THE EMPEROR WU TI
15. THE EMPEROR WU TI
The terms “thoroughbred” and “Thoroughbred”
require to be distinguished. Kehilan is the generic name
for the pure Arabian horse and translates into “pure bred
all through” which came to be “throughbred pure” and
finally “thoroughbred”. As the animal we now know as
the Thoroughbred evolved it came to be known as such.
The Turcoman was already in existence in the
region of Ferghana in the second century BC. The
Ferghana thoroughbreds were so famous that the Chinese
Emperor Wu Ti in the late second century BC lusted for
these animals and in 106 BC sent a several thousand
strong expeditionary force to Ferghana to seize these
wonderful horses of which force only a few reached their
objective only to be driven back by the Persians. A
second expedition 100,000 strong was sent in 102 BC
and was successful. However, in the 4,000 mile return
journey many horses were lost, particularly when facing
the searing heat of the Takla Makan desert and only a
few dozen emaciated animals reached the Imperial
Capital.
These Turcoman thoroughbreds were known as the
Blood Sweating Horses of Ferghana. Actually a minute
parasite was the cause of this “blood sweating”, the
parasite gorging on the animal’s blood to the extent that
the horse appeared to be sweating blood.
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THE EMPEROR WU TI
In Manchuria and Korea emperors and generals in
days gone by are recorded as riding down tiger armed
with but a lance. They hunted tiger on horseback in deep
snow, the animals being put up and bayed by dogs.
Undoubtedly such mounts were Turcomans. Incidentally,
as dealt with in my book NEWMARKET AND
FERGHANA the Thoroughbred is a mixture of Arab,
Turcoman animals and English mares which evolved in
England for racing during the last three centuries.
The famous Arabian, Skowronek
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Fig.19
THE EMPEROR WU TI
TB Shikra, the Author in his 88th year up
Fig.20
A racing Turcoman Akhal-Teke stallion. The
breed’s weak point is its gaskins. (Courtesy
Ms. Vivienne Burdon)
Fig.21
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