Akhal Teke UK
©Black Fox 2007-2008
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Jessica Eile Keith has been involved with the Akhal-Teke breed
since the early 1990s when she and her husband, Todd Keith,
imported their first horses from Russia to Sweden. In 1991 they
founded Karakum Stud and set up one of the first international
websites – The Akhal-Teke Network - with an electronic
mailing list dedicated to the breed. The seminal influence of
The Akhal-Teke Network on the breeders and breed enthusiasts
outside the former Soviet Union has never been surpassed.
Todd and Jessica also founded and ran the Swedish Akhal-Teke
Breed Association – the first one in Europe to achieve breed
recognition under the European law and to issue passports to
the Akhal-Teke horses in Sweden and other EU countries.
In 2001 Karakum Stud relocated to the United States where
Jessica is tirelessly continuing her work to educate the
equestrian community worldwide about the Akhal-Teke breed.
Her uncompromising position on the necessity for the highest
standards of care and training, and the need for stringent
breeding selection criteria has, at times, been met with
antagonism but she remains undeterred in her convictions.
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since the early 1990s when she and her husband, Todd Keith,
imported their first horses from Russia to Sweden. In 1991 they
founded Karakum Stud and set up one of the first international
websites – The Akhal-Teke Network - with an electronic
mailing list dedicated to the breed. The seminal influence of
The Akhal-Teke Network on the breeders and breed enthusiasts
outside the former Soviet Union has never been surpassed.
Todd and Jessica also founded and ran the Swedish Akhal-Teke
Breed Association – the first one in Europe to achieve breed
recognition under the European law and to issue passports to
the Akhal-Teke horses in Sweden and other EU countries.
In 2001 Karakum Stud relocated to the United States where
Jessica is tirelessly continuing her work to educate the
equestrian community worldwide about the Akhal-Teke breed.
Her uncompromising position on the necessity for the highest
standards of care and training, and the need for stringent
breeding selection criteria has, at times, been met with
antagonism but she remains undeterred in her convictions.
_______________________________________________
One must keep in mind that the Teke was formed in extreme competition with other horse
breeds that continuously challenged the speed and deed power of these horses. The competitive
surroundings helped to mold the type of horse we inherit from the Central Asian nomads.
Our goal today should be to continue the legacy of the founders of the Heavenly Horse by
continuing the tradition of breeding the best to the best and to test the ability of our horses in
competition with other breeds. I can only see this happen in the hands of owners that have
knowledge and resources to select the best to the best and put them through the test.
MM: Do you think there are too many Akhal-Teke breeders in the world today? Should
breeding activities be restricted to big studs, because they have wider selection of genetic
material at their disposal, or is there room for a one-mare owner in the Akhal-Teke
breed?
JEK: Well, there can never be to many breeders in my opinion, the question we ought to ask
ourselves though, do we breed the right horses?
We need more high quality Tekes to meet the increasing demand for good horses. Big is not
always the same as smart. I must brag for a few seconds about the tiny Sweden which has
Olympic teams in all equestrian disciplines!
A one-mare owner can produce quality as much as a 20-mare owner. What we do lack in the
West though is the top of the pyramid of breeders that can assure the production of the top-
level animals.
These breeders exist only in Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. We need to see some top-
level breeders soon in the West, that can assure the production of good breeding material for
the Western population.
MM: What are the main challenges which face Akhal-Teke breeders today? Considering
that the overall number of Akhal-Teke horses worldwide has increased to the point that
the breed is no longer an endangered species, are you optimistic for its future? Or do see
a crisis looming?
JEK: Well, Equus Caballus is a man-made species, the Akhal-Teke is a breed.
And, to put the present studbook integrity problem aside, I would say that we see an increase in
the quantity of Tekes but, at the same time, a decrease in the quality.
On the one hand, I am very positive for the future as I see more interested people now with
extensive equestrian backgrounds, resources and knowledge to do the breed justice by
selecting their horses with a critical eye. At this point in time, I hope we can meet the increasing
need for education of breeders and owners, as well as supply enough numbers of animals of
breeding quality.
