The Akhal-Teke Horse is a breed available in the Horse Reality game that can be obtained from the Foundation.
| Akhal-Teke Horse | |
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| General Information | |
| Alternative names | Achal-Teke, Akhal Teke |
| Origin | Turkmenistan |
| Horse Reality | |
| Colours & modifiers | Black, Chestnut, Bay, Seal Brown, Sooty, Grey, Flaxen, Cream |
| White Patterns | White Markings, Rabicano, Hidden Sabino |
| Not yet in-game | Non-Dun1, Wild Bay |
| Height | 145 - 170 cm |
| Registry | Akhal-Teke Horse Society |
| Alternative names | AT, Teke |
| Origin | Foundation |
| Status | In-game (2018) |
| Artists | |
| Lineart | D. Grochowska (2022) |
| Greyscale | D. Grochowska (2022) |
| Colours & patterns | H. Vasseur, D. Grochowska, H. Hegele (2022) |
¶ History
The Akhal-Teke is one of the oldest horse breeds. It is a rare breed, with an estimated global population of less than 7,000. The horse breed probably descended from the Turkoman Horses in the steppes of Central Asia, in what is now Turkmenistan. They are believed to have descended from stocky, indigenous horses who adapted and developed hardiness and a lean build when the climate became drier around 12.000 years ago. The Turkoman Horse first appeared 3000-5000 years ago. Once domesticated, the agile Turkoman Horses were selectively bred for speed and endurance by different nomadic tribes. They were used in hunting, raids, transportation, and warfare, and were highly valued by the tribesmen; their unrivalled toughness and endurance gave them a huge advantage in the vast steppe environment. [1-4]
The word of these “Heavenly Horses” spread, and they became highly sought after by various cultures, including the Scythians, Parthians, and Chinese. They were used in the Persian cavalry, and Alexander the Great's famous horse, Bucephalus, is believed to be a Turkoman Horse. He acquired Persian horses after an invasion and used them to improve native European horses, through which the Turkoman blood spread throughout Europe. The breed was also brought into racing stock throughout the ancient world and, unsurprisingly, the Turkoman Horse was one of the founders of the Thoroughbred.[1-4]
The horses were renamed Akhal-Tekes after Russia took over Turkmenia in 1881, combining the names of the Teke Turkmen tribe and the Akhal oasis around which they lived. In 1941, the first Akhal-Teke studbook was printed. Sadly, the breed suffered a lot and their numbers decreased drastically when they lost value after the Industrial Revolution, during the times of war, and because of Soviet measures. Since then, efforts have been made to restore the breed. When Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991, the Akhal Teke horse was declared a national symbol.[1-4]
The Akhal Teke horse spread and is now bred all over the world, and has been used to improve and develop several horse breeds, such as the Trakehner Horse and Russian horse breeds like the Don and Orlov Trotter. They have performed well in competitions; one of the most famous Akhal-Tekes is probably the stallion Absenth, who won several Olympic medals for the Soviet Union from 1960 to 1968.[1-4]
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Characteristics
The Akhal-Teke has a lean, “greyhound-like" build. The head is long and slim, with large nostrils and often hooded eyes. They have a long, high-set neck, sloping shoulders and a slim yet muscular body. The breed has prominent withers, a long back and a low-set tail. The legs are long and slender with well-defined tendons. Hooves are small, round and extremely hard.[1,3]
The Akhal Teke is a hardy and agile breed with great stamina. The breed is well adapted to the harsh desert environment, able to survive on minimal food and water. They are intelligent and sensitive.[2,3]
Another unique trait of the Akhal-Teke is the metallic sheen of the coat, caused by a specific, hollow hair shaft amplifying the refraction of the light. The skin and coat of the Akhal-Teke are very thin, and the mane & tail are often sparse.[3]
¶ Colour Genetics
The Akhal-Teke Horse comes in a variety of base colours: black, chestnut, bay, seal brown and wild bay. The cream gene enhances the famous metallic sheen of the breed, creating well-known bright coats. These colour possibilities can be modified by flaxen, sooty or grey.
White markings can range from solid to large stockings and face markings, or even sabino-like patterns with jagged edges and belly spots. Rabicano is also present.
¶ In-game colours
All alleles available for the breed can be found below, highlighted in green. For better clarity, we bolded alleles that impact coat colours (eg. grey G vs non-grey g).
| Base Colours & Modifiers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Extension | Agouti | Grey |
| E, e | A, At, A+, a | G, g |
| Dilutions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cream-Pearl | Dun | Champagne | Silver | Mushroom |
| CR, n | nd1, nd2 | ch | z | n |
| White Patterns | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame | Appaloosa | PATN1 | MITF | SW2 | KIT |
| n | lp | patn1 | n | sw2 | n |
Please note that the table includes hidden agouti alleles (At and A+). Besides testable genes, untestable ones are also present: sooty, flaxen, rabicano, hidden sabino and white markings (head markings, socks, etc.).
¶ Uses
Their athleticism and stamina make the Akhal Teke well-suited for endurance, but they are also used in disciplines like eventing, dressage and show jumping.[3]
¶ Artwork changelog
¶ Artwork Updates
The Akhal-Teke is one of Horse Reality's oldest breeds, with its first artwork drawn back in the alpha version around 2014. Ever since the current Horse Reality version has been online, the Akhal-Teke has received/will receive the following updates:
- In October 2020, the Akhal Teke received new coat variations (colour & grey)[5]
- On May 18th 2022, the Akhal Teke received new artwork[6,7]
- On May 20th 2025, the Akhal Teke was migrated to the new art system, nd1 and wild bay were added to the breed, and some bugfixes were implemented[8][9]
As of now, the breed has a complete set of alleles.[10]
¶ Artwork Legacy
If you're curious about what the Akhal-Teke Horse looked like before the artwork update or just want to reminisce about good old times - search no more.
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This beautiful art was created by very talented artists. Horse Reality is forever grateful for them being a part of its history.
| Artists | |
|---|---|
| Lineart | M. Simon (2014) |
| Greyscale | M. Simon (2014) |
| Colours & patterns | T. van den Berg (2014), Fabueen (2019), H. Vasseur (2019-2020) |
¶ References
- Kim, A. A., & Nazarova, O. D., The Role of the Horse Among the Turkmen, Anthropology & Archeology of Eurasia, 2017
- T. Pickeral, The Majesty of the Horse: An Illustrated History, HarperCollins Publishers Limited, 2012
- Akhal-Teke Association of America, https://akhal-teke.org/the-breed/
- https://factsanddetails.com/central-asia/Turkmenistan/sub8_7d/entry-4843.html
- https://v2.horsereality.com/news/34/birthday-surprise-new-horse-colour-variations-small-community-update-v2-transfer-bugfixes
- https://v2.horsereality.com/news/52/community-update-v2-market-postponed-preparing-3rd-foundation-generation-about-breed-redos-new-art-intern-march-background
- https://v2.horsereality.com/news/95/community-update-akhal-teke-attack-also-a-speedpainting-video-why-you-shouldnt-discuss-staff-actions-in-public
- https://v2.horsereality.com/news/52/community-update-v2-market-postponed-preparing-3rd-foundation-generation-about-breed-redos-new-art-intern-march-background
- https://v2.horsereality.com/news/226/release-notes-the-2nd-migration-batch
- https://deloryan.notion.site/Horse-Breeds-Artwork-Genetics-6d0a84be35284b12806976bbb8cc886c