Originally from Asia, Akhal-Teke, divine horses bathed in gold
Originally from Asia and considered the most beautiful horse in the world, the Akhal-Teke is a descendant of the extinct Turkmen horses and with more than 3,000 years of history can be considered one of the oldest equine breeds.
Its name comes from “Akhal“, the name given to the oasis in the area of Kopet Dag and Kuren Dag, and “Teke”, the name of a Turkmen tribe that owned the best specimens.
It is popularly known as the “gold-plated horse” because of the iridescent golden coat that some of its varieties show, an effect produced by the special disposition of the proteins in its coat, which makes the sunlight reflect on the animal, giving the sensation that it is made of this precious metal.
Their origin is still a mystery, although it is believed that they come from horses brought by the Scythians, the first people to master the art of horsemanship.
The Akhal-Teke is a horse of medium height, around 1.45 meters for females and up to 1.60 meters for males.
Its general appearance is that of a slender horse with a thin, fleshy head, long, narrow ears set high and large, lively eyes.
Its long, slender neck, sometimes S-shaped, gives it a haughty bearing, with an elongated body, deep, oval chest and not very bulky but dense musculature.
They also have slender and strong limbs, characteristics that give them great strength and endurance. The tail and mane are sparse, sometimes sparse, and the fringe is almost absent.
The coats accepted in the Akhal-Teke are very diverse, being able to present any solid coat but never painted or appaloosas.
Individuals with dark coats do not have iridescence, although they do have a high gloss. The most common coats are golden buckskin, chestnut and chestnut copper.
The most desirable coats are albinos and cremellos, with silver and pearly reflections and especially the palominos, which create the effect of being bathed in gold.
