The Akhal-Teke (/ˌækəlˈtɛk/ or /ˌækəlˈtɛki/; from Turkmen Ahalteke, [ahalˈteke]) is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem.[1] They are noted for their speed and for endurance on long marches. These "golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving horse breeds. There are currently about 3,500 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan and Russia, although they are also found throughout Europe, Australia, and North America.
Conformation of an Akhal -Teke
There
are several theories regarding the original ancestry of the Akhal-Teke,
some dating back thousands of years. The tribes of Turkmenistan
selectively bred the horses, recording their pedigrees orally and using
them for raiding. The breed was used in the losing fight against the
Russian Empire, and was subsumed into the Empire along with its country.
The Russians printed the first stud book for the breed in 1941,
including over 700 horses. Since then, the Akhal-Teke has influenced
many other breeds, including several Russian breeds. There has also been
some crossbreeding with the Thoroughbred to create a fast,
long-distance racehorse, but the resulting horses did not have the
endurance of the purebred Akhal-Teke. The studbook was closed in 1975.
Contents [hide]
1 Breed characteristics
2 History
2.1 Turkmenistan
3 Uses of the Akhal-Teke
4 Breeders
5 Genetic diseases
6 Others
7 Monuments
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Breed characteristics
The horse Yanardag of the first president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov on the arms of Turkmenistan
The
Akhal-Teke typically stands between 14.2 and 16 hands (58 and 64
inches, 147 and 163 cm). These horses are famous for those individuals
who have a golden buckskin or palomino color with a distinctive metallic
sheen. A number of other colors are recognized, however, including bay,
black, chestnut, palomino, cremello, perlino, and grey. The
Akhal-Teke's most notable and defining characteristic is the natural
metallic bloom of its coat.[2] This is especially seen in the palominos
and buckskins, as well as the lighter bays, although some horses
"shimmer" more than others. The color pattern is thought to have been
used as camouflage in the desert.[3] The cream gene that produces
buckskin and palomino is a dilution gene that also produces the
occasional cremello and perlino. Akhal-Tekes are not thought to carry
the dun gene or roan gene.
Perlino Akhal -Teke. Many members of this breed carry a gene for the cream dilution.
The
Akhal-Teke has a fine head with predominantly a straight or slightly
convex profile, and long ears. It can also have almond-shaped eyes.[4]
The mane and tail are usually sparse. The long back is lightly muscled,
and is coupled to a flat croup and long, upright neck. The Akhal-Teke
possess sloping shoulders and thin skin. These horses have strong,
tough, but fine limbs. They have a rather slim body and ribcage (like an
equine version of the greyhound), with a deep chest. The conformation
is typical of horses bred for endurance over distance. The Akhal-Tekes
are lively and alert, with a reputation for bonding to only one person.
The breed is tough and resilient, having adapted to the harshness of Turkmenistan lands, where horses must live without much food or water. This has also made the horses good for sport. The breed has great endurance, as shown in 1935 when a group of Turkmen riders rode the 2500 miles from Ashgabat to Moscow in 84 days, including a three-day crossing of 235 miles of desert without water. The Akhal-Teke is also known for its form and grace as a show jumper.
History
Akhal-Teke stallion Mele Koush, foaled 1909
The
ancestors of the breed may date back to animals living 3,000 years ago,
known by a number of names, but most often as the Nisean horse.[5] The
precise ancestry is difficult to trace, however, because prior to about
1600 AD, horse breeds in the modern sense did not exist; rather, horses
were identified by local strain or type.[6]
According to one theory
of origin, the Akhal-Teke were kept hidden by tribesmen in the area
where the breed first appeared, the Turkmenistan desert Kara Kum, which
is a rocky, flat desert surrounded by mountains. Others claim that the
horses are descendants of the mounts of Mongol raiders of the thirteenth
and fourteenth century.
The breed is very similar to, and possibly
the direct descendant of, the Turkoman horse, a breed believed to be
extinct, though a related strain may be bred today in Iran. Other breeds
or strains with Turkoman roots also include the Yomud, Goklan and the
Nokhorli.[7] Some historians believe that the two are different strains
of the same breed. It is a disputed "chicken or egg" question whether
the influential Arabian was either the ancestor of the breed or was
developed out of this breed. It is also possible that the so-called "hot
blooded" breeds, the Arabian, Turkoman, Akhal-Teke, and the Barb all
developed from a single "oriental horse" predecessor.
Tribesmen of
Turkmenistan first used the horses for raiding. They selectively bred
the horses, keeping records of the pedigrees via an oral tradition. The
horses were called "Argamaks" by the Russians, and were cherished by the
nomads.
