The Akhal-Teke

Image from http://www.akhaltekeranch.com/

In 1948, archeologists stumbled across the bodies of 3000-year-old horses, frozen in tombs in Siberia. These ancient equines eerily resembled the modern-day Akhal-Teke(ah-kul TEH-key). Because of this (and a ton of other things that I'm not going to get into), many people believe that the Akhal Teke predates the Arabian horse, making it the oldest breed in the world.
Origin
The Akhal Teke comes from the Akhal (or "pure") oasis in the Kopet Dag mountains in the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan where it is bred by the Teke tribesmen. Turkmenistan is located in between the Caspian Sea and Afghanistan.

History

The Akhal Teke has played a major part in history. Alexander the Great's army rode Tekes during his conquest in Persia. King Darius's calvary owned 30,000 Tekes ridden by highly skilled horsemen.

The ancient people of Turkmenistan were among the first to domesticate the horse, and traditionally bred the Teke for racing. When the horses were two years old, they would begin training. A common training practice (still used today) was bundling the horse up in heavy rugs and blankets, which let the Tekes to sweat off excess fat during the hot, desert days and stay warm in the freezing cold nights. Only the horses who finished well in races were allowed to breed. These tough little horses became famous throughout the ancient world for their speed. They became valuable trading items, and so Tekes ended up in China, Saudi Arabia, and North Africa.

The Chinese were especially fond of the breed. At one point, Emperor Wu Ti raided the kingdom of Dawan for their 'blood-sweating' Tekes (yes, that's right, blood-sweating. There's a place in Asia where the horses sweat blood by ingesting a parasite that breaks through their skin in late spring, causing a small amount of blood to flow).

In the 1700s, the British started extensively importing the Tekes or 'turks'. A common belief is that the Byerley Turk, one of the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred, was an Akhal Teke. Right now, debates between Arabian and Akhal Teke fans are taking place over which horse the Thoroughbred resembles most.

Unfortunately, the Akhal-Teke fell into obscurity after World War Two, as the world favored heavier, stronger warmbloods than the skinny desert horses. The breed gained a breif rise in popularity when a Teke stallion named Absent won a gold medal in dressage at the 1960 Olympics:

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Nevertheless, it became virtually unknown a few years later.

Today

When there were only 21 purebred Tekes left, breeders decided it was time to bring the breed back from the brink. Now there are over 3000 purebred Akhal Tekes all over the world, including 250 in the U.S. Many of the American Tekes are being used in a breeding program run by the Nez Perce Indians in an effort to 're-construct' the type of horse the tribe used in the 1800s. Akhal Tekes are always making a name for themselves in dressage and show-jumping competitions all over the globe.

Sources

• A Pocket Guide to Horses and Ponies, by Corinne Clark. Paragon Books, 2007.
• Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America, by Judith Dutson. Storey Publishing, 2005.
• The Ultimate Guide to Horse Breeds, by Andrea Fitzpatrick. Chartwell Books, 2008.
• The International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds,by Bonnie Hendricks. University of Oklahoma Press, 1995.