Mongolia: ‘On the Trail of the World’s True Last Wild Horses’

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  07.12.07 | 8:17 AM ET

imageOn the heels of Deanne Stillman’s story honoring the horses Battle of the Little Bighorn comes another interesting piece, this one from a spot on the other side of the world: Mongolia. The country has more horses—an estimated 3 million—than people. The Telegraph’s Sara Evans ventured to the Mongolian plains to see the horses. She writes of the wild creatures known as takhi: “While takhi may come in confectionary colours, their nature is not so sweet. During the mating season, stallions will kick each other to death to gain dominance; when wolves threaten to take foals, takhi will rear fiercely to protect their young; and no man - except, if you believe the legend, Genghis Khan - has ever been able to ride one. Unknown to Europeans until 1878, takhi are as wild as the landscape they live in.”

Related on World Hum:
* ‘Mongolia Loves Puff Daddy’
* The Horse Spirits of Big Sky Country
* Down by the Buskaschee Field

Photo of a takhi in Hustai Park, Mongolia by jrubinic, via Flickr (Creative Commons).



4 Comments for Mongolia: ‘On the Trail of the World’s True Last Wild Horses’

Liza 07.13.07 | 8:37 AM ET

They are look so great, so wild and independent creatures… Amazing.

Marc and Olga 08.20.07 | 11:47 PM ET

We got to visit Hustai National Park and see the takhis up close and personal.  They are amazing, and we applaud the Mongolians for making sure they have a place.

Bold Shur 10.11.07 | 7:13 AM ET

Welcome to Mongolia
Travel to Mpngolia
      We organuze all kind of tours throughout Mongolia.
Our company is runnning tour operator activity in the field of tourism.
We offer you to make trade on Mongolia antiques.                                Trips
-  Adventure trip
-  Canoeing
-  Gobi dessert trip
-  Historical sightseeing and religious tour
-  Naadam-festival tour
-  Horse trekking
-  Eco tour
-  Best of Mongolia tour
-  Fishing
-  Nomadic lifestyle tour
-  Hunting trip
-  A Day tour
-  Business tour
-  Photo safari tour

Bob Macdonald 10.14.07 | 9:44 AM ET

I just read a great book on Mongolia called Wild East: Travels in the New Mongolia by Jill Lawless. It was a great prep for my trip there and really captured the buzzy atmosphere of the capital.

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