How it began
The Akhal-Teke was bred by Turkmen tribes in the Kara Kum, a flat desert ringed by mountains in what is now Turkmenistan. Britannica describes it as an ancient breed originating in Turkmenistan. Breed histories say such horses have been kept as cavalry mounts and racehorses for about 3,000 years, with the earliest mentions dating to the 4th to 3rd century BCE. The name, given in the Russian period, joins the Akhal oasis and the Teke tribe that lived near it.
How it works
The breed is the result of selection rather than a single act. Tribesmen chose tall, fast horses for raiding and long desert travel and kept pedigrees orally across generations. Horses were fed a diet low in bulk and high in protein, such as alfalfa and barley, and were wrapped in layers of felt blankets, which encouraged a fine coat. The result is a lean horse with long legs, a long neck, a metallic sheen and high tolerance for heat and scarce water.
How it spread
The horses moved outward through trade, war and diplomatic gifts. Breed histories credit the Akhal-Teke or closely related Turkoman horses with influence on the Thoroughbred, possibly through the Byerly Turk, and on the Trakehner and the Russian Don, Budyonny, Karabair and Karabakh breeds. In the Soviet period the horses were bred in Turkmenistan, southern Russia and other southern republics, and farms later appeared in Germany and the United States.
Who pushed back
Soviet collectivization ended private horse ownership and placed the animals in state stud farms. Some tribesmen fled with their horses to Persia and Afghanistan, and when horses were ordered slaughtered for meat, breeders released them into the desert. In 1935 riders took Akhal-Tekes about 3,600 kilometers from Ashgabat to Moscow in 84 days to show their strength and win permission to keep breeding them.
Where it stands today
About 7,000 Akhal-Tekes exist worldwide, with the largest population in Russia. After independence in 1991 Turkmenistan declared the breed a national treasure and placed it on the state emblem. The horses are used in dressage, show jumping, racing and endurance riding, and Britannica notes their reputation for speed and endurance.
