| Akhal-Teke
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The
Akhal-Teke, 'Ahalteke' in turkmen language, horse breed (pronounced
Ah-cull Tek-y) is a breed from Turkmenistan, where they are
the national emblem. It is named after the nomadic tribe that
bred them. They are racehorses, noted for their endurance
on long marches and are thought to be the predecessors of
the Arabian and English thoroughbred breeds. These beautiful
"golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions
and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving 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.
Alexander the Great's horse, Bucephalus, is
said to have been an Akhal-Teke.
Breed characteristics
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,
and is thought to have been used as camouflage in the desert,
where the heat causes the desert to shimmer. The Akhal-Teke
is known for its form and grace as a show jumper. Also noteworthy
are the breed's almond-shaped eyes. The breed is very tough
and resilient, due to the harshness of the Turkmenistan lands,
where it 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 horses have a fine head with a straight
or slightly convex profile, and long ears. The mane and tail
is usually sparse. Their long back has little muscle, 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, although the hind legs are
sometimes sickle-hocked. They have a rather shallow body with
a shallow ribcage (like an equine greyhound) but a deep chest,
and this shallowness continues to the back of the frame. The
conformation is not considered "good" by Western
terms, but that is made up for by the breed's great beauty
and athletic ability.
The Akhal-Tekes are brave riding horses, lively
and alert, but are known to be obstinate and rebellious at
times. They are generally a one-rider horse.
The horses are usually a pale golden color (like
honey) with black points. They can also be bay, black, chestnut,
or grey. The Akhal-Teke usually stands between 14.3 and 15.2
hands.
Male horses are not gelded in Central Asia.
Breed history
According to some, the Akhal-Teke have been 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 Turkoman Horse,
bred in neighboring Iran. Some historians believe that the
two are different strains of the same breed. It is disputed
"chicken or egg" question if the influential Arabian
was either the ancestor of the breed or was developed out
of this breed.
Tribesmen of Turkmenistan first used the horses
for raids, feeding the animals grains and mutton[citation
needed]. They selectively bred the horses, keeping records
of the pedigrees orally. 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 Byerley Turk
(which may have been Akhal-Teke, and 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, which however
the local Turkmen refused to eat. At one point only 2,000
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.
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
is often 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, who won the individual gold medal at the
1960 Rome Olympics, at the young age of 8, under Sergei Filatov.
He went again with Filatov to win the bronze individual medal
in Tokyo in 1964, and won the Soviet team gold medal under
Ivan Kalita at the 1968 Mexico Games.
Many Akhal-Tekes look like they move "above-the-bit,"
with the mouth about level with the rider's hands. This is
mainly due to their upright necks.
Most Akhal-Tekes are found at the Tersk
stud in the northern Caucasus Mountains. |