In 1881, Turkmenistan became part of the Russian Empire. The
tribes fought with the tsar, eventually losing. The Russian general
Kuropatkin developed a fondness for horses he had seen while fighting
the tribesmen, founded a breeding farm after the war and renamed the
horses, "Akhal-Tekes", after the Teke Turkmen tribe that lived around
the Akhal oasis (near Geok Tepe). The Russians printed the first
studbook in 1941, which included 287 stallions and 468 mares.
The
Akhal-Teke has had influence on many breeds, possibly including the
Thoroughbred through the Byerly Turk (which may have been Akhal-Teke, an
Arabian, or a Turkoman Horse), one of the three foundation stallions of
the breed. Three other stallions, known as the "Lister Turk", the
"White Turk", and the "Yellow Turk" also contributed to the foundation
of the Thoroughbred breed.[8] The Trakehner has also been influenced by
the Akhal-Teke, most notably by the stallion, Turkmen-Atti, as have the
Russian breeds Don, Budyonny, Karabair, and Karabakh.
The breed
suffered greatly when the Soviet Union required horses to be slaughtered
for meat, even though local Turkmen refused to eat them.[9] At one
point only 1,250 horses remained and export from the Soviet Union was
banned. The government of Turkmenistan now uses the horses as diplomatic
presents as well as auctioning a few to raise money for improved horse
breeding programs. Stallions are not gelded in Central Asia.
In the
early twentieth century, crossbreeding between the Thoroughbred and the
Akhal-Teke took place, aiming to create a faster long-distance
racehorse.[10] The Anglo Akhal-Tekes were not so resilient however, as
their Akhal-Teke ancestors, and many died due to the harsh conditions of
Central Asia. After the 2,600 mile endurance race from Ashkabad to
Moscow in 1935, when the purebreds finished in much better condition
than the part-breds, the studbook management decided to consider all
crossbred horses born after 1936, as not purebred. Horses with English
Thoroughbred ancestors born prior to that date were allowed to remain
inside the studbook (e.g. 044 Tillyakush, grandson of Thoroughbred
Burlak or 831 Makh, granddaughter of Thoroughbred Blondelli, and
great-great-granddaughter of Thoroughbred Junak). Since 1973, all foals
must be blood typed to be accepted in the stud book in order to protect
the purity. A stallion not producing the right type of horse may be
removed. The stud book was closed in 1975.
Turkmenistan[edit source | editbeta]
Turkmenistan
has a separate agency - Turkmen Atlary[11] responsible for the breeding
of Akhal-Teke horses. There are horse racing group Galkinysh with its
unique equestrian program.[12] In Ashgabat built Ahalteke equestrian
complex,[13] one of the largest in Central Asia horse-breeding center.
Turkmenistan has established Akhal-Teke horse Holiday, celebrated on the
last Sunday in April.[14]
Uses of the Akhal-Teke
Dressage under saddle
Free jumping of Akhal-Teke Dirkhan - buckskin color
The
Akhal-Teke, due to its natural athleticism, can be a sport horse, good
at dressage, show jumping, eventing, racing, and endurance riding. A
noted example was the Akhal-Teke stallion, Absent, who won the Grand
Prix de Dressage at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, while being ridden
by Sergei Filatov. He went again with Filatov to win the bronze
individual medal in Tokyo in the 1964 Summer Olympics, and won the
Soviet team gold medal under Ivan Kalita at the 1968 Summer Olympics in
Mexico City.[15]
Breeders
Akhal-Teke horses are bred all over
the world. In addition to their motherland there are breeders in Russia,
Germany and other European countries. Following is a list of breeders:
Stavropol stud (Russia)
Shael stud (Russia)
Hofgut Hurzfurt stud (Germany)
Achal Tekkiner Gestüt Berolina (Germany)
Asman Stud (Germany)
Argamak stud (The Netherlands)
Alania stud (Slovakia)
Genetic diseases
There
are several genetic diseases of concern to Akhal-Teke breeders. The
genetic diversity of the breed is relatively low with an AVK of 30-50%,
which raises concerns for dealing with an increase in carriers of these
conditions, and even some risk of inbreeding depression.[16] To date,
there are no DNA tests for these conditions.
