Akhal Teke UK
©Black Fox 2007-2011
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Soren Nielsen is an Akhal-Teke owner in Denmark. At
the time of this interview, Meimli (Melekulan-Merdjen),
line El/Sovkhoz-2nd, bred at the Beg Ve Bek studfarm in
Turkmenistan, has only been with Soren for a few weeks.
I wanted to interview Soren after reading a message he
posted – just a month after he bought Meimli - on the
Akhal-Teke Yahoo Group Discussion Forum. The first
impressions are often the most true...
I hope Soren’s account will be an inspiration to anyone
who is considering owning an Akhal-Teke.
______________________________________________
the time of this interview, Meimli (Melekulan-Merdjen),
line El/Sovkhoz-2nd, bred at the Beg Ve Bek studfarm in
Turkmenistan, has only been with Soren for a few weeks.
I wanted to interview Soren after reading a message he
posted – just a month after he bought Meimli - on the
Akhal-Teke Yahoo Group Discussion Forum. The first
impressions are often the most true...
I hope Soren’s account will be an inspiration to anyone
who is considering owning an Akhal-Teke.
______________________________________________
S.N.: I had been looking for some time for a 2-year-old mare, been in touch with different
Akhal-Teke horse people, mostly via my good friend Lisa Belhage, who brought the first and,
until recently, the only AT to Denmark. But I could not find the type of horse that I wanted,
and which I also could afford to pay.
So when Lisa was in Moscow in August 2007, she found Meimli, and shortly after I decided
that he should be my new and first Akhal-Teke horse. He was good-looking and had a very
friendly character and good behaviour. Yes, he was a stallion and I have never owned nor
have experience with stallions, so it was a challenge. I had only seen pictures and a video, and
was told about his good character.
MM: Tell me about the first day you spent with Meimli.
S.N.: The first day I had him examined by my vet. But besides that we didn’t do anything. I
spent hours watching my new friend, and see that he was ok. He was very tired after a long
journey from Moscow, via Finland and Germany, where Lisa and I picked him up and took
him home late that night.
MM: What have you done with him since? What is his daily routine? How is he reacting
to his new surroundings? What is he like to ride?
S.N.: I ride him very carefully trying to find out how he has been ridden before and which
things he is familiar to. Now the two of us are beginning to ‘speak the same language’. I ride
him without saddle, for two reasons: He is so pleasant to ride ‘bareback’ and it is a good way
to gain balance as well as finding mutual understanding (as you are very close with the horse),
and second, I’ve not yet found a saddle that fits his slim body. We also take a walk in the
forest.
He is very curious and will examine everything he meets on his way. Everything is new to him,
coming from the dry steppes of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to the luxuriant vegetation of
Danish ground. He walks with his nose in the withered leaf like a tracker dog, and tries to eat
or at least taste it.
He is extremely nice to ride. You just have to think which way you want to go, and he goes
there. He has extremely comfortably gaits.
MM: Have you found anything you didn't expect about him, his habits and his
behaviour?
S.N.: I never had a stallion before, and I sure was a little nervous and insecure about what I
might expect.
I approached this horse remembering what I have learned through more than 30 years as a
horse owner. And it was a success. We are getting along very well, and he behaves in an
exemplary manner.
MM: What does he think of your other horses?
S.N.: He has not yet met my two other horses, who are a 21 year old mare and a 13 year old
gelding, and I think he never will. Those two are so tightly connected that I don’t think it is a
good idea to take any risks in case of fighting etc.
Also they are stabled different places, which is both good and bad. Bad because I have to
drive to two different places every day, and good because when I am with Meimli, I
concentrate 100 pct. on him, and when I am with my two other horses, I concentrate 100 pct.
on them. They know they are equally worthy and there is no jealousy.
MM: Anything else you would like to say about your new departure?
S.N.: I am really very glad to finally have a horse that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time,
and who is of the breed I love most, and I will do anything I can to give him a good and happy
life. I look forward to building a unique partnership with him (we are already good on our
way). He shall be my carefully selected riding horse, as well as a breeding stallion. I hope we
will succeed.
Akhal-Teke horse people, mostly via my good friend Lisa Belhage, who brought the first and,
until recently, the only AT to Denmark. But I could not find the type of horse that I wanted,
and which I also could afford to pay.
So when Lisa was in Moscow in August 2007, she found Meimli, and shortly after I decided
that he should be my new and first Akhal-Teke horse. He was good-looking and had a very
friendly character and good behaviour. Yes, he was a stallion and I have never owned nor
have experience with stallions, so it was a challenge. I had only seen pictures and a video, and
was told about his good character.
MM: Tell me about the first day you spent with Meimli.
S.N.: The first day I had him examined by my vet. But besides that we didn’t do anything. I
spent hours watching my new friend, and see that he was ok. He was very tired after a long
journey from Moscow, via Finland and Germany, where Lisa and I picked him up and took
him home late that night.
MM: What have you done with him since? What is his daily routine? How is he reacting
to his new surroundings? What is he like to ride?
S.N.: I ride him very carefully trying to find out how he has been ridden before and which
things he is familiar to. Now the two of us are beginning to ‘speak the same language’. I ride
him without saddle, for two reasons: He is so pleasant to ride ‘bareback’ and it is a good way
to gain balance as well as finding mutual understanding (as you are very close with the horse),
and second, I’ve not yet found a saddle that fits his slim body. We also take a walk in the
forest.
He is very curious and will examine everything he meets on his way. Everything is new to him,
coming from the dry steppes of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to the luxuriant vegetation of
Danish ground. He walks with his nose in the withered leaf like a tracker dog, and tries to eat
or at least taste it.
