[QUOTE=weixiao;7944405]
I want a Teke SO badly. Overall, I’ve been very unimpressed by what I’ve seen in the US but some of the ones I’ve seen in the Ukraine/Russia have been very impressive. If I could just win the lotto I would love to experiment with them for a modern event horse.[/QUOTE]
Ask and you shall receive;)…maybe.
At least if you are looking for a performance horse.
As my user name suggests, I love Akhal Tekes. I stood a homebred cremello stallion of my own, Kinor, for several years till a horrid pasture accident took him from me. Most of the mares he covered were Arabs for the endurance market.
His dam, Karma although not considered PB by the American registry (long story; it is possible (never proven) she is something like 10% TB), also gave me a filly who I retained. She is a 15.2hh liver chestnut with loads of chrome. Her sire is a PB, so she is (genetically) something like 88% Teke…enough to genetically be the same as a PB.
I kept her because I feared she would go to the wrong hands. Like many Tekes she is SUPER sensitive and SUPER athletic. Not a mean bone in her body, so is very sweet and easy to handle. Never a “bad” girl and actually pretty ok in strange situations, but I’ve seen enough of her pasture antics to know that, as a green horse, if she was to “lose it” under saddle, the rider would have to be very, very good or she would dump 'em. The first time I put an English saddle on her she bucked so hard she bucked the blanket out from under the saddle!! And that girth was not loose. I had her advertised for 2 years and never found the right person who had the mix of desire for the breed AND the skills to do right by her. So she stayed.
I also kept her because when I lost Kinor, and then his dam Karma at age 26, I still wanted a Teke around :o. I’ve since switched my program to WBs for dressage and I’ve done very well. Had a bunch of foals win their inspections, finish in the Top 10 nationally, win in hand…and now have a young WB being shown by a dressage pro.
But not really been in the Teke scene in years.
Last few years, as the horse market has gotten strong, I’ve been looking at Heart (the Teke mare) and think she should be bred… I feel she is a quality horse for her breed: she has a HUGE canter, a showy trot (could use abit more collection naturally, but tons of freedom in the shoulder). I confess I’ve never jumped her, but I honestly have never met a Teke who couldn’t jump. Her brother Kinor was a fantastic jumper the few times we tried it and her dam Karma is full or half sibling to all the Teke you mentioned in your post.
In addition Karma actually did one endurance ride when she was 11 yrs of age…just one…and they started her off with a 75 miler. Despite bucking off her Jr. Rider at the start and having to be caught up and returned to start again, Karma STILL finished in the Top 10!
So these are athletes. NOT horses for people who aren’t athletes themselves or for people who are timid or unsure. I have to stress…these horses aren’t mean or crazy…they are just sensitive and UBER athletic. When a horse with those qualities has a bit of a fit (which they might some day), you have to be able to match their “fit” ability with your riding ability…:lol:
I would have killed for a horse like Kinor or Karma or Heart when I was 20-35yrs old…alas they came to me as an old, crippled woman…still, I can see their potential as superior sporthorses.
So in 2015 I am going to finally breed Heart…NOT to another Teke because (honestly), the market is not that strong for them and generally I need to sell what I breed.
But there is a stunning WB stallion who has come into the area: his sire is a very nice son of DeNiro who has/is been successful at FEI dressage (I-1 or GP). His dam is a full siter to Verdades, Laura Graves WEG performer.
The stallion himself is lovely – about 16.1-16.2hh, black with some white socks I think. Nice boy with a VERY active trot, round canter, marching walk.
The resulting foal will be o/o the box breeding, but I believe it will be an extremely talented athlete for dressage and eventing at low-med. levels. Because I breed to sell and I realize this breeding will be considered non-trad, I hope to keep the price realistic.
If that foal turns out well, I will look around for an eventing stallion to use, since I think that is a sport that suits Tekes well.
I don’t consider this to be advertising, since the foal is not even conceived yet,:yes: but I’m hoping there are enough riders out there who are willing to purchase a horse for it’s future ability and affordability.
And I always love seeing any of my “babies” go into serious competition.
As far as this thread and the non-trad breeding…well, I’m old enough to remember when have abit of draft blood in your eventer was not odd at all; it was pretty common, actually.
Now we get our “cold” blood from WBs…the blood that supplies the bone, the foot, the calmer mind, etc. Just a more refined, probably more consistent producer that drafts, since they were never actually bred to event (talking about draft breeds here…NOT RID).
