FAST FACTS
HeigHt: 14.3-16 hands
color: Black, smoky cream, bay, buckskin, perlino, cremello, chestnut, palomino, gray.
overall appearance: elegant and exuding grace, power and athleticism. head long and narrow; ears long, slim and set forward. neck is long, slim and set high out of the shoulder. Back is long, with a level topline. Withers are prominent. tail set is low.
registrY: akhal-teke association of america www.akhal-teke.org
Although less often seen in western disciplines, the breed is equally adept in the show pen as it is in an English saddle.
medal in dressage for the Soviet Union. With his rider Sergei Filatov, Absent went on to win medals in two more Olympic Games.
IN THE USA
The exotic Akhal-Teke did not find its way to the United States until 1979, when Phil and Margot Case of Shenendoah Farm in Virginia imported an Akhal-Teke stallion and mare they had purchased at a Moscow auction.
The Cases used the pair to start their American breeding program, and also created the Akhal-Teke Association of America. The purpose of the association was to establish, maintain and operate a non-profit organization composed of owners, breeders and friends of the Akhal-Teke. Its goal was to preserve and promote the breed in North America.
These many years later, the Akhal-Teke Association of America estimates that upwards of 300 living Akhal-Tekes are currently
registered in the U.S. The most popular use for these horses in North America is endurance.
In fact, Akhal-Tekes are making themselves known in endurance and limited-distance rides all over the world. They also compete in eventing, show jumping, dressage, western events, trail and polo.
Akhal-Tekes have a unique metallic sheen to their coats, the result of the structure of the breed’s hair, which bends light as it hits the horse’s coat, giving it a golden cast.
The astounding history and exotic good looks of the Akhal-Teke make it a breed worth exploring. Through the efforts of the AkhalTeke Association of America, the breed will continue to capture the attention of horse lovers throughout North America.