I talked about the pyramid earlier: my only concern is that, if we do not get the top of the
pyramid breeders into the breed in the West, we will see an increasing number of medium and
mediocre horses that are not good enough in competition with other breeds.
As I said though, hopefully the trend of a new group of knowledgeable horsemen with resources
coming into the breed will lead to an increase in the quality of the Western horses.
MM: Are you in favor of regulating breeding activities, for example, the licensing of
stallions, grading of foals etc etc? If yes, how far would you go down the regulatory
system? At what point does regulation become counter-productive?
JEK: After three years in the US which has an unregulated horse breeding industry, yes, I’d like
to see a pre-selected wide choice of soundness, typicalness, correctness and breeding value
declared for stallions, for the mare owners to choose from.
A regulatory system worked out in cooperation with breeders which gives a gratification in the
form of higher prices paid for horses, better image etc is what we need. I’d like to see incentives
for breeders to show their horses mostly for educational purposes. The Akhal-Teke is a brand,
an image, as much as the Hanoverian. Let’s protect it and create a better brand value by giving
breeders good choices and great incentives for breeding the best to the best.
I believe more in carrots than whips and I am sure that a well developed show system and
attractive incentives for owners of mares with high breeding value will produce an improvement
within the breed in the horses, and not just on paper.
We need to give better access to good stallions to mare owners, and we need to create
incentives for investors to bring good breeding stallions to the west. The more high quality
animals we can show in the West, the more interest we can create from the group of people that
can assure a continuous improvement of this breed.
MM: One of the most emotive issues in the breed today is studbook management. There is
a splinter studbook in Turkmenistan. There is a VNIIK-approved state-regulated
studbook in France and a Swiss register, compiled with utmost precision but still
unrecognised by VNIIK. The Shamborant stud in Russia has just announced the
establishment of their own studbook. Some German breeders continue to register with
the local horse-breeding unions (Verbanden for Pferdezuchte). Is this "diversity" a
symptom of crisis or a natural consequence of the international spread of the modern
Akhal-Teke horse?
JEK: I would guess that today more than 30% of the registerable Tekes are not registered, this,
in most cases, is due to the difficulties owners encounter during the registration process. Of
course, this is not a good record for a studbook that should always work towards the goal of
registering 100% of the population.
At our stud farm, we DNA-type our horses and have decided not to spend another cent or
hour on trying to register with the Russian studbook. Our horses are registerable if anyone
would like to through the efforts to do so. The quality of our horses is not affected by me
showing some obscure Russian paperwork to buyers that have no way of verifying them with
the sources available to Westerners.
Thinking about it, it is probably best for the breed that most Westerners cannot access the
documentation on which the Russian studbook is based. Being able to read and understand
what is going on there would probably scare most people away from this breed for life. I fully
support the decision of Shael Stud to leave the studbook and do hope that this action from one
of the most prominent promoters and breeders in Russia will lead to a change for better.
I live in the 21st century, with DNA-testing and Internet. I am spoiled with other studbooks that
not only can spell, but also work with focus on integrity, transparency and service. I can wait
for a better alternative, but in the meantime I will not spend anymore of my time on this. For me,
it is no longer an emotional but a boring subject.
MM: You have bred and sold many horses over the years. Who is your ideal buyer?
JEK: A buyer that asks many, many questions. Investigates the market and makes an informed
decision.
The ideal buyer will, of course, annually, send me Belgian chocolates and French wine together
with photos of their Tekes they totally care for and love.
MM: What would be your advice to a newcomer to the breed who is considering owning
an Akhal-Teke one day?
JEK: Look until you find the right horse, trust your instincts and do not accept any explanations
of defects, bad conformation, bad character as typical for the breed. You must be aware of the
fact that this breed is new in the West, breed information is very difficult to verify and therefore
this breed attracts many not-serious sellers.
Compare everything you are offered to the best. If you want a dressage Teke, compare what
you are offered with the conformation of Absent - he was built to do the job. If you look for a
breeding prospect stallion, compare him to the best of his line of today, not to a poorly
photoshopped version of the line founder.
