آخال تکه Akhal-Teke

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The Akhal-Teke, 'Ahalteke' in the Turkmen language, horse breed (pronounced /a.hal'tеk.je/) is a breed of horse from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem.They are noted for their speed and for endurance on long marches. These "golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving horse breeds. There are currently about 3,500 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan and Russia, although they are also found in Germany and the United States. Many Akhal-Tekes are bred at the Tersk stud in the northern Caucasus Mountains.

Breed characteristics
The Akhal-Teke usually stands between 14.3 and 16.3 hands. The horses are usually a pale golden color somewhat akin to buckskin, with black points. They can also be bay, black, chestnut, or grey. The Akhal-Teke's most notable and defining characteristic is the natural metallic bloom of its coat.This is especially seen in the palominos and buckskins, as well as the lighter bays, although some horses "shimmer" more than others. The color pattern thought to have been used as camouflage in the desert.

The Akhal-Teke has a fine head with a straight or slightly convex profile, and long ears. It also has almond-shaped eyes. The mane and tail is usually sparse. Their long back is lightly muscled, and is coupled to a flat croup and long, upright neck. The Akhal-Teke possesses a sloping shoulder and thin skin. These horses have strong, tough, but fine limbs. They have a rather slim body and ribcage (like an equine version of the greyhound), with a deep chest. The conformation is typical of horses bred for endurance over distance. The Akhal-Tekes are lively and alert, with a reputation for being "one-rider" horses.

The breed is tough and resilient, having adapted to the harshness of Turkmenistan lands, where horses must live without much food or water. This has also made the horses good for sport. The breed has great endurance, as shown in 1935 when a group of Turkmen horsemen rode the 2500 miles from Ashgabat to Moscow in a mere 84 days, including a three-day crossing of 235 miles of desert without water. The Akhal-Teke is also known for its form and grace as a show jumper.

Breed history
According to some, the Akhal-Teke were kept hidden by their tribesmen for years. The area where the breed first appeared, the Turkmenistan desert Kara Kum, is a rocky, flat desert surrounded by mountains. However, others claim that the horses are descendants of the mounts of Mongol raiders of the 13th and 14th century.

The breed is very similar to the now-extinct Turkoman Horse, once bred in neighboring Iran. Some historians believe that the two are different strains of the same breed. It is a disputed "chicken or egg" question if the influential Arabian was either the ancestor of the breed or was developed out of this breed. It is also probable that the so-called "hot blooded" breeds, the Arabian, Turkoman, Akhal-Teke and the Barb all developed from a single "oriental prototype" of wild predecessor (see Domestication of the horse, Four foundations theory)

Tribesmen of Turkmenistan first used the horses for raiding. They selectively bred the horses, keeping records of the pedigrees via an oral tradition. The horses were called "Argamaks" by the Russians, and were cherished by the nomads.

In 1881, Turkmenistan became part of the Russian Empire. The tribes fought with the tsar, eventually losing. A Russian general, Kuropatkin, who grew to love the horses he had seen while fighting the tribesmen, founded a breeding farm after the war and renamed the horses "Akhal-Tekes," after the Teke Turkmen tribe that lived near the Akhal oasis. The Russians printed the first studbook in 1941, which included 287 stallions and 468 mares.

The Akhal-Teke has had influence on many breeds, possibly including the Thoroughbred through the Byerly Turk (which may have been Akhal-Teke, an Arabian or a Turkoman Horse), one of the foundation stallions of the breed. The Trakehner has also been influenced by the Akhal-Teke, most notably by the stallion Turkmen-Atti, as has the Russian breeds Don, Budyonny, Karabair, and Karabakh.

The breed suffered greatly when the Soviet Union required horses to be slaughtered for meat, even though local Turkmen refused to eat it. At one point only 1,250 horses remained and export from the Soviet Union was banned. The government of Turkmenistan now uses the horses as diplomatic presents as well as auctioning a few to raise money for improved horse breeding programs. Male horses are not gelded in Central Asia.

In the early 20th century, crossing between the Thoroughbred and the Akhal-Teke took place, aiming to create a faster long-distance racehorse. However, the Anglo Akhal-Tekes were not as resilient as their Akhal-Teke ancestors, and many died due to the harsh conditions of Central Asia. The crossbreeding was ended in 1935, after the 2,600 mile endurance race from Ashkabad to Moscow, when the pure-breds finished in much better condition than the part-breds. The Thoroughbred cross is believed to have been so destructive to the breed that a horse with Thoroughbred ancestors must have 15 generations pass before it can be registered in the studbook. Since 1973, all foals must be blood-typed to be accepted in the stud book in order to protect the purity. A stallion not producing the right type of horse can be removed. The stud book was closed in 1975.

Uses of the Akhal-Teke
Because of the purity of the ancient breed, the Akhal-Teke has been used for developing new breeds, most recently the Nez Perce Horse (Appaloosa x Akhal-Teke). The Akhal-Teke, due to its natural athleticism, makes it a great sport horse, good at dressage, show jumping, eventing, racing, and endurance riding.

One such great sport horse was the Akhal-Teke stallion, Absent. He won the Prix de Dressage at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He was eight years old, and ridden by Sergei Filatov. He went again with Filatov to win the bronze individual medal in Tokyo in the 1964 Olympics, and won the Soviet team gold medal under Ivan Kalita at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City​

 

[سمیرا]

عكس از این نژاد

 

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Akhal–Teke & other breeds

Akhal–Teke & other breeds
the ancient Turkmenian horse was so much superior to other contemporary breeds, that the horse was very much sought after. The Turkmen did all they could not to allow uncontrolled spread of their treasured steeds. It was not that easy, since Turkmen were taking part in numerous campaigns, not only in Central Asia, but also in Iran, Arabia, Egypt and even Spain. Nevertheless, Turkmen did manage to preserve the superior qualities and beauty of their national horse.

The Akhal–Teke & the Arabian
There is an historical evidence that proves that the Arabian thoroughbreds appeared much later than the Akhal–Teke ones. For instance, Herodotus pointed out that warriors of the Arabian origin in the army of Xerxes used camels, and not horses as a means of transportation. A cuneiform script dated 733 B.C. says king Taglatfalassar seized in Arabia 30 thousand camels and 20 thousand cattle. Though the operation is described in much detail, no horses have ever been mentioned.
Even Sardanapal V, who bragged he had collected all treasures of Arabia, did not say a word about horses. Strabonus who was seeing off the Roman commander Gallicus to Arabia said: "Arabia possesses plenty of horned cattle, but there are no horses, mules, pigs, goats or hens there."
Only Ammian Martselin, who lived in the second half of the fourth century, spoke casually about horses, when describing customs and habits of Saracenians.

