BREED PROFILE

The Heavenly AKHAL-TEKE

According to legend, these horses from the Central Asian steppes (now known as Turkmenistan) were born of the cheetah, eagle, and snake – for they were blessed with speed, endurance, and coats that shone with an otherworldly sheen in the sun.

BY MONIQUE NOBLE

In 433 B.C. a young boy, who saw that a horse was frightened of its shadow, turned it to face the sun and made history. That horse was Bucephalus, the legendary mount of Alexander the Great and he was an Akhal-Teke (pronounced ahk-al-tech-ay). Over two thousand years later, Akhal-Teke are once again in the spotlight as one of the most antiquated and rare breeds on Earth. According to legend, these horses from the Central Asian steppes, now known as Turkmenistan, were born of the cheetah, eagle, and snake, for they were blessed with speed, endurance, and coats that shone with an otherworldly sheen in the sun. Chinese emperors sought them, calling them the Heavenly Horses and still today they are called the “Heavenly Argamak” by some. They were the reason behind the first war fought over horses recorded in history, where the war of the Heavenly Horses took place between the Han Dynasty and the Persian Empire. Winning the war in 104 BC, China grew one of the most feared cavalries in Ancient Asia.

When you look at an Akhal-Teke, you can almost see “cheetah” in their lithe athletic form. Bred for speed and endurance, their thin-looking frames belie a strength and athleticism that made them the breed of choice for the Nomadic desert tribes who revered and relied upon them. Akhal-Tekes are proud looking horses, with aristocratic, long narrow heads that taper into large well-developed dry nostrils and distinctively thin lips. Their eyes are often hooded and almond shaped, a characteristic developed to protect them from the harsh desert climate from where they were born. Their ears are long but not mulish, crowning a neck that speaks to their snake mythos – long and sinuously graceful with a refined throatlatch and set high into the shoulders making them look ever alert. Although their chests are deeply set, from the front they appear quite narrow as they are not a girthy breed and often look thin or undernourished to an unknowing eye. Their backs appear longer than most breeds but are nonetheless strong and set into a prominent wither. Combined with a strong, long

loin and graceful neck, the Akhal-Teke is an exquisitely balanced horse. Dense of bone, their legs are well muscled with large, flat knees and short, strong cannon bones leading into small but extremely tough hooves. A unique trait to the Akhal-Teke is that their fetlocks on the hind legs are longer and more sloped than the fetlocks on the front legs. This is the opposite of most horses and a testament to thousands of years adapting to sandy terrain.

A true desert horse, the Akhal-Teke is renowned for its stamina and hardiness in sparse, dry terrain. Desert tribes traditionally supplemented their horses’ rations with sheep fat mixed into their feed but now, more often, supplement their feed with raw eggs. Thin in both mane and tail, AkhalTeke horses come in all coat colours. Highly prized colours are cremelos, perlinos, palominos, and buckskins as these colours most dramatically show off the breed’s trademark metallic sheen. Their coats are quite fine; the metallic “golden” appearance is due to the opaque core (found at the center of other breeds’ hair shafts) being extremely thin or completely absent in Akhal-Teke horses with this trait. Thin skin is another characteristic of this exotic breed also known for being extremely sensitive and not always suited for beginners. Once a bond between horse and rider has been made, however, these intelligent horses are very loyal and frequently considered to be a “one-person” horse.

“An Akhal-Teke horse’s movement is long, low, and slinky”, describes Cathy Liddy, secretary for the board of directors of the Akhal-Teke Association of America (ATAA). While not designated a gaited breed, a study of their unique flowing stride is underway. Incredibly athletic, fast-moving animals, they are surprisingly smooth. It is perhaps this last trait of almost seeming to fly that harkens back to their third fabled ancestor, the eagle. Researchers

“An Akhal-Teke horse’s movement is long, low, and slinky.”

Canadian born purebred Akhal-Teke Soudjie was journeying from British Columbia to Montana and, due to COVID-19, had an extended stay in Sundre, Alberta at the North Forty Ranch.

at Mississippi State University note that the distinctive trot of the Akhal-Teke, known for their elastic movement, has a different rhythm than the standard two beat trot of most horses. Unlike the standard trot, the Akhal-Teke alternates between being supported on one hoof and two hooves. While this is similar to the basic trot, it disunites the diagonal pairs of a basic trot, removing a period of suspension which, in turn, makes the gait smoother for both horse and rider. A developing theory is that this adapted trot, known among aficionados as the ‘Akhal-Teke glide’, allows the Akhal-Teke to maintain the soundness of their longer backs as they mature. Currently, this unique gait is not considered different enough to classify

them as a gaited breed and it has also been observed that not all horses of the breed display the ability to ‘glide.’

