The beginnings of horse breeding and use are lost in the mists of time. However, written sources tell us that 3,000 years ago, horse breeding, training, and military use (for pulling chariots) were already at a very high level. The cradle of equestrian culture was probably Asia Minor, as illustrated by the stone tablets of Kikkuli, the Hittite royal master groom, on horse feeding, husbandry, training and exercise, while contemporary works of art show the type of horse used at the time. We see a bred, noble horse that bears no resemblance to the primitive wild horse type. Its characteristics are a light, dry, noble head, a high-set, long neck, a long torso, and a relatively large size.
This type of horse survived in the region for centuries, regardless of the battles, victories, and defeats of the peoples, as all ethnic groups knew and recognized its value and coveted its possession. This is most likely how it came into the possession of the conquering Magyars. This is evidenced by mitochondrial DNA testing conducted by the Szeged Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. MtDNA samples from horse skeletons found in graves dating back to the time of the Hungarian conquest were compared with the mtDNA of modern horse breeds, and the comparison showed that the horses found in the graves are most closely related to the Akhal-Teke horses living today. We can also say that the Akhal-Teke horse breed is a direct descendant of our oldest native horse breed.
The Akhal-Teke is a true performance horse – it is characterised by extraordinary endurance, stamina, intelligence and fighting spirit. In the 20th century, individuals of this breed excelled in several equestrian sports. It was highly regarded in the former Soviet Union and was used in the development and breeding of many newer breeds. The breed's stud book is maintained by the VNIIK (All-Russian Horse Breeding Institute), and the stud book is closed, meaning that only horses whose ancestors are listed in the stud book are considered purebred Akhal-Tekes. VNIIK representatives register individuals born worldwide, license breeding stallions, and certify breeding animals.
It played a decisive role in the development of the English thoroughbred breed, but several Turkoman stallions were also used in German Trakehner breeding at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
The small number of individuals of this breed (3,500-4,000 worldwide, with approximately 1,900 registered broodmares) means that Akhal-Tekes cannot be used en masse for sporting events, but the breed is experiencing a renaissance, and more and more Akhal-Tekes can be seen at equestrian competitions around the world. In Hungary, trials with half-breed/high-breed individuals began in the 1990s, initially mainly in endurance riding, but after 813 Mustafa and then 3003 Karador, talented show jumpers were also born.
In Hungary, the breeding of "modern" Akhal-Tekes began in 1976, when three stallions, Birgut, Meleszakar and Musztafa, arrived from the former Soviet Union. At that time, they were brought in to reconstruct the so-called "Hungarian dun bloodline," but this program failed, and two of the stallions died relatively quickly. Mustafa lived until 1992, leaving behind numerous offspring. In the early 1990s, purebred stallions were imported privately, followed by mares in 1994, and breeding slowly began in Zalaszentlászló, Ópusztaszer, and Kecel.
The breeding association was founded in 2003 and became an officially recognized breed preservation organization in 2008. Since then, both the number of members and the number of horses have been growing year by year. Currently, there are around 100 purebred breeding animals in the care of the breeding association, but we also maintain a very high-quality half-blood/high-half-blood stock. We have always placed great emphasis on genetic diversity. Fortunately, the domestic population is in a very good position in this respect. Of the 17 stallion lines of the breed, 8-9 are generally available, but a total of 26 stallions with international breeding licenses are available to breeders. Breeding is currently taking place in several locations, with larger populations in Ópusztaszer, Mahóca, Földes, Jászszentlászló, Kecel, Bakonyszentkirály, Tata-Agostyán, Tök-Anyácsapuszta, Lendvadedes, Szentgál and Albertirsa, and 1-2 individuals in several other settlements.
In 2020, the breed was granted "endangered" status by the Ministry of Agriculture. During the process, the breed's 1,000-year presence in the Carpathian Basin was proven.
