Akhalteke horse: the oldest cultural breed

In ancient times, in Central Asia, when the Turkic peoples were forced to search for new and new territories to justify their life, a need arose for a new breed of horses that would surpass all others in speed, endurance, beauty and strength. During this period the cult of the horse was born. Since the ancient civilizations that faced the Iranian-speaking tribes had an advantage in all areas of the economy, except horse breeding, the proud Turks of their bred breed offered an exchange of horses for resources beneficial to both parties. Thus began the story of the great Akhal-Teke horse.

The Akhal-Teke horse is the supreme breed of horses that originated about 5,000 years ago on the territory of modern Turkmenistan. Akhalteke horse is the oldest breed, which influenced the formation of new types of horses - Arabic, English race, etc. In the course of its history, it did not have crosses with other horse breeds, as a result of which it is considered the reference supreme horse.

  • Appearance
  • Merits
  • disadvantages
  • Character
  • Special features

Appearance

Akhal-Teke horse is not large.In withers, its height is located within from 145 cm to 170 cm. Since the horse was originally "created" as a perfect synthesis of beauty and strength, endurance and speed, it does not have excess muscle mass and excess fat. That is why it may seem that her body is very dry. The head of a horse is fairly proportional, of medium size.

Akhaltekin’s ears are thin, slightly larger than the average size. Almond-shaped large eyes, high neck, long withers, deep and elegant chest, long body with powerful croup emphasize all the greatness, all the aristocracy of this breed.

The horse has dry, long and thin limbs, which in any way, at first glance, are not comparable with their strength. The skin is rather thin, the coat is not thick and silky. The mane and tail also have rare wool. Sometimes you can observe the lack of mane at all. It is very easy to recognize this breed by its proud appearance and characteristic shine of wool.

Most often the Akhal-Teke horse is found in golden-solo, golden-red, boule and raven color. Sometimes horses are found in isabella color. White and black spots are allowed on the head of the animal, as well as on the legs.

Merits

Akhal-Teke horse is one of the fastest in the world. It is still believed that its potential in development has no limits, for the horse is improving. Despite its small size, the horse’s power cannot be overlooked. The fragile-looking Akhal-Teke easily tolerates thirst, can travel great distances with virtually no water.

They are very frisky and are inferior in this only purebred riding, although in speed they can not be put on one level, since the Akhal-Teke horse has a tremendous advantage over other cultural breeds.

Perhaps this synthesis of beauty and power is the ideal to which the peoples of the world aspired. After all, the Turks did not even suspect that they had become the founders of something much larger than the “horse for work”. They created a universal, devoted friend with extraordinary possibilities.

disadvantages

It would seem, what could be wrong with an excellent representative of the most ancient breed ?! How can such a "creation" have flaws? The answer to these questions is simple: they are not. From a practical point of view, Akhal-Teke is ideal for any human need, as it can replace any other horse and do its work much better and better.

Although in the modern world there will be people who will find a very important, in their opinion, “lack” of this grace. Those will be athletes. The whole problem they posed is that this breed ripens much later than other horses. Under the word "ripen", they express the word "adapt" to the athletes. The key to this lies in the character of Akhal-Teke, which we will discuss below.

Character

Based on considerations of all the greatness of this breed, it is possible to say with confidence that the character completely coincides with its appearance. The Akhal-Teke horse is by no means a slave or subject. This is a proud, elegant breed, the dominant trait of character of which is kindness. First of all, the horse must feel the equality of relations with the person. Only friendly relations can be the key to reconciliation and successful coexistence with this cultural unit.

The process of building relationships can take a relatively long time, but it's worth it. If the horse feels that there is a friend next to it, a certain trust is formed, which is the main element of a successful relationship.

A characteristic feature that distinguishes Akhal-Teke from other horses is loyalty. If he trusts, gets used and adapts to the "master", he will be faithful to him until the end of his days. No one can ever lure him to his side.

Special features

One of the most important features of the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is its versatility.

The appearance of the horse completely coincides with its character. The physical capabilities of the horse are unique and have no analogues in other cultural breeds. Akhal-Teke are very energetic, agile and obedient.Their endurance is impeccable, and the speed has almost no equal. The main feature of this breed is its excellent ability to tolerate heat. One sip of water is enough for them to resume movement and make a new long way tens of kilometers.

Only the owner and friend can inspect the Akhal-Teke horse. Only with full confidence does a horse trust himself and his body to the owner. Only with total "subordination" of the horse to itself can one begin to leave.

Akhalteke - an elite horse who loves cleanliness. The first element of horse care is eating.It is important to note that this horse must always be fed and watered. Otherwise, trust in the owner may be lost. It is important to take into account the personality characteristics of each Akhal-Teke: depending on the type of food they may need in different vitamins. The diet of the horse should vary depending on the season, age, working conditions.

It is important to initially remember that a horse is a herbivore. In the diet you need to include cereals, but in a certain amount, a large amount of hay and grass. Vegetables are a key source of horse vitamins. To find out exactly how much the Akhal-Teke horse needs, you need to allocate one day without work, taking into account all the above factors, place a large amount of grass and hay, replace one-tenth of them with grains, and give the vegetables regularly enough.

It is also important not to forget about cleaning this proud horse. The best option would be wash Akhaltekintsa 1 time in 2 days. But you can wash the horse only in summer, all the rest of the time you need to carry out cleaning in order to avoid the disease of the animal. Cleaning should start on the left with the head, followed by the shoulders, withers, back and limbs.Only then it is desirable to switch to the other side.

Mandatory procedures are vaccinations and veterinary treatments for horses. The ideal care in this area will be inviting an experienced vet 3-4 times a year to inspect the horse.

The most ancient of pure breeds, the noblest of them all, the Akhal-Teke horse indisputably and rightfully deserves attention, love and respect of its owner. And only kindness, loyalty and loyalty can create a true friendship with this beautiful creature.