Akhal-Teke
independent, people-oriented, extremely enduring
Origin
Turkmenistan
Withers height
152–165 cm
EnduranceDressageLeisureShow
Traits & strengths
- ✦metallic shimmering coat from a unique hair structure — found in no other breed
- ✦exceptional tolerance of heat and drought
- ✦legendary endurance record (Ashgabat–Moscow 1935, some 4,300 km)
- ✦close, almost dog-like bond with one person
Breed-typical predispositions
Naked Foal Syndrome (NFS)
Disease →recessive (ST14) — homozygous foals are born without hair and do not survive; carriers are healthy, carrier test before mating
Thin skin and low fat cover
characteristic of the breed — greater need for protection in wet and cold, not a disease
Latest findings
Cause of Naked Foal Syndrome (ST14)
2014A variant in the ST14 gene was identified as causal; carriers can now be reliably detected and risk matings avoided.
Source · Bauer et al. — ST14 variant in Akhal-Teke
Hair structure and coat sheen
ongoingThe metallic sheen results from an unusually narrow hair shaft with reduced medulla that bundles light instead of scattering it — a purely optical trait with no health implications.
Source · Akhal-Teke coat structure research