A coveted race
It would be wrong to think that the age of the Akhal Teke and, therefore, the imprint he has left on other races are only due to legends that the Russians have maintained and told and that we report in Europe without much hope ...
B. Langlois, Director of Research at INRA, published in 1986 a report called "The horse breeding in the Soviet Union." We will quote extensively from. His conclusions are based on various reliable scientific studies.
The breed is often described as the ancestor of the Arabian horse. The existence of a type of horse in the region located at the site of ancient Persia is attested by many writings. The most recent scientific studies seem to support the contention that there was a race that would be the common ancestor of many races and another between the Akhal Teke and Arabic.
P. VIGNERON (the horse in the Greco-Roman antiquity, memory 35, 1968) reports that the Chinese sources and Greco-Latin attributed to Iran horses: a large size and good speed. In addition, they are particularly suited to flat and open terrain.
In his book (Domestic animals of China 1969), H. Epstein said that the Chinese Chang Ch'ien, during a trip to the West Pamir between 138 and 126 BC met in Tahuyan in the Ferghana " heavenly horses with the edgy blood. " Tahuyan was on the border of the Hellenic world. The description relating these horses' sweat blood "would be due, according to B. LANGLOIS, in Parafiliari Multipapilosa which is a common parasite in these areas and that is just under the skin making beading blood and mixing with the sweat when the horse works in summer.
Examples of written are numerous, which quotes various places in the Ferghana region, or Anau Nisa (now Ashkhabad) and where there are traces of frescoes depicting horses very typical.
On gravestones clays found in China, listed horses with small heads, a broad front, well protruding eyes, a straight bevel, long, thin, open nostrils, dry ganache elongated, fine and arched neck, glistening body very well shaped, long and thin limbs, tail attached high, flexible and equipped with long bristles.
What about after reading the description given by a contemporary of Alexander the Great when he speaks of Bucephalus and its origin? "They raise a horse out of the ordinary, in the fertile regions of the East, so different that none can match. They are proud, quick and sharp. There are white, some in the colors of the rainbow and other resembling the color of the rising sun. " STRATON says that "Parthians" have the best horses in the world and described as the direct descendants of horses Nigean: typical in color, style and character.
The current location of the race thought to be due to a global problem and consequently a problem of food for horses. In the southern part of the Ferghana, which was the nomadic world Turk, the winter is mild and dry summer. Sedentary people have developed a more diversified agricultural economy as nomads. Hot deserts are to develop forms of pastoral economy without traveling to distant mountains, which resulted in the creation of original breeds. B. To LANGLOIS, Kamal sheep, as well as the Akhal Teke, is one.
Pastoral society of the Teke people located in the Karakum desert was organized around the stationary nomadism, with a concentration summer around water points. This settlement had led to a proliferation of water points and independent agricultural cells: hence the passage of a society organized around the family clan in a hierarchical society around a military aristocracy who had found a source of wealth " the slave raid "beyond Iran's borders.
recognized breeding principles:
The game of military setbacks that part of the population is pushed back towards the desert of Turkmenistan. She is developing a breeding method in which it must subject themselves if it is not to lose the horses.
Unlike cattle, the horse is an individual property. Therefore, each horse is followed rigorously. The food consists of local agricultural production consisted of alfalfa, barley, wheat, milk and sheep fat.
So the horse adapts slowly to the harsh climate and sees change its morphology. Its ends are longer, the shapes are refined to facilitate heat loss, the hair is short and silky, the sparse mane, he only very little water. Recall that the crossing of the Karakum desert is done in three days without water ...
Akhal Teke The name given to the race is a modern appellation that was not there originally. Contrary to what one might think, there is no horse so named. A tribe was called Teke. These nomads lived near the Akhal oasis called. Their Ak Sakhal (historians of the tribe with white beard) reported that they had the largest herd which most horses had golden highlights.
The Akhal Teke was a gathering of several tribes including that of Sakars that was more aggressive. They are differentiated by names such as White, Brown or Black. The tribe of whites, noblest and oldest, preferred not established a nomadic life, unlike other more organized.
Each tribe had its specific type of horse that differed from others. It is reported that the boldest and are faster horses belonged to the tribe of Sakar. Some of these horses, registered in the Premier Stud Book, have been identified because they bore the name of the tribe to which they belonged: Sakar Kitchik, Keshik Sakar.
The capabilities of these horses are quickly highlighted by this company which is militarized. Also livestock is framed by methods that could be described as "modern". The horses were trained very sporty way. The races were very numerous. Challenges were organized where the horse was doing 5-6 sprints of 250 to 500m per day. This sports training is the equivalent of the split to the human strangely found in today's world of endurance horse.
The horse moves easily on sand, the kidney is flexible, it is still nowadays in Russia record holder on race distances that were unknown to us until recently. Russia competitions are held over distances of 200 or 500 km. Incidentally, remember that these races are regularly won by Akhal Teke: POLOTLI holds the record for five years of successive victories over 500 km.
It is clear that all this can only confirm and explain what some have difficulty understanding and that is the message we try to convey: Akhal Teke has developed the natural abilities that make it suitable for all types equestrian activity. It may not be as for other breeds horses confined to a specialty. His skills both endurance than speed will be confirmed throughout the descriptive lines.
Questions about the influence on other races:
It developed around the Akhal Teke envy and jealousy that were proudly maintained by farmers. The various warlike peoples seeking both fast and durable horses there, these benefits were in the same horse.
From the seventeenth century, brought together under the common name "Horse Turkish or Arabic," all horses that were imported from the East. At the time, the Teke were not rare and it seems that livestock amounted to 100 000 head.
