Akhaltekinskaia Horse

one of oldest saddle breeds developed by native breeding in the regions of present-day Turkmenia. It has influenced many breeds, among them the Arabian and the Thoroughbred saddle horse. It is well adapted to a hot dry climate but acclimates poorly under other conditions. These horses are renowned for their graceful and elegant form and their elastic, beautiful movements. The colors are bay, gray, dun, black, light bay, dark bay, and brown with a golden cast. The measurements of stallions are height at withers, 154–157 cm; oblique line across body, 154–158 cm; circumference of chest, 167–173 cm; and circumference of shank, 18–19 cm. The speed records in flat races are 1 minute 7 seconds for two-year-olds over a distance of 1,000 m and 2 minutes 15.6 seconds for three-year-olds over a distance of 2,000 m. For older horses the records are 3 minutes 42.8 seconds for 3,200 m and 4 minutes 45.8 seconds for 4,000 m. In the breed the lines derived basically from the famous racer Boy-Now are being developed. The Akhaltekinskaia horse is bred in the Turkmen SSR, Kazakh SSR, and RSFSR. The best breeding farms are the Makhtumkuli Ashkhabad Stud Farm in the Turkmen SSR, the Lugovoe Farm in the Kazakh SSR, and the Terek Farm in Stavropol’ Krai.