The Dazzling World of the Akhal-Teke Horse: Golden Majesty in Motion.

Oct 21, 2023 09:13 am

Due to their spectacular coat and slimmer morphology, the Akhal-teke are considered the most beautiful breed of horse that exists.

“There is another horse that leaves as unforgettable an impression as poor Akhal-teke: agile, light and vigorous, it shines with gold in the horse’s rays, with its smooth sliding trot and a great lipped gallop. .” These words, written by breeder Alexader Klimuk, say it all.The Akhal-teke is a breed of Turkme horse that has a reputation for speed, bravery, intelligence and a very distinctive metallic coat: the latter gives the breed the name “Golden Horses”.. Golde, in this case , doesn’t mean it’s sensitive. Considered one of the oldest horse breeds in existence, these Animals are adapted to severe climatic conditions. There are currently around 6,600 Akhal-tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan, but also sold throughout Europe and North America.

Tribal people in what is now Turkmenistan first used the Akhal-teke primarily for raiding. For them, these horses were crucial for both income and survival, making them their most prized possession. They bred their horses selectively and kept records of pedigrees through oral tradition.

The horses were mapped and trained in very specific ways, including digging by covering the stallions from head to tail with up to seven layers of felt, which kept their coats short and shaggy. Before the raids, they would be given a meager diet to prepare them for a long journey through the desert with little water and barely any food available. In this way, the breed remained astonishingly beautiful and extremely euphoric.

An Akhal-teke showed in St Petersburg. Image credit: Catherine Todd

The Russians called these ‘Argamaks’ (divias or sacred horses), and in Chia they were known as ‘heavy horses’.

Two Chia emperors undertook two expeditions to acquire a breed highly valued for its speed and endurance in the desert and loyalty to its owners.

And they were right. Finally, access to Akhal-teke boosted the success of future Chia campaigns against their Omadic neighbors.

Of the different color varieties of Akhal-teke, those with thinned coats of cream, palomio, or bay-cream usually display a metallic hue, giving them the appearance of having golden body hair. The same thing happens with white horses, gray hares or perliñas, only the silk is made of silver hair.

This curious effect is due to the protection of the horse’s coat that emits this metallic iridescence when light falls on them. And although dark-colored Akhal-teke horses do not show the same effect, they have a very shiny coat. Even so, the most valued and desired coats are those of albinos and cremellas, which have silvery and pearly metallic reflections.

While palomios, which are given an incredible golden effect by ‘gee cream’, are generally considered the most stunning of this breed, we must say that we find them just as striking. , whether gold, silver or pearl.