The Turkoman tribes of what is now Turkmenistan were long feared as famous raiders and slavers who prowled the black-sand desert plundering caravans and harassing Russian army expeditions.
And what good, I ask you, is a nomadic desert raider without an epic-strength horse?
While the Turkmen may not be quite so violent as history would tell, they seem to have just as much love for and skill with breeding masterful horses.
After a walk through the stables and a look at some of the strongest and a few of the youngest horses on the ranch, I was offered the chance to mount up and ride for a bit.
The last horse I rode, in Mongolia, tried to kick me with its back legs every time I even approached the saddle. This time, then, was a pretty drastic improvement. My lovely Couchsurfing host/Ashgabat guide extraordinaire Gulshat passed going horseback, but she was kind enough to take my camera and snap some pictures of me as I was getting a feel for my new ride.
Though I wouldn’t say the experience repaired my impression of all horses everywhere (those Mongolian ponies are mean, I’m telling you) it definitely left a strong impression and leaves me considering trying another horse trek somewhere in Central Asia.
Looking good!! You do know that you come from a long line of horsemen & some women??
I rode as a kid & a young woman.Your mom & her siblings also rode as youngsters. We went on lots of trail rides when they were kids & your Paw was in other parts of the world. We were in Texas a lot.Curtis rode in rodeo’s, parades & trail rides as a young person. He always had horses. His dad also rode in all of the above. Sweet Momma just rode the Chevrolet.
The people before your great grand father all rode if they wanted to get any place except where they were.
I did know that, actually! I dont think I got much of it, to be honest. My last horse trip was not such a success, though this little quick jaunt in Turkmenistan had no problems.
Looking good,,,