The Akhal-Teke Horses–the Golden Heritage of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a country with a centuries-old history, ancient traditions and heritage. It is a treasure trove of cultural wealth. One of them is the breeding of Akhal-Teke horses, which dates back thousands of years. The cult of the horse is considered one of the most ancient art. The image of a horse in the minds of many Eastern peoples was considered a heavenly deity, associated primarily with the sun, the God of light and warmth. The Parthians worshiped it, and the ancient Turks endowed it with the gift of speech and flight.
The Akhal-Teke horses are characterized by their large size, intelligence, agility, strength and shiny coat. They are hardy and can manage without food and water for long stretches of time.
Preserved as a status symbol among the Turkmen people, the Akhal-Teke horse embodies a deep and enduring love and respect for horses that continues to be a part of their cultural identity, even after two centuries of living in established communities. Traditionally, the Akhal-Teke horses have lived a long life and often accompanied their master on his last journey. To raise such dedicated horses, careful stable maintenance and care are necessary.
The Akhal-Teke horses amaze everyone with their greatness and noble beauty. Graceful, thin-legged and beautiful Akhal-Teke horses look like statuettes. They have very thin skin and shiny fur with a silver or gold sheen. Horse breeders describe the Akhal-Teke horses as strong, agile, temperamental, curious and efficient creature. Indeed, this horse commands respect for its intelligence, endurance and speed, demonstrating with every fiber of its soul to its owner that it should be treated with honor and dignity. The Turkmens, for their part, have long mastered the art of taming the proud temper of the Akhal-Teke horse.
The incredible endurance of this desert horse breed was demonstrated at a horse race from Ashgabat to Moscow in 1935 in which 17 riders from Turkmenistan covered more than 4,000 kilometers in just 84 days. For more than 300 kilometers of the race, they passed through the Karakum Desert without stopping at any oases. Exactly 10 years later, Marshal of Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov took part in the Victory Parade on Moscow’s Red Square, riding a majestic Akhal-Teke Turkmen horse.
The Akhal-Teke horse breed is famous for its beauty and endurance, which also reflects the inner connection between humans and nature. An entire culture of breeding was shaped around this horse, as artisans and communities committed to enhance its important significance. Starting from this solid symbolism behind the Akhal-Teke breeding tradition, horse decoration became a loyal portrayal of identity and a powerful representation of the harmony between craftsmanship and culture.
In the 20th century, the Akhal-Teke horses from Turkmenistan began to participate in international equestrian exhibitions in Europe and Russia, evoking special admiration from the jury. According to an oft-told story, in the 1960s Nikita Khrushchev gifted to Queen Elizabeth II an Akhal-Teke horse. The Queen’s chief equerry thought that the horse had been painted with gold, and he ordered it to be washed. One can imagine his surprise when after bathing, the stallion shone with renewed vigor!
Turkmen Akhal-Teke horses began to increase in popularity around the world only after Turkmenistan gained its independence in 1991. Today, it is one of the rarest and most highly prized breeds in the world. Considered a cultural treasure, its image has even been placed on Turkmenistan’s national emblem as a symbol of freedom. When visiting Turkmenistan, you can visit the stables near Ashgabat to take horse riding lessons and admire these luxurious animals. Or, consider participating in the National Day of the Turkmen Horse celebrated every year on the last Sunday of April with fairs, exhibitions, beauty contests for the horses and, of course, speed races.
Moreover, on October 11-12, 2024, the President of the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO, Amb. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, made an official trip to Turkmenistan to present the UNESCO Certificate confirming the inclusion of the “ART OF AKHAL-TEKE HORSE BREEDING AND TRADITIONS OF HORSE DECORATION” in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind to the high-ranking authorities of the country and the city of Arkadag.
Today, the gene pool of Turkmen Akhal-Teke horses is being cultivated and carefully preserved for future generations of the Turkmen people, who will hopefully inherit the love for this proud and competent steed.
Batyr ESENOV,
IV year student of the Faculty of International Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.