The Akhal-teke horse is truly remarkable. Pictures of the Akhal-teke have been found dating back to the 9th century B. C. which means it's older than the Arabian horse. The Akhal-teke was favor by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Marco Polo as a mount that could not only survive harsh conditions, but had exceptional endurance over long distances. Its exact origins are unknown but it comes from the region of the Kara Kum desert in Turkmenistan and receives its name from the oasis of Akhal in the Kopet Dag mountains and the Teke tribe;which lived there. With extremes of heat and cold and poor grazing here for much of the year, the Akhal-teke developed into a tough horse with a great deal of stamina. Originally bred for racing, the Akhal-teke excels today in Jumping and Dressage. A very unique, desirable feature of the Akhal-teke is the metallic sheen to its coat. It gets the sheen from having hollow hairs, bent in such a way that when the sun shine throughs it glistens. Usually the Akhal-teke is chestnut, dun, palomino, bay or grey. It is a hotblooded horse average 14-15 hands high. The Akhal-teke is usually placid but can be temperamental. Akhal-tekes should have a finely modeled head on a long, muscular neck going into a slender both with a deep, but narrow chest and sloping shoulders,muscular quarters and long legs.