Our Breed

What is an “AkHaloosa”?
An Akhaloosa is more than just a spotted Akhal-Teke. It is an elegant, colorful, versatile athlete; an Akhal-Teke without the attitude, a spotted horse that isn’t stocky. It is an equine partner that combines loyalty to its rider with a “can-do” “look at me” attitude. A horse that simply makes you stop and say “WOW!”

AKHAL-TEKES & SPOTTED HORSES: A BRIEF HISTORY
Akhal-Tekes were the original domesticated horse; all other modern horses descend from them. Hailing from the desert steppes of Central Asia, Akhal-Tekes were metallic colored, long, lean, comfortable riding horses that were unwavering loyal and could travel long distances without much food or water. Known as “the Golden Horse” and used as war mounts, the legendary Akhal-Teke steeds helped generations of conquerors rule, from the Scythians, Pathians, and Ywati, to Ghengis Khan and his Huns, finally to the Turkmen who brought the world the Arabian horse. Today, Akhal-Tekes are a rare breed found primarily in Russian and Turkmenistan, but used worldwide as sporthorses in a variety of disciplines.

Interestingly, for almost as long as we have had records of the domesticated horse, we have had records of spotted horses.  Appearing in legends, carvings, cave drawings, relics and especially Chinese art, we know that spotted horses existed in the same areas the Akhal-Teke once reigned supreme. Undeniably, some ancient Akhal-Tekes had a spotted coat pattern. Today they do not, but some still carry the genetic remnants in striped hooves, sabino coloring, and white sclera. The Chinese called them “Heavenly Horses”; we know them today as “Appaloosas”.

NEZ PERCE HORSES –vs- APPALOOSAS
The practice of cross-breeding modern Akhal-Tekes and Appaloosas began in 1989 with the Nez Perce Tribe of Lapwai, Idaho, in an effort to recreate the traditional, spotted Indian horse of their ancestors-- a horse registered today as a Nez Perce Horse.  Our stallion HALHELOOYA (Nez Perce for “spider”), is one of the finest examples of a Nez Perce Horse that exists.

Unfortunately, to qualify for the Nez Perce Registry, horses must descend from one of the original four Akhal-Teke stallions that the tribe used and ApHC registered mares. While many fine horses do so (like Halhelooya and our mare Lochsa), we feel this restriction unnecessarily limits the blood of numerous and perhaps superior Akhal-Tekes. Thus, Alpha Omega was founded to not only preserve the rare Akhal-Teke breed, but also to promote it through the careful crossing with finely-bred Appaloosas in an effort to recapture the ancient spotted coat pattern while producing a fine Sporthorse for modern times.

While we strive to use primarily Foundation-bred Appaloosa horses, we do not reject modern line Appaloosas bearing the blood of Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds since DNA technology has proven that the Akhal-Teke is not only the oldest horse, but also was Byerly Turk, a stallion responsible for the creation of the Thoroughbred. However, we do strive to prevent the infusion of Arabian blood, believing the Arabian developed later as a parallel, but polar opposite, desert horse to the Akhal-Teke.

Similarly, our Akhaloosas cannot YET be registered with the Appaloosa Horse Club because, although the Club allows crosses with Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians (even if solid colored!), they arbitrarily reject spotted horses of other breeding. Registration is permitted through the Appaloosa Sporthorse Association.

Thus, if we were going to resurrect the ancient spotted horse for modern times, we would need to do so with a new name and a new breed registry. Hence the Akhaloosa Horse Registry (AkHR) was born!