Hence, the Arabs were not been using horses in the early centuries of A.D.

Thus, it is safe to assume that it was the ancient equine breeds of Iran and Central Asia, the noble Turkmenian breed included, that have contributed to the Arabian breed. So, the broadly accepted notion of the Arabian breed being the world's elder, and the Akhal–Teke horse being its offspring, is not supported by historical data. The body of historical evidence testifies quite to the opposite.
The Arabian expert C.R. Raswan proves that the high breeding results of the Turkmenian horses caused the Arab breeders in Iraq to pair their mares of the Muniqui line with the Akhal–Teke stallions.

The Akhal–Teke & the Thoroughbred
The English thoroughbred counts besides the Arabian Darley Arabian (1713) and the noble Barb Godolphin Barb (1731) also the Turkmenian Byerly Turk (1689) as their ancestors (the names alone point to their origin). We find still other Turkmenian stallions, such as Darcy Yellow Turk and Darcy White Turk. During the Protectorate, Oliver Cromwell, who was ardent lover of horses, purchased Darcy White Turk, recorded as the most beautiful southeastern horse ever brought to England. Then followed Helmsley Turk (1675), Acaster Turk, Belgrade Turk (1675), Johnson's Turk and Piggot's Turk, to name but a few.
Later on, Akhal–Tekes continued to influence English and Irish breeding. In 1877 an Akhal–Teke stallion was imported to England and then to Ireland. The stallion was remembered for his staggering stud fee of 20,000 guineas. He influenced the development of the Irish Hunter.

The Akhal–Teke & the Trakehner
Outstanding Akhal–Teke Individual horses reached various countries of Western Europe. Some of them are still remembered. For instance, a stallion by the name Turkmen–Atti became a founder of a highly valued and the most widespread line of Trakehners early in the 19th century.
The Turkmen–Atti story is quite indicative of the ways exotic Turkmenian horses found their way into Europe. In the 1890s he was presented to empress Catherine the Great. The horse somehow emerged in Austria some time later, allegedly an Arabian from Damascus. People there were unable to determine his breed. They brought him to Professor Nauman of Berlin, an unsurpassed equine expert of the day. The professor studied the horse carefully and proclaimed that the Arabians were not so tall and they did not have such a golden sheen. It took the professor some time to find out that the horse was brought to Vienna and Berlin from Russia.
At a royal reception foreign visitors were treated to a horse show. The unknown horse caught everybody's fancy with its elegance and golden color. A visitor from Turkey exclaimed enthusiastically:"A Turkmenian horse!" That's how the mystery was solved and how the horse came to be known as Turkmen Atti (The Turkmenian horse).
Turkmen Atti, and his numerous offspring, passed their qualities to the Trakehner thoroughbreds of Germany, the Nonius thoroughbreds of Hungary, half–breeds of Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia.
Karl W. Amman, the manager of the Trakehner farms, strongly suggested in 1834 the utilization of the Akhal–Tekes in a program to ennoble the European warmblood lines. His views were echoed by J. Russel Mannings in 1882:"The Akhal–Teke is, of all breeds, the best suited to improve the warmblood riding horse."

The Akhal–Teke & Oriental and Russian breeds
The Akhal–Teke thoroughbred significantly influenced the development of cultured horse–breeding in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other counties of the East. Among these are the Karabair, Lokai, Naiman, Karabach, and Kabardin.
Also, the Akhal–Teke influenced many of Russia's breeds, such as the Don, Strelets, and Orlov–Rostopchin​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

links

Akhal-Teke sales & endurance/eventing - http://www.akhaltekehorse.com

The Akhal-Teke Network - http://www.akhalteke.org

The American Akhal-Teke Association - http://akhal-teke.org

Akhal Teke ITALIA - space.tin.it/sport/midenti

The Akhal-Teke Society of Great Britain - www.equiweb.co.uk/societies_clubs/akhal_teke

Akhal-Teke Home Page - www.imh.org/imh/bw/akhal.html

Advanced Biological Concepts Horse Supplements - www.a-b-c-plus.com

Horse back travel in Ashgabat - http://ayan.iwarp.com

Friday Harbor & San Juan Island Web Directory - www.friday-harbor.net, www.sanjuan.com

Russian Studbook of Akhal-Teke - www.maakcenter.org​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

theories about the origin of Akhal-teke breed

There are many theories about the origin of Akhal-teke breed. Many nations can call this breed it's national treasure: Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, and areas from Altay, Russia and Turkmenistan (incidentally, Turkmen became known only in 8th or 9th century, much later than Akhal-Teke horses). Before Central Asia was adjoined to Russia, pedigrees were passed down in oral tradition. But in the 19th century the breeding of Akhal-Teke horses began to be written down. These breeding records, with written notes, developed into a large archive of breeding documentation were unfortunately lost during an earthquake. Breed-shows of young horses were organized regularly, and the best horses were demonstrated at the horse exhibitions in Piatigorsk, Kiev, and Paris. This is how the world got to know Akhal-Teke horses again.

Historically, since the time when Soviet Union was formed, the All-Union Research Institute of Horse breeding (VNIIK) played a leading role in the selection of main horse-breeds for all the stud farms in the huge territory of USSR, including Akhal-Teke breed. The work was always conducted by the means of a network of bases, distributed all over the country, including the Tashkent experimental base, where E. Ershova - the author of the first plan of work with Akhal-Teke breed - worked as a leading scientist. Many researchers, K.Gorelov, G. Neelov, A. Bogushevskiy, E. Ershova and other well-known scientists from VNIIK, and the Ministry of Agriculture of USSR made a number of expeditions to investigate resources in horse breeding all over the country. Their studies produced the Centralized Breeding accounting and the first volume of the studbook. During this period, Soviet scientists (V. Vitt, V. Lipping, S. Kovalevskiy, P. Kuleshov, P. Urasov, S. Afanasiev, S. Bogoliubskiy and others) convincingly proved the ancient origin of Akhla-Teke breed and it's huge role in the world horse breeding.

