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Akhal-Teke
The Akhal-Teke (/ˌækəlˈtɛk/ or /ˌækəlˈtɛki/; from Turkmen Ahalteke, [axalˈteke]) is a Turkmen horse breed. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, thin manes and a distinctive metallic sheen which led to their nickname, "Golden Horses". These horses are adapted to survive in severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. There are currently about 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan, although they are also found throughout Europe and North America. The first part of their name, "Akhal," is the name of the line of oases along the north slope of the Köpetdag mountains in Turkmenistan, inhabited by the Teke tribe of Turkmens.
There are several theories regarding the original ancestry of the Akhal-Teke, some dating back thousands of years. The Akhal-Teke is probably a descendant of an older breed known as the Turkoman horse, which some claim is the same breed. The tribes of Turkmenistan selectively bred these horses, recording their pedigrees orally. The breed was used in raiding, and in the losing fight against the Russian Empire where it was subsumed into the Empire along with its country. The Turkoman has influenced many other breeds, including modern warmbloods, and recent research confirms that Turkoman stallions made significant contributions to the development of the Thoroughbred. However, there also exists the possibility that all Akhal-Tekes today have a Thoroughbred sire line. The studbook was closed in 1932. The Soviet Union printed the first breed registry in 1941, including over 700 horses.
The ancestors of the breed may date back to animals living 3,000 years ago, who were known by a number of names. The precise ancestry is difficult to trace, however, because prior to about 1600 AD, horse breeds in the modern sense did not exist; rather, horses were identified by local strain or type.
The breed is very similar to—and possibly the direct descendant of—the Turkoman horse, a breed believed to be extinct, though a related strain may be bred today in Iran. Other breeds or strains with Turkoman roots also include the Yomud, the Goklan, and the Nokhorli. Some historians believe that these are different strains of the same breed. Other ancient strains that may have contributed to the breed, including those named the Massaget and Parthian. There are also claims that Akhal-Teke horse is the descendant of the original Fergana horse which was breed in Fergana valley in 104 BC.
It remains a disputed question whether the Arabian was the ancestor of the Turkoman or was developed out of that breed, but current DNA evidence points to a possible common ancestor for both. A substantial number of Arabian mares were reportedly used to improve the breed in the 14th and 19th century. It is also possible that the so-called "hot blooded" breeds such as the Arabian, Turkoman, Akhal-Teke, and the Barb all developed from a single "oriental horse" predecessor.
Tribal people in what today is Turkmenistan first used the Akhal-Teke for raiding. The horses were their most treasured possession since they were crucial for income and survival. They selectively bred their horses, keeping records of the pedigrees via an oral tradition. Horses were managed and trained in very specific ways. Stallions were tethered next to the tent while mares and foals were free to seek forage. The stallions were covered from head to tail with up to seven layers of felt, which kept their coat short and shiny. Before raids they were put on a sparse diet to prepare them for the long ride through the desert with no water and hardly any feed. The horses were called Argamaks (divine or Sacred Horses) by the Russians and heavenly horses by ancient China, and were cherished by those who valued their speed and stamina in the desert and loyalty to their owner. Han emperors from China waged two expeditions to secure the "heavenly horses". Access to these horse breeds fueled the success in China's future campaign against their nomadic neighbors.
In 1881, Turkmenistan became part of the Russian Empire. The tribes fought with the tsar, eventually losing. In the process, however, the Russian general Kuropatkin developed a fondness for the horses he had seen while fighting the tribesmen. He founded a breeding farm after the war and renamed the horses, "Akhal-Tekes", after the Teke Turkmen tribe that lived around the Akhal oasis (near Geok Tepe). The Russians closed the studbook in 1932 which included 287 stallions and 468 mares. Stallions are not gelded in Central Asia. The studbook was printed in 1941.
The ancestral Akhal-Teke has had influence on many breeds, possibly including the Thoroughbred; the Byerly Turk, which may have been an Arabian, or a Turkoman Horse, was one of the three major foundation stallions of the breed. Three other stallions thought to be of Turkoman origin, known as the "Lister Turk", the "White Turk", and the "Yellow Turk" were among a number of minor stallions from the orient who contributed to the foundation bloodstock of the Thoroughbred breed. The Trakehner has also been influenced by the Akhal-Teke, most notably by the stallion, Turkmen-Atti, as have the Russian breeds Don, Budyonny, Karabair, and Karabakh.
