Background
The Akhal-Tekes have been selected and raised since ancient times according to a traditional quality system worked out by the Turkmen tribes based on centuries of experience in breeding and training high performance horses.
One example of the breed that was raised and selected according to Turkmen quality system in modern time is the stallion Kazbek, born in 1930, named Arab by the Russians who sired Absent, born in 1952, winner of medals in three Olympic Games in the 60’s.
Horses like Arab and Absent are not bred by coincidence, they are the result of many generations of selection for certain traits. Eventhough selection is important to breed excellent horses, already the environment in the womb and the breeding and training of the young horse is equally important as the selection of the father and mother. This was a knowledge that the Turkmens had and the rearing and training of Akhal-Tekes followed a well proven quality system that fostered horses that was faster and more agile than any other Central Asian breed, and where sought after by skilled European breeders for their speed and stamina.
The present situation for the Akhal-Teke breed
A horse of excellent bloodlines can easily be destroyed by wrong feeding or even lack of food, bad care and bad horsemanship.
For the Akhal-Teke breed it is a unfortunately a common problem with horses being bred in Russia, where lack of food and proper care does not give the horses the opportunity to optimise growth and performance ability. The lack of a quality breeding program for the breed in Russia has also led to decline of the performance ability in Russia. This has led to the consequence that there are no Akhal-Tekes competing officially on higher levels in Russia today, compared to the 70’s when the breed was popular among professional riders in the former Soviet Union. The Akhal-Tekes of excellent type , bloodlines are performance ability that are bred in Russia today is the result of very few breeder skills and hard work rather than a scientifically based breeding program.
Excellent bloodlines can be destroyed by bad selection. In the west the Akhal-Teke is a new breed and many breeders that get fascinated by this ancient and noble breed want to breed these golden horses. There are very few sources of information on selection and breeding of Akhal-Tekes and therefore many new breeders make mistakes in the selection of bloodlines and combination of bloodlines.
Studying the pedigrees of many western bred and selected horses one can see that the combinations that have been made in most cases are not well considered and will not produce horses with type or horses that will inherit type or other typical traits of the breed.
This has led to a production of many Akhal-Tekes that lack type and traits typical for the breed. Eventhough the horses are sound and of correct conformation they do not represent the breed and many of them should not be used for breeding. In many breeds in the west today selection systems based on proven research are worked out as an aid to breeders in making their breeding decisions. The lack of such systems within the Akhal-Teke breed is causing problems for many new breeders as they have no objective assessment systems to rely on when purchasing breeding stock.
Today new and inexperienced breeders that in good faith get into the breed are victims to unscrupulous horse dealers that sell inferior horses as top breeding animals.
An inventory of the breeding stock in Europe shows that there are a few broodmares of very good lineage and even less stallions of breeding quality. Breeding quality here means pedigree, type, conformation, genetical soundness and proven breeding value.
This is probably an effect of the lack of tests of Akhal-Tekes in the European countries.
Today the western breeder or buyer cannot rely on any objective source for evaluation of type, conformation, temperament, performance ability, fertility or genetical soundness.
Market for pure bred Akhal-Tekes
The market for the Akhal-Teke breed is breeders and leasure riders.
The breed is not of interest for the professional riders until more individuals have proved themselves with official performance records in the European countries.
Performance records from Russia are not trusted by most professional and internationl riders and judges as they, many of them from personal experience, distrust the Russian system and know that many horses competing Russia are drugged.
The leasure riders are an important market for the Akhal-Teke breeders though, as they by training and showing Akhal-Tekes up to medium level can make the professional riders aware of the breed’s performance abilities.
In order to make the breed attractive to the leasure rider the horses bred for this market must have good temperament, health and soundness and good rideability.
Today there are no tests performed for traits like soundness, temperament or rideability for Akhal-Tekes which make it difficult for the leasure rider to evaluate the breed.
The KaraKum Akhal-Teke Stud Quality System, (KASQ)
Due to the lack of objective assessment of Akhal-Tekes world wide and as a service to buyers of Akhal-Tekes from KaraKum Akhal-Teke Stud we have worked out a quality system that is our support to reach our goal to breed excellent Akhal-Tekes that will be high quality breeding animals as well as life long companions to riders, a long term goal is also to create bloodlines that will produce sport horses for professional riders.
The quality system is divided into three parts;
- Selection – the selection of high quality breeding animals.
- Breeding – the care of the pregnant mares and young stock.
- Training - the training of the foals and young horses to become “user friendly”.
If you are interested in more information about our quality system please contact Jessica Eile Keith directly on
KaraKum Akhal-Teke Stud |