First we need to talk a bit about the semantics of the word "type".

It is so often mentioned among Akhal Teke breeders that few even wonder whether people talk about the very same thing when they use it. Indeed, it is extremely likely that some people mean something quite different from what others mean. Semantics are at the background of this, the word itself expresses several different meanings all in one.

What the majority of modern AT breeders mean, when they say "type" is a basic, ideal norm of the Akhal Teke horse, like the basic distinction between e.g. an Akhal Teke or a Friesian or a Criollo. Or, what makes a horse the epitome of the breed itself. This is also along what the breed and the conformation of individual horses gets graded to by the studmanagement.

However, some people mean with "type" type as in a specific "variety" or "kind" of Akhal Teke. By this they refer to the fact that the original gene pool which made up the foundation of the modern Akhal Teke breed consisted of a quite large amount of types or strains of Turkoman horses of different origins and conformations. Lately some breeders have tried to group these different strains into the early Russian descriptions of "massive", "medium" and "light" conformations. This however is faulty, even among the massive Turkoman horses there were such diverse types as Arab, Kir Sakar and Dor Bairam, each of a distinctly different conformation variety.

Lastly, there is an ongoing discussion of "old type" vs. "modern type" and also of "warhorse type" vs. "racehorse type" vs. "warmblood type" vs. "sporthorse type". The solution of the semantic riddle here is that "old type" and "warhorse type" mean a conformation which existed and was bred for prior to 1900, in quite many diverse varieties. The other descriptions refer to modern strains of the breed.

As we remember from the section about breeding selection, the first kind of type, the one referring to the "ideal Akhal Teke" actually is a modern, Russian invention. There never was any sort of ideal type for the original nomads; and the Turkoman breeds, even only among the Teke tribes, were so diverse in conformational variety that any such idea would have been not just ludicrous, it also would have been quite impossible. Thus, this modern definition of what an ideal Akhal Teke looks like is an artifcial one which has nothing to do with the breed itself. Boinou and the descendants most looking like him were - artificially - chosen as being the preferred epitome of the breed and the goal for breeders to breed for.

Indeed, the many strains and substrains evident among early Teke are nothing else but representatives of the various Turkoman breeds which made up the original breeding stock of the Akhal Teke. This however means, that breeding for one specific ideal type is the formation of a new breed. At the same time the culling of horses not up to that ideal does not mean the culling of defective or less well-bred horses, it means the culling of whole breed strains. Given the knowledge that Boinou, that socalled ideal Akhal Teke, cannot even be assigned to the Akhal Teke tribe with appropriate certainty (he originated from a different Turkoman nomad tribe), it is impossible to say that what we have today is actually a representative of the famous warhorse of the Teke and Akhal Teke nomads. Indeed, the real Teke warhorse might have looked quite differently, e.g. more like Tshopar Kel or one of the already long lost strains which died out directly after 1900.

Apart from basic, sound conformational knowledge and apart from the by now regularly enough surfacing early onsetting structural problems of horses of the extreme modern ideal type, there are quite many hands-on reports, descriptions and even some photos from the times prior to 1900 which support the above explained take. By now it is time for aficionados of the breed to at least thoroughly realize that it is and has been bred now for more than a hundred years to what must be called a show ideal. Show ideals are however rarely any sign of excellence regarding working horse qualities and the lack of conformational soundness and actual successes ought to serve as an eyeopener.

To excellence or not to excellence...

Along with the realization that "type" means a mere showbreeding ideal, goes a reflection of the current sales spiel among showhorse breeders, though we also need to look closer at older marketing strategies which have influence on the way we look at Akhal Teke conformations.

Few people, and this even goes for many recent CIS breeders, try to reflect and research the background of the modern Akhal Teke breed. Indeed, already the name, Akhal Teke or in Russian Akhaltekinze, is a major case of windowdressing, of semantics used to cover up what actually was and is happening.

Up to the Russian takeover the various Turkmenian horse strains were - within their cultural sphere - usually called either by tribal denomination or much more often simply by the family name or personal names of their breeders. The nomads did not think in terms like "breed", they thought in terms like "our horses" or "the horses of the Karadashly" or "horses of Murat Shakhar". On a larger plane they might point out that the Yamoud tribes had large, excellent working horses or that the Teke bred the best warhorses, but on the whole it all were Turkoman horses vs. the rest of horses which entered the geographic area from outside. It should be interesting to note that the earliest traveller reports and those of people living a protracted time in the area mirror this habit, even though these foreigners tended to think much more along the separate-breeds-scheme, which came up in the late 18th century.

It were the first Russian aficionados of the Turkoman horses in the middle to late 19th century who coined the term Akhaltekinze for that group of Turkoman horses which mainly served as warhorses of the tribes. Much later came the distinction of the Yamoud as a breed name and funnily the equally important and no less excellent other Turkoman strains were swept under the rug. At the same time we have the record keeping of the early civil servants and pedigree researchers which clearly outline the origins of many horses in the first studbooks as being extremely diverse in their tribal affiliation.

