The Guardian says that Berdymukhamedov is fond of horseback riding and has written a book about horses. At the unveiling of the statue on Monday, Berdymukhamedov compared Turkmenistan to a horse.

It isn't the first time the breed has been honoured by the president - last year he devoted a book to the Alabay. Despite the grandeur of the statue, much of Turkmenistan's population is impoverished.