Swan Farm Akhal-Tekes

03/30/2026

The legacy continues in Lexington Virginia. ☺️

01/04/2026

Taylor swarmed by seven and eight month old horse puppies this evening at the Akhal-Teke Center. ❤️

12/18/2025

“This is not a pretty picture. But in fact, it is deadly important.”

This is not a pretty picture. But in fact, it is deadly important.

AKHAL-TEKE POPULATION COLLAPSE - PART ONE

This graph, based on a detailed mathematical model, shows the trajectory of Akhal-Teke horses in North America, based on current actual breeding practices — without conservation breeding.

The importance of this graph for the Akhal-Teke breed in North America can hardly be overstated.

With only around 10 foals per year, and around 350 total Akhal-Tekes, the current “breeding intensity” comes to 15% — meaning that only 15% of potential mare breedings are even attempted.

This reality quantifies a natural phenomenon in the U.S. horse world: Most mares are kept as riding and companion horses, and not bred.

This is natural, because only a fraction of horse owners are horse breeders. Horse breeding is hard. Most people are not in a position to breed their horses, even if they wanted to.

But this phenomenon disguises the desperate predicament of the rare Akhal-Teke breed — because only the mares who are bred continue the breed. It’s not the total number of horses that determines the future of the breed. It’s only the fraction of horses actually getting bred who create the future.

And with a biological maximum of one foal per mare per year under perfect circumstances, there’s no magic wand to rapidly increase the Akhal-Teke population.

The conservation breeding program at the nonprofit national Akhal-Teke Center is one strong way to increase that critical breeding intensity, at least for the eligible mares among the growing herd in residence — building the next generation of Akhal-Tekes with community support — attending to both quality and diversity. Literally producing most of the foals born in the U.S. in 2025.

With your generous support, together we can fight to turn around this grim projection. Together, we can pull the legendary, endangered Akhal-Tekes back from the brink.

Help save the beloved Akhal-Tekes. Your donation of any amount is matched dollar for dollar through midnight on 12/31/2025:

https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/267130-end-of-year-2025

12/18/2025

12/02/2025

People around the world are coming together today to celebrate generosity and make an impact. At the all-volunteer nonprofit Akhal-Teke Foundation, we have a goal of supporting four pregnant mares, Ally, Anadana, Kurinka, and Zenus, with $2000 each toward their pregnancy and foaling expenses.

With your help, we can make this a reality. PLUS —

Your gift will also make TWICE the impact, thanks to a generous group of donors who are matching your gift, dollar-for-dollar!

Your support is what makes the sweet, beautiful, dynamic, and endangered Akhal-Tekes possible, today, and tomorrow. And today your gift is doubled!

Will you help the endangered Akhal-Tekes?

Give now:
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/265267-akhal-teke-giving-tuesday-2025

Checks can be written to "Akhal-Teke Foundation"
and be mailed to...

Akhal-Teke Foundation
2989 Maury River Rd
Lexington, VA 24450

Contributions are tax-deductible. The Akhal-Teke Foundation is where people come together to build the future of this legendary endangered breed, the Akhal-Teke horse.

More about Akhal-Teke Foundation programs...
https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/programs.html

Sponsor an Akhal-Teke Horse...
https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/horse_sponsorship.html

Join our email list…
https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/email_list.html

11/25/2025

Just one week to Akhal-Teke Giving Tuesday!

Giving Tuesday is a big day for nonprofits, and it's just around the corner. This year, please consider the Akhal-Teke Foundation with a generous heart — where people come together for the future of this endangered breed, the Akhal-Teke horse.

This year, the Akhal-Teke Foundation makes giving easier:

- Donate directly, online or by check.
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/265267-akhal-teke-giving-tuesday-2025

- Donate stock, and avoid capital gains taxes.
https://donatestock.com/akhal-teke-foundation

- Donate from an IRA, and your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) requirement if you’re over 73 can be met by a direct tax-free donation to the Akhal-Teke Foundation as a Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD).

