Akhal-Teke Society of America

To Preserve, Promote and Protect

 

 

FAQ Page

If you have questions you don’t see answered here, contact the webmistress and we’ll try to answer.

About the Breed

How do you pronounce the name?

It’s usually pronounced Ak-Hal Tech-ay, or some variation, depending on the native language of the speaker. 

 

How big are Akhal-Tekes?

The average size is between 15 and 16 hands, with their weight averaging around 900-1000 lbs.

 

What are their gaits like?

Smooth as Silk.  They tend to have long, low, ground covering gaits that are easy to ride.

 

What colors do they come in?

Akhal-Tekes come in all colors.  Like most breeds, bay (or base bay) is probably the most common color.  However, the preponderance of the Creme gene in their DNA makeup dilutes the bay and produces a proportionately large percentage of buckskins.  The same with chestnuts - the Creme gene dilutes them to produce a large number of palominos.  And doubling up on the Creme gene, which is inevitable, produces many more perlinos and cremellos than occasionally crop up in other breeds.  So the Akhal-Tekes colors tend to be unique - just as they are!

What are their temperaments like?

They tend to be intelligent, sensible and  sensitive and they often bond with their human

partner to an amazing degree. 

 

How much do they cost?

Purebreds (at least in the United States) tend to start at about $5000, depending on age,

sex, training, pedigree and color.

 

Where did the Akhal-Teke originate?

The Akhal-Teke takes its name from the “Akhal” oasis, nestled in the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains (once part of the Persian Empire and now Turkmenistan) and “Teke” after the Turkmen tribe who inhabited the oasis.

 

Where is Turkmenistan?

Turkmenistan is a Central Asian country beside the Caspian Sea and is surrounded by Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

 

What other breeds have influenced the development of the AT? --

The Akhal-Teke is the most distinct strain of the ancient Turkmene horse and was named after the oasis (Akhal) where they were developed and the tribe (Teke) that began keeping oral breeding records.  There are records of Akhal-Teke like horses when the Arabian peoples were riding camels, well before they began breeding what are now known as Arabian horses.

 

What other breeds have they influenced?

Many Akhal-Tekes were used to develop the Thoroughbred and through the Thoroughbred

 they have influenced almost every light horse breed in the world. 

 

Why have I never heard of them before?

Turkmenistan was behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ for many years, and very little was known

about the horses before then.  The first Akhal-Tekes were brought into the United States in

 1979 by Phil and Margot Case and each year, more and more people become involved with them.

 

Do you have a question that we might answer?  If so, email the webmistress and we’ll try to answer it.