Part of the marketing scheme for the Akhal Teke has always been its rarity. The history of the breed tells us, that up to roughly 1900 the Akhal Teke population size was by no means small.

As explained in the history, purity and aptitude sections, already the gene pool of the Teke tribal horses (including all horses bred by the three  main Teke tribes and their 42 subtribes) was rather diverse, composed of several different types or strains and at least two major employ variations. As we also learned, judicious outbreeding to the now extinct other Turkoman strains, e.g. Salor, Karadashly and Saryk, occurred repeatedly wherever nomad tribes touched geographically or culturally. Pre-1900 travellers of the Turan flat region reported herds of horses of considerable size. Rarity was no issue then, nor was a 100% studbook closure the case.

Looking at the prowess and efficiency of the Turkoman horses, therein included the various Teke strains, one can safely assume that numbers were definitely high enough, genes diverse enough, to have a healthy gene pool without genetical problems in evidence. For centuries these horses were a much sought after, but certainly not a rare commodity. Any sort of apparent rarity prior to 1900 was the consequence of the Turkomans' dislike to trade their horses to outsiders or enemies, not actual numbers.

However, after the 1880es the gene pool we today call Akhal Teke was pushed through four genetical bottlenecks, resulting in a de facto rarity today:

• During the Russian/Soviet-Turkoman wars between 1881 and 1932 many Turkoman tribes left the political sphere of Russian/Soviet influence (then called Transcaspia), relocating permanently to Persia or Afghanistan. Of course they took their horses with them. During the same period the Teke were separated from their lifestock. Private property was seized under the Russian military and later under Stalin, including the warhorses of the Turkoman tribes. During the last uprises of the Turkoman tribes in the early 20th century the Soviet generals engaged in severe punishment activities, practically exterminating whole tribes to the point that only the Akhal and Mary Teke, and the western and northern Yamouds were left of the 5 main tribes. These punishments usually included killing every man, woman and child and destroying their possessions as well. This all put together means, that within a short span of time a large body of Turkoman horses were either slaughtered, dispersed as spoils of war among the armies or left the Soviet frontiers completely. When stock was taken for the first Akhal Teke studbook, there were but a few hundred Turkoman horses left, which were now called Akhal Teke.
  
  
• After WWII, during which quite a few Akhal Teke horses served as cannon fodder, and up to the 60ies short distance racing led to a heightened use of the horses heavily infused with English thoroughbred blood in Turkmenia. Several pure old sire lines were allowed to die out (including that of Bek Nasar Dor), a large number of absolutely pure sires were never used in breeding. Instead the racetrack stars Karlawach, Kambar and Polotli established themselves as the most prominent sires in Turkmenia. This, among other things, led to V.E. Shamborant's relocation to the Tersk stud in the Russian part of the Sovietunion, taking the most purebred horses he could find with him. In a practical sense, this was a bifurcation of the gene pool, with both groups suffering great losses of genetic diversity, though in differing manners. The Turkmenian-based horses were selected according to racing with but a few very impure sires used almost exclusively. The Russian-based horses got selected according to type, to be more precise, according to the type of Boinou. That development culminated in the sire Gelishikli and his offspring, who laid the foundation to that genetic bottleneck.
  
  
• The breed suffered the next great loss during the late 60ies and 70ies, firstly due large numbers of horses being exported for foreign currency and as part of the exchange of grain vs. lifestock with the western countries. Many of these exported horses never were used for breeding (a prime example is the truly excellent stallion Beshtau) Akhal Tekes inside the closed studbook. But secondly there were also mass slaughters of Teke (and Yamoud) horses, especially in Turkmenia, to achieve set meat quota and to diminish the numbers of animals to feed.
  
  
• A comparatively minor, yet important loss of genetic material for the breed occured with the retroactive closure of the 7th studbook in the 80ies, including the subsequent culling of horses. Yet another sire line was lost, as was a complete breeding group (Agat) and a large number of horses bred specifically for performance in the satellite Soviet countries.

What breeders need to understand is that such a succession of severe genetical bottlenecks during but 100 years is an unparalleled situation within a breed, which can only be compared to the near-extinction of a wild species. Actual genetical diversity, compared to the pre-1900 situation, was diminished a hundredfold, compared to the first studbook it still means a lessening by at least 50% of the original few horses inscribed into it. This might have been beatable, by a genetic point of view, with a concerted, conscious effort of breeding for diversity. However, the breed has been and is being through all those 100 years selected and culled according to a set of selection rules which are not the same as those the breed was conceived upon (see section on selection). Loss of genetic diversity is hence ongoing and still heavy, as is inbreeding.

The average AVK of modern Akhal Teke is 50% or less, with several groups now having achieved an AVK of 30-35%. For the horses prior to Russian/Soviet intervention we can safely assume an AVK of 95-100%. The reduction to 45-50% as an average documents a monumental loss of diversity.

Now, why is all of this important, expecially as sheer numbers of Akhal Teke horses are rising and the breed outwardly appears to be quite healthy?

