The extinct Turkoman horse breed - Gustavo Mirabal Castro

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Horses have given their contribution to practically all the cultures of the world. Since the human has existed, the horse has been the animal that has remained there not only providing company but also as a means of transportation and support in day-to-day activities.Horses have always been highly relevant to Turkey and its inhabitants for over 5000 years. For that we will talk about the turkoman horse breed, an extinct horse breed.

It should be noted that the horse has been used as food, this being the least pleasant for an animal as beautiful and noble as the horse. Fortunately in some cultures this has changed.

After this, the Turkoman horse was used in the war as cavalry and draft animals. It has also made a valuable contribution in the area of agriculture and transport.

Currently we can see a more evolved process since the Turkoman horse or other breeds participate in sports activities.

Therefore, there are various disciplines of horse riding that benefit from the participation of a majestic animal such as the horse.

Even in choreography, theater, co-therapist and companion animal activities for people with disabilities, horses are the protagonists of these stories.

Next you will see a video about th Akhal-Teke horse breed, a rare horse breed descendant of Turkoman horse. Enjoy it.

The RAREST HORSE on Earth (Akhal-Teke)

Watch this video on YouTube

Uses of the horse in Turkish culture

The first use that was given to the horse is the least pleasant, since it was sacrificed for food purposes.

In the case of milk, it was made in the form of a sour kimiz and slightly fermented. This is a unique creation from Turkey.

The Turkish people have been under the religion of Islam since the 11th century. This had a positive effect on attitude towards horses. For this reason the horse became culturally significant and was an important component in the Turkish vision of world domination.

Horses lived heavily involved in international warfare during the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the 19th century, this included the Crimean Wars. There the French and English fought on the Turkish side.

Of all these battles, the most famous of all cavalry actions were the following:

The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Russian-Turkish Caucasus War.

In the 20th century, horses, specifically from the Australian and New Zealand Light Horse Brigade, were used at Gallipoli.

Origin and main characteristics of the Turkoman or Turkmene horse

The Turkoman horse, or Turkmene, was a breed of oriental horses. These animals came from the steppes of Central Asia. It should be noted that the Turkoman horse breed is extinct.

The Turkoman horse breed had a special influence on other horse breeds. This is said to have left its genes in the thoroughbred horse and the popular Rahvan horse.

Some horses bred in Iran and Turkmenistan today are still known as Turkmen.

These horses have the following characteristics:

The Turkoman or Turkmen horse was distinguished by its firmness.
His overall build was a slim body, much like a greyhound.
Regarding its strength, it was considered one of the toughest in the world.
They had a straight profile, long neck and oblique shoulders.
Her back was long, with sloping quarters and a retracted abdomen.
They had long, muscular legs.
The coat of a Turkmen horse could have been of any color, and had a metallic luster, making it a differentiating element from other breeds.

The fact: Akhal-Teke is related to the extinct Turkoman horse

As we mentioned earlier it is possible that the Turkoman horse has left its genes in other breeds.

That is why the Akhal-Teke horse is a breed of horse related to the extinct Turkoman horse.

This specimen is currently bred in countries such as Russia and Turkmenistan.

The territory of Turkmenistan has been populated since ancient times.

Turkmen tribes engaged in horse breeding came to the territory in ancient times.

These people most likely came from the Altai Mountains.

Then they settled on the outskirts of the Kara Kum desert, reaching Persia, Syria and Anatolia.

Akhal-teke: a descendant of Turkoman horse breed

The horse in Turkish culture.

The horse is one of the animals that in its mythological aspect, which is most deeply rooted among the Turks. In addition to this special spiritual significance, the horse has been more than a means of transportation. Well, it is considered an essential and inherent part of your life.

On its origin there are several legends: For the Altaic peoples the horse has a celestial origin. Instead the yakut say that the heroes’ horses have come from the solar world.

Thus, the horse is a creature that brings the news of the invisible worlds, that intuits the evils that will come and that knows the friend and the enemy.

He is the helper of heroes, he is the friend of arms. If necessary, speak, give advice to its owner. According to a Mongolian belief, the horse takes the hero to Hell and returns him.

Other horse legends in Turkish culture

Another legend indicates that there are winged horses, which can both fly and swim. These are located in the “milk lake” under the Kif mountain.

That is why the prophet Hizir, looking for a remedy against death, saw these horses. Since he could not catch them, he poured wine into the lake and was able to capture a couple, who cut their wings and mated them, thus creating the horse race.

In summary

Although the Turkoman horse breed is no longer present today it has left an important legacy in Turkish culture. Well, this mammal served them as food, means of transportation, in war among others.

The current generation must pay tribute to this animal that for so long has stood by the human side.

We can see that the Turkish culture has a wide spectrum of the meaning of the horse in the symbolic and spiritual.