- Donate from a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) with EasyDAF.
https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/supporters.html

- Donate with your place of employment, if your employer matches charitable donations. Just log on at your employer's charty portal, and search on "Akhal" to find the ATF. Many employers, such as Microsoft, will match employee’s charitable donation.

- Donate all year in bite sized amounts with recurring gifts.
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/265267-akhal-teke-giving-tuesday-2025

More info at our Ways to Give page
https://www.akhaltekefoundation.org/supporters.html

You can donate on Giving Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

Or you can donate for Giving Tuesday right now. https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/265267-akhal-teke-giving-tuesday-2025

The bottom line is that your support is what makes the sweet, beautiful, dynamic, and endangered Akhal-Tekes possible, today, and tomorrow.

Thank you!!

And Happy Thanksgiving to you, from all of us at the Akhal-Teke Foundation!

with best wishes,

Pat

Patricia K. Johnston, President
Akhal-Teke Foundation
541-485-7757 text and voice
[email protected]

📷 Grace (Caladesi x Gavinka) and Sami (Kiergen x Swan Yurekli Sazada) are 2025 foals growing up at the foundation's Akhal-Teke Center in Lexington, Virginia. Visitors welcome!

Contributions are tax-deductible. The Akhal-Teke Foundation is an award-winning, all-volunteer 501(c)3 public charity for preservation of the rare and amazing Akhal-Teke horses.

11/20/2025

Six months old today 😍

11/14/2025

We’re just thrilled to announce! ☺️

New tests on Tuesday morning have revealed that Akhal-Teke mares Ally and Kurinka are pregnant! Woohoo!! 🎉🎉

These new results bring the conservation breeding program at the nonprofit Akhal-Teke Center up to four foals expected in 2026.

Each of these pregnancies brings us closer to the big goal of sustainability for Akhal-Tekes in North America!

And each of these pregnant mares is available now for sponsorship at any level that works for you:

Zenus x Goklen, expected around March
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/241403-sponsor-zenus

Anadana x Arik, expecting around March
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/241330-sponsor-anadana

Ally x Danny, expecting around June
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/241362-sponsor-swan-akylly-baytal

Kurinka x Danny, expecting around June
https://akhaltekefoundation.networkforgood.com/projects/241349-sponsor-kurinka

With only about ten foals born across North America each year, every pregnancy and every healthy foal is a breakthrough for the endangered Akhal-Teke breed.

The numbers show that most Akhal-Teke foals who are sold commercially never get bred — simply because most horse owners are not horse breeders.

Valuable diverse genetics can get lost, and annual foal crops have dwindled, as most of the few ‘Tekes born in the U.S. have gone to homes that don't breed them. That's completely normal in the American horse world. But it is devastating for a breed as rare as the legendary Akhal-Teke.

The Akhal-Teke Foundation was borne out of an analysis that revealed that one of the primary threats to recovery of this breed was actually, in a way, its own popularity. The foundation’s conservation breeding program is guided by horse first principles… and on a demographic model of what it will take to save the Akhal-Teke breed.

At the foundation's Akhal-Teke Center in Lexington, Virginia, with your help, the ATF is actually starting to reverse the breed's decline, building a genetically diverse breeding herd to maintain a critical gene pool while serving as a rich resource for breeders nationwide.

The bottom line is that your support is what makes these sweet, beautiful, endangered Akhal-Tekes possible, today, and tomorrow.

Thank you!!

📷 Akhal-Teke stallion Danny, registered name Seminole (Durkhal-Shael x Ianka, 2016)

Read this announcement on the web…
https://akhaltekefoundation.dm.networkforgood.com/emails/4300041?recipient_id=B4BvkeaCgoR-bw33gHjUlg%7C%7Cc3dhbmZhcm1kZXh0ZXJAZ21haWwuY29t