Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Message

There is a huge difference between our ponies and the Mongolian horses. Starting with the level of care of feed they get their whole lives. Again, I have no evidence of what I'm saying, only repeating what was told to me by our Mongolian exchange student. He was raised primarily by his grandparent in the country as his parents were international business people and weren't home enough to raise him. His grandparents were well known throughout Mongolia and well respected owners of a herd of around 400 horses, including some top race horses. The Mongolian horses live a more or less natural life, meaning little care care, no parasite care, no vaccinations, no shoes. Some time after the herd begins foaling, the foals are brought in and picketed. The mares come in to feed the babies, then go out to graze. In that way they are taught to return to their own ranch every day. They are very tough little survivors. Most are not fenced, just roam around, but everyone knows their own herd, don't ask me how, they all look so similar to me.   I seem to recall that they capture and then sell any colts they consider not top quality. They did not use vets, there were none available. The horses are in general little and their weight dependent on what's available in the natural setting for them to eat. Breaking time for the herd usually consists of the family sending all their children (sometimes around 50 cousins) over for a round-up, then whoever can stay on a bucking horse for the longest time wins the equivalent of $5. The horses are not really trained, just ridden, they swing ropes to make the horses go, they pull the heads around to make them turn, pull back hard to make them stop (hopefully, they get the message and the hard pull is not needed for to long). All the cousins had about 10 horses assigned to them for the summer and they bath and groom them. I have a few pics of a couple of our student's cousins on their prize horses, a herd (with one renegade stallion they could never capture) and an example of who rides these horses in the long races.  If anyone would like to see them, send a request to me at sherman at usamedia dot tv

 

Kathy