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Mongolia has been a horse based culture for thousands
of years. Songs of horses are sung and children
learn to ride before they can walk. The speed,
power and dexterity of the little Mongolian horse
changed the course of history and the face of
the world in the 12th century. Genghis Khaan built
the biggest land empire the world has ever known
with the horse as his key weapon. Today the horse
remains central to life on the steppe and good
horsemanship paramount to surviving the harsh
climate, fierce winds and long winters. Even for
the relatively settled modern day nomad, life
would be impossible without the horse. Mongolians
are some of the most skillful, talented and resilient
horsemen in the world and have an immense respect
for horses.
Horses are used in all areas of herding and domestic
life in Mongolia. It is said that Mongolian's
are born in the saddle. They are used for herding
animals, for carrying heavy loads, for traveling
long distances and for milking. The milk from
the mares provides the nomadic people with a vital
source of vitamin C. The mare's are milked every
two hours, every day throughout the summer. The
milk is then added to a large urn, already containing
a milk culture, which is then fermented and drunk
in copious amounts. The taste of this `airag'
is a bit like warm, bubbly yoghurt.
For centuries horses roamed wild throughout the
steppes and desert of Mongolia. During the 19th
century they eventually became extinct due to
hunting and lack of vegetation from the competition
with domestic herds. The wild Asiatic horse -
or Takhi - is now being re-introduced into Mongolia,
from zoos all around the world, thanks to a ground
breaking scheme. The Takhi horse is short and
stocky, with sticking up mane, in beautiful bay
colors. In two locations in Mongolia Takhi are
being bred in captivity and slowly let back into
the wild. There are currently 3-4 herds in Mongolia
in the wild. You can see them at the Khustain
Nuruu National Park. The horses used in Mongolia
by the nomadic peoples are relatives of the wild
horse. They tend to be quite small compared to
European horses. Although the horses appear to
be undernourished with prominent spines, hips
and ribs, this is not the case. It is the harsh
climate of Mongolia that has produced this resilient,
little horse. The winters in Mongolia can be arctic,
the temperatures can drop as low as -30 degrees
and the horse largely has to find its own feed
amongst the snow. The few short summer months
are when the horse can enjoy green pastures and
gain enough weight to survive the harsh winters.
Mongolian tack generally comprises of a head collar
and lead rope, a bridle with a simple steel snaffle,
hobbles and either a Russian steel framed or wooden
Mongolian saddle. The Mongolian saddles are a
challenge to ride for the novice. They have high
backs and fronts, with silver decorative pieces
protruding from the sides encouraging the rider
to stand. Possibly another tactic introduced in
the time of Genghis Khaan allowing the rider to
travel long distances without getting sore in
the saddle. Mongolian horses are usually unshod
except in very rocky areas of the country.
Contact us at:
info@thisismongolia.com
