We’re taking you around the world for a glimpse at some of the planet’s rarest breeds of horse in our new video series, Unusual Horses. First up, the Akhal-Teke. Watch and learn!

The Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan is mostly desert, sparsely populated and contains the 4th largest reserve of natural gas on the planet. It’s also home to one of the world’s oldest, rarest, most stunningly beautiful horse breeds: the Akhal-Teke. The breed was developed centuries ago to meet the demands of Turkmenistan’s vast, harsh landscape and largely nomadic population. Thus, the breed possesses a desirable blend of speed and endurance to go along with its signature metallic coat, ranging from silver to gold.

Check out the video on youtube:

Unusual Horses: Akhal-Teke

You want one, don’t you? Should you happen to land one of these rare beauties, beware: In Turkmenistan it is now illegal to change an Akhal-Teke horse’s name during its lifetime, and each horse must remain true to the moniker that was recorded at its birth in the national studbook.