KaraKum Stud Blog | Is it possible to breed typical Akhal-Tekes outside Turkmenistan?

Thursday 27th, October 2005

Is it possible to breed typical Akhal-Tekes outside Turkmenistan?10/27/2005 03:56 PM

The Swedish hippologist, C.G. Wrangel, claimed that it is not possible to breed cultural breeds successfully outside their original habitat. Once a horse breed is moved outside its original homeland it will loose certain traits that are typical. If Wrangel is right the Akhal-Tekes outside Turkmenistan would look different than the modernTurkmen ATs. My impression of the Turkmen ATs is that they are very distinguished in type, long tubular body, long straight legs, tall and athletic but still elegant and noble.

The western AT, I would say, have a tendency to have shorter legs, more massive, almost stocky body and often shorter and thicker neck.
The question is if these, I am aware of that I am generalising, differences is mostly due to the selection of genes or the environment.
And the important question is, how much deviations from the original type can we accept within the breed?

I have received comments about our stallion Osman that he was of the exotic type, for me he was Akhal-Teke type.
And more than once lately newcomers to the breed that have been looking for ATs to buy have told me that they only are interested in ATs that look like ATs.

People want the AT to be dressage horses, show jumpers, endurance horses, rare, unique.....but I wonder how many that would like them to be "only" Akhal-Tekes?

Comments :

1. Leonid10/28/2005 04:38:41
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.ru

It is not question of original habitat. It is next:
1. Style of breeder. Ofcourse everybody choices such breed material wich conforms to his mine.
2. Style of trenning. There are one general kind of sport - races in Caucasia and Turcmenia. So, horses are super dry, thin and athletic. In Europe have not races, horses has more classic trenning, favouring to increasing of massiveness.
3. Style of meals. It is not secret, there are abstemious diet in Turcmenia.
4. Style of marcet.

2. maria11/01/2005 15:43:56

Lenia, u nekotorykh Akhal-Tekintsev takoi apetit, chto spasu net. Chistoe obzhorstvo i nikakoi konditsii.

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