Thanks to its centuries-old history, uniqueness, agility and inimitable beauty, the Ahal-teke horse is a valuable treasure not only of Turkmenistan, but of all human civilisation. This horse breed has been developed over thousands of years through folk selection in the Turkmen region. Turkmen equestrian art is a comprehensive school of dressage and horsemanship, incorporating unique techniques.
The spread of this art of horsemanship throughout the world and to this day is the result of the efforts of our ancestors to improve the characteristics of the breed, as well as to raise graceful horses that would be as obedient as people, devoted to their owners and famous for their speed. In our present epoch of prosperity, our horses, graceful in their walk and agile in their gallop, are the adornment of our festivities, the national pride of our people, and the flying wings.
Turkmen horses, bred in ancient times and brought to perfection by grooms, have had a positive influence on the improvement of many horse breeds in the world. They are distinguished by their beauty, agility and endurance, and the ancient origins of this breed are reflected in its inextricable connection with the history of our people. Our Hero-Arkadag notes this appropriately: «Information about fast horses is contained in the works of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, in the chronicles and works of ancient scientists and writers - Herodotus, Strabo, Aristotle, Homer, Ovid, Virgil, Xenophon and other famous scientists». And today, foreign scientists enthusiastically praise Turkmen purebred horses, which evoke admiration. Moreover, horse bones and other finds discovered as a result of archaeological research in Anev, Margush, Gonur-depe, Altyn-depe and various other parts of our country indicate that it was our homeland where horses were first domesticated and their breed improved.
In modern history, Ahal-teke horses have repeatedly taken part in multi-day races and rallies. The most famous trek with these horses took place in 1935 between Ashgabat and Moscow. This distance was covered in 84 days, and, in addition, the horsemen crossed the Garagum desert almost without stopping, completing it in three days. All the horses arrived safely in Moscow. The winner of this race was a horse named Tarlan.
Ahal-teke horses are the result of the labour of many generations of breeders and an invaluable legacy of ancient horse breeding. Arminius Vambery, who travelled through Central Asia in the XIX century, said: «These beautiful horses are worth all the wasted time. The horse is above all», he noted.
If Herodotus praised the golden colour of the horses in Nisa, then historians from the time of Isgender Zulqarnein compared horses in the territory of modern Turkmenistan to the «morning dawn». According to Russian horse breeder Vladimir Vitt, «Ahal-teke horses are a golden treasure of world equestrian culture, the legacy of purebred riding horses». Our ancestors passed this wonderful breed down from generation to generation, preserving all of its characteristic features.
The books «The Ahal-teke horse - our pride and glory», «A fast paced Horse», «The Ahal-teke horse - our pride and glory»), born from the precious wisdom of our Hero-Arkadag, are valuable guides in glorifying our heavenly horses to the whole world.
These books contain valuable information about the glorious history of our reed-eared horses, state-level care, the characteristics of Turkmen horses, and the role of Turkmen horses in maintaining the honour and dignity of our people. The art of horse riding and horse-care traditions of the Ahal-teke tribes are included in the UNESCO List of the Intangible cultural heritage of humanity as aWorld heritage site.
The year «Independent, Neutral Turkmenistan - homeland of purposeful winged horses», which marks the 35th anniversary of the independence of our country, opened another important page in the annals of era of the Revival of the new epoch of the powerful state. This slogan reflects commitment of our people to their rich national heritage and the main directions for the comprehensive development of our homeland in the new historical epoch.