Let us remember where this breed comes from: it, including the best other Turkoman strains, was the most enduring, the hardiest, the fastest horse breed over long distance of the area for several millennia. Its excellence was so overpowering, that everyone having to deal with the Turkoman and Teke tribes considered it an unsurpassed war machine and the means by which these nomads lived the bellicose lifestyle they had. The superiority was so great, that this breed ameliorated many other breeds and helped found quite a few of the most important horse breeds on the planet today. Wherever and whenever the Turkoman/Teke horse engaged in a competitive situation, it excelled and won. We are not talking races or some hobbyist pastimes here, these instances mean actual battle victories and survival. Turkoman and Teke horses were also famous for their easy keep, longevity, fertility, health, strength, density of their bones, large heart size, good nerves, good character and working capacity. We can see that and where they traded these factors dominantly to the breeds they ameliorated.

Now let us apply a little logic to the current situation.

Given the abovementioned superiority (which without question was in effect at a set time), and given the now relatively large number of Teke not just bred but also actively ridden, not just in Russia or Turkmenia, but also in Europe and the USA, the Teke should - very easily - topple the currently most successful endurance breeds from their pedestal. Well if not those, at least achieve prominent success in the other fields it has or is said to have great aptitude for. It ought to be dead easy. Russia has scores of elite horses, situated in stables able to sponsor excellent riders. Europe and the USA have by now just as excellently graded horses, also owned by people well enough off to engage in high class events. Never before the situation was so open to enter the Teke in any type of competition. It is not even so, as if no Teke are in such competitions, they are. So - they should be excelling the living hell out of the other breeds.

However, this is not the case. It is not even nearly the case, not even marginally. There are but a very small handful of Akhal Teke competing at Grand Prix level in any discipline, as recorded by the FEI. There are quite a few horse populations smaller than the Teke is nowadays, which are better represented in these statistics. And those Teke which managed to make the statistics are way down the ranking, also runners actually. Even in endurance or trail riding, two disciplines which ought to be like taking candy from a baby for the Teke, there are no major competitors of the breed in evidence and even in the lower and lowest national levels they are rarely regular winners.

So if they do not win as they ought to, let us have a look at the supposed superiority regarding other values. Maybe Teke owners are not serious about competing (their horses), maybe they prefer to have them securely at home. This could be an explanation for the abovementioned lack of modern achievements. So, the other values.

Whoever has a hard look at the statistics will be astounded by the high and very high numbers of early deaths.

Quite some are accidental deaths. While accidents can happen with every kind of horse and breed, it is curious that the frequency among Teke is so exorbitant, even if you discount the usual amount of sheer mismanagement by owners. The numbers also do not vary that much between inside and outside CIS, that they could be attributed to non-Russians/non-Turkmenians being incapable of managing hotblooded horses. Add to that that the Turkoman horses used to be better managable than e.g. Arabians, as the nomads preferred riding the stallions, not the mares, and add to that that the Turkoman horses were famed for keeping a level head even in the most stressing situations, then you arrive at the supposition that there must have been a distinct change to the character and psychology of this breed during the past 120 years which now makes it more accident prone than it was before.

Yet even if you discount these accidents, and you really ought not to do that, there are a large number of horses which die well before reaching an age of 20 years. Given what we know of the median lifetimes of similar warhorse and endurance breeds (Arabian, Mustang, Criollo, etc.), 20 years is even a low median age to aim at. Modern Akhal Teke barely attain it as a group. The past decade has seen countless deaths of relatively young horses, many of which were not directly related to infections or outwardly caused sicknesses. This does not touch mainly horses coming from famine areas or times either, lots of these horses were raised and maintained perfectly. This is something you find in other horse breeds too, one example is the Friesian, and if you look at its genetic background, it has suffered from just one severe genetical bottleneck and has been culled on health issues (but championbred to color and looks too).

Lastly the number of immunerelated and genetical problems are clearly rising within the breed. Few breeders will directly own up to it, but lately many Teke suffer from the type of allergies which are signs of genetic trouble, including skin, respiratory and digestion problems. Many suffer from a variety of weaknesses and ensuing incapacitations which used to have been unknown in the breed, such as tendon and bone problems, back problems, conjunctive tissue weaknesses, nutritional dysfunctions and an immune system not up to normal demands. We also recently started to see genetic load taking its toll, with several lethal recessives coming to bear on the breed's health lately too.

Given the fact, that there are not so many Teke around that one will not notice when one or the other ceases to be shown, ridden, competed, bred or dies, the attentive observer ought to be aware of this. Many however appear to choose not to see what they do not want to see.

What a neutral onlooker, well-versed in animal breeding genetics, will notice is clear: the Akhal Teke is suffering from the first stages of inbreeding depression, genetic drift and loss of formerly well-fixed traits, fastly so. The probability that this, together with the atypical selection of the Teke since the beginning of the last century, is the reason why we do not see Teke perform today as they should, is very high.

The following pages will help you understand, what this means, what caused it, where it leads and why  further deterioration is in the near offing unless something is done to stop and revert what is happening.