KaraKum Stud Blog | A distinctive look

Monday 13th, March 2006

A distinctive look 03/13/2006 04:12 PM

The following is copied from the Arabian breed decription. "One of the most amazing things about the Arabian horse is that the breed has managed to remain pure and close to its original form for many centuries. While most other breeds have been lost or transformed, the Arabian horse of today looks very much like it did hundreds of years ago."

This is something to consider before we start to select for todays sport horse rider specifications, because we know what the Tekes looked like but we do not know what tomorrows equestrian fashion will be.

The best SportTekes can only be bred and trained in Europe by European breeders that understand how the sport horse is selected, bred and educated. If a subgroup of the Teke breed will develop that has the sought after traits for the professional sport horse riders it will not stay close to its original form, then the question is if it is necessary that they are bred pure? Crossing suitable (approved by European sport horse breeding standards) Teke mares to WB stallions will save 30 years of selection within the closed studbook and add the competetive sport horse qualities we do not have in the Teke breed such as height over the withers, cannon bone circumference, chest circumference, dressage gaits and jumping ability on international level. Some Tekes would be of interest for the sport horse breeders to as long as we can show records of health and soundness in the breed as well as proper performance records on international level or Tekes that are tested for their abilities at a young age by the European sport horse specialists. More Tekes than today will have to go to the standardised sport horse tests in the European countries, showing high quality Tekes in those tests is a way to gain recognition for this breed within the sport horse world. In order to perform at this shows the Tekes will have to be sound and healthy and correct, also be prepared by good trainers, this is quite an investment for the individual breeder.
It might be a good idea for MAAK and VNIIK, if they are really serious in their sport horse breeding program to set up a fund for sponsoring the training and showing of selected Tekes in Europe. The sport horse evaluation they will get there is valuable advise in the selection for the sport horse.

In our breeding program we have since we learned how Russian studbook experts evaluate our horses valued the type grading from the Russians but overall quality, soundness, correctness as well as workability and temperament evaualated by European sport horse specialists. We think this has resulted in a high overall quality in our horses as well as health and soundness.

More about this later.

Comments :

1. Leonid03/14/2006 04:50:12
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.ru

The main question is evalutation and lobbying of VNIIK of some breeding programs. I suppose we must excluse activity of VNIIK on this way. We must choice judges, wich have authority between us.
In same time, I am for being of different directions of breeding programs.

2. Jessica 03/14/2006 09:30:05

The breeding goals set up by the VNIIK must be transparent to the breeders as well as accepted by the market. The main purpose for breeding Tekes must be the love for the breed and its unique traits, of course there will be different breeding programs and goals but we must have a balance and the breed management and judges must be crystal clear on what horses are within the type range for the breed or not. Do we want to aim for international competetitions on FEI level at the same time as we work to improve and conservate an ancient breed? Having those two goals within the same breed that has a closed studbook and was created by nomads in the KaraKum desert thousands of years ago to me and probably to many within the international equestrian community lacks credability and seriousness.
Again, let the interational sport horse breeding goal be realised within the partbred section of the studbook instead. Otherwise the breed will loose in both ends, type as well as sport horse qualities.

3. Nathalie03/14/2006 12:11:36
Homepage: http://www.alamanstud.com

I'm totally agree with you Jessica !

4. Leonid03/14/2006 13:45:22
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.ru

Jessica, I can not understand why VNIIK develops breeding goals and programs for me. It is our job, and I don't want to divide her with Institute. This job we must ourself.

5. Jessica03/16/2006 11:04:25

Leonid. In every breed cultural breed with closed studbook or sporthorse breed with selection studbook there is a general breed standard that has to be followed in order to maintain and hopefully conserve and improve the breed traits. Every breeder contributes to maintaining the breed and breeds and selects for his breeding goals after a breeding plan. However, the work with the whole population of the breed is performed by the breed management, their job is to ideally, correctly handle and coordinate genetical questions to assure that they are harmonised with the interests and work of the breeders and the market needs. This work is called working out a breeding policy.
For cultural breeds that has the primary goal to be saved to the future the breed policy is different than for the sport horse breeds that are selected for certain sought after traits.
So when VNIIK arranges the so called world championship and gradings their work should be transparent and in cooperation with the breeders as well as with the market. While every breeder might have slighlty different goals, an easy exemple can be to breed only buckskin Tekes that are from the Arab line, the breed management for the whole population sets up long term goals for the breed not only for buckskin Arab line horses. A successful managment of the breed and its resources also includes marketing and education of breeders.

6. Leonid03/16/2006 11:34:45
Homepage: http://www.shael-teke.ru

Jessica, by points:
1. We can have only one breed standart - pure blood. Only pure blood is license for breeding. If we are going to change this postulate, we shell loose philosophy of perfection.
2. Institute (VNIIK) is owner of Studbook. Institute is undependent juristic person, and I can not control activity of him. So, I don't want to follow Institute rules. And ofcourse VNIIK can not prepare for me marketing plans. The Book must belong to us (MAAK). And only we must control every functions in this breed, becouse we can not be corumpt.

7. Ronald07/02/2006 17:54:05

I'm totally agree with you Jessica , aswell as with you Leonid , but I think that it will be a littel bit complex , we can breed sporthorses within the Akhal Teke breed but also we must not lose type , this breed was created by nomads thousands of years ago so late keep this breed as it is , we feld in love with this typ of horse , so if you wand to compeet oke but don't make something differend horse from this lovely breed , plaese buy a "sporthorse" there are so many lovely breeds to choose from, but late the Akhal Teke be a Akhal Teke.

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