By 1938, VNIIK researchers were able to verify and track the purity of the Akhal-Teke breed. This important information was formally maintained in official Akhal-Teke Studbooks. Only purebred horses, and horses who had among their ancestors crosses of English Thoroughbred and Akhal-Teke horses, bred before 1932, were allowed into the Studbooks. After 1932, any horses that had "foreign" blood were not allowed into the Studbooks.

In the 1960s, years of repression against horse breeding had started and Akhal-Teke horses were on the verge of disappearance. In January 1, 1973, VNIIK restarted the work with Akhal-Teke breed by the order of the Ministry of Agriculture. From this time the Newest History of the Akhal-Teke breed began. During these almost 30 years, VNIIK has done a tremendous work. In 1990, the Association of Akhal-Teke breeding (AATK) was founded. AATK established close connections with breeders from different countries and made possible the establishment of the International Association of Akhal-Teke breeding (MAAK). MAAK was officially registered in Moscow in 1995. Some results of MAAK and AATK work are - the organization of the annual International Meetings of breeders and fans of Akhal-Teke horses; breed-shows; World and National Championships. Despite the very difficult economical situation in Russia, after the break-up of Soviet Union, testing of Akhal-Teke horses for racing and sport qualities were established and enlarged. These events dramatically increased the interest to Akhal-Teke horses throughout the world.

Over the seventy years since VNIIK was founded, 7 volumes of Studbook were published. The next volume, #10 containing pureblood Akhal-Teke horses from different countries is in preparation for publishing. The "Registry of young horses" (official ADDITION to the State Studbook) has been published annually since 1992.

Since the time the USSR fell apart, we have been expecting a break up of the formerly united country - "Akhal-Teke Land". We tried hard to postpone this moment and we managed to do it for 10 years. It allows keeping the unity of the breeding base for more effective selecting and breeding work. Unfortunately, that high position could not be kept forever under the pressure of disconnecting countries. We know that Turkmenistan wants to have it's own Studbook and we have nothing against it. But we want to bring your attention to the fact that Russia is the official successor of Soviet Union and only Russia has the right and obligation to continue the Studbooks of Akhal-Teke breed (all volumes of the Studbook were made by VNIIK, USSR). All-Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding (VNIIK) is the only successor of All-Union Research Institute of Horse Breeding and is now empowered to conduct Centralized breeding accounting of the Akhal-Teke breed and to draw up and publish the State Studbook of the breed, in accordance with Ratified Rules.

We are not confronting the fact, that the Akhal-Teke horse is the national pride of Turkmenistan, but other nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Uzbekistan, and Russia also reasonably consider this breed as the national pride. By the way, Russians saved the breed from disappearing.

We are sorry to talk about it, but the fact is, that Turkmenistan was guilty of delaying the publication of the next, 10th volume of the Studbook. Geldy Kiarizov asked to wait with the publishing of the next volume of the Studbook, to give time to test Turkmen horses and include them into the volume. VNIIK did the tremendous work of testing, proving and registering majority of Turkmen horses, but until now, this work was not paid for and we did not get complete information from Turkmen breeders about the horses that should be written in the Studbook. We are sorry that the enormous amount of time spent on this work with Turkmenistan leaves limited time for work with other regions and countries. We are looking forward for the day, when this unfortunate situation will change for the better and breeders from all countries will work together again in behalf of Akhal-Teke breed.

The work of this registry produces a Studbook that is comprehensive, precise, professional, demanding a deep knowledge of the breed and unlimited love of it. VNIIK will put all the knowledge and efforts to keep this work at the high level and to provide timely support to all MAAK members in all countries and regions. Lets keep the high standard of Akhal-Teke breed together.​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

HISTORY OF THE AKHAL-TEKE

"…Then followed ten of the sacred horses,
known as Nisaean, in magnificent harness…
They come from the great Nisaean plain in Media,
where horses of unusual size are bred…"
(Herodotus, The Histories)

This unique breed is not less than three thousand years old. The Akhal-Teke is a direct descendant of the horses of the Massagetae, the Bactrians and the Alans which were famous in antiquity. In ancient Persia these horses were known as Nisaean and several centuries later - as Parthian, but they were always spoken of as the best in the world. In the second century B.C. the Roman historian Oppian wrote of them: "These horses, worthy of the most powerful rulers, are strikingly beautiful in appearance, they move lightly under the rider and lightly accept the bit; the head with its Roman nose is carried high and their golden manes flow majestically in the wind." After studying most of the relevant historical, archeological and literary data, modern specialists (V. Firsov, K. Gorelov, V. Witt, V. Kovalevskaya, E. Ershova, M. Belonogov and others) came to the conclusion that the Akhal-Teke breed is a strain of the ancient racehorse that has developed independently. For many centuries no other breed could compare with it in respect of size, strength, speed and distinctive beauty.

The antiquity of the breed is beyond dispute, but no specialist, either now or in the past has been able to explain the appearance of such a horse on the territory of modern Central Asia. Its unusual appearance is unlike that of any of the ancient types of equines. Consequently the theory that this remarkable breed originated outside the area merits consideration and in the light of recent archeological findings in the Altai a number of specialists support this view.

There is clear evidence in modern literature on the subject that these horses were instrumental in the creation of such world famous breeds as the Arabian and the English Thoroughbred and in the improvement of breeds of horses in Russia, Europe and the Near and Middle East. In the words of Professor Witt, the Akhal-Teke horse "possesses the last drop of that valuable blood from which all the breeds of well-bred horses have been developed."

THE DIVINE ARGAMAK

In the Middle Ages the horses of the Central Asian civilisations of antiquity passed into the hands of the Turkmens who kept pure the blood of these priceless animals as their qualities surpassed those of all other breeds. After the annexation of Turkmenia to the Russian Empire in l88l the Turkmen horse became known as the Akhal-Teke combining the name of the Teke Turkmen tribe and the Akhal oasis in the foothills of the Kopet-Dag mountains. At that time the horses there were kept singly, as part of the household, surrounded by love and affection and fed light but highly nutritious food such as alfalfa, barley and pellets containing mutton fat. Because the owner depended on his horse for his wellbeing and his very life, no expense was spared in its care and maintenance. As an old Turkmen saying goes: "The owner who rears a good horse turns into a lean dog." But the horse repaid his owner with an exceptional devotion. Mistrustful of strangers, he gave his heart to his one and only friend.

