Iomud

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Names:  Iomud.  Named after the tribe that originally bred it.

Origin:  It appears that the Iomud breed has the same origins as the Akhal-TekeIt was developed by the Iomud tribe in the Tashauz oasis in southern Turkmenia.  Originally bred from ancient Turkmenian horses, poor strains are often improved with Akhal-Teke blood.  During the 14th century, it was influenced by Arabian stallions.  I believe this is a Turkoman tribe, and the "Turkmenian horses" are probably Turkomans as well.
   
There is a rather blatant contradiction in some of the sources I found for this breed.  One says that in contrast to the Akhal-Teke, the Iomud is kept in the desert and semi-desert.  Another states that the Akhal-Teke is a desert horse, whereas the Iomud comes from the steppes.  As most sources refer to the Akhal-Teke as a desert horse, I am inclined to believe the latter.  This latter source also says that the pasture on the steppes has produced a slightly smaller and different type.  This wording speaks of a comparison, which I believe is made between the Akhal-Teke and the Iomud.  One source implies that the breed occupied the margin of the Turkmenian breed area, and thus it was influenced by steppe breeds.  This tends to support the idea that it was, in essence, a desert horse, but that there was a mingling of type.  I believe this is more possible than the blatant contrast between the Akhal-Teke and the Iomud.

Breeding:  The purebred population has declined substantially. Stud farms to preserve the Iomud genotype were set up in Turkmenia in 1983. They are charged with protecting the breed and restoring the breeding nucleus to a size of 240-250 mares from the present 140 mares. A conservation farm is being established in the Kyzyl-Atrek district.  This must have been inputted before I began to cite the dates of my sources, so I am not sure when "the present" was.  I would guess that it was the late 1980's.

Description:  

Back:  Solid, with small curve to the withers.

Chest:  Shallow.

Color:  Grey or chestnut; rarely golden chestnut or black.

Croup:  Nicely turned and regularly sloping.

Hair:  Sparse mane and tail.

Head:  Large and clean-cut.

Legs:  Clean and fine; often bowed.

Neck:  Medium-long.

Profile:  Sometimes Roman-nosed.

Size:  The measurements below are a little advanced for me.  A translation into simple horse terminology appears to put both stallions and mares at a little over 14 hands, with the stallions slightly taller, of course.
    The measurements (in centimeters) of stallions are: height at withers 152, oblique body length 151, chest girth 168, cannon bone girth 19; mares: 149, 150, 167 and 18.3 respectively.

Skin:  Delicate.

Withers:  Medium-high.

Temperament: 

Features:  The Iomud is a long-lived, healthy horse. It shows soft "floating" action.

Uses: 

Accomplishments: 

Curiosities: 

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Conclusion: 

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