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Akhal-Teke
The Akhal-Teke (/ˌækəlˈtɛk/ or /ˌækəlˈtɛki/; from Turkmen Ahalteke, [axalˈteke]) is a Turkmen horse breed. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, thin manes and a distinctive metallic sheen which led to their nickname, "Golden Horses". These horses are adapted to survive in severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. There are currently about 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan, although they are also found throughout Europe and North America. The first part of their name, "Akhal," is the name of the line of oases along the north slope of the Köpetdag mountains in Turkmenistan, inhabited by the Teke tribe of Turkmens.
There are several theories regarding the original ancestry of the Akhal-Teke, some dating back thousands of years. The Akhal-Teke is probably a descendant of an older breed known as the Turkoman horse, which some claim is the same breed. The tribes of Turkmenistan selectively bred these horses, recording their pedigrees orally. The breed was used in raiding, and in the losing fight against the Russian Empire where it was subsumed into the Empire along with its country. The Turkoman has influenced many other breeds, including modern warmbloods, and recent research confirms that Turkoman stallions made significant contributions to the development of the Thoroughbred. However, there also exists the possibility that all Akhal-Tekes today have a Thoroughbred sire line. The studbook was closed in 1932. The Soviet Union printed the first breed registry in 1941, including over 700 horses.
The ancestors of the breed may date back to animals living 3,000 years ago, who were known by a number of names. The precise ancestry is difficult to trace, however, because prior to about 1600 AD, horse breeds in the modern sense did not exist; rather, horses were identified by local strain or type.
The breed is very similar to—and possibly the direct descendant of—the Turkoman horse, a breed believed to be extinct, though a related strain may be bred today in Iran. Other breeds or strains with Turkoman roots also include the Yomud, the Goklan, and the Nokhorli. Some historians believe that these are different strains of the same breed. Other ancient strains that may have contributed to the breed, including those named the Massaget and Parthian. There are also claims that Akhal-Teke horse is the descendant of the original Fergana horse which was breed in Fergana valley in 104 BC.
It remains a disputed question whether the Arabian was the ancestor of the Turkoman or was developed out of that breed, but current DNA evidence points to a possible common ancestor for both. A substantial number of Arabian mares were reportedly used to improve the breed in the 14th and 19th century. It is also possible that the so-called "hot blooded" breeds such as the Arabian, Turkoman, Akhal-Teke, and the Barb all developed from a single "oriental horse" predecessor.
Tribal people in what today is Turkmenistan first used the Akhal-Teke for raiding. The horses were their most treasured possession since they were crucial for income and survival. They selectively bred their horses, keeping records of the pedigrees via an oral tradition. Horses were managed and trained in very specific ways. Stallions were tethered next to the tent while mares and foals were free to seek forage. The stallions were covered from head to tail with up to seven layers of felt, which kept their coat short and shiny. Before raids they were put on a sparse diet to prepare them for the long ride through the desert with no water and hardly any feed. The horses were called Argamaks (divine or Sacred Horses) by the Russians and heavenly horses by ancient China, and were cherished by those who valued their speed and stamina in the desert and loyalty to their owner. Han emperors from China waged two expeditions to secure the "heavenly horses". Access to these horse breeds fueled the success in China's future campaign against their nomadic neighbors.
In 1881, Turkmenistan became part of the Russian Empire. The tribes fought with the tsar, eventually losing. In the process, however, the Russian general Kuropatkin developed a fondness for the horses he had seen while fighting the tribesmen. He founded a breeding farm after the war and renamed the horses, "Akhal-Tekes", after the Teke Turkmen tribe that lived around the Akhal oasis (near Geok Tepe). The Russians closed the studbook in 1932 which included 287 stallions and 468 mares. Stallions are not gelded in Central Asia. The studbook was printed in 1941.
The ancestral Akhal-Teke has had influence on many breeds, possibly including the Thoroughbred; the Byerly Turk, which may have been an Arabian, or a Turkoman Horse, was one of the three major foundation stallions of the breed. Three other stallions thought to be of Turkoman origin, known as the "Lister Turk", the "White Turk", and the "Yellow Turk" were among a number of minor stallions from the orient who contributed to the foundation bloodstock of the Thoroughbred breed. The Trakehner has also been influenced by the Akhal-Teke, most notably by the stallion, Turkmen-Atti, as have the Russian breeds Don, Budyonny, Karabair, and Karabakh.
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