we have heard that one Teke stallion was given to China by Turkmen Bashi, but that he has no pure bred mares to breed.
Does anyone have any info or pictures of the Blood Sweating, Sacred Horses in China today?

1. Heather03/20/2007 08:56:56

An interesting article in "People's Daily" about the Teke craze in China can be read at http://english.people.com.cn/200208/05/eng20020805_100885.shtml. They claim that several were imported from former Soviet Union in 1952:

"A Chinese company that imports and exports breeding horses bought 10 purebred "blood-sweating" mares and one stallion in the same month.

China first introduced approximately 3,000 of the horses from central Asia over 2,100 years ago, aiming to improve national defense capabilities. And another 101 arrived from the former Soviet Union in 1952."

Just thought it was interesting.
Heather

2. Jessica03/20/2007 10:08:54

Thanks Heather, very interesting article indeed, it's so cool that the Tekes are re-entering China, they know how to appreciate the breed.

3. Heather03/21/2007 10:38:26

For any of you other science geeks... Black Synergy publishes pretty interesting, although scientifically complex articles and one is one the analysis of mitochondrial DNA of a horse that was unearthed in Kazakhstan from a 3rd Century BC royal Scythian tomb. I haven't read the article in full - you have to buy a subscription to read it online- but if anyone's interested, it's available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2005.01316.x