While still harbouring secrets after 3,000 years, it is no secret that the Akhal-Teke is an incredibly durable breed of horse and has contributed to the development of many other breeds including Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and various warmbloods. They are believed to be at their best when they are purebred; in fact the first part of their name, Akhal, means pure. Akhal-Tekes were once known as Turks, or Turkomans and were highly prized mounts throughout the Persian empire, part of which is now Turkmenistan. Bred for racing, raiding and endurance they were, and still are, a huge source of culture and pride for Turkmen. Once threatened by extinction due to Rus-

A horse of mystique, the Akhal-Teke is both beautiful and talented.

Purebred Akhal-Teke Gulkana, proudly displaying her dressage winnings, was also bred in Canada, photo courtesy of ATAA.

sian rule (where they confiscated many horses after defeating the Turks) and lack of food after wartime, many AkhalTekes were released into the desert by their owners who did not want to see their treasured mounts – often considered as family – confiscated or used as a food source.

It was under Russian rule in 1881 that the Turk horse was renamed the AkhelTeke, combining the names of the Teke tribe and the Akhal oasis below the Kopet-Dag mountains. Sadly, the breed had dwindled to less than 1,300 horses. In an effort to bolster the breed and create a faster race horse capable of covering great distances, the AkhalTeke was crossed with Thoroughbred lines and a written studbook opened. It was quickly discovered that while crossbred Akhal-Tekes thrived in other environments, the desert was punishing to horses that were not pureblooded. In 1935, a gruelling 4,200 km endurance race across the desert from Ashkabad to Moscow was held and the purebred Akhal-Teke horses finished the race in much better condition than the part-breds. As a result, in 1936 the stud book was closed to any part-bred horses born after that year. In more efforts to maintain the breed’s purity, blood testing was necessary to register in the 1970s and as of 2014, DNA testing is required.

Akhal-Teke horses continuously adapt to their environment and work load in spectacular fashion. While the breed is still rare, with around 8,000 in the world today, they can now be found competing successfully in many sports worldwide. The Akhal-Teke stallion, Absent (pronounced Absinthe), won Olympic dressage gold medals in 1960 and 1968, and an Olympic dressage bronze medal in 1964. Originally brought to the United States by Phil and Margot Case in 1979, the AkhalTeke breed quickly started showing its versatility. Stallion Kandar, from the Case’s breeding program, won many high-level three-day eventing competitions throughout North America between 1996 and 2000 and was long listed for the Olympics.

The Akhal-Teke is being seen more frequently in dressage, jumping, eventing, and endurance.

Showing until age 19, Kandar was one of a few purebred Akhal-Teke horses to continue competing into his later years. Once a purebred horse shows significant ability, they are often retired for breeding. Photo courtesy of the ATAA.

With the convenience and safety of shipped semen and recipient mares (recipient mares must be purebred for the foal to be registered as purebred), the Akhal-Teke is being seen more frequently in dressage, jumping, eventing, and endurance where their ability to perform and quickly recover from strenuous work is serving them well. The breed’s versatility and alert demeanor has also won many trail riding fans.

Soudjie was bred and born in B.C., her dam Khiva was imported from Russia by breeder Sandra De Blois. Her sire is Ak Syrgym and her grandsire is MV Patrickhan who has the most endurance miles (over 10,000 miles) of any other Akhal-Teke in North America and, arguably, the world. In 2020 he was awarded the ATAA Horse of the Year and Endurance Horse of the Year awards. With outstanding parentage, Soudjie is a welcome addition to the broodmare band at Silver Hill AkhalTekes where Betsy Wandler and her family have dedicated themselves to the preservation of this amazing breed.

As one of the oldest and purest of breeds in the world today, Akhal-Teke horses have certainly proven their ability to endure, and to endear themselves to horse lovers around the world. AB

Akhal-Tekes are proud looking horses, with aristocratic, long, narrow heads that taper into large well-developed dry nostrils and distinctively thin lips.