There were horse stables near my apartment in Cologne. I often walked there, or passed by in the evening on my way home from work or from visiting my parents. Now I live in a village in the Eifel region, where there are horses too. It is possible to imagine Cologne and the Eifel without horses, but it is impossible to imagine Mongolia without them. I will attempt to illustrate this below. Here in Germany, horses are frequently ridden by women—at least, that is my impression. In Mongolia, one sees both genders riding, though I did observe more men doing so. In Germany, horses are often a hobby; in Mongolia, they are an economic necessity, even though one sees many herders riding motorcycles.
Mongolia is home to over 4 million horses and has a human population of roughly 3.3 to 3.7 million [1]. In Germany, there are about 2.32 million people involved in equestrian sports (including 840,000 regular riders) out of a population of approximately 80 million [2]. In Germany, I often see horses being led by hand; I rarely saw this in Mongolia. In Germany, horses are kept in stables and on fenced pastures, whereas in Mongolia, they roam freely.
I believe that the image of horses galloping across the steppe comes closest to our mental picture of Mongolia. Indeed, one often sees this—whether the horses are moving of their own accord or being driven by herders. Yet, even more frequently, one simply sees them grazing somewhere with no humans around.
The Mongolian horse (Адуу) [3] is smaller and sturdier than the average horse seen in Europe. It is believed that the breed has not changed significantly since the time of Genghis Khan (Чингис хаан / Chinggis Khaan). The horses live outdoors almost year-round, meaning they are adapted to temperatures ranging from as low as -40°C to as high as 30°C. Fermented mare's milk plays an important role in both Mongolian and Kazakh cultures; it is known as kumis (қымыз) in Kazakh and airag (айраг) in Mongolian—a subject I have written about previously [4]. Traditionally, this fermented mare's milk has been a vital source of Vitamin C in nomadic cultures [5]. Mare's milk is used in shamanic rituals, such as the blessing for a journey, which I have also reported on [6]. The ceremony I witnessed at Üüreg Nuur does not contradict this [7]; for one thing, it was a Buddhist ceremony, and for another, availability might be a factor.
Mongolia is home to over 4 million horses and has a human population of roughly 3.3 to 3.7 million [1]. In Germany, there are about 2.32 million people involved in equestrian sports (including 840,000 regular riders) out of a population of approximately 80 million [2]. In Germany, I often see horses being led by hand; I rarely saw this in Mongolia. In Germany, horses are kept in stables and on fenced pastures, whereas in Mongolia, they roam freely.
I believe that the image of horses galloping across the steppe comes closest to our mental picture of Mongolia. Indeed, one often sees this—whether the horses are moving of their own accord or being driven by herders. Yet, even more frequently, one simply sees them grazing somewhere with no humans around.
The Mongolian horse (Адуу) [3] is smaller and sturdier than the average horse seen in Europe. It is believed that the breed has not changed significantly since the time of Genghis Khan (Чингис хаан / Chinggis Khaan). The horses live outdoors almost year-round, meaning they are adapted to temperatures ranging from as low as -40°C to as high as 30°C. Fermented mare's milk plays an important role in both Mongolian and Kazakh cultures; it is known as kumis (қымыз) in Kazakh and airag (айраг) in Mongolian—a subject I have written about previously [4]. Traditionally, this fermented mare's milk has been a vital source of Vitamin C in nomadic cultures [5]. Mare's milk is used in shamanic rituals, such as the blessing for a journey, which I have also reported on [6]. The ceremony I witnessed at Üüreg Nuur does not contradict this [7]; for one thing, it was a Buddhist ceremony, and for another, availability might be a factor.
There is also more to be said about the Genghis Khan equestrian statue (Их эзэн Чингис хааны морьт хөшөө)—standing approximately 40 meters tall, 55 km east of Ulaanbaatar—as well as about Damdin Sükhbaatar (Дамдины Сүхбаатар) and his statue in the center of Ulaanbaatar (though there, a colossal Genghis Khan looks down upon him from a throne within the government building).
I also plan to cover horse racing, the transport and training of horses, the Naadam festival (Наадам), and more. Horses are a central part of the Naadam festival ceremonies, and the races themselves take place outside the city.
The "Wind Horse" found on prayer flags [8], while used in a Buddhist context, actually has shamanic origins. The Tibetan term is lungta (རླུང་རྟ་), and in Mongolian, it is called khiimori (хийморь). It symbolizes one of the five cardinal directions—you've read correctly, it stands for the center—as well as the human soul, well-being, or good fortune. That, too, would make for an interesting topic.
I haven't yet decided whether to tackle these various topics regarding horses and Mongolia all at once or to address them gradually...
I also plan to cover horse racing, the transport and training of horses, the Naadam festival (Наадам), and more. Horses are a central part of the Naadam festival ceremonies, and the races themselves take place outside the city.
The "Wind Horse" found on prayer flags [8], while used in a Buddhist context, actually has shamanic origins. The Tibetan term is lungta (རླུང་རྟ་), and in Mongolian, it is called khiimori (хийморь). It symbolizes one of the five cardinal directions—you've read correctly, it stands for the center—as well as the human soul, well-being, or good fortune. That, too, would make for an interesting topic.
I haven't yet decided whether to tackle these various topics regarding horses and Mongolia all at once or to address them gradually...
Links and Annotations:
[1] https://www.viewmongolia.com/mongolian-horse.html
[2] https://www.pferdesport-deutschland.de/deutsche-reiterliche-vereinigung/zahlen--fakten/zahlen--fakten
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_horse
[4] „Let's first get to the term. In the West, fermented mare's milk is better known as kumis. The term comes from the Russian кумыс and from the Old Turkish or Turkish kımız. In both Kazakh and Kyrgyz it is called қымыз; and similarly in other Central Asian languages. Tuvan is slightly different: хымыс. Mongolian has its own term, as already mentioned: airag (айраг).“
Mongolia – Airag, Kumis or Mare's Milk
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2024/02/mongolia-airag-kumis-or-mares-milk.html
[5] Mongolia – Where do the Mongols get their Vitamin C?
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2022/08/mongolia-where-do-mongols-get-their.html
[6] Mongolia – a little Ritual on departing from a Ger Camp
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2022/08/mongolia-little-ritual-on-departing.html
[7] A Ceremony at the Lakefront of Üüreg Nuur
https://rheumatologe.blogspot.com/2023/07/a-ceremony-at-lakefront-of-uureg-nuur.html
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_Horse
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| Fresh, but is it a topic? |
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