This beautiful rare breed of horse from Turkmenistan is known as Akhal-Teke.

With its glistening and shiny coat, the horse stands out among its peers. The Akhal-Teke possess genes which enables their coats to reflect and retract light, lending it that smooth sheen.

They are also known to be strong, athletic horses and can be used in sports.

Extremely intelligent but very sensitive, they respond to gentle behaviour but get stubborn and resentful when handled rudely. 

However the breed is a rare one and reports differ on the number of these horses existing today. While some say that there are only around 6,600 of these horses living, some put the number down to as low as 3,500. 

Theories regarding their origin are varied, but it is generally believed that tribes from Turkmenistan bred horses selectively to use them for raiding. The Akhal-Teke have thoroughbreds for ancestors.

These horses possess shiny coats in different colours like black, dark-brown, sorrel, dun, and white.

They can withstand extreme conditions and are known for their endurance. The horses can survive extreme heat, dry cold and drought-like conditions. Records in history show that these horses could cover 80-100 miles in 24 hours and go days without water.

The Chinese refer to these beauties as ‘horses from heaven’.

And they do look pretty unreal for this world.