The Akhal-Teke is indeed endowed with legendary qualities. As a participant in the battle of Geok-Tepe testified: "An Akhal-Teke stallion wearing two heavy blankets and wounded by a sabre blow carried away three Teke tribesmen across the quicksand from pursuing Cossacks.."

These horses, renowned for their exceptional speed, strength and beauty, had long since been known as argamaks in Russia where they were highly valued. To possess an argamak was the dream of every prince and the argamak was the most sought-after improver at stud. They were instrumental in the development of the Don and the Orlov riding horse. In the first half of the eighteenth century argamaks constituted a third of the stock at state studs. After the annexation of Turkmenia to Russia many connoisseurs and horse lovers had the opportunity of familiarising themselves with the breed and became its passionate admirers. Valuing the unique qualities of the Teke horse and concerned to preserve the breed which at that time was in decline for historical and economic reasons, the governor of the region, General Kuropatkin, organised at his own expense, the Transcaspian state stables and invited Russian specialists to work there. This marked the beginning of the breeding of Thoroughbred stock in the Transcaspian region and revived interest in the Akhal-Teke throughout the world. Horses from the Transcaspian stables which were shown at exhibitions in Kiev, Pyatigorsk and Paris caused a sensation,and vast sums of money were offered for Teke mares.

Turkmen horses had long since been bred in Russia, but in the twentieth century they started breeding Akhal-Tekes in the Northern Caucasus, Stavropol and Kalmykia and today they have penetrated as far afield as the Leningrad and Kaliningrad provinces. Russia occupies second place in the world in respect of the number of Thoroughbred Akhal-Tekes on its territory - and indeed, "Russians have always loved these horses excessively".​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

The History of the Akhal-Teke Horses, Yesterday And Today

By Dr. Tatiana Riabova and N.V. Abramova

Translated by Dr. Tito Pontecorvo



The prized blood of the Akhal-Teke horse is the beginning of the world's horsebreeding culture.

From ancient books, you can see that Central Asia was the center of horsebreeding of the ancient world. The paintings that we still have, show to us Central Asian horses with beautiful and strong legs, high necked and quick, already existing at the end of the third and the beginning of the second century BC. The ancient authors speak especially of the golden color of these horses.

Every aristocrat from Rome dreamed of getting this type of horse for hunting and war; Chinese emperors sent armies to get these horses.

One of the main arguments in favor of the Akhal-Teke being the oldest and most ancient horse breed is the horse mummies that were buried together with a Scythian king in the 4th or 3rd century BC. They were found in Russia, in the Altai Mountain region, and the horses looked typical of the Akhal-Teke.

At the time that a new religion--Islam--began to spread in the Arab countries was the beginning of Arabian horse breeding. Before this, the horse was a very rare animal in Arabia; the main animals used in warfare were camels. The influence of Akhal-Teke horses on Arab horse breeding came from the fact that the Arabs got many of their horses from their enemies; a lot of these horses were Akhal-Tekes that were then used as breeding stock by the Arabs, and from which the Arabs developed a strong cavalry.

Much later, after the Turkmen decided to move into Central Asia, Arabian horse breeding was once again influenced by Akhal-Teke horses. Famous breeders and lovers of Arab horses, Carl Raswan and E. Shille and others, say that the Arabian "Muniqi" or "Maneghi" strains were developed by using Akhal-Teke blood.

A great achievement in the world of horse breeding was the work of English breeders in the 18th and 19th centuries in developing the Thoroughbred race horse. In making this breed, English breeders used a lot of Akhal-Teke horses and horses of eastern breeds.

Pictures of early Thoroughbreds show how similar these horses were to Akhal-Tekes. Many people from Europe who visited Russia and Turkmenia in the 18th and 19th centuries also noticed how similar the horses were.

Together with the horses, the Turkmenian way of training came to England, a system which was never used in Arab countries (working under blankets, breaking a horse at one year old, etc.)

Akhal-Teke horses came not only to Arab countries and England. Turkmen Atti, an Akhal-Teke stallion, was used in Germany to develop the Trakehner breed.

But the strongest influence that Akhal-Teke horses had was in Russia. In Russia, people loved Akhal-Teke horses. The Russians sent expeditions to take horses, and bought them from other countries. The Tzars Alexi M. and Fedor M.--father and brother of Tsar Peter the Great--loved Akhal-Teke horses. Peter the Great had an Akhal-Teke mare named Lisett that he loved. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there were a great many Akhal-Teke horses in Russian stud farms. The Russian government bought many Akhal-Teke stallions at very high prices.

The Russians used the Akhal-Teke horses especially at the Rostov, Strellets Derkulsk, Limarevsk and Novo Alexandrov stud farms, and in the latter third of the 19th century, 40% of the horses at these farms were Akhal-Tekes.

The influence of the Akhal-Teke was also very strong in the Karabakh and Don breeds. In 1839, 800 Akhal-Teke horses were used in breeding the Don. Famous general Orlov used Akhal-Tekes for the Orlov Riding Horse and the Orlov Trotter. The famous horse Sultan was, according to Prof. V. O. Vitt, first of all, not an Arabian horse, he was an Akhal-Teke. Vitt also said that the Darley Arabian was an Akhal-Teke, and of course Turkmen Atti was an Akhal-Teke.

For breeding the Orlov Riding Horse and Orlov Trotter, many Akhal-Teke horses were used: Saltan, First, Shah, Drakon, Djeiran, Gussein-Hak, Ialangush-Han and others.

A new interest in Akhal-Teke horses came in 1881-1882, when Turkmenia joined Russia. The military were very interested in using Akhal-Tekes in the cavalry. After the union with Russia, the economy of Turkmenia did not depend so much on horses as it had before. Many people ceased to travel, and instead settled in one place to raise vegetables and fruits. There was no more need to raise horses for war, and many horses were sold to Iran, India, Afghanistan and England. This became a dangerous situation for the breed. But the General of the Zakaspiiski region, N. A. Kuropatkin, loved the Akhal-Teke horses, and he established a breeding farm in Zakaspiiski in 1897, with his own money. The first director was a Russian Cossack, J. A. Mazan, who using the best Akhal-Tekes he could find, began the main sire lines of the breed.

