The Akhal-Teke

In 1970 I read in Kurban Said’s novel Ali and Nino (set in the Caucasus in the early 1900s), a mention of a horse which gleamed like gold in the sun. I thought this was oriental poetic licence, but two years later, during a trip to Russia, I saw my first Akhal-Teke. Then I knew it had not been poetic licence, but the truth, for here indeed was a horse whose coat shone like gold in the sun.

Akhal-Teke stallion Melgun (www.akhal-teke.org)

The Akhal-Teke may or may not be the oldest breed of horse, as is claimed by its devotees, but it is certainly very ancient indeed. The Turkmen or Turkoman horse has been renowned in Asia for much of recorded history. The name Akhal-Teke is of relatively recent origin, and is given to horses bred by the Akhal-Teke tribe from the Akhal oasis of the Kopet Dag mountains in Turkmenistan. This breed is considered to be the only remaining pure-bred strain of the ancient Turkmen horse.

Pazyryk horses

The precise origins of this very ancient breed are, as so often, obscure. However, remains of horses found in excavations of Scythian burials at Pazyryk in Kazakhstan, dating from about the fifth to the third centuries bc, show a skeletal conformation very similar in both form and size to that of a modern Akhal-Teke. Even so, we must not jump to conclusions. It may be that this particular type of horse was indeed fixed in Central Asia at a very early date, but we should not assume that this horse was identical with the modern Akhal-Teke. For centuries Central Asia was crossed and re-crossed by both indigenous nomads and invading armies from both east and west. As horses were considered valuable booty, it is inconceivable that there should not have been some crossing of native types with the horses of the invaders. It is possible, of course, that some of the more remote and inaccessible tribes, such as the Akhal-Teke, may have managed to keep their stock relatively free from outside influence. However this may be, the Turkoman tribes certainly bred fast, elegant war horses which were continually tested in both war and in races held by the various tribes. These horses were highly valued, and brought into Western Asia and Europe in considerable numbers by the Turkish tribes who invaded Asia Minor in the eleventh century.

 

Turkoman stallion Turkmain Atty, 1791-1818

It was not until the twentieth century that the Akhal-Teke started to win a degree of recognition in the West. Its reputation was enhanced by the breed’s outstanding performance in the famous trek from Ashkhabad, in Turkmenistan, to Moscow, in 1935: a distance of 4,300 kilometres was covered in 84 days. This involved crossing the Kara Kum desert, virtually without water. The trek was carried out by 28 riders, mounted on pure- and part-bred Akhal-Tekes. The pure-breds completed the distance without ill-effects, the part-breds less successfully. One of the pure-breds who took part was a stallion named, ironically enough, Arab, who also won the Russian National Showjumping Championship several times, and was the sire of another great Akhal-Teke, Absent, who won the individual gold medal for dressage at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. The breed has also produced some notable jumpers; as well as Arab, mentioned above, there is Perepel, who jumped a remarkable length of 8m. 78 cm. (28’ 9˝”), and Poligon, who jumped a height of 2m.25 cm. (7’4˝”).

Absent

Nowadays the Akhal-Teke participates in a wide variety of competitive disciplines: dressage, showjumping, horse trials and – especially – endurance rides, where its toughness and stamina, celebrated for centuries throughout Central Asia, have resulted in some outstanding performances.

Perhaps the Akhal-Teke’s contribution to the foundation of other breeds, for so long unrecognised, will become increasingly well-documented as research into equine DNA and the origins of breeds continues. The breed is still uncommon in the West, but since the break-up of the Soviet Union has made communications with the former Soviet republics easier, more information about the Akhal-Teke has reached the West. It is to be hoped that this beautiful and elegant horse will one day gain the wider recognition it deserves.

Height

152.4 cm (15 hh) - 162.56 cm (16hh) (although some Russian studs are breeding them over 16hh)

Head

Dry, refined, with wide cheeks, straight or slightly convex profile. Eyes large and expressive.

Neck

Long, straight and inclined to leanness. Set on high.

Withers

High and long

Shoulder

Sloping, with a clean shoulder-bed

Body

Long, lean and rather narrow

Croup

Wide and long, and somewhat sloping

Tail

Set on rather low

Legs

Long and dry with well defined tendons; no feathering

Hooves

Small and hard

Mane and tail

Fine and rather sparse

Coat

Fine and silky, very often with a metallic sheen, especially among the bays and golden duns. Colours are: seal brown, bay, black, chestnut, grey, buckskin, palomino, perlino and cremello

Action

Long, flowing. and elastic movement. Prefers to walk, canter and gallop, but can be taught to trot. Has a tendency to pace.

Temperament

According to some sources, Akhal-Tekes can be stubborn and bad-tempered. However, as these are high-couraged, sensitive, reactive horses, any bad temper is most likely due to mishandling. People who have worked closely with the breed say that they are, on the contrary, good-tempered and extremely willing horses. Their sensitivity makes them take things to heart, so they need to be treated with respect and understanding. Their natural intelligence and curiosity makes them want to investigate anything new, and when out on a hack Akhal-Tekes  will often stop, stand and stare at something in the distance. This may be a legacy of desert breeding, where the hostile environment made vigilance on the part of horse and rider a desirable characteristic. Like Arabians, Akhal-Tekes thrive on a one-to-one relationship.

 

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