Few newcomers ever try to understand the background of this namegiving, nor the semantic results it created, which have a direct influence on how we today regard and treat the breed.

Along with this namegiving came the various myths built up around what not much later was regarded as being spoils of war by the Russian/Soviet government. It usually comes as a surprise then when a modern-day friend of the breed gets to read such strong tobacco as e.g. E. O'Donovan wrote from his hands-on experience:

"A great deal has been said about Turcoman horses I am fain to believe by people who make their statements from mere hearsay, but who never had opportunities of forming just opinions of the wonderful qualities they so freely announce. During my stay at Merv, and a pretty long one among the Yamuds, I had ample means of observing the merits of Turcoman horses, and of hearing their praises sounded by no cold partizans of the breed, viz., the Turcomans themselves. Yet I never witnessed or even heard of such exploits as European travellers mention in speaking of them. I have over and over again made searching inquiries about the powers of these Central Asian steeds. A first-class Turcoman horse, after a month's special training, and with ample and special food, will go from sixty to seventy miles a day, and keep up that pace for an apparently unlimited period. This sustaining power is probably their only excellence which has not been overrated. For mere speed over a mile or two they cannot hold their own against the higher class of European horses."

This man not just lived in and travelled Turkmenia for 2 years, he owned and rode a variety of Turkoman horses, he witnessed how the Khans tried to evade the takeover of their herds, he watched these horses in action and ridden during alamans, everyday life and longer treks. His travels covered the distance from the east of Persia to the Teke and Akhal Teke tribes near and around Merv and his forthright description of his exploits leave no doubt about the matter-of-factness of his observations.

This sets the Turkoman/Teke breed back on the sturdy feet it always had and debunks the myths built up around it, probably for early marketing reasons. What O'Donovan describes is a classic nomad horse bred for a specific lifestyle which excelled neither as a beauty, nor as a racehorse, instead its major asset was its ability to travel hard, fast and far for long periods of time and important distances as can be found in its geographic region. Unlike many of the much-touted myths, be they voiced by Russians, modern-day Turkmenians or western aficionados, his description of the Turkoman horses makes utter and total sense! It is what we have to consider the bone of the matter and his take is supported by the other rather neutral descriptions which exist.

What does this mean in a practical manner? Well, it means for one thing that what was built around the artificial, newly conceived breed name "Akhal Teke" is mainly a conglomeration of myths, assumptions and above all also vindications (how else to justify the lack of success and difficulty in suppression without implicating one's own failure to meet the Turkoman armies in the easy victories expected of the Russian invaders by their commanders? Yes, blame it on those superior horses rather than the quality of the adversary and the defects of the own military). On the other hand it means that selecting and culling a gene pool according to faulty assumptions rather than actual capacities is the formation of a different breed. It is most definitely neither a resurrection, nor is it a preservation of that gene pool!

Or in other words: a gene pool of practical, nomadic, very fast enduring horses over long distances of relatively common looks and conformations in line with their major work has been turned artificially into a breed resembling the artifice instead of the reality.

So, how to judge the claims for an excellence which we know to be nothing but myths and marketing scheme? How to regard a "type" which has been artificially created and is not based on reality, but instead documents the idea of what would be just neat to have? Especially while growing health problems, major loss of diversity and failure of achievements attest that breeding such a constricted gene pool according to totally new selection rules indeed is leading it down a blind alley?

How to judge the positions claiming that such and such a conformational point is proof of excellence, whereas the lack of it is evidence of inferiority of the breeding material?

This will not be very easy.

Not every Akhal Teke with a conformation not in line with the modern ideal type is automatically a foundation horse of good old type! Some conformation faults are just that - conformation faults. Others are typical for this old Eurasian breed and can be accepted. If we want to preserve and further the ancient Turkoman warhorse, we need to pay close attention to this and the best way is to research the information we have about the breed originating from a time prior to Russian/Soviet influence plus a clearcut adherence to what made and makes an excellent nomadic horse. Unlike what many CIS breeders seem to so naturally claim, there are enough endurance/nomad breeds in the rest of the world that expertise is not exclusive to CIS.

This will not be easy not just because so much genetic diversity and old type already was and is being lost, that is also because we face a group of affluent, rich breeders who claim the exact opposite to be true and on whose sales successes depend their own livelihood and that of others. Fierce resistence to any correction of past ideas is not just a possibility, it is a given. And this resistence is aided by such people who judge the Akhal Teke by western conformation rules as well.

However, the current situation is a chance for those who happen to own good or excellent old type horses, and currently are being told they have crap not worth breeding. If willing to join a breeding program for the ancient Turkoman nomad horse and marketing it to the sphere it will indeed excel in, namely pleasure riding, endurance racing, trail riding, hunting and minor to medium classic sports geared to them, such as show-jumping or eventing, always depending on the basic old-type conformation strain, these people would not just find the appropriate niche for their horses, they would also help preserve what little is left of the former Turkoman nomad breeds.