Mazan started to write the stud book in order to make an archive for the breed. Later, in 1912, Tsar Nicolai II signed the documents of organization making Zakaspiiski an official state stud. In 1915, there were already more than 40 purebred Akhal-Teke mares.

The Akhal-Teke horses from Zakaspiiski were shown before the first world war at Tashkent (1909), Piatigosk (1912) and Kiev (1913) and made quite an impression. In the journals and newspapers many nice words were said about the breed; the stallion Djeiran was sold to von Ettinger, who used him at stud in the famous Trakehnen farm.

Then there was the first war, the Revolution, a civil war, and only because of the work of the Zakaspiiski stud farm is the breed still alive today.

It was a great thing for the breed when Russian scientists K. Gorelov, G. S. Neelov and Bogushevski, in 1926-1927, started to write down the pedigrees of Akhal-Teke horses, and after this was started the stud book of the world's oldest pureblood breed of horses. K. I. Gorelov organized a new breeding farm, the first one not in Turkmenia. A group of mares and two stallions went to South Kazakhstan (now Lugovskoi Stud Farm), where was born the famous Absent.

An important event in the history of the breed was when, in 1958, the famous breeder Vladimir Shambourant brought 53 Akhal-Teke horses from Turkmenia and started breeding them at the Tersk stud farm. Shambourant's idea was to breed big, harmonious, beautiful horses with exotic type of the Akhal-Teke. They also needed to be strong, sportive and fast for racing. He bred many famous horses: Yulduz, Gundogar, Guneshli, Guldjakan, Asat and many others, who have had a huge influence in the future of the Akhal-Teke breed.

Because of the work of Russian professionals, the breed was saved in both Russia and Turkmenistan.

At the beginning of 1970, there were only 200 breeding mares in Turkmenia. The situation once again became dangerous and the Soviet government desired to give the main control and all the work with breeding papers to the Institute of Horse Breeding in the Ryazan region. In 1973 Dr. T. Riabova, together with M. Chezkesova, controlled all the Akhal-Teke horses in Turkmenia, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Beginning in 1973 and continuing today, each Akhal-Teke foal must be blood typed. Competitions are held to choose the most sportive horses and choose the best young horses. The Institute of Horse Breeding keeps the stud book of Akhal-Teke horses, and gives recommendations on all the problems that breeders may have. The scientists at the institute write many articles about the special problems of the Akhal-Teke breed.

Because of the very tight control from the Institute, the quality of horses at the stud farms continues to go up, as does interest in the breed itself. Now there are over 1,000 purebred broodmares. The Institute started a stud book of partbred Akhal-Tekes, which showed themselves competent in sports. In 1990 the Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding of the Soviet Union was started, to be the overseer of Russian Akhal-Teke breeding; when the Soviet Union was finished, it became the Russian Association. Nevertheless, the members of this Association were not only Russians, but breeders from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Turkmenistan became independent from Russia, and said that it would work with its horses in its own way. With that, the situation for Akhal-Tekes in Turkmenistan began to worsen severely. By 1997, the quality of Turkmenian horses was much worse than it had been; 30% of the horses at the Ashkabad Hippodrome are not purebred, and the Turkmenians do not register their horses in the Stud Book.

To help reverse the situation in Turkmenistan, it was decided to create the International Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding (MAAK), with the first president being a Turkmenian breeder, Geldi Kiarizov. This decision was made at the Akhaltekinets breeding farm in Dubna, owned by T. Pontecorvo. The founders of the International Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding are the Institute of Horsebreeding in Russia; the Russian Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding, and the private farm Akhal-Yurt from Turkmenistan.

The main founder is the Institute of Horsebreeding in Russia. This Institute does all the paperwork for the Akhal-Teke breed the world over, and is the only organization which has the right to keep and control the work with the Stud Book of pureblood Akhal-Teke horses. The only information about the Akhal-Teke that you can trust 100% comes from this Institute.

Only at the Institute is there a dossier about every pure-blood Akhal-Teke horse: blood test, pedigree, the results of every year of control, photographs, and a lot of other information.

The Institute of Horsebreeding is the breeding center of the International Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding--and only the Institute can give real documents for Akhal-Teke horses. There are only two signatures that you can trust on the documents of Akhal-Teke horses, those of the inspectors of the Stud Book, T. N. Riabova and N.V. Abramova. All the other documents with other signatures are falsified documents.

Today the Akhal-Teke horsebreeding in Russia is doing very well. Prices for Akhal-Tekes are between $20,000 and $80,000. Russians love these clever and intelligent horses. They are used for classical horse sports and for racing.

In 1997 most of the Turkmenian breeders understood that without Russia, the breeding of pureblood Akhal-Tekes in Turkmenistan would be finished. And that's why there was an agreement made between the Russian Institute of Horsebreeding and the Turkmenian breeders, about keeping Turkmenian horses registered and blood-typed, with the Institute in control of their paperwork. Only the Institute of Horsebreeding will be able to save the breeding of purebred Akhal-Tekes in Turkmenistan.

Dr. T. N. Riabova is the main inspector and registrar of the Stud Book, and director of the Breeding Center of MAAK. She is also the president of the Russian Association of Akhal-Teke Horsebreeding. She has a Ph.D. in Biology.

Dr. N. V. Abramova is an inspector and registrar for the Stud Book, Secretary of MAAK and has a Ph.D. in Agriculture.

A.S. Klimuk is the main breeder at the Stavropol Stud Farm.

This article was translated from the original Russian by Dr. Tito Pontecorvo of the Akhaltekinets Stud Farms in Dubna, Russia, and San Antonio, Texas.​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

Some Ideas About Making A Bright Future for Akhal-Tekes in America

By Dr. Tito Pontecorvo

I would like first of all to thank the people who made the October, 1998 Akhal-Teke Quarterly so interesting; especially the articles about the use of Akhal-Teke horses in the development of the English Thoroughbred racing horse.

Most readers of the Akhal-Teke Quarterly know that in September, 1997, I came to America with 33 pureblood Akhal-Teke horses from my breeding farm in Dubna, Russia, and their trainers, and now I've begun a stud farm on 255 acres of land in Texas. The farm produces pureblood Akhal-Teke horses. In November, 1998, I brought over another group of 18 horses. Now that I have become one of you, everything that happens concerning the Akhal-Teke in the United States touches me very closely.

