HGG Community Forums

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 7:40 AM

We are in need of the breed description for the AT. I need TWO descriptions because this breed will have two variants. A lighter racing-type build, and a medium weight more working-type build. These will be called Akhal Teke (L) and Akhal Teke (M). The descriptions can be very similar or unique.

I need a roughly 250-character-long blurb about the real-life breed (about 3 sentences). It must be between 200 and 300 characters long. This is strictly enforced and I will toss out anything less than 200 or more than 300 characters.

Please use a Character Counter to confirm your length before posting.
https://wordcounter.net/character-count

-To enter simply post your description(s) below. ou can enter as many times as you want.
-I will only be picking one winner across all three servers. (1 winner total) The winner will receive 5 BC tokens to unlock a new breed characteristic of their choice.

Here are some prior examples to help you understand what I am looking for.

"The Saddlebred has a well-proportioned and muscular body with a deep chest, strong shoulders, a long, arched neck, and refined straight or slightly concave profile. Their short back leads to a level croup with high set tail, and long and sloping pasterns give them an animated stride."

"A beautiful combination of refinement and power, the modern Friesian is an ideal sport horse with warmblood-like movement. They have long legs and a high, noble head carriage with a calm and expressive eye. Their thick, wavy mane and tail and feathered pasterns add to their majestic bearing."

"The Suffolk Punch has a powerful, arching neck; well-muscled, sloping shoulders; a short, wide back; and a muscular, broad croup. Legs are short and strong, with broad joints; sound, well-formed hooves; and minimal feathering on the fetlocks. They tend to be shorter but more massively built."

Historically a cavalry steed, the Polish Arabian is more athletic and functional in form than other Arabians. They are smaller with a short back and long, arched neck. The head is refined yet broad, adding to their endurance, with a straight or slightly dished face, flared nostrils, and large eyes.

The Pura Raza Española is the traditional horse of Spain and was the favored war mount of knights and nobility across Europe. This extremely agile breed now excels in classical dressage. They have compact bodies with powerful hindquarters, handsome arched necks, and a kind yet dignified expression.

Most distinguishable by their ample feathering and thick, flowing mane and tail, the Traditional Cob is both flashy and practical, stocky yet elegant, with a straight profile and kind eye. Originally bred to pull caravans, they have an easy temperament and can also be ridden for pleasure and show.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 7:43 AM

Will the medium one be like the Friesian and able to be used on multiple bone weights? (In this case, light and medium?)

I’ll be back with an entry lol

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 7:49 AM

I have not 100% decided on that, but I am leading toward that. With the light version being only for light-boned.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 7:57 AM

*crosses fingers* lol

Cavalynn · Nov 20, 2023 8:07 AM

I'm so glad there are going to be two instead of a compromise. Thanks so much for putting in the extra work! :)

Btw, how long is this going to be open?

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 8:13 AM

I don't know so I did not include an end date. :)

ChateauAlbere · Nov 20, 2023 9:30 AM

I did not mention the metallic coat since that will depend on color genetics and (as I understand) is not inherent in the BC art. I can adjust that.

Racing type:
Developed in the deserts of central Asia and known for their endurance, the Akhal-Teke is known for a lithe build with a sloping shoulder and upright neck, a convex profile, almond-shaped eyes, and long ears. Akhal-Tekes are highly intelligent and very athletic. Racing-type Akhal Tekes are more lean and combine endurance with speed.

Working type:
Developed in the deserts of central Asia and known for their endurance, the Akhal-Teke is known for a lean build with a sloping shoulder and upright neck, a convex profile, almond-shaped eyes, and long ears. Akhal-Tekes are highly intelligent and very athletic. Working-type Akhal Tekes have used this athleticism to succeed in a variety of disciplines.

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 11:02 AM

I am calling them Akhal Teke (L) and Akhal Teke (M) in the game. I don't know if calling them racing type and working type is correct.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 4:01 PM

Is it okay if the descriptions are virtually identical? Or are you wanting to see more variance?

Here is my entry:

Akhal Teke (L)
Elegance, speed, and stamina define this ancient breed. Uniquely built, these horses feature long upright necks, big shoulders, and strong withers. Their heads have straight profiles and long ears. The lighter type is often compared to greyhound. They are often among the most recognizable horses of the breed.

Akhal Teke (M)
While the lighter type is often the first to come to mind with the Akhal Teke, the medium type is gaining traction in the sport horse world. These horses still share the same distinctive characteristics of the lighter types with long, upright necks, big shoulders, and strong withers. Their heads feature straight profiles and long ears. Their elegance, speed, and stamina make them very versatile.

--I'm feeling a little uninspired/creatively lacking today, but I'm excited about this one so I gave it a go anyway.

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 4:03 PM

Virtually identical is no problem at all! This is a great write-up. I am hoping that someone who really knows the breed can give some insights on if they have different terms.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 4:08 PM

Thank you :x

And me, too! I'm not super knowledgeable, but I did used to pour over my breed books and have always had a pet interest :))

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 4:16 PM

I do know that Akhal Teke are/were also called Turkmen/Turkomen horses, but I don't know that the alternate name would be helpful for the types because googling that name pretty much gives you the same wide variances in type that googling Akhal Teke gets you :))

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 4:20 PM

My impression is that the breed is more talked about in terms of lines and less in terms of function but I could be way wrong in that. They are very much a Russian-speaking world breed and it's hard to get much info about them in English.

Ammit · Nov 20, 2023 4:22 PM

The Turkomen was an older breed that predates the AT and may or may not have become the Akhal Teke. They aren't the same thing though.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 20, 2023 4:24 PM

Oh! Interesting!

