- Appearance
- Color
- Character <
- Features <
- Why it is worth starting Akhaltekintsev
- How to choose a stallion
- Prevalence <
Akhal-Teke horse
This is not wild, and a cultural breed that was used for horseback riding.In fairness it should be noted that the Akhal-Teke breed has been used more than once to improve other varieties. look at how the representatives of the Akhal-Teke breed look, what character they have and why it is worth getting horses of this breed.
Appearance
Let’s start the description with the breed standard.
Akhal-Teke horses are tall horses, their height at the withers is on average 155 cm, but not the growth of the Akhal-Teke horse, but the volume of its chest is more impressive. It averages 180 cm. Sometimes individuals with a chest volume of almost 200 cm are sometimes found. The length of the body is slightly different from the height at the withers and varies from 150 to 160 cm. Accordingly, the horse has a square body format. But such proportions do not make the appearance of Akhaltekeโs angular. One day you should look at the representative of the Akhal-Teke breed to recognize these horses among other breeds.
Letโs see what makes the horses of the Akhal-Teke breed so recognizable.
- The Akhal-Teke horses have a very elegant head, on which expressive eyes are located. The profile of the horse is straight. The head ends with wide nostrils, which do not spoil the aristocratic profile at all. Small ears are set high on the head. They fit harmoniously into the image. It is worth noting that the ears of the Akhal-Teke horses are unusually mobile. The long neck to match the head is graceful and thin enough.
- Muscles are well developed on straight legs. At the same time, long legs look, like a head, gracefully. The leg ends with a miniature, but solid hoof. Despite the graceful appearance, the horse is able to walk more than 200 km per day.
- The muscles are well developed on the long back, the back of the body is slightly sloping, the tail is set quite low. Akhal-Teke horse cannot boast a magnificent tail. But it is worth noting that the hair of representatives of this breed is thin and soft.
- The chest of the Akhalteke horse breed is not wide, the stomach is tightened, the ribs are straight.
This is a general description of the representatives breed. But inside the breed there is a division into 3 types. The first type includes tall Akhal-Teke residents, who are characterized by long and graceful lines. This type is most often found in nature. The second type includes Akhal-Tekeans of medium height. Their lines are less elegant as, however, are less long.The latter type is low and stocky horses. Accordingly, they are the least popular.
Color
Akhal-Teke have a wide variety of colors. There are even representatives of the Isabella suit.
The soft and pleasant to the touch coat of the Akhal-Teke mare can be painted gold with a touch of red. There are also golden-salt and golden-bay horses. A bulan and black coat is no less common, a gray color is found.
But the Akhal-Teke horse of the Isabella color is quite rare. The coat has a cream color, which is why it is sometimes said not the Isabella, but the cream Akhal-Teke horse. In the photo, she looks like a mythical animal that came from a fairy-tale world. The Akhal-Teke horse of the Isabella color has pink skin, which is enlightened through light wool shimmering in the sun. Purebred representatives of this suit have green or blue eyes.
Isabella representatives can cost millions of dollars. But even for those who can afford to spend such an amount, it is not so easy to buy them because of their small size.
Character
This Turkmen horse is unusually hardy. Maybe such endurance is inherent in the genotype, but maybe it was formed in the process of life. The Akhal-Teke horse has long been involved in horse racing. At the same time, he overcame equally well both short and long distances.Today, the Akhal-Teke breed of horses is used mainly for riding.
The Akhal-Teke horse is very difficult to tolerate a change of rider. Having studied the history of the origin of this breed, this fact can be easily explained. Turkmen tribes, as you know, lived on the edge of the desert. Accordingly, animal feed was difficult to obtain. In this regard, one family started no more than 2 stallions. But for the sake of justice, it is worth noting that in almost all families only one foal lived. Accordingly, from early childhood he was spoiled by the love and attention of the owners, was considered almost a member of the family. Of course, no one gave his horse into the wrong hands. From time immemorial, an animal has been accustomed to belong to only one person.
On the neck of a Turkmen Akhal-Teke horse it was often possible to find jewelry that were made using semiprecious stones. The tradition of decorating the horseโs neck with similar accessories has been preserved today. They do this so that outsiders do not jinx the horse.
It is also worth considering that the character of the Akhal-Teke horse is rather capricious. But these vagaries are due to the history of origin. Akhal-Teke requires attention. If the owner does not spend enough time with the horse, communicate with him, then it will be almost impossible to reach mutual understanding. And in the absence of mutual understanding, you should not rely on the fact that the animal will be obedient.This is the reason why, before you get a pet (and the price of the Akhal-Teke horse is quite high), you need to think about whether it is possible to carry out such care for the animal. It should be taken into account that the horse does not tolerate long separation from the owner.
