Animal Forms and Patterns: A study of the appearance of animals, Adolf Portman, Schocken, 1967. A very technical book but very accessible due to its magnificent illustrations, with fascinating detail on how animals acquire their different colors and patterns, and the functions these colors and patterns play in animal societies and interactions. Out of print, but most definitely, find it if you can!

The Arts and Crafts of Turkestan, Johannes Kalter.

The Authentic Arabian Horse and His Descendants, Lady Wentworth, 1945 Out of print, but Lady Wentworth's domineering, opinionated style and the book's wealth of paintings, drawings and photographs make it a joy to read, and to own if you can find it. A book which was printed and produced in the old style, such as is not done today…

Beyond Bokarra, Garry Alder, 1825. Occasionally to be found in university libraries, this wonderful book details the travels of William Moorcroft, a veterinarian for the East India Company, who travelled extensively throughout Central Asia searching for the true Turkoman horse, and how, shortly before his "suspicious" death, he finally found one.

China in Central Asia by A F P Hulsewae. The classical work on the subject, and one of the most respected. A bit heavy going, but invaluable for the serious student.

Die Himmlisches Pferd (The Heavenly Horse), Wido Mosen, L. B. Ahnert-Verlag, undated (In German) A good encapsulation of the history of the Turanian horse and of the Akhal-Teke in particular. Difficult to find, but many clubs have copies you can borrow.

Divination, Mythology and Monarchy in Han China by Michael Loewe.

Domestic Animals of Central and Eastern Europe by Sandor Bökönyi. The present author came across this name repeatedly when researching the domestic ferret, and his equine expertise is just as extensive and fascinating. This difficult to find book contains extensive information on the Turkoman horse; veterinary school libraries will often have a copy.

Encyclopedia of Horsebreeding and Equestrian Sport, Gurevich and Rogalev, 1991, (in Russian) For those interested in learning about Russian horses, this is an indispensable aid and a must have for anyone attempting translation.

Equine Color Genetics, D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM The latest, greatest and most comprehensive work on this subject. A must-have book for anyone interested in horses, even if just for the pictures.

Gosudarstvennaya Plemennaya Kniga Loshadei Akhaltekinskoi Porody, (Stud book of Pedigreed Horses of the Akhal-Teke Breed), Tatiana Ryabova/M. I. Belonogov, in ten volumes. The studbooks are printed in Russian, although some English translations exists in the United States; you can find them by inquiring of the breed associations in your company.

Heritage of Central Asia, from Antiquity to the Turkish Conquest, R. Frye An excellent "Central Asia 101" type history book. Recommended reading. After this one, move on to Mounted Archers, which has the information in far greater depth.

A History of Horsemanship by Charles Pocklington Chevenix-Trench. This 1970 edition is now out of print but well worth searching for. In addition to lively prose and exceptional information, this book also boasts many excellent photographs and drawings.

Horse Breeds of Central Asia by Prof. V. O. Vitt, 1937. In Russian and very difficult to find, but if you can read Russian or get it translated, very well worth the trouble. There is also a German translation, just as hard to find. Be aware of some "politically correct" passages in this Soviet Era publication...

Horse Color: A complete guide to horse coat colors, by D. Phillip Sponenberg, DVM and Bonnie Beaver. Some of the genetics material is outdated, but this is a book you must own if only for the pictures. This book will probably be out of print soon so get your copy now!

 

 

Illustrated Book of the Horse, S. Sidney, Wilshire Book Company, 1875 This is a reprint of a book published in the 19^th century, most valuable in this case for its copious and detailed research into the early English Thoroughbred and its Oriental antecedents. Also an excellent guide to British horses, and riding and driving in general.

International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds, Bonnie Hendricks, University of Oklahoma Press 1994 . An absolutely must-have book for anyone interested in the development of horse breeds, and the ways in which breeds were influenced by time, place and politics.