Herzeloyde · Nov 20, 2023 6:04 PM

"The Akhal Teke is a truly unique horse in the world. Bred for high speed and endurance in the tough deserts of today's Turkmenistan, they are the golden horses of the historic Silk Road, and one of the oldest breeds that still exists today.
They were admired for their intelligence, unique greyhoundlike appearance, and color. The hairs of their coat are hollow, giving the horse a special shine.

This breed is represented in the game with 2 body types, the Akhal Teke (L) and the slightly more massive Akhal Teke (M) to reflect some of the diversity created by the many different lines in the breed"

*********

(English is not my first language, so feel free to correct anything strange if you decide to use something from this text)

**********

The Turkoman horse was an old breed, now extinct, from the same area as the Akhal Teke, but some use the term Turkmen horse for any horse from Turkmenistan.

Akhal is an oasis in Turkmenistan, and the Teke is a nomadic people from the area. When Turkmenistan became a part of the Russian empire in the 19th century, the studbook was taken by the russians.
When Turkmenistan again became an independent country after the fall of the Soviet union, the Russian state refused to give the stud book back, forcing Turkmenistan to create a new stud book for them, based on written and oral traditions. The official/international stud book is still in Russia. Both stud books are disputed for different reasons.

CheshireFarms · Nov 21, 2023 1:35 AM

I don't know about the Turkomen horse being extinct. There's history in the Akhal Teke where breeders fled into Iran and Afghanistan, or smuggled/released horses into the deserts when the Russian studs were going to be processed for food. I wish I was at my house, I had some articles saved that discussed horses in Iran. But I'm away dog sitting at a friends the rest of the week. There are horses in Iran that are called Turkomen, or some variation of it. Photos I've seen very much resemble the Akhal Teke. But I don't recall what kind of oversight they have. Many places don't have registrations like what we think of. Sometimes it's just a person with a passion for the breed and making the most they can with the limited resources they have. Other times it's an agricultural department within the government. In the case of Turkomens, I recall seeing a report from some inter-governmental organization that was collecting agricultural data. And then of course you have the Iomud, but I'm going to go all over the place if I don't stop now lol.

I couldn't remember how many characters to keep it under, but I thought it was 300? Was hard to do and not use so much flowery language usually seen when describing this breed lol. Just doesn't flow well without it lol

Light
A combination of ancient history and modern athleticism, the Akhal Teke of today excels in sports. Their bodies are long and lean with a strong straight back, exotic neck, narrow but deep chest, and lofty legs with dense bone. Often used in Racing, the Lighter build was bred for endurance & speed.

Medium
A combination of ancient history and modern athleticism, the versatile Akhal Teke of today has the agility, intelligence, speed, and stamina to excel in many sports. They are long and lean with a strong straight back, exotic neck, narrow but deep chest, and lofty legs with smooth floating gaits.

Cavalynn · Nov 21, 2023 1:32 PM

Akhal Teke (L)

The Akhal Teke (L) is a thrifty athlete with high withers and greyhound-like build. They retain the competitive temperament and fluid gait of their ancient nomadic ancestors, serving them well today in racing, show jumping, and dressage. Their loyalty and willingness can make them a true partner.

Akhal Teke (M)

The Akhal Teke (M) has well-defined muscles, smoothing the outline of the still-distinct bone structure. They retain the competitive temperament and endurance of their ancient nomadic ancestors, serving them well today in many disciplines. Their loyalty and willingness can make them a true partner.

I'll work on refining these further tonight if this is still open. :)

Cavalynn · Nov 22, 2023 10:37 AM

Here's another attempt:

Akhal Teke (L)

The Akhal Teke (L) is a thrifty athlete with greyhound-like agility. Their desert origins, energy, lithe frame, and high withers gives them both speed and endurance. They retain the competitive temperament and fluid gait of their nomadic ancestors, serving them well today in racing and show jumping.

Akhal Teke (M)

The Akhal Teke (M) has well-defined muscles, smoothing the outline of the still-distinct bone structure. Their desert origins, energy, and high withers gives them both speed and stamina. They retain the competitive temperament of their nomadic ancestors, serving them well today in many disciplines.

Ammit · Nov 23, 2023 7:41 AM

Winners have been selected!

Light:
@DarkPhoenix Mesa(15470)
A stunning desert horse bred for war, the Akhal Teke is a gorgeous blend of power and elegance. Known for their intelligence, stamina, and metallic sheen, they are easily recognized for their delicate build, with slender necks, short tails, long backs, high withers, and sloping shoulders.

Medium:
@Lallyhop Forest (45703)
Originally from Turkmenistan, the noble Akhal-Teke has gained fame worldwide for their clever intelligence, their spectacular speed and endurance, and their shimmering metallic coats. With a refined head and leanly muscled body, they are today well known for their grace in dressage and show jumping.

Congrats to our winners. You will both be receiving 5 BC tokens.

paradoxphoenix · Nov 23, 2023 8:38 AM

Congrats to the winners!

Counting down to the release! :D

CheshireFarms · Nov 23, 2023 9:41 AM

Congratulations!

May I make one suggestion however, "short tails" is misleading. They can have sparse/thin tails, but they are still as long as any other horse.

Ammit · Nov 23, 2023 10:03 AM

Great point I changed it to "sparse manes and tails"

Cavalynn · Nov 23, 2023 10:25 AM

Congratulations! I can't wait for these to come out. :)

Members log in here:
Username:
Password:
By hitting the above you signify that you agree with our rules and conditions.
Forgot your password?

HGG Community Forums

Join our discord server!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Who's Online (2)

Join our discord server!

Enlarge Your Pastures

Reminders!