Anyone have experience with this breed?
I have searched and found a few that have apparently done very well with dressage, but just wondering if anyone has experience with them.
They are pretty rare, so you will not find a lot of people here have experience with them. I myself have only met one.
Kyzteke, who used to be a regular here, used to breed them and it is worth PMing her to ask her about her experience with them. She stood a stallion for a while that was really nice.
ATs were originally bred for many things, among them endurance and hardiness, which usually creates a horse with ergonomic/efficient movementā¦ which can clash directly with the flashiness and extravagance of dressage-moving typesā¦ Many are not good enough movers to naturally do well in dressage at the UL, and some have conformation that makes collection downright difficult (the breed is known for very long backs and weak couplings)ā¦ but I have seen a few supposed Akhal Teke crosses in eventing that have been very athletic. They are apparently incredibly intelligent horses.
There are a few breeders in the US and Europe who are breeding them with the goal of dressage, but those are very different Tekes than the āclassicā ideal of one is, IMHO.
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Check out Willow Hill Equestrian in Orange, Va and Greystone Stables in Lebanon Indiana
They are prone to a number of health problems, several of them genetic. The Soviets also deliberately bred very small muzzles, the ideal being so that the muzzle could fit in a teacup. You can still see the vestiges of this breeding trend in quite a few Tekes, so if youāre seriously looking Iād take muzzle circumference into account so that you donāt run into breathing issues down the line.
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My trainer said to me once, there are people who have a deep love for the sport and thus select a horse based on that. There are other people who have a deep love for a specific breed, and often times must adjust their goals in the sport accordingly.
Now horses in any breed can and do excel, but they are going to be fewer and farther between than a purpose bred horse even in competent hands. As beowulf mentioned, if you are wanting to purchase a horse that is the ideal for the breed, it is probably going to be less likely to make it to the upper levels because conformationally it wonāt likely be very well suited to the work. So you have to decideā¦ What are your goals? Are you wanting to make it to the upper levels? Or is your primary driver a love for the breed? If itās the latter, are you you willing to adjust any upper level goals you might have if the specific horse you get canāt make it?
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Thank you so much for the responses! Lots to think about 
There is an eventer on this board, JER, who bred two TB mares to the Akhal Teke stallion Super Star. Resulting foals are lovely. I would seek out his offspring if ?I was looking.
So just to update anyone who is interested - I actually found a breeder near me! I started working her her and am absolutely in love with the breed. Made a couple of blogs if anyone else is curious on the breed!
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There is a lovely older lady who shows a stunning AT full-bred stallion in the Los Angeles area, with the gorgeous iridescent creme coloring and everything, and he is a very competitive horse up to about third. Iām not sure if the pair shows higher and I just havenāt seen them, but it wouldnāt surprise me to hear they were at PSG. The temperament on this stallion was just to die for. I donāt know how much of that was breed vs. training but I admire him very much and would have loved to have him.
This stallion isnāt a show stopping mover but he has three nice, correct gaits and tremendous willingness to do the work for his lady. I would buy a horse like him in a heartbeat, Iām often surprised that my fellow AA riders are so wrapped around the axle about having a horse with extreme movement. Very few of us ever cross third, even fewer to PSG, yet we all feel like we must have a horse with international small-tour quality gaits. Hilda shows horses of many breeds and movement types successfully at the upper levels, I think she sets a great example.
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Iām referenced a couple of posts up in this thread (hadnāt seen it before) and yes, I do have two gorgeous Akhal-Teke x TBs by the lovely AT stallion Super Star, who was a racehorse turned FEI dressage horse.
This is my mare who has competed up to Prelim (rec) and Intermediate (unrec) in eventing but is spending this year trying her very capable hooves at combined driving. Sheās a gorgeous mover and would do FEI levels with ease. She is inexplicably tiny at 14.2hh and will be competing as a āponyā in her first CDE next month.
Her half-brother (different TB mare) is 2 years old and is already 16hh. Except for the difference in height, they could be twins. This is my most recent video of him and it shows off his personality very well.
Youāll notice that both look very AT ā the long, curvy ears, lean builds and shiny coats. The older one loves to work and learn new things; the 2 YO seems much the same.
Iām surprised no one has mentioned Absent, the Akhal Tekes stallion who won Olympic gold in 1960 with Ivan Filatov.
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You beat me too it! I also remember a quite impressive video clip (probably can be found, but Iām at work and canāt do it now) of FIlatov schooling (in Rome, I think) and heās doing piaffe/passage and a newspaper blows under Absentās hooves and he never misses a beat.
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I recall seeing that ā have been searching, no luck so far!
I had a full AT (with papers and passport) that was an absolutely amazing horse. What you will find with the breed is that they arenāt overly affectionate with just everybody, but when they bond with their person they are incredibly committed. Mine was successful through 2nd level, and really shined at that level and below. He had an amazing catlike walk and graceful canter. What he lacked in flashiness at the trot, he made up for in heart and effort.
I canāt say enough good things about mine. Iāll dig up some photos or video and add them.
Good luck in your search!
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JER- I think that is part of the issue with SSās get, they are all over the map size-wise. Sadly, I lost my SS- Belgian WB cross mare. She was going to be incredible. If I had the money I would buy one of his offspring in a second.
Sent you a PM
whoa :love-struck:
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Awesome, huh?!?
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Yes, thatās the clip. Wonderful!!
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