Akhal-Teke

The Akhal-Teke comes from the raiding horses of Turkmenistan, first described more than 3,000 years ago. Tall, fine-boned horse remains dating to 2400 BCE have been dug up in southern Turkmenistan, and the modern form of the breed goes back to roughly the eighth century, which makes it the purest living descendant of the ancient Scythian horse.

The name is two things at once. Akhal means pure, and it is also a remote oasis associated with the nomadic Teke tribe, who supply the other half.

Nomadic life set the requirements: a horse that could cover long distances fast and keep doing it. The Tekes bred for stamina and got a fiery temperament along with it, and the horses were wanted across the ancient world as war and racing mounts. Russia kept them in the royal stables.

Here is the part that is hard to believe and true. The Tekes maintained the bloodlines for thousands of years by oral tradition, with no written studbook.

They are slender, intelligent, sensitive, and the coat carries a metallic sheen no other breed has. Sensitive is the operative word for a buyer. This is not a beginner's horse.