About Akhal-Teke breed

- Akhal-Teke breed
- Pictures from World Championship-2000
- Pictures of playful Akhal-Tekes

Akhal-Teke breed

Let me start this page with one of the many legends about the legendary Akhal-Tekes:
Old days, there was a slim, golden-bay Alhal-Teke stallion called Akhale and no one horse could beat him during a race. It was decided to compete Akhale and a falcon. Thousands of people gathered from around the world to witness the unique competition. The owner of the falcon and the bay stallion stood at the top of the hill. The falcon and Akhale started the race at the same moment. Like an arrow flew the golden-bay stallion by the astonished viewers leaving the falcon far behind. Since that time Akhal-Teke stallions are often given names of birds…

Picture from Konnyi Sport magazine
At the picture - trainer Soinov with stallion Keppan (Kirdzha-Torkush), Ashabad region of USSA,
photo by Mrs. Kuznetcova, published at "Konevodstvo i konniy sport" #6, 1982

Akhal-Teke horses are said to be the oldest breed in the world. The archeological findings revealed the picture of the horse, that looked like an Akhal-Teke on a ceramic piece dated 4 Ba (Today's Turkmenistan), similar pictures were discovered on the territory of Kalmykia and Altay (Russia). Long marches cross dessert combined with the quiet life in small green oases determined the appearance of rational, beautiful, perfectly adapted for harsh climate horses. For centuries Akhal-Teke horses were close to people, they lived together, life and death of a warrior depended on the endurance and fastness of the horse. Those qualities plus subtle beauty of fine lines, smooth and comfortable movements made an Akhal-Teke the perfect gift for any eastern King. Akhal-Tekes were also appreciated as tribal horses, they are among ancestors of many today's breeds such us Thoroughbred, Trakenen and others.

Graces, flexibility, cleverness and fastness of Akhal-Teke horses made their success at Olympics. They are almost as fast as English thoroughbred horses at race. The Akhal-Teke stallion Absent von gold in Rome and bronze in Tokyo in dressage and he was given the name "the horse of the century." Absent's father, Arab, took part in the 4,300 km march of the group of Akhal-Teke horses from Turkmenistan to Moscow (4300 km) in 1937. Akhal-Teke horses are beyond any competition in long distance marches.

The biggest number of Akhal-Teke horses are in Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazahstan, Uzbekistan. Many Akhal-Teke horses were imported to Germany during the Soviet Union time. These days the interest to Akhal-Teke horses is growing all over the world and a number of purebred and partbred Akhal-Tekes in Europe and America is increasing rapidly.

Akhal-Teke wearing traditional collars
Picture from "15. Achal-Tekkineerturnier. Juli 1996"