The red Arabian racehorses from northwestern Bursa’s Agriculture and Forestry Ministry facility have attracted a lot of interest and have been auctioned off for as much as TL 1 million ($37,644).
The stud farm in Bursa’s Karacabey district, which Ottoman ruler Orhan Gazi gave as a dowry to his wife Nilüfer Hatun, had met the national army’s need for war horses, meat and food since its establishment.
Between 1932 and 1936, stallions and mares were brought to the farm from Arab countries to breed racehorses on the instructions of republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Racehorse breeding continues in the 90,000 decares of land now operating under the ministry’s General Directorate of Agricultural Enterprises (TİGEM), where 600 purebred Arabian racehorses are taken care of.
The horses are specially cared for by veterinarians and 60 ministry personnel and fed with a high-protein diet consisting of oats, barley, corn and soy.
One horse eats approximately 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of feed for every 100 kilograms in weight twice a day, morning and evening, and the personnel takes special precautions to ensure that the horses are mating naturally with other horses unrelated to them to promote healthy genes.
Speaking to local media, Ali Yağlıca, the farm’s veterinarian, stated that auctions are held three times a year, two in their facilities and one in the Istanbul Veli Efendi Hippodrome, where 100 to 110 foals are auctioned off. That last year, the foal named "Exiled King" found a buyer for a whopping TL 1 million.
"Between 1932 and 1936, an expert delegation was sent to Arab countries to buy racehorses to raise them here. After their inspection, this delegation brought two horses named Baba Kuruş and Baba Sha’d and some mares to the stud farm. After Baba Kuruş and Baba Sha’d, the ancestors of all these Arabian horses died, their mausoleums were built so they would not be forgotten as they laid the foundation of Arabian racehorse breeding."
"We have 600 horses, including stallions, mares and foals, in our agricultural enterprise. During the summer, these horses stay inside during the day and outside in the evening to cool off. They rest and sleep in a cool environment until morning. Our horses are friendly, yet they do not like loud noises, mistreatment, scolding and someone sneaking up on them from behind. We always need to be in the field of vision of the horses," said Yağlıca.