Herd of rare Akhel Teke Horses freely grazing on grasslands below snow capped mountains near Tashkent Uzbekistan
The graceful, intelligent, sensitive, fearless, and athletic Golden Horses of Central Asia were known and revered by the peoples of Asia for more than 5,000 years. Archeological excavations in Turkmenistan and in high elevation frozen graves in the Pazyryk kurgans uncovered remains of refined horses of Akhal-Teke type, buried with their noble masters at the time of the Scythians. Recent DNA studies confirm Akhal-Teke as the earliest domesticated breed of horses. While the horses were well known and desired by many, they were never plentiful and were always ferociously guarded. Over thousands of years, many rulers desired to posses these “argamaks”. Chinese emperor Wu-ti’s second army expedition to Ferghana captured and brought back to China a few horses,. The Emperor then started a huge breeding program, and eventually his army easily defeated their enemies who were riding smaller inferior Mongolian horse. Chinese Han empire was expanded, and the Chinese wall helped protect the territory. Alexander’s famous horse Bucephalos was an Akhal-Teke, and so was Ghengis Khan’s mount. After thousands of years of careful breeding and protection,the Akhal-Teke “Argamaks” gained for their masters well deserved fame on all continents of the Old World, the last century engulfed these famous “heavenly horses” and their owners in devastating political and economic upheaval. Turkmen lost their freedom, traditions, their way of life, and most tragically, they lost ownership of their beloved horses. A century of neglect under the Russian and later Soviet rule, when ordered slaughter instead of genetic preservation, severely reduced the gene pool. Heroic efforts of a few dedicated breeders preserved a genetic treasure which can now be found in not only Turkmenistan but also in selected breeders in some European America
Size: 5372px × 3548px
Location: near Tashkent,Uzbekistan,Asia
Photo credit: © NORMA JOSEPH / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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