We spent an amazing weekend in Hungary at El Bronco Ranch. I will give a full story on my blog soon but I just had to put up pictures of this beautiful Golden Ahalteke horse.
I have seen pictures of golden horses but this is the first time I met one. This little gelding walked into the ranch on our last day there and I kindly asked the owner if we could go and visit him. He had been brought to the ranch for training with one of the ranch hands Robert, and I just had to stop and stare at this young beauty.
According to Wikipedia "the Akhal-Teke (/ˌækəlˈtɛk/ or /ˌækəlˈtɛki/; from Turkmen Ahalteke, [ahalˈteke]) is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem. The shiny coat of palominos and buckskins led to their nickname "Golden Horses".
The "Golden Horses" are mostly used for speed and endurance and are known for a distinctive metallic sheen. They are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest existing horse breeds. There are currently about 6,600 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan and Russia, although they are also found throughout Europe and North America. Akhal was the name of the line of oases along the north slope of the Kopet Dag mountains. It was inhabited by the Tekke tribe of Turkomans."
You could tell that this is a very alert horse with graceful movements. Tall limbs and I can just imagine the speed and endurance of a horse like this. Just can't wait to get to know this breed better someday. What a fantastic horse.
Looking at the shiny horse it is easy to understand that Akhal-Tekes are considered a national emblem. However, it is incredible that such elegance is adapted to sever climatic conditions!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the exact same thing Riitta.:)
DeleteWhat a beautiful horse!
ReplyDeleteMaarit L. :-)
Isn't it Maarit L.! You would have loved him.:)
Delete