I have some ideas about Akhal-Teke horses, and their future here in the USA, and I think it would be interesting to discuss them in the Quarterly.

The future of any breed depends upon a lot of factors:

* The quality of the breeding mares and stallions;
* How closely related the horses within the group are to each other;
* The breeder's breeding program--i.e., does the breeder have a clear idea of what type of horse they are ultimately trying to produce?
* The situation in the overall horse market; and
* The breeders' plans to address the horse market so that Akhal-Tekes will command a bigger share of it (for example, with prizes, or in producing a horse which will be of interest to people who can afford to pay for such a carefully produced horse).

We could list many other factors, but let's stop on these five.

All of us know that breeding horses is an expensive hobby or business. If the horse market doesn't want your horses, you can speak for years about how old the breed is and what wonders it has accomplished in the past, but nothing will happen. That's why when you breed horses, you need to think not only about your own taste, but also about the taste of the horse market.

The American horse market now, as I see it, is divided into two big groups: people who like the western horse such as the Quarter Horse, and people who like a big, sportive horse such as the Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods. The Akhal-Teke, of course, is closer to the second group, warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. When you show an Akhal-Teke to people from the second group, a lot of them will say, "The neck is too high, this horse will have problems jumping; the back is too long, this horse will have problems engaging his hindquarters," and many other critical things. And this is normal, because the Akhal-Teke will be a new type of horse to them; and all horse owners are very conservative people--they like their own horses. The only way to change this situation in the horse market is to start with this new type of horse in competition, and to show that it can win. That, for everybody, is a very strong argument.

But to win in serious competitions, you need to have a strong, sportive horse that is talented in the ype of sport in which you compete.

Now we come very close to a discussion about the quality of Akhal-Teke horses. Always, when you breed horses, you try to do two things: make a very typey horse, and make a horse with strong and productive movements. The second is the main thing for a sportive horse.

Another thing: the market now asks for big horses--16 hh and taller. If you produce small horses, you will not be able to sell them for normal prices. In reality, the Akhal-Teke is a breed of tall horses. In other words, we need to save the uniform, bright type of Akhal-Teke horse on the one hand, and on the other hand breed big horses with super movements that can win in open competition. There is no problem inherent in the breed--Akhal-Teke horses have everything that we need for a sportive horse; but if we will not have a clearly-defined breeding program (and Tatiana Riabova and others from the Russian association could help Americans with ideas for ways to breed for both type and sportiveness), I think we will, in time, have a big problem.

Some examples: In Germany, official organizations make a list of stallions that breeders can use. The foals of other stallions cannot be registered in the breed's stud book. In Russia, the rules are not so tough; the Russian association only recommends stallions for breeding, but if you use other stallions, the foals will still be registered in the stud book.

I saw a lot of small Akhal-Teke horses in America. We need to breed big horses for sport, that can win in the competitions. Without this type of horse, the market will not be seriously interested in Akhal-Teke horses.

I would like to mention another matter: any horse can be either a pureblood, or not. Nothing more. The best for breeders who breed with closely related horses would be to stop doing so, because the probability of breeding inferior horses is very high, and besides, there is no reason to do this.

I imported to America high quality stallions from the lines of Gelishikli, Yel ["El" to Americans], Karlavach, Ak Sakal, Peren, and Kaplan. Let us use them.

Of course, we need to push the market the people will be used to the normal prices. I think the normal price for a nice, pureblood Akhal-Teke horse needs to be close to $30,000. The last year I sold 9 adult horses for prices from $27,000 to $50,000 each. The quality of these horses was very superior.

To go out to the competitions costs a lot of money. Maybe we need to think about a group of people who will decide how to spend the money of the association to send the best horses to competitions.

In 1998 I showed horses twice; in dressage, second level, fourth test with four different young horses--and earned four 1st places. And in a breeding show, took 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th. I now have a six-year-old horse at Prix St. George level dressage.

If anybody is interested in these things, please, let's discuss them in the near future.
​

 

[DADAR]

Akhal–Teke 1
Description 1


the Akhal–Teke takes its name from a Turmenian tribe Teke that lives at the Akhal oasis. It is one of the most distinctive horses in the world. Nearly everything about it is exotic and outlandish. Experience of Russians, themselves a race with an Asiatic mentality, shows that some Westerners have a difficulty perceiving the unusual nature of everything about that fiery steed born to challenge the wind of the desert and catch the fancy of Alexander the Great and a long line of historic figures of Greece, Rome, and the Levant...
But the horse is not exactly meant to grace with his presence fancy air–conditioned stables, and to be fed in a way that suits German or Swedish warmbloods. Russians will never understand the European possessors of ex–kings of the desert who proudly parade in front of them overfed underexercied creatures hot–ready for Hanover or Holstiner show rings.
Conformation
The Akhal–Teke's exterior makes it very different from other breeds. Some authorities maintain that the Akhal–Teke incorporates almost every conventional conformational failing... and, nevertheless, he is amazingly beautiful and divine, an arrogant equine aristocrat. This confusion comes from using conventional yardsticks to judge an extremely unconventional equine.
For a European or American horse expert to assess an Akhal–Teke requires a conversion. For Russians used to Dons, Orlovs, Kabardins, and an array of other Russian equine stalwarts, understanding Akhal–Tekes is no problem. They have admired those "divine horses" for centuries.
The Akhal–Teke's conformation is ideal for the environment that produced it.

Body
Its body is tube–like; the breast is narrow; the back is long; the rib–cage is shallow; the loin is long and unpronounced. The quarters are narrow, and would be a nightmare in another horse, but they are spare and sinewy; the croup is quite long, muscular and with a normal sloping angle.
The withers are high, long and well muscled. The shoulders are long, with good slope and very clean shoulder bed. The coat is exceptionally fine and the skin thin, in character with a horse of desert origins. A feature of the breed is a short, silky tail.

Head and neck
The head is fine and elegant, in harmony with the body, with wide cheeks. The nose line is straight or slightly dish–like, and the big eyes give an impression of boldness. The nostrils are wide, thin and dry, and there is width between the long, beautifully shaped alert ears. The head joins the long, lean neck at an angle of 45 degrees. The neck is set very high and almost vertically to the body. The forelock and mane are not very long.
The line from the mouth is often higher than the withers, a feature peculiar to the breed.

