If you have ever watched Animal Planet, you know our Earth is full of many stunning creatures. Horses, for example, come in all shapes and sizes.
However, you probably have never seen any horses like the ones in the photos below:
These incredible animals are called Akhal-Teke horses and are native to Turkmenistan.
Akhal-Teke horses are revered throughout Asia as well. They are nicknamed “golden horses” or “horses from heaven” in China. The horses were originally bred to survive in extreme weather conditions and are known for their intelligence, endurance, and speed. Their most striking attribute is their lustrous coats which seem to reflect the light.
The reason for these beautiful coats is that the structure of their hair follicles differs somewhat from other horses. The core of each hair strand is not as opaque as that of other horse breeds. There is a larger transparent portion which takes up more space and captures more light. All this explains that glorious sheen as pictured below:
Akhal-Teke are quite rare. In 2012, the last count had approximately 6,600 Akhal-Tekes on Earth, the majority of which are in Turkmenistan and Russia. Because of their prized status, the government of Turkmenistan sometimes gifts these animals to other countries as diplomatic gifts.
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