Naked Foal Syndrome or
Hairless Foal Syndrome is most likely an autosomal, lethal recessive
gene, though the exact inheritance pattern has not yet been verified. It
appears to be similar in clinical signs, though not identical to,
junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) found in the Belgian horse and
another condition of a similar nature identified in the American
Saddlebred.[17] The defect causes foals to be born without any hair
coat, mane or tail. In some cases, the front teeth are in at birth or
molars grow abnormally from normal jaws. Other symptoms include
persistent diarrhea, frequent digestive disorders, and laminitis-like,
treatment-resistant rotation of the coffin bones in the hooves. Due the
lack of normal skin protection, secondary symptoms include scaly, dry,
and inflamed skin, as well as severe cases of sunburn in summer, and
frequent pulmonary infections during winter. NFS is always fatal, most
foals die within weeks of birth, although some horses have survived up
to the age of two years. Early demise is usually caused by digestive
problems, whereas older horses need to be humanely euthanized because of
severe laminitis-induced pain. Cases were recorded within the
Akhal-Teke breed as early as 1938. In spite of the breed's limited
population, naked foals have been born in every country in which the
breed is represented, including the USA. Some 35 carriers have been
ascertained, including 943 Arslan, 736 Keymir, 2001 Mariula, or 1054
Gilkuyruk, but the estimated number of unknown cases is very likely much
higher, as several Russian and Turkmenian breeders have acknowledged
that many NFS foals are often just reported as stillborn or
aborted.[18][19][20]
Hereditary cryptorchidism is very common within
the Akhal-Teke breed and many cases exist where afflicted stallions can
be traced through multiple generations. The influential foundation sire,
2a Boinou, was a cryptorchid according to experts of the breed. Other
verified cryptorchids include 779 Peren, 1248 Orlan, 971 Khalif, and
Garayusup.[21] 1069 Kortik produced three cryptorchid sons. Unlike most
European and many North American breed organisations, neither Russia nor
Turkmenistan bar cryptorchids from breeding. Cryptorchidism is said to
be related to health and character problems, such as testicular cancer
and malignant behaviour. Affected horses cause significantly higher
costs when castrated.[22] However, due to the small gene pool,
cryptochid stallions are used.
Wobbler syndrome, seen in a number of
breeds, including the Thoroughbred, is thought to be on the increase in
the Akhal-Teke. Of particular concern is the form known as cervical
vertebral malformation (CVM), which may also be linked to
Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) to a certain extent. There is a genetic
component to Wobbler's, but factors such as breeding Akhal-Teke horses
for certain conformation in the neck and management of young stock for
forced growth and greater size may also play a role.[23]
The Akhal-Teke is one of several breeds that is prone to Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD)[24]
Others[edit source | editbeta]
Akhal-Teke
is presented in the official coat of arms and banknotes of
Turkmenistan, as well as on stamps of both the Turkmenistan and other
countries.
References
^ "Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the United Nations, Country Facts". Un.cti.depaul.edu. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
^ "Horse Color". Akhal-Teke Association of America. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
^ "The Akhalteke Horse of Turkmenistan". Embassy of Turkmenistan. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
^ Breed Standard, Akhal-Teke Association of America
^
"History of Akhal-Teke horse breed. Official website of International
Association of Akhal-Teke Breeding (MAAK)". Maakcenter.org. 2001-05-30.
Retrieved 2012-11-19.
^ "Akhalteke.info". Akhalteke.info. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
^ A Look at the Turkoman Horse in Iran
^ Summerhayes, RS, Horses and Ponies, Warne & Co, London & New York, 1948
^ Filipov, David (April 5, 1998). "A Long Way to Go.". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
^
Shimbo, Fara (1998). ""The Akhal-Teke under Soviet Rule." Friends of
the Turanian Horse". Turanianhorse.org. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
^ President of Turkmenistan criticizes work of "Turkmen Atlary"
^ Heavenly horses canter around ring
^ Президент Туркменистана посетил Ахалтекинский конный комплекс
^ Turkmenistan marks Akhal-Teke racehorse day
^ Olympic Games Medals, Results, Sports, Athletes|Médailles, Résultats, Sports et Athlètes des Jeux Olympiques
^
"Genetic Defects and Diseases Akhal-Teke: A Differentiated View".
Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
^ "Akhalteke.info". Akhalteke.info. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
^ "The Stavropol Sphinx", Akhal Teke Inform 2006
^
e.g. "10th Studbook, tome II, page 160": 2860 Mriya, naked foal (dead)
b.2000, by 1201 Kavkas, published in 2005 by VNIIK, Ryasan
^ "Hairless Foal Photos". Ultimatehorsesite.com. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
^
"Citation: Stallion Garaiusup, black, "Young World Champion 2002" , was
granted a Special Prize for the most expressed breed type, but the jury
had to move him to the 8th place because of unilateral cryptorchidism
and spavin.". Maakcenter.org. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
^ Smith Thomas, Heather (July 1, 2004). "Stallion or Gelding?". The Horse.
^ ""Wobbler Syndrome" Akhal-Teke: A Differentiated View". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
^ "Akhalteke.info". Akhalteke.info. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
^ Во славу ахалтекинского коня