Legs and feet
The legs are long, clean and dense with clearly defined sinews. The forelegs are usually set close together and are straight; the forearm is long. The hindlegs are long, the hocks are carried high off the ground. The feet are small but regular, the heels are set low, the hoofs are small and hard. Fetlocks have little to no hair.
The Akhal–Teke's pasterns differ from those of other breeds. In other breeds the front pasterns are normally a little bit longer and are positioned a little less vertically than the rear ones. But an Akhal–Teke's rear pasterns are not shorter than the front ones, and are positioned less vertically than the front ones. Probably, it is an unusually loose surface that made the Akhal–Teke horses develop a specifically shaped pastern.

Movements
The Akhal–Teke's movements are unique, like the horse itself. The way he carries his body, turns his head, shifts his sensitive ears, rears, etc., is absolutely fascinating.
The Akhal–Tekes are products of the sand desert, and the style of their pace is ideal for sands. It is specifically"soft and elastic." The Akhal–Teke's desert cousin, the Arabian, comes from a stony desert, and he usually walks lifting a leg high, with his body shaking.
Though the Akhal–Teke's pasterns are somewhat more upright, he walks in a much smoother manner, sort of sliding over the ground in a flowing movement without swinging the body, which is better balanced. The push is"elastic" but powerful.
The trot is also free–sliding, and the gallop is easy and long. The jumping action of the Akhal–Tekes is cat–like.

Temperament and attitude towards humans
The Akhal–Teke horses are vigorous, excitable, and restless. Thousands of years of selective breeding have left their mark not only on their physical appearance and efficiency, but also on their behavior. These horses are not only sensible but also very sensitive; they are even able to respond to mental suggestions of humans. Their intelligence is not comparable to any other breed.
They are essentially one–master horses. Some Tekes may be difficult when ridden by strangers. With them you cannot achieve obedience by shouting or punishment. A glance, a small gesture, or a soft–spoken word are sufficient. A punishment not understood by the horse can cause them to be in a defensive mood for weeks. They are horses with character, outspoken individuals.
Says Ms Sue Waldock, President of the Akhal–Teke Association of GB:"They respond best to daily love and attention, a bit like a dog. If you ignore a dog it will misbehave too. Bonding with a human owner is in their blood."
They are not suited to nervous or irritable humans. They not only need a sensitive rider, but a human being who can share their feelings when they gallop over vast areas just for the joy of movement. They are not suited to the limitations of modern stables, which kill their spirit. They are horses belonging to wide open spaces.

Colors
Hardly any breed can compare with the Akhal–Teke in variety of colors, which include chestnut, bay, silvery gray, cream–like, isabella, raven black, dun, and reddish. All the colors, except for raven black, are gold iridescent (the gray ones are silvery). This makes the Akhal–Teke horses very attractive.
The percentages of colors within the breed according to a survey made in 1978: black — 11.7%, dark–brown — 1.9%; sorrel — 10%; dun — 17.1%; palomino — 6.1%; and white — 10.2%. Light palominos were previously excluded from breeding because their eyesight is poorer in glaring sunshine.
During the past few years a certain shift occurred due to a decrease in gray–white horses, which was caused by their being more susceptible to melanosarcoma. As a result of this, there are more bay horses of all shades now, including perlino and dun. This in turn can be accounted for by the increased demand for horses with special colors (gold and silver shine), especially in international markets.

 

[DADAR]

Akhal–Teke
History 1



Among 250 equine breeds known today in the world the Akhal–Teke horse is universally considered one of the most ancient ones. Many researchers regard it as the most ancient one. Of ancient noblesse, older than that of the Arabian or the English Thoroughbred, the Akhal–Teke is a full–blooded horse that is second to none.
The Akhal–Teke's origins are lost in the dark of centuries, or even millennia. Cuneiform texts found in Assyria tell us about horses or, as they were then called"donkeys from the mountains" from Midis and Urartu. Tiglatpalasar (1115–1077 B.C.) wrote:"I seized huge herds of horses, mules, and other cattle from their meadows. I made them pay a tribute of 1200 horses."
Herodotus provides a description of ten sacred horses in magnificent harness that were paving the way for the sacred chariot of Akhuramazda in the army of Xerxes. Those horses were bred in the Nisei plain"between Balkh and Midis." They were graceful, had long, thin and flexible necks, large eyes, clearly shaped heads, thin and strong legs.
Images of the Akhal–Teke horse dated to 9th centuries B.C., or even from the 4th to the 2nd millennia B.C., are found in the territory between the Caucasus and Luristan.

Most interesting archaeological evidence was unearthed in famous Pazyryk ancient man–made stony hill in Altai (Southern Siberia). The hill was a burial place of a Scythian chieftain. A permafrost layer at the foot of the hill had almost perfectly conserved equine remains, dated at the 6th century B.C. The horses discovered were very close to the modern Akhal–Teke breed.
Skeletons of horses more than 2,500 years old, discovered during archaeological digs at Anau, near Ashgabad, also point to their link with modern–day Akhal–Tekes. Around 1,000 B.C. the Indo–German Bactrian tribe raised horses on the north slopes of Afghanistan that were very similar to the Akhal–Teke horses of today.
Since ancient times the"heavenly horses" were a political issue. The Persian emperor Cyrus married a daughter of King of Medes Astyages to gain access to the Bactrian horses, which he was unable to secure by force. Alexander the Great, through his marriage to Roxane, the daughter of a Bactrian king, acquired the fastest and most gallant horses of his time. It is to them he owed much of his successes on the battlefield. The Chinese, under Emperor Wu, in 103 B.C., even started a war to acquire those horses.
Probe, an emperor of Rome, is known to have been presented with an Akhal–Teke horse that could cover the distance of 150 kilometers a day for up to ten days in a row.
The Akhal–Tekes have been valued in Baghdad Caliphate (9–10th centuries A.D.). The Caliphate's elite army consisted of mounted Turkmen who rode Turkmenian thoroughbreds.
Alexander the Great, Darius the Great — the Persian ruler and king of kings; Genghis Khan, and his rival Dzhelaletdin, a Seljuk Turkmenian national who forced Genghis Khan to give up an idea of a crusade to India, the lords of Parpha, Mongolia and Turkey, are all known to have used the"Godly, heavenly horses" in their military campaigns.
Most emotional records are extant of medieval European visitors of Turkmenistan. Marco Polo paid tribute to the Turkmenian horse. He wrote that Turkmenistan was producing excellent large horses that were selling at 200 libras each. Marco Polo traced the ancestry of Akhal–Tekes to Bucephalos, the legendary stallion of Alexander the Great. Alexander's affection for that horse has a material evidence. At the death of his stallion, Alexander interrupted his campaign to erect a memorial tomb in his honor, which is still in existence in Pakistan.
The discovery of a Sea Passage from Europe to India considerably reduced the importance of the continental"Silk Road." The Silk Road crossed Turkmenistan and contributed a lot to interaction of Asiatic peoples.
The peoples settled down along this way, Turkmen included, became "forgotten." Since the 17th century the role of the Akhal–Teke horse was mistakenly assigned to the Arabian breed.