A pedigree with elite horses in every generation on bad-quality paper with Russian writing that
someone translates to Elite II or Elite III (who the heck understands the difference anyway?), or
some Fifth placing in the World Championships for gaits in Moscow four years ago is no better
than the horse that stands in front of you. The rest of the equestrian world will judge your horse,
not your papers (which they cannot read or verify), so the best investment is always to look at
and test out the horse.
Be critical. Be picky. Ask questions. Trust only yourself.
The day you decide to breed the Teke you eventually found you will be a well- educated
selective breeder of high quality Tekes and you will be proud of the horse you present. And
good horses are always in demand.
MM: There are many myths surrounding the Akhal-Teke breed. Which ones would you
like to see survive and which ones would you like to debunk?
JEK: Myths are created daily by creative promoters and sellers of horses from their poor
breeding programs which produce crappy Tekes. Far too often I have to kill all kinds of strange
myths about this breed. Tekes are horses and need to be built and have brains to do the job
horses are asked to do.
Big issue, causing unnecessary suffering for many Tekes is the misunderstanding of the term
“dry”. Many believe that “dry” is when the ribs are showing. It is not the ribs you want to see, it
is the tendons.
The “greyhound look”.. yes a two-year-old in full racing condition certainly reminds me of a
greyhound of the racing type, and not the show type, for those of you involved with greyhounds.
A 12-year-old breeding stallion “with a dry look of a greyhound” is probably starved, or sick,
or both.
MM: Do you feel the international Akhal-Teke "community" has more than its fair share
of strife and animosity? Is it all about healthy debate or do the divisions which currently
exist between associations and individuals make the breed dysfunctional?
JEK: I think we have as many back-stabbers, psychopaths, wannabees, besserwissers, instant
experts and plain stupid, as well as hard working, top-producing, honest, competent and well-
educated people as other breeds do. This mix of personalities within a non-professional
environment always causes tensions which, in some cases, turn downright ugly.
We must remember that anyone can come into our breed, there are no qualifications needed to
buy a Teke and thereby become a member of the community. Many feel that owning a Teke
gives them an obligation to promote and market the breed to the world. They do this out of pure
good intentions, of course, but before the Internet and the society of instant success we have
created today, you had to spend quite a few years and show some kind of record of success
before you were allowed to speak for a breed community. Perhaps some, I am sure well-
meaning, attempts to promote and talk for others, would be more productive and successful
after a few more years of studies and experience of those involved.
I could see one solution for these enthusiastic newcomers: to work with mentors that could
guide them through much of the history of the breed, present situation etc.
Unique for our breed is the total lack of integrity, democracy, transparency and modernization
of the international breed association which today has one and the same self-acclaimed manager
of everything who happens to be the same person who manages all global breed plans, global
breed evaluation, is the world champion head judge and the manager of everything allowed into
the studbook. Not only does this very busy person manage everything, she has also taken on
the role of head judge of everyone involved in this breed and is more than happy to share her
subjective experiences with everyone who wants to pay her, oooops, listen.
This situation is certainly dysfunctional. Imagine if we had had a group of dedicated, competent
people with integrity and a vision of success as our leaders. People, self-confident and wise
enough to invite all the good and enthusiastic people in this breed to create a healthy and sound
community.
MM: Is there anything that would ever make you turn your back on this breed or are you
committed to it "no matter what"? What makes it all worthwhile for you and your family?
JEK: I can see myself turn my back on this breed in a few years’ time if we cannot find a better
balance of stakeholders, as well as a new international breed association that will benchmark
itself against other successful international breed associations. This will not include certain
valuable friends and horses we have found over the years spent with the Heavenly Horse.
The same year we were
contacted by a Russian breeder
who had Swedish relatives. It
happened that the Russian
breeder visited Sweden, bought
the same issue of Ridsport where
the article about the Teke probeg
was published. The breeder
contacted us immediately and
invited us to his studfarm in
Russia. I got to meet with the first
Teke in the flesh in1989.
