Akhal-Teke breed
History of the breed
Akhal-Teke, Tekin, Argamak – these are just a few of the common names for a representative of the purebred Akhal-Teke breed of horses. And what epithets are awarded to these horses by their fans – “golden horse”, “heavenly argamak”. There are so many legends about no other breed of horses. And this is not surprising. After all, the Akhal-Teke horse breed is the oldest in the world. Portraits of horses, repeating in detail the characteristic appearance of the Akhal-Teke horses, can be seen both on the walls of ancient Egyptian temples and on Scythian gold vases.
The exact date of the breeding of the Akhal-Teke breed is unknown, but the earliest information about this breed dates back almost to the XNUMXth-XNUMXrd centuries BC.
In Turkmenistan there is an oasis Akhal, where the Teke tribe lived in ancient times. They are considered the first breeders of these horses. But maybe they did not create this breed at all, but borrowed from someone and kept it. Akhal-Teke people were considered one of the treasures of the Great Silk Road.
The historians of Ancient Rome said the following about these animals: “These are horses worthy of powerful kings, beautiful in appearance, performing well under the rider, easily obeying the bit; they carry their hook-nosed head high, and their golden manes soar in the air with glory.
Since ancient times, the Akhal-Teke was considered the horse of kings and great commanders. Genghis Khan, Persian Tsar Darius the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Generals Skobelev and Kornilov, Marshal Zhukov used Akhal-Teke horses in their campaigns – they all rode them. And now they are considered a prestigious gift – they are given to presidents, monarchs, and large industrialists.
The contribution of the Akhal-Teke breed of horses to horse breeding in the East and West is enormous. It is believed that it was the Akhal-Tekes who were among the ancestors of the purebred riding breed, which, since the XNUMXth century, has been in first place in terms of influence on other breeds. In the history of the formation of the Arabian breed, the Akhal-Teke influence is also traced. Akhal-Teke blood flows in horses of the Don and Russian riding breeds. According to the largest Soviet hippologist V.O. Witt, the Akhal-Teke breed is “the golden fund of the cultural riding horse of the whole world, the last drops of that source of pure blood that created all horse breeding.”
Features of the exterior of the breed
The breed is characterized by a very remarkable exterior: the appearance of the horse harmoniously combines grace, beauty of movement and at the same time amazing strength.
The horses of this breed are quite high: on average, the stallion reaches 160 centimeters at the withers; their constitution is extremely dry – the Akhal-Teke horses are somewhat similar to greyhounds or cheetahs. In addition, horses of this breed have a rather peculiar head shape: a convex forehead, hook-nosed profile, long and thin, widely spaced ears. The eyes of the Akhal-Teke are unusually elongated and seem to have a slanting shape, the so-called “Asian eye”.
The croup is muscular, slightly lowered, the withers are high, the thighs are narrow, the chest is small. The legs are dry and long, the back is stretched.
The skin of horses of this breed is very thin, and blood vessels are sometimes easily visible under it. This is facilitated by the fact that the hairline on the body of the animal is quite small and delicate. The mane is rare, and sometimes animals happen without it at all – no other breed has such a sign.
The suit is predominantly bay, black, red, and you can also find much rarer nightingal, karak, brown shades. However, any color of this breed is characterized by a silvery or bright, golden hue of wool.
Isabella suit is a special suit, found only among representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed. Akhal-Teke horses of isabella suit are considered a rarity. The horses of the Isabella suit have cream or baked milk coat color, pink skin and blue eyes all over the body. The shade of the suit changes with different lighting.
Applications and achievements
Due to its high agility and excellent performance, the Akhal-Teke horse is indispensable in hiking. In 1935, a group of Turkmen horsemen made a unique 4300-kilometer trek through steppes, deserts, and forest areas. The entire journey took 84 days, and the horsemen overcame the most difficult part of the journey in just three days.
In 1960, Absent, a stallion of the Akhal-Teke breed, became the winner of the XVII Olympic Games in Rome in horse riding competitions.
Akhal-Teke horses have high agility, are incredibly hardy and jumpy: in 1950, the stallion of this breed, Quail, set a world record by jumping almost nine meters.
They are good as jumping horses – no one has jumped higher than the Akhal-Teke, the record is 2 meters 20 centimeters.
Akhal-Teke horses are distinguished by their ardent temperament. Some of them allow only the owner to approach them. In addition, Akhal-Teke horses are distinguished by a fine mental organization. They are proud, smart and never flaunt their feelings. The trust of the Akhal-Teke horse needs to be earned, but if you manage to become her friend, the Akhal-Teke horse will do anything for you.
