Free like the wind on the steppe
Because horses are indispensable to Mongolian culture, it gives an authentic feeling to ride free like the wind on the steppe.
Harganat Ecolodge has a special horse riding program when you wish to engage in a ride in this horse crazy country. First you get an introduction into the horse language and the do’s and do not’s when you start riding a Mongolian horse. Mongolians ride with one hand while standing. Especially for long distances it gives more stability.
There are three groups in a total of around 100 horses that are followed every day by a horseman. Only the male castrated horses are ridden. After a few days of riding, they are released into freedom and other horses take their place. This way they stay eager to be ridden by our guests and not bored like riding horses in more touristic areas.
When riding these beautiful creatures, people feel a sense of inner contentment, like something touched their soul. Horses follow a leader who gives clear and honest directions for their protection, so to make a horse trust you is the best feeling ever. It teaches you about yourself and how you interact with other beings, whether horses are humans. That is why it can fit in well in management training courses. In a social context working with abused people it can be a pathway for them to learn to trust again.
Mongolian Horses
The Strongest Horses on Earth
Mongolian horses are known for their incredible stamina, surviving the harshest winters. They follow a stallion leading the herd on their own territory, defending his mares and offspring against dangers like wolves.
They are extremely tough and clever, knowing where to cross the sometimes unpredictable landscape’s waterways, mountains and steppes thanks to their instinct passed through generations and generations.
During the Second World War, the Mongol horse proved their war horse abilities like predicting the location of underground mines through smell, finding food by their own and riding long distance with little food. Especially in winter they push the snow away with their feet to eat and drink the snow water. They swam across the big rivers of Eastern Europe to reach Berlin. Where many Russian horses collapsed in the cold snowy winter, the Mongolian horse was a crucial factor in winning the war. Therefore the Russians built a statue in Moscow in gratitude of the Mongolian horse.
