The Akhal Teke horse

The Akhal Teke horse.

Experts say that nowhere in the world but in Turkmenistan nature and man’s efforts have succeeded in creating such a graceful, exceptional, tireless, sturdy, noble horse as the Akhal Teke. They are not only fast and of great endurance but also of peculiar royal beauty. These horses became one of the most striking illustrations of talent and mastery of Turkmen people. Turkmens are very proud of their horses. Akhal Teke horses got this name from Akhal oasis in the center of Turkmenistan, which is historically inhabited by the Turkmen tribe- Teke. Through centuries the Teke were able to keep the purity of their horses. and polish their exterior, develop endless enormous stamina and the ability to withstand the extremeness of temperature and harsh climate. Akhal Teke horses are notable for dry constitution and well developed muscles of croup, a much longer neck than other horses, mobile thin ears, very expressive eyes, thin legs with strong sinews, tall and high withers, strong small hoofs and unique golden-colored coat, possessing a brilliant metallic sheen, outstanding speed and highly developed nervous system.

This ancient breed helped to develop the Arabian, English, Orlov saddle horse, Karabakh, Donski, Persian, Pakistan, Indian and Afghan horses . The stallion Atti, born in 1784, occupies a central place in the history of Turkmen horse-breeding. In 1790 it was transported from Istanbul to Prussia and other horse breeds like the Trachen breed in Germany, the Hungarian lonius and also few half-blooded breeds in Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia. had been improved via this famous line. The origin of Akhal Teke horse stretches back to the ancient times. The results of many archaeological expeditions confirm this. Chinese called them ‘Heavenly horses.’ King Cyrus of Persia, Alexander Macedonian and Chinese emperors and Arabs desired these superior horses. The ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, Arab chronicles mentioned this.

Akhal Teke horses have been immortalized in Turkmen traditional songs, proverbs and verse. Their intelligence, wisdom and attachment to human beings are all legendary. One Turkmen proverb says, “ When you get up in the morning you must greet your father and your horse”. The Turkmen horse-breeders -seis had special approach to their horses. Each Turkmen kept one horse. The Akhal Teke were never herded and kept tethered to stakes. They fed them pellets of food contained a mixture of alfalfa, barley and mutton fat. The famous geographer Nonni said, “The Turkmen do not only nourish tenderly their horses, but also with passion and to treat a horse badly is considered a sin among them. The whole tribe would scorn a person committing such a sin. For this reason, of all Central Asian people , the Turkmen are the only one who since ancient times had never slaughtered a horse for its meat or drunk mare’s milk.

With the Bolsheviks the Akhal Teke experienced a very difficult period in their history. During collectivization all Akhal Teke horses were registered with the new Soviet government and private ownership of horses was banned.

In the 20th century the most ancient and most unique horse breed was in danger of extinction. The policy of Saparmurad Turkmenbashi-the first president of Independent Turkmenistan, helped to prevent this. In 1986 he issued a decree, resolving to keep the Akhal Teke on a private farmstead. The Akhal Teke is an excellent sport horse. It is perfect in marathon race, dressage, breaking in and flat race conquer In 1935 30 Turkmen riders with their horses made a very long trek and covered 4300 km from Ashkhabad to Moscow in 84 days. All horses overcame successfully the difficulties of this trek, the major part of which run through the Kara Kum desert. Shortly afterwards the Akhal Teke stallion Zenith set a record by covering 300 km in 19 hours. The Akhal Teke proved itself as an endurance horse. If necessary the Akhal Teke can stay without food and water much longer than other horses and could easily endure terrible heat.

In 1960 at the Rome Olympics the Akhal Teke stallion Absent, ridden by Sergei Filatov won a gold medal in dressage and was called ’The horse of a century’. Later at the Mexico Olympics a new rider on Absent became a champion in team riding. The whole world admires and applauds the circus ensemble ’Horsemen from sunny Turkmenistan”, which perform on Akhal Teke horses. Nothing can really compare with the experience of horse riding. Each of us, at least once in our lives, has perhaps dreamt of riding a horse. This dream can easily come true in Turkmenistan, which is justly famed for its elegant horses. Both veteran equestrians and those less experienced will find a good possibility to ride the best trained and mannered horses at private stables outside Ashgabat. The tourist company “Owadan Tourism” can organize a visit to these private farms or offer cross-country horse treks. You’ll ride under the watchful eye of high- qualified instructors and experience the solitude of the Kopet Dag mountains. The peace and beauty of the mountains will highlight your days in Turkmenistan.