Medieval Muslim Horsemanship: A Fourteenth Century Arabic Cavalry Manual by G. Rex Smith.

Mounted Archers: The Beginnings of Central Asian History by Laszlo Torday. An absolutely wonderful book about the history of Central Asia, the Turan Flats, and the various people who at one time or another inhabited it. Reads like a detective story, thoroughly documented and filled with wonderful maps. A terrific source for those with an interest in linguistics and forensic archeology.

The Noble Horse, Monique and Hans Dossenbach, Portland House, 1983, Some questionable passages may be due to errors in translation from the German (e.g., Thoroughbred horses certainly do come dappled), but an absolute wealth of information of every kind.

The Role of the Horse in Man's Culture by Harold B. Barklay.

Sacred Horses, Jonathan Maslow, 1991. An account of two journeys to Turkmenistan to see the horses there, this book is more about the people and politics than the horses but indispensable in understanding why things are the way they are there.

Saddles, by Russel H. Beatie, University of Oklahoma Press, 1997. Pictures and descriptions of every kind of saddle you can think of, and the horses that wore them.

They Rode Into Europe: The Fruitful Exchange of Horsemanship Between East and West by Miklaos Janovich. The seminal work on the subject; out of print but copies can still be found, and well worth looking for. Amazon.com will gladly search for it for you.

Tuva or Bust: Richard Feynman's Last Journey, by Ralph Leighton, W W Norton, 1991. Funny, insightful and ultimately heartbreaking book about scientist Richard Feynman's quest to visit a land he'd known only from stamp collecting, his work on the Challenger commission and his last days dealing with cancer and the USSR bureaucracy. Also contains wonderful material about the Scythians of the Tuva area and a record of Tuvan "Throat-Singing."

The Tibetal Empire in Central Asia: The Struggle for Great Power Among the Tibetans, Turks, Arabs and Chinese in the Early Middle Ages Christopher I. Beckwith, 1987, Princeton University Press, A bit heavy, and you might want to have a basic background in the history of the area before attacking it, but a very worthwhile reference.

The Turkoman Horse, Royal Horse Society, Tehran, Iran, undated, pre-1979. Written by our own Louise L. Firouz; most of the Akhal-Teke associations have copies in their libraries.

Warriors of the Steppe : A Military History of Central Asia, 500 B.C. to 1700 A.D. by Erik Hildinger. A treasure-trove of information on strategy, tactics, politics as usual and unusual, and with plenty of information about the role of the Mongolian Pony and other types of horse.

World of the Horse, Judith Campbell, Ridge Press, 1978. An absolutely beautiful book, full of pictures, with a large section on the Turkoman and Caspian horse in Iran. Out of print, but even the paperback edition is well worth searching for.

The History of the Akhal-Teke Horses, Yesterday and Today, by T. N. Riabova and N.V. Abramova, Translated by Dr. Tito Pontecorvo, 1997

The Other Horse in the Pazyryk Kurgans, Louise L. Firouz, 1998

Some Ideas About Making A Bright Future for Akhal-Tekes in America By Dr. Tito Pontecorvo

 Turkoman Horse Origin: Notes on the History of the Turkoman Horse, Louise L. Firouz, 1998

Akhal-Teke Network

Akhal-Teke Society of Great Britain

Akhal-Tekes -- Golden Horses of Asia

Brindle Horse Website

Complete Akhal-Teke Compendium

Embassy of Turkmenistan

The History Net

The International Model Akhal-Teke Association

Lost City of Arabia/ NOVA

Nova, WGBH: "Ice Mummies: the Siberian Ice Maiden." 1998

NASA satellite photograph library

Perspectives on Central Asia Website

The Red Book of Peoples of the Russian Empire

Russian Horse Breeds: Akhal-Teke

The Silk Road Project

Timeline of the Reign of Nikita Krushchev

Turkestan National Liberation Movement

The Turkmen History Website

Turkmenistan Information Center

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