10/22/2026
Akhal-Teke Update - Fall 2026
It's been an interesting summer. Four foals are on the ground at the nonprofit Akhal-Teke Center, work to understand and protect North America’s Akhal-Teke population has reached an important milestone, and the ATF has shared our conservation approach with the international Akhal-Teke community.
Things seem to be coming together. The horses in our care, information we're gathering about the breed, and growing relationships are all contributing to our common purpose — building a future for the Akhal-Teke that's worthy of its extraordinary history.
Here's a look at what's been happening — and what lies ahead.
The horses: Our work begins at home
At the Akhal-Teke Center in Lexington, Virginia, the daily cycles continue: caring for all the horses, developing young stock, maintaining the health and well-being of the older horses, and making thoughtful choices for the next generation.
Three foals had arrived, Zoe, Alex, and Kaelie, by June. And in July, we welcomed bay filly Ava (Seminole × Swan Akylly Baytal), Ally’s first foal. The breeding season wrapped up with four confirmed pregnancies by three different stallions. Each represents another small but important step in sustaining this legendary breed.
Behind every Akhal-Teke foal is a much bigger picture: generations of breeding decisions, the preservation of valuable bloodlines, and the responsibility to ensure that these horses have a future.
In that big picture, one element that stands out this year is the priceless value of archived frozen semen. The 2026 foals Alex and Zoe bring back the lines of their stallions who were collected in the 1980s. And we’re grateful for new donations of frozen Akhal-Teke semen that support our current conservation breeding program, and will preserve vital options for future generations.
Of course, training and handling remain part of this responsibility. And for instance, with generous volunteer assistance from Jaime Blees of Hope Horsemanship, the mares Sayda (Swan Yurekli Sazada) and Nina (short for Nazenin) in particular have been developing their skills during a year off from breeding. These efforts help us understand each horse’s abilities and potential while preparing them for an active and connected life.
Every day at the Center is a balance of immediate needs and long-term stewardship. The horses, at the center of everything here, are the reason for both.
A clearer picture of the breed’s future
The Akhal-Teke Foundation has completed the first comprehensive survey of North America’s Akhal-Teke population, establishing a new baseline for the breed’s future. The census findings point to some 350 purebred horses across the continent, with annual foal production well below replacement levels.
In September, ATF presented initial census findings and key points of our conservation-breeding framework at the international Akhal-Teke conference in Kronenberg, the Netherlands. We hope the presentation helps propel broader conversation about shared opportunities for breeders, scientists, and organizations to safeguard the breed across generations and national boundaries.
Coming this winter: A closer look at conservation
How did we take the measure of a rare horse population? What can a census tell us about its future? And how can breeders use that information to make better decisions for generations to come? This winter, the ATF plans to present a series of webinars exploring these questions.
We’ll begin with the 2026 North American Akhal-Teke Census: how we developed it, what the numbers reveal, and what they tell us about the population’s strengths and vulnerabilities. From there, we’ll explore conservation breeding both as principles and as a practical approach — including how pedigree information, rare bloodlines, genetic relationships, and preserved reproductive material can inform breeding decisions.
The census has given us a clearer picture of where the North American population stands today. We’re excited to share what we have learned, why it matters, and how we might work together to translate these findings into action.
Connecting with the Akhal-Teke homeland
September also brought a special opportunity to deepen international Akhal-Teke connections.
As a guest of Turkmenistan and with travel grant support, ATF president Pat Johnston attended the grand opening of their expansive new Akhal-Teke Equestrian Complex along with a conference of the International Akhal-Teke Horse Breeding Association.
The celebrations honored a breed with a history inseparable from the Turkmen people, whose horsemanship and cultural traditions have safeguarded these horses for centuries.
The experience reminded us that the future of the Akhal-Teke depends on a community so much larger than any one country or breeding program. The horses in North America are part of a shared international heritage, sustained by generations of breeders, owners, and organizations whose work has helped carry the breed forward.
The Akhal-Teke has endured through extraordinary changes in the world around it. Ensuring that future generations inherit the breed’s genetic richness, athletic ability, and distinctive character is a responsibility shared across the international community.
Looking ahead
The Foundation’s work continues on all fronts: caring for the horses at the Center, refining our conservation-breeding strategy, improving the information available to breeders, and building relationships to support the breed’s future.
None of this happens in isolation. It all depends on the commitment of breeders who make thoughtful breeding decisions, owners who care for these horses, volunteers who contribute time and expertise, scientists with state of the art knowledge, and especially, on supporters who recognize the importance of preserving a rare and irreplaceable breed.
We are so grateful to everyone who helps make this progress possible!
Thank you for being part of the Akhal-Teke Foundation community, and for helping safeguard the Akhal-Tekes today, and for generations to come.
Please give Pat a call at 541-485-7757, or Kevin at 541-514-4766, or text or email if you have any questions or comments. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you again for supporting the endangered Akhal-Teke horses!
PS: There's still time this beautiful autumn to meet the golden horses in person. Akhal-Teke Center farm tours are available seven afternoons each week, by reservation. Come by if you can — we’d love to see you!
Akhal-Teke Center
