One of Türkiye's most renowned stud farms also offers a home for elderly mothers of champion Arabian horses. The Sultansuyu Agricultural Enterprise in the eastern Turkish province of Malatya has devoted a section to mares who lost their fertility long after giving birth to the best racehorses. There, mares, old or suffering from disabilities, are cared for by workers of the General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TIGEM), a main supplier of thoroughbred horses.
The farm traces its roots to Sultansuyu Royal Farm, which served the needs of the Ottoman palace and was established in Malatya's Akçadağ district in 1865, sprawling across 27,000 acres. Since 1984, the farm has been operated by TIGEM, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Arabian horses, bred for serving in warfare in Ottoman times for their high endurance, are nowadays bred as racehorses. Indeed, thoroughbred Arabian horses are always a favorite of races. The farm in Malatya was once the home of champions and favorite racehorses, from Özgünhan and Ateştopu to Onurkaan and Yılmabaşar.
The "nursing home," as the staff calls it, caters to some 40 "retired" mares between the ages of 18 and 27, as well as younger but infertile mares and horses with injuries. Idris Tanrıkulu, acting manager of the farm, says horses after a certain age become infertile but they do not abandon them. "We provide them the same care we provide other horses, from grooming to feeding and health care. They live here until the end of their lives. We give them a comfortable environment to roam around," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday. "These are mothers who gave birth to Arabian horses, our main source of income. For years, they helped the farm increase its revenues," he highlighted.
The farm earned $658,000 (TL 12 million) in 2021 from the sale of thoroughbred Arabian horses and plans to increase it to TL 20 million this year, according to Tanrıkulu. "This year, we expect the birth of 132 more horses," he said.
Because of their strength and durability, thoroughbred Arabian horses were popular in the Ottoman Empire. The horses were obtained from the Arabian Peninsula through trade, diplomacy and war. The Ottomans encouraged the establishment of private stud farms to ensure a steady supply of cavalry horses. The prized stallions were often given as diplomatic gifts to European nobles, and later to Americans. In 1877, Sultan Abdul Hamid II gifted U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant with an Arabian stallion named Leopard.
Arabian horses are still among the favorite breed of horses in the sports field today.