Breed history
The Akhal-Teke takes its name from the Téké tribe, raising it for more than 30,000 years, and from the Akhal oasis where the best breeders were located.
Originally from Turkmenistan, the Akhal-Teke has a rich history dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. Remains of the ancestors of the Akhal-Teke have also been found in the tombs of ancient peoples. Nomads, the Scythians, were then reputed to have the best horses.
Exported throughout Asia during antiquity, the Akhal-Teke brought its blood to the Arabian Thoroughbred and contributed to creating other well-known breeds such as the English Thoroughbred and the Trakehner.
Highly developed by the USSR, the breed was then subject to massive slaughter to benefit the development of Soviet agriculture. The herd thus fell from around 20,000 horses at the end of the 19th century to only 300 in the middle of the 20th century. However, thanks to a few breed lovers, the Akhal-Teke is saved.
