The Akhal-Teke

Absolutely everything about this horse is unique, elegant and stunning. Called the most ancient breed on earth, the Akhal-Teke takes its name from a Turmenian tribe Teke that lives at the Akhal oasis located in the southern region in the country of Turkmenistan. These horses have been used as cavalry mounts and race horses for some 3,000 years.

Draped in jewels and decorated in gold and silk, they were ridden into battle by nomads and emperors and buried with honour in the tombs of kings and warriors. As the chief mount of Turkoman warriors for centuries, the Akhal-Teke developed endless stamina. From the harsh desert environment they developed the ability to withstand great extremes of temperature. With fresh forage available only three months of the year in the desert the Teke tribesmen developed their own special methods of looking after their horses. The horses were kept in small bands, tethered to stakes and blanketed and were fed pellets consisting of alfalfa, barley and mutton fat. The blanketing protected them from the extreme swings in desert temperatures and also enhanced the metallic sheen of their coat which was a source of great pride for their owners. Over the centuries, they learned to live on small amounts of food and water and became devoted to their master.

The Akhal-Teke's body makes it very different from other breeds. It is a true desert bred horse with a light, elegant build and a distinctive conformation: its head is long and tapered with an aristocratic face; beautifully shaped ears; wide nostrils and large expressive eyes. The neck is straight, long and often thin, set high on sloping shoulders with high withers. The Akhal-Teke is long, lean, and, typically, narrow through the chest, making him an extremely comfortable ride. The legs are slender, with strongly sculpted tendons and long and flexible pasterns. A characteristic feature is the sparse, short mane and forelock, short, silky tail and absence of feather on the legs. The skin is very thin with a short, fine and silky coat. Average height is between 15 to 15.1 and average weight between 900 and 1100 pounds. They come in variety of colours, including chestnut, bay, grey, palomino, raven black, and dun. All the colours, except for raven black, are gold iridescent (the grey ones are silvery). This makes the Akhal-Teke horses very attractive with the raven black and golden palominos being the most sought after. They possess superb natural gaits, free and flowing: in all paces a soft, gliding, elastic stride.

Today the Akhal-Teke is used in a variety of equine sports such as endurance, dressage, jumping, pleasure riding and eventing. They are also used extensively in circuses. The breed is quite rare by modern standards, with less than 2000 existing worldwide. The major population of about 1400 is in Russia, with the second largest group of about 200 in w:st="on">West Germany. There are fewer than 100 in North America. However, as their numbers increase, the Akhal-Teke will distinguish itself as an elegant, all- purpose athlete and make a major contribution to the sporthorse industry through crossbreeding for performance.

Written by Roxanne Runzer. - 2004 (c)

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