But if you manage to make friends with the Akhal-Teke stallion, he will become a faithful friend for life. He will never harm the owner and his family members. But just a friend, not a ward. It is impossible to dominate this animal.
Features
In leaving, the Akhal-Teke horse is unpretentious. Due to the presence of fat, it does not need to be fed too often. In addition, the animal does not need large portions. But it is advisable to give high-calorie feed to Akhal-Teke horse. It was them who were given to their pets by the Turkmens.
During training, it should be taken into account that the Akhal-Teke is a purebred breed. Accordingly, when communicating with a horse, one does not need to show aggression. We must become his friend and colleague, convince the horse that you are doing a common thing. For such works, he will reward excellent results in sports.
Akhal-Teke resident is resistant to stress, because the ancestors of purebred horses were forced to live not in the best climatic conditions. They were forced to endure both high and low temperatures. Today, the Akhal-Teke can tolerate both 30-degree heat and severe frost (up to -50 ยฐ C).Not every horse can survive at such a temperature.
Outwardly, the Akhal-Teke, especially from the Isabella suit, looks elegant. When looking at a horse it is difficult to believe that it is a hardy and strong animal. The horseโs graceful movements are also confusing. But such grace most likely arose due to the fact that the horses were forced to walk on quicksand.
Why it is worth getting Akhaltekintsev
Any animal has a specific purpose. Some horses are brought up, so that they work in the field, some horses are excellent horsemen, and some horses can be considered as athletes. Akhal-Teke has great potential as an athlete. The horse is able to successfully perform at the races, while showing amazing results. Endurance enables horses of this breed to compete for prizes over long distances. At the same time, horses quickly recover after competitions. In Russia there are several racecourses where you can admire the sports achievements of the Akhal-Teke horses.
Horse racing is not the only type of competition where representatives of the oldest breed can show themselves. Due to the fact that they are very amenable to training, Akhal-Teke residents take part in dressage and eventing. These disciplines require the horse to make beautiful paces, pirouettes, passages, etc. But training representatives of this breed is not an easy task. Mentor must have considerable patience and truly love horses.Akhal-Teke does not like monotony and will not unconditionally obey, therefore, the training process needs to be carefully thought out. But if a common language with the horse is found, then he will be ready to do anything to get the desired reward.
How to choose a stallion
The price of horses of the Akhalteke breed depends on several factors. First of all, it is the purity of the breed. Non-purebred horses not only have flaws in appearance, but are also less hardy. Also, the purity of the breed affects the manner of walking – if you need a horse to participate in competitions, it is better not to save when buying.
Also, the color of the foal is affected by its color. A horse, for example, of a bulan color will cost less than an isabella horse. The sex of the stallion and the pedigree of the parents are two other factors that influence pricing. Do not exaggerate the significance of the pedigree. Descendants of famous horses do not always win awards. It is worth paying attention to the presence of inherited diseases in horses. You also need to look at the appearance, the length of the lines and the height of the horses that participated in the crossbreeding. The foalโs appearance largely depends on the genotype of the parents.
The cost of a thoroughbred stallion with good genetics can exceed $ 10,000. For half-breed will have to pay 4 times less. You can save if you buy a stallion over the Internet by reading bulletin boards. But such a purchase is very risky. It will not be possible to check the pedigree, assess the state of health of the animal. The only opportunity is to look at the photo of the Akhal-Teke horse.
It is best to go shopping for a kennel. They make sure that only healthy individuals who have no predisposition to genetic diseases are allowed to cross. For example, if parents have problems with the joints, this will certainly manifest itself in some generation. Such a horse will not achieve high results in sports.
Prevalence
In Russia, Akhalteke horses are quite common.On the territory of Russia there is a nursery where breeding horses of this breed are engaged. However, they are engaged in breeding Akhaltekintsev not only in Russia.
Scientists note that this breed has become almost the ancestor of all horse breeds. And this statement is not false.
How many horses of this breed are in the world today? If we talk about statistics, the Akhal-Teke population consists of 3000 goals. As for the suit, bay horses are most often found. Of the total, they make up as much as 40%. The horses of the Bulan suit account for 20%. The next most popular is the black suit (12%). 11 and 8% are red and gray. 5% of the representatives with the solo color are found, and only 2.5% are horses of the Isabella color.
In Turkmenistan, where this breed is highly revered, a beauty contest is held among the Akhal-Teke horses. In parallel, they began to hold competitions where they determine not only the best horses, but also the best artists, sculptors and photographers depicting horses of the oldest breed.