 

[DADAR]

Records Set by Akhal-Teke Horses

In 1935, fifteen Akhal-Teke horses were required to travel from Ashkhabad to Moscow on a forced march, and traveled across the Kara-Kum desert, approximately 299 miles, without water.

The Akhal-Teke named "Absent" won the Prix de Dressage at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

Reference:

Kentucky Horse Park, 4089 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, KY 40511

Hendricks, Bonnie L., International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds, Univ of Oklahoma Press, 1995

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

سلام
لطفا منبع رو براي كسب اطلاعات بيشتر بيان كنيد

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

The Akhal‑Teke descends from the raiding horses of Turkmenistan first described over 3,000 years ago. The modern form of the Akhal‑Teke dates to about the eighth century, and thus the breed represents the purest living descendant of the ancient Scythian horse. The name "Akhal" means pure, and is also the name of a remote oasis associated with the nomadic Teke tribe, with whom the breed shares the second half of its name. The Tekemene people descend from the ancient Scythinas and have long resided in Turkmenistan – a region located on the northern borders of Iran and Afghanistan. The nomadic life of the Tekes made it necessary for them to have horses of great endurance that could travel long distances swiftly and without difficulty. The Tekes developed horses of fiery temperament and great stamina whose fame spread throughout the ancient world and became highly desired as war and racing horses. The Tekes created and sustained this breed for thousands of years through an oral tradition of maintaining bloodlines. For many centuries, the Akhal‑Teke ­remained relatively unchanged. It was found primarily in Central Asia, but also existed as far north and west as Russia, where it was kept in the royal stables. Turkmene people remained proud of their horses and in 1935 staged an amazing promotional effort to bring attention to the breed. The event took a mounted group of Akhal-Teke stallions over 2,500 miles from the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashkabahad, to Moscow in 84 days. One segment of the trip was a 225 mile crossing of the KaraKum desert. The horses successfully covered the distance across the desert in 3 days, with little water available. This amazing ride of endurance was repeated in 1988.

Despite common Western beliefs, the Akhal‑Teke almost certainly predates the development of the Arabian horse. Historically Turkmenian stocks had profound influence on the development of horse breeds in Europe, and most notably the English Thoroughbred. It is now hypothesized that at least two of the three founding sires of the Thoroughbred had Turkmenian blood, and were likely Akhal-Tekes. Perhaps the most famous Akhal‑Teke was the Russian horse Absent, who won the Olympic gold medal in dressage in 1960 and had a career total of six medals – the most ever earned by any individual horse.

The Akhal‑Teke, with its slim build and flowing stride, gives the impression of being an equine version of a Greyhound. Akhal‑Teke horses are long in every dimension, with tapering heads, thin necks, and lean bodies. They have strong legs, with dense bone and hard hooves. Smooth and elastic gaits make them appear to float above the ground. The mane and forelock are sparse, the skin is thin, and the coat is short and silky. In winter, a dense undercoat provides warmth. Although found in a wide array of colors, gold predominates and has a distinctive metallic sheen characteristic to the breed. The metallic sheen is caused by the unique structure of the hair that bends light through one side of the hair and refracts it out the other side, causing the golden cast to the horses’ coats.

Akhal‑Teke horses average 15.2 hands (62") at the withers and weigh 900–1,000 pounds. They are known to be very intelligent horses that respond well to sensitive training. The Akhal-Teke is a globally rare breed, with an estimated population of less than 5,000. Akhal‑Teke horses excel in many pursuits, including endurance, dressage, and jumping. Despite these abilities and ancient lineage, the breed has been difficult to promote in North America; its strange name, unusual body shape and color, and somewhat smaller size mean that the Akhal‑Teke does not match the Thoroughbred/Warmblood sport horse profile that is popular today. Gradually, the success of a few horses is giving the breed more ­recognition, and a broader base of promotional activity has been established. If successfully conserved, the Akhal‑Teke population in North America can be an important genetic reservoir for this ancient breed.​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

Intro
Known for their greyhound-like appearance and coats that often gleam with a metallic shimmer, the Akhal-Teke horse is one of the easiest breeds to recognize, built for speed in hot weather.
Origins
Descendant of the ancient Scythian type horse. The Teke were bred by a nomadic people, and prized animals were fast and hardy as war and raiding mounts.

The Akhal-Teke horses are named by the Teke tribe of the Akhal oasis. Isolation and a strong sense of tradition kept the bloodlines relatively pure. These horses became a measure of wealth so they were well cared for and considered like family.

When Russia took control of central Asia, many of these prized animals were slaughtered to the dismay of the Teke people. Many horse owners turned their horses loose in the hopes for their survival.
Features

Average height 14.2 - 16 hands
Strong natural & soft gaits
Built for stamina and speed
Surefooted and strong
Physique

Head is long and light
Large, expressive eyes
Long slender neck with short, fine mane
Narrow in the chest with a long back
Legs are slender and long
Traditional Colors

Any color is acceptable
Pale Golden is the preferred color
Dun
Grey
Bay
Black
Temperament

Spirited
Highly sensitive
High energy
Bold

Pros:
Brave and strong
Able to travel long distances on minimal resources
Bright and able

Cons:
Stubborn
Can be skittish mounts
Use

Akhal Teke21
General riding horse
Race horse
Eventing and show horse​