly elongated slanting shape. The neck of these horses is set very high. She is long and thin. Nape strongly developed.
A distinctive feature of the Akhal-Teke horse is thin skin. Through it, you can consider the system of blood vessels. The Akhal-Teke breed of horses of the Isabella color is distinguished by a rather interesting coat. It is short and rather rare. This difference is the most significant for this breed. Also, animals have a rather ardent temperament.
Suit
What you need to know about this? There are several suits of the Akhal-Teke breed. In addition to the classic ones, there are also quite rare ones, for example, karakova, solovaya and brown. Of particular interest is the fact that all these stripes have a characteristic silver or golden shade of wool. In addition, the horse's hair shines like satin in structure. Those who are lucky enough to see the Akhal-Teke breed always admire this feature. The most common individuals are malt, carack, mulled, isabella and brown.
Using
For what purposes can the Akhal-Teke breed of horses be used? The history and description of the animals allow us to conclude that they were usually used for riding. Now they are used in equestrian sports. Horse racing is held in Tashkent, Ashgabat, Krasnodar and Moscow.
Akhal-Teke residents are known throughout the world for their high achievements. During the run from Ashgabat to Moscow, the Arab stallion came second. A foal named Absinthe won a gold medal at the Olympics in Rome. He was also the champion of Europe.
Turkmens are very fond of horse racing and responsibly approach the preparation of horses. They pass on the experience of training horses from generation to generation. The training system developed by specialists from Turkmenistan is very different from the European one. Perhaps that is why the Akhal-Teke horses are the fastest in the world. Turkmens idolize their horses. From the first days of life, they surround them with affection and care. Since once horses were the only means of transportation for them, they were cherished, as the most valuable value, grazed in oases, fed with cakes. In winter, animals were covered with blankets and kept in tents. It was customary to keep the best horses near the home. A lot of time was devoted to training. The horse was raised in such a way that it bites the opponent in battle and helps the owner win.
Breeding
The Akhal-Teke breed of horses is today considered to be elite. Experienced breeders probably know about the stallion Boynou. One of the lines of this breed comes from him. Nikita Khrushchev gave the son of this stallion to Elizabeth II. Also known is the branch coming from the foals of Fakir Sulu - Fakirpelvan and Gelishikli.
Today, the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is also used in various shows. Sometimes they are shown at exhibitions, for example, Equiros.
Interesting Facts
What else is the Akhal-Teke breed of horses known for? Features of appearance and excellent physical characteristics made it a real symbol of Turkmenistan. This horse is even depicted on the national emblem. The image of the horse is also found on banknotes.
The American film company made a documentary about Akhal-Teke. French reporters have succeeded in creating a series of reports about the breed of horse in question.
It is believed that the Akhal-Teke Arab took part in the victory parade of 1945. He was not just an ordinary horse. It opened the Victory Parade, Marshal Zhukov. In paintings and cinema today there are images of the marshal on this horse. A descendant of Arab (a stallion named Gyrat) took part in the parade in 2010.
Breed in art
Where can I meet them? The Akhal-Teke breed of horses is so popular that it is even immortalized in monuments. For example, in Kazakhstan, the Absentu Monument is installed. A large number of monuments to horses of this breed can also be found in Turkmenistan. Since 2012, beauty contests have been held among individuals. The best artists and photographers create images of this breed.
Legends
There are many myths about the Akhal-Teke horse breed.
Here are just a few of them:
- When the horse of Akhal first took part in horse racing, he had no equal. Therefore, people decided to release the falcon and see if it overtook the bird. The horse was faster. Since then, Akhal-Teke residents have been called bird names.
- So that the horses of the described breed did not trust strangers, they were trained in a certain way. The foal was left in the paddock with the owner. All people began to throw stones there, and the owner stroked the foal, gave him food and drink. So the Akhal-Teke students learned that the owner is the best, that he needs to obey and be devoted to him.
- There is a legend that a long time ago there was a source in the mountains. Horses came there to a watering place. From time to time, a sea horse appeared there. He showed interest in mares, and unusual foals were born in them, which became the founders of the Akhal-Teke breed.
Conclusion
We introduced you to the Akhal-Teke breed of horses. The history of the species holds many interesting facts. Thanks to the use of traditional breeding methods, the breed was kept practically unchanged. Turkmens kept the pedigrees of all the horses in their memory and passed them by word of mouth.
At the beginning of the XX century, the decline of the breed was observed. Here, a large role was played by factory breeding. Bureaucratic management of the process has not paid off. In the 70s of the last century, an order was issued to reduce the number of livestock. As a result, the world almost lost such a miracle as the Akhal-Teke breed of horses. Breeding resumed only when the number of individuals was reduced to record low rates.
The largest population of horses of this breed today is in Turkmenistan. The second largest is in Russia. A small number of Akhal-Teke horses are also found in the USA and Europe. This species is especially appreciated for its unusual beauty. Why did everyone love the Akhal-Teke breed of horses? A photo can partially answer this question. A similar breed with the same grace and shimmering wool in the sun simply does not exist.
How much is such a horse today? From most breeders, half-breeds can be purchased from 150 thousand rubles, and a thoroughbred horse at a price of 600 thousand rubles. In sports disciplines, the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is still in demand. Her productivity is quite high, so if you wish, you can breed and sell stallions to participate in equestrian competitions. However, do not think that you can make a lot of money from this. The market is rather small and specific, and working with thoroughbred horses requires a lot of effort.