He is extremely nice to ride. You just have to think which way you want to go, and he goes
there. He has extremely comfortably gaits.
MM: Have you found anything you didn't expect about him, his habits and his
behaviour?
S.N.: I never had a stallion before, and I sure was a little nervous and insecure about what I
might expect.
I approached this horse remembering what I have learned through more than 30 years as a
horse owner. And it was a success. We are getting along very well, and he behaves in an
exemplary manner.
MM: What does he think of your other horses?
S.N.: He has not yet met my two other horses, who are a 21 year old mare and a 13 year old
gelding, and I think he never will. Those two are so tightly connected that I don’t think it is a
good idea to take any risks in case of fighting etc.
Also they are stabled different places, which is both good and bad. Bad because I have to
drive to two different places every day, and good because when I am with Meimli, I
concentrate 100 pct. on him, and when I am with my two other horses, I concentrate 100 pct.
on them. They know they are equally worthy and there is no jealousy.
MM: Anything else you would like to say about your new departure?
S.N.: I am really very glad to finally have a horse that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time,
and who is of the breed I love most, and I will do anything I can to give him a good and happy
life. I look forward to building a unique partnership with him (we are already good on our
way). He shall be my carefully selected riding horse, as well as a breeding stallion. I hope we
will succeed.
MM: You have owned horses for many years before you bought Meimli - tell us about
them and what you did with them;
S.N.: My first horse was a mare of warmblood type imported from Poland. She was 5 when I
bought her in 1978, and we did hunting for about 8 years with Copenhagen Drag Hounds, and
other hunting clubs. At that time hunting was the equestrian sport I enjoyed the most.
In 1989 I was given a 2-year-old Thoroughbred mare. She was beautiful, but much slighter,
and I decided to seek new challenges. I broke her myself and in the mid-1990s we trained in
Western riding together. Actually, I converted to the Western way of riding, and I started to
learn about horsemanship, which was quite a new word in Denmark at that time.
In 1998 I bought a 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, whom I also broke myself. I have
always enjoyed working with young horses.
Mostly, I enjoy pleasure riding, especially riding in the forest.
them and what you did with them;
S.N.: My first horse was a mare of warmblood type imported from Poland. She was 5 when I
bought her in 1978, and we did hunting for about 8 years with Copenhagen Drag Hounds, and
other hunting clubs. At that time hunting was the equestrian sport I enjoyed the most.
In 1989 I was given a 2-year-old Thoroughbred mare. She was beautiful, but much slighter,
and I decided to seek new challenges. I broke her myself and in the mid-1990s we trained in
Western riding together. Actually, I converted to the Western way of riding, and I started to
learn about horsemanship, which was quite a new word in Denmark at that time.
In 1998 I bought a 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, whom I also broke myself. I have
always enjoyed working with young horses.
Mostly, I enjoy pleasure riding, especially riding in the forest.
MM: Describe the first Akhal-Teke you met and
your impressions;
S.N.: I have read about Akhal-Tekes in
encyclopaedias, saw the picture of Kambar there,
and always wanted such a horse, although it was
unattainable. So when Lisa Belhage bought her
wonderful Akhal-Teke mare Abaza in June 2004
and announced to the Danish horse people that
everyone was invited to see her on the day of her
arrival, where also Ganna Zernova would tell about
the breed, I simply had to come and see her.
And that day surely was a turning point. There I
saw, in every way, the most perfect horse I had
ever seen.
I worked a little on Lisa, which she never noticed
;-), to persuade her to have Abaza stabled for the
winter at the place where I had my own horses. It
worked, and I had the pleasure to know this
magnificent animal very closely. Now I knew that
this was the horse I was looking for. She was so
unique, so perfect. She was the horse who had
everything, neither more nor less.
your impressions;
S.N.: I have read about Akhal-Tekes in
encyclopaedias, saw the picture of Kambar there,
and always wanted such a horse, although it was
unattainable. So when Lisa Belhage bought her
wonderful Akhal-Teke mare Abaza in June 2004
and announced to the Danish horse people that
everyone was invited to see her on the day of her
arrival, where also Ganna Zernova would tell about
the breed, I simply had to come and see her.
And that day surely was a turning point. There I
saw, in every way, the most perfect horse I had
ever seen.
I worked a little on Lisa, which she never noticed
;-), to persuade her to have Abaza stabled for the
winter at the place where I had my own horses. It
worked, and I had the pleasure to know this
magnificent animal very closely. Now I knew that
this was the horse I was looking for. She was so
unique, so perfect. She was the horse who had
everything, neither more nor less.
Meimli in Turkmenistan
MM: In a nutshell, what made you
choose this breed? Is the fact that,
living in Denmark, you own two
Thoroughbreds, rather than
Warmbloods, relevant to you
choosing an Akhal-Teke?
S.N.: Yes, absolutely. I prefer the
more delicate type of horses. Horses
that are not too big, horses who are
intelligent and sensitive and have
beauty. And with whom you can have
a very close relationship. I think the
Akhal-Teke fulfills it all.
MM: How did you find Meimli - was
he the only Akhal-Teke horse you
considered buying? Did you meet
him before you bought him?
choose this breed? Is the fact that,
living in Denmark, you own two
Thoroughbreds, rather than
Warmbloods, relevant to you
choosing an Akhal-Teke?
S.N.: Yes, absolutely. I prefer the
more delicate type of horses. Horses
that are not too big, horses who are
intelligent and sensitive and have
beauty. And with whom you can have
a very close relationship. I think the
Akhal-Teke fulfills it all.
MM: How did you find Meimli - was
he the only Akhal-Teke horse you
considered buying? Did you meet
him before you bought him?