In 1990 we found each other, the
golden buckskin colt and I.
Together with this wonderful boy
I went from being intrigued and
curious to commited to these
extraordinary horses.
MM: You have been involved with the Akhal-Teke breed for over ten years now. Can you
name the three most memorable events of your "Teke career"?
JEK: The first milestone, I guess, was In 1976. I got intrigued by the breed when I saw the
photo of the golden Kambar. From that year my Russian speaking mother was on the case to
find out more about this mystery breed for me.
Twelve years later in 1988, my mother finally made a breakthrough in the search for information
about the breed: via Russian sources, such as news agencies, she had found certain information
about the Tekes, but so far no horses.
In 1989, we published an article about the 1988 Ashgabad – Moscow probeg [endurance ride
- Editor] in the Swedish equestrian magazine “Ridsport” which led to a series of event that
resulted in the purchase of my first Teke.
name the three most memorable events of your "Teke career"?
JEK: The first milestone, I guess, was In 1976. I got intrigued by the breed when I saw the
photo of the golden Kambar. From that year my Russian speaking mother was on the case to
find out more about this mystery breed for me.
Twelve years later in 1988, my mother finally made a breakthrough in the search for information
about the breed: via Russian sources, such as news agencies, she had found certain information
about the Tekes, but so far no horses.
In 1989, we published an article about the 1988 Ashgabad – Moscow probeg [endurance ride
- Editor] in the Swedish equestrian magazine “Ridsport” which led to a series of event that
resulted in the purchase of my first Teke.
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MM: Who are your "Teke heros", past and
present? What makes these particular
horses special for you?
JEK: To mention a few…
Bek Nazar Dor who manifested the
remarkable bond between horse and man;
Arab (Kazbek) - no horse except possibly a
Teke can beat his achievements. After having
raced in Ashgabad he participated in the 1935
Ashgabad – Moscow probeg as a 5-year-old.
He continued on with an excellent show
jumping career at the top national level in the
Soviet Union. He proved his breeding value
beyond doubt by producing Absent.
Absent, same good disposition and
performance ability as his father, just look at
the famous passage and “the newspaper
moment”. Name me an Olympic-level
dressage horse that would be as focused and
cool as Absent was under these
circumstances.
People should not read rubbish about Tekes
being difficult. They should study their
achievements and learn that the true Teke
wants to please the rider and has very good
work ethic.
Almaz, my first golden boy who is as close to
a human being as a horse can be. He has the
Teke bonding super powers and really made
me realize the potential in this breed. He has
the qualities that I look for in every horse: a
noble, elegant type combined with an athletic
appearance that no horseman can resist.
MM: If we concede the historical fact that
the Akhal-Teke of old was the horse of the
elite, how do you envisage it today? Should
breeders promote its exclusive appeal or
should the breed be "democratised"? Is the
modern Akhal-Teke, in the words of one
Russian breeder, an item for the "luxury
goods market" or will exclusivity lead the
breed to become the "toy of the rich" and,
ultimately, to its demise?
JEK: I must say that I think rich owners mostly
spend their resources on either sports horses
that can win them the Olympic Gold, race
horses that can win them the Triple Crown or
beautiful Arabians that can win them the
World Arabian Championships. I do not think
that rich, successful, people are interested in
good-for-nothing toys.
The ancient Argamak of Central Asia was a
high-maintenance, top-performing horse that
was expensive to keep compared to the small
and sturdy steppe horses. Only the rich could
keep such a high-maintenance animal. Such
owners ensured the selection and breeding of
the best to the best.
Today, as much as yesterday, we work with
horses who need to prove themselves in a
super-competitive marketplace. If the Teke of
today, in the flesh, looks like a pitiful, useless
horse, then the breed will have no place in the
future. Horse breeds are made by man and
equally destroyed by man.
Images by Todd Keith.
KaraKum Akhal-Tekes
www.karakumstud.com
jessica@InterEquus.com
KaraKum Akhal-Tekes
www.karakumstud.com
jessica@InterEquus.com