In the provinces annexed by the Turkish Empire, which at the time extended to Austria, there were many of these horses was called "Arabic Plains." They were none other than pure Akhal Teke or Half Bred. It is difficult to understand that in that time the Arab horse did not have a reputation for excellence that was against by the Turkish or Turkmen horse.
The Arabian horse:
According to many books, the appearance of this race would be located after the seventh century J.C. The earlier writings at this time do not speak of the horse. Until then, these warlike tribes moved on camels. It is reported that during the siege of Mecca in 630, there were only 2 horses. The writings of Professor AA. BRAUNER, taken in the first Stud Book, specify that it was only after the various conquests of the Arabs on Iran and part of Central Asia (or towards the eleventh century) that "these warriors come up on beautiful horses from the East. "
STRATON writings and those of Vegetius, recounting the various wars of the time, made no mention of Arab horses but spoke in detail of the horses bred in other countries of Central Asia.
The characteristics of the Arabs mounted horses were closer Teke as those that are found in the existing Arab horse.
One of the first to make a description is Thimoté of Gaza, in the seventh century, anatomical details and colors of the dresses are similar to the Akhal Teke.
The riders then spoke of SABSCHACH mare, golden mice, and the stallion palomino JET VAREL as having unknown coat colors then in Arabic but clean horses from Central Asia.
Turkmen warriors became mercenaries, breeders and trainers. In the ninth century, many of them working for the Khalif of Baghdad. They used their horses to guard the palace.
By the play of crossovers, it would have led to the Arab of Munighi type oriental horse long type undeniably marked by the Akhal Teke.
Akhal Teke Stallion FEROKHAN was behind the French and Polish Arabs lines.
Arab warriors brought back their conquests horses from Asia they had crossed with races located around the Caspian and current Syria: and they founded their breeding.
Gradually the Arabic types evolved in order to enroll in the preferences of the Bedouin who wanted a docile and friendly horse. The Akhal Teke was used in breeding and Arabic Munighi is the current result as through his paces by compliance.
The pride of the Bedouins wanted their horses are not from crosses and they claimed and that, to this day, the Arab appeared himself in the wilderness of NDSHED and claiming he is the first horse.
The English Thoroughbred:
The European courts have always expressed their great interest in the horse at the time was called Horse Turkish. The first use, which was done, of course, was for hunting; enhancing their ability to both endurance and sprinters. Also many of these horses were imported for use as enhancer of local breeds.
The editors of Premier Stud Book have counted, would that between the years 1904 and 1920, imports of 214 mares and 60 stallions.
Regularly since the seventeenth century, the English imported horses from the Trukménsitan: they numbered 700 at that time.
Many of these horses are easily identifiable by their names, their characteristics and the history of their import.
In Volume XIV of the General Stud Book, we note the presence of Merv standard which is the name of a Turkmen city. We should also mention, OLD BOLD PEG LISTER TURK, Acaster TURK, TURK and BELGRAD LEEDS ARABIAN as standards whose origins are Turkmen.
The Thoroughbred SECOND, born in 1732 down from Byerley Turk and FLYING CHILDERS, was the first great racehorse son of Darley Arabian.
The origins of Thoroughbred are well known. In the eighteenth century, 100 broodmares forming the "ROYAL MARES" were projections by 3 imported stallions were: Godolphin Arabian, Darley Arabian and Byerlay TURK. These last two were of Turkish origin and had called according to historians marked similarities with the Akhal Teke.
The main leaders of Thoroughbred bloodlines descended from these crosses:
) "BYERLEY TURK")
) "DARLEY ARABIAN")
) "GODOLPHIN ARABIANS")
It has been shown by Professor VITT historian race Thoroughbred, that Byerley Turk was Akhal Teke and Darley Arabian was a descendant Munighi Arabic as a Akhal Teke him. But there are other Turkmen stallions that have been important in the foundation of the Thoroughbred breed. This is Darcy Yellow Turk and Darcy White Turk. The latter was regarded as the finest English horse of the time. It is represented in the Manning Horse Book of 1882 and among his descendants found Helmsly Turk chevla the Duke of Buckingham.
B. LANGLOIS goes on to say "the very expressive and beautiful head, she is kind of straight, almond-shaped eye is salient. The neck is straight, even reversed, it is characterized by a thickness roughly constant from the base to the neck, it prevents strong and well bent at the head of too carry the wind. "I think we can find the origin of the swan necks of our Thoroughbred nineteenth century.
We also found traces of blood in the family Teke of Thoroughbred French WHIRLPOOL.
Other breeds:
The Germans found for their origins Akhal Teke in the Trakhener by the stallion TURKMAIN ATTI was in breeding Neustadt / Dosse in 1791. He was considered the best improver that Arabs and Thoroughbred stallions. Nowadays, it is impossible to find papers Trakhener with no traces of blood TURKMAIN ATTI.
) "TURKMEN ATTY")
Other standards used were DELIASDEHR, Persian, DJEIRAN.
The history of the latter is very significant, it was used as a standard for livestock Marbach where he was considered Arabian horse! Although it protrudes on all Arab mares and hippologues, HECK, SCHIELE FLADE and claimed that it is the horse that gave the exceptional qualities of the Arabs of MARBACH.
This horse is, moreover in many pedigrees of thoroughbred high Arabs in Europe. It was then sold to breeding NUSTADT / DOSSE where he continued to project the Trackhener and still being considered Arab.
Note finally in various European Stud Book we find names like TEHRAN, or BAGHDAD PERSIADE which suggests the Turkmen origin of these horses.
