Origin of a name

Modern name to this race was given because of the place, where horses were kept in cleanliness in Akhal oasis, which stretches with narrow strip along the north foot Kopet-Dag, from Bakharden to Artik, where lived Turkmen tribe – Taeke. So word-for-word “akhal-taeke” – is a Taeke tribe horse from Akhal oasis. This race became famous after Turkmenistan accession to Russian Empire, especially it became famous in Soviet years.

History of the race

Achaltekinskiy horse – is a real art work in the breeding sphere, the result of the work of many generations of horse breeders, heritage of great horse breeding ancient cultures. Armeniy Vamberi, having traveled along Central Asia in XIX century, wrote: These beautiful animals are worth of all efforts which are spent on them…… Really and truly they are wonderful creatures, which are valued by the desert sons and are more expensive then wives, children, and own life. Tales about their stamina and running abilities are not exaggerated at all.

History of this race begins in a distant antiquity, at that time, when multilingual Iranian folks living on the territory of Central Asia, began to bring up horses, which could excel all other horses in beauty and power. Ancient Iranians had first hand knowledge of horse’s nature, they had a real cult of horse. Opposite to Iranian, other civilizations didn’t have horses for a long time, and horses to Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt and other countries of Middle East and the Mediterranean penetrated from Central Asia and Transcaucasia.

In old times, akhaltekinets was known under the name ‘argamak’ – it was a name of any horse of eastern race. Akhaltekinskiy blood runs in many Russian races – especially in donskoy and Russian saddle horses. There is a big contribution in a development of Eastern and Western stud farms. They think, that it was akhaltekinets who was among thoroughbred ancestor races of saddle horses, beginning from XIX century and holding first place by the influence on other races. In the history of Arabic race formation also can akhaltekinskiy influence be noticed (true, in that old days the modern name ‘akhaltekinets’ didn’t exist at all). By the words of a great soviet scientific, who works with horses, V. O. Vitta, akhaltekinskiy race is a impeccable, ideal, cultural saddle horse which is above other races. It is a last drop of pure blood which created all saddle stud farm.

Turkmen were a great horse race lovers and they were very attentive towards preparations of the horse for the race. The experience in this case came down from father to son. Soviet scientists, who researched akhaltekinskiy race, mentioned, that the Turkmen training system of horses has a good deal in common with the European training system of saddle horses for races on the hippodromes of Europa. Practically akhaltekinets is one of the fast breeds of the world, and all the constitution of this horse presents us inborn fast horse.

In soviet times akhaltekinskiy race was brought up not only in Turkmenistan, but in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Russian Federation. In that times, breeding work was directed to exterior and height growth. Today Russia has the best population of akhaltekinskiy saddle horse breeds. Akhaltekinsty are brought up in stud farms: Stovropol #170, Vladimir Shamborant “Shaael”, in some Daghestan, Kalmik farms and in farms of Moscow region.

Today’s akhaltekinskiy horse is different from other, which were 100, 300 and 1000 years ago, by bigger height and right figure. All unique features of race, inner and outer, were saved.

Characteristics of breed

Turkmen life passed in constant war trips, raids, affairs, and horse qualities was the matter of life and death.

Akhaltekinets is a horse with an extraordinary psychological setup. It is clever, proud and is not used to put its feelings in front. His sympathy must be deserved, but that person who would become friend to akhaltekinets; it would serve master faithfully, and would be ready to go after his master wherever he would go.

Akhaltekinets is very good horse for ride, its motions is elastic and not exhausting. The child can be trusted with akhaltekinets and man can be sure that it will not do any harm to a rider. And, akhaltekinets does not bear rudeness and scorn, because it can hold his own in any fight. That’s why this breed is not some kind of an obedient horse, fulfilling orders without a murmur of a rider, it needs a special attitude. That’s why many sportsmen who got used to work with obedient horse breeds think that akhaltekinskiy horses are difficult in the work. But in hands of clever and patient rider, akhaltekinets is able to do real miracles.

Colour of akhaltekinskiy horses is some kind of a gold sand dune.

In the result of artificial selection, akhaltekinskiy horses got a very rich and original set of colours: except bay, red, black and grey colours, man can meet rare clarified yellow colours, such as sorrel and creamy. One more feature of akhaltekinskiy horses is that among them gold yellow colour is spreaded, and this colour is also met in donskoy, boodenovskiy and karabakhaskiy breeds in veins of which akhaltekinskiy blood runs.

Despite the thin skin and short wool, akhaltekinskiy horse can sustain a temperature in broad band – from 30 till 50 Degree above zero, and also serious temperature drops. It can frisk in Russian snow and also in Turkmen sands.

Outward delicacy of breed hides incredible stamina. As historian says, there were cases when wounded by saber akhaltekinskiy horse took away on his back two adult men, going away with them along quicksand. And nowadays man can be proved that akhaltekinskiy horse is capable of great endurance, it is proved by days-long trips and sport competitions. The most famous race on akhaltekinskiy horses took place in 1935 from Ashkhabad to Moscow. This distance was overcome in 84 days, though Karakum sands were overcome for 3 days without any stop for food and water or even sleep. All horses remained healthy and reached Moscow. The winner of that memorable race was sorrel horse Tarlan.

Like a real desert horses, akhaltekinskiy horses can easily endure thirst. As, they often had to overcome distances in 100-150 kilometers, from well to well during a day.