|
Riding with Nomads
 To
travel on horseback in Mongolia is to experience this country the way that
the locals do, by no other means does one create the same sense of unity
with the local people than by travelling on horseback.
Mongolia
is as famous for its horsemanship as it is the empire that the armies
created. The key advantage of the Mongol armies was their incredible speed
and maneuverability. In fact, even today the most common saddle used in Mongolia is
the wooden saddle developed so that the warriors could use bow and arrow
whilst galloping at full tilt. The riding style is to stand upright on
short stirrups: a foreign concept to riders used to western saddles, yet
extremely effective in local conditions. The apparent unity between human
and horse when watching a herder ride effortlessly across the step must be
seen.
Mongolia
boasts a national herd of approximately 2.5million, the largest herd in the
world, and one horse per person. The contemporary Mongolian horse is
descended from Takhi or Przewalski horses that roamed wild until the
1920's. Horses are short and stocky (14 hands is tall), and incredibly
tough to withstand harsh Mongolian winters. Horses are broken in and gelded
at age 2, after which they join the herd to be ridden intermittently.
During the summer months mares are milked to produce a fermented drink
called Airag that is good for the health, skin, libido, amongst many other
things.
Our treks will interest the experienced equestrian as much as the
occasional rider. Mongolian horses are much easier to ride than European
horses by virtue of their height and gait. We pay careful attention to
match horses with rider's ability prior to commencing on a trek, from quiet
and reliable geldings to fiery steeds - within reason its your choice. We
provide western-style saddles on all our trips, but you are welcome to try
a wooden saddle, for longer than five minutes if you like!
For information on our Horse Treks for 2016 please
Back to Expeditions
|
