Field Notes: Mongolia
Though we travelled there over a decade apart, not much changed.
In some of our earlier conversations, Aurélie and I discovered that we had both embarked on a multi-day Mongolian trek on horseback, though I did it in October of 2013 and she in June of last year. But from the landscape to the people, it seems that not much has changed in the decade in between. I think for us both it was quite a memorable experience, to say the least—we’ve read about a time where people were completely dependent on horses in their everyday lives, but to see it and live amongst it for even a few days was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
OCTOBER 2013 — Cece.
In total honesty I’m not much of a camper, but if you tell me that there will be horses—I will be there, no questions asked. It was already mid-October when we embarked on our 6-day trek, and while the days were blissfully sunny, the nights got pretty chilly. As we moved to a different yurt community every night, we learned a lot about the lives of the nomadic herders, who still make up about a third of the entire Mongolian population.
After our morning and afternoon rides, in the early evening our guides would arrange arrange our stay with a herding family nearby. The matriarch had the biggest, most luxurious yurt, often the only one with heating, and where they hosted guests. We would be served glasses of fermented mare’s milk called airag, mildly alcoholic but if you drank enough you could certainly feel it. As a sign of respect, everyone drinks.
In the camp there would be a number of yurts ranging in size, and in one there was even a small teepee shaped structure, likely used for religious rituals, as Mongolians are mostly buddhist. These camps contained entire pockets of society, and as seasons change they would completely disassemble their yurts and move the entire encampment to the next location, where their herds could graze and have access to water.
It was absolutely incredible to experience a community still so connected to the changes of the lands, and the resources the land gives.
Obviously, a huge aspect of their lives were the horses—smaller in size, but incredibly hardy. They have to be, with all of the rocks in the ground across the steppe! I remembered thinking that any of the leggy thoroughbreds or even warmbloods I rode would have easily bruised or sprained something. Not these little guys. And they were all branded with the mark of the family they belonged to, in case one wandered away from the herd into another, which was not uncommon.
When they weren’t working, the horses were allowed to run free with no fences in sight.
I came away from the journey with great gratitude and reverence to have experienced a people who lived so in sync with the land and with their animals as the nomadic herders we encountered in Mongolia. The slowness and intention with which they did everything, the respect they give to all living things. It was a glimpse into our collective pasts as humans, and for me, a really important reminder of what is possible.
JUNE 2024 — Aurélie.
[English version follows.]
Pour dire vrai, je crois n’avoir jamais vécu d’émotions aussi forte que là bas, en Mongolie.
C’était en Juin 2024, où pendant 6 jours et 5 nuits mon quotidien fut lié à celui d’un cheval mongole noir, une couleur un peu moins fréquente, je le surnommais d’ailleurs Black Beauty pour le clin d’oeil.
Accompagnés de 3 locaux pour qui monter à cheval était inné, le voyage commença parmis ces steppes que nous imaginons tous, mais qu’enfin je franchissais.
Les journées s’organisaient sur le même tempo : une chevauchée matinale pendant 2h30, puis un pique nique sauvage pendant lequel les chevaux étaient abreuvés puis attachés l’un à l’autre d’une façon unique ! Les équipements étaient maintenus et dessérés pour marquer ce temps de pause. Une seconde chevauchée aussi longue reprenait l’après-midi, pour installer le bivouac du soir. Les chevaux sont alors allégés de leur matériel, puis attaqués sur des piquets en métal individuels enfoncés au niveau du sol pour éviter tout risque. Chaque jour le campement fut différent, mais l’intensité était la même : partager ces instants demande de la franchise émotionnelle et un laisser aller qui me bouleversa.
Au milieu de ces étendues, à la croisée de troupeaux sauvages ou de fermiers chevauchant à cru, au rythme de ses sabots, à sa ligne d’encolure noire battant la mesure de ses mouvements de tête, je l’avoue que je pleurais en silence. Comment le coeur ne peut-il pas être touché sans détour par cette franchise vivante et cette honnêteté si simple ? Le mien le fut sans aucun doute.
Pour communiquer avec Black Beauty, pas de tapotage de jambes ou de rênes à tirer, mais un « Tchu » oral qui déclenche tout de suite un mouvement en avant. J’ai ramené ce souvenir en France en apprenant à mon partenaire à le comprendre également, les balades en forêt ont une nouvelle dimension maintenant !
Le mouvement en avant, le seul qui compte après tout.
Je ne sais pas si ce voyage fut seulement cette distance parcourue en avion puis à cheval, ou si il ne fut pas également un peu plus. Mais je sais que je souhaite à chaque femme et homme de cheval de vivre ces mêmes instants, qui transforment le regard et le toucher envers celui qui se nomme Cheval.
*****
To tell the truth, I don't think I have ever experienced such strong emotions as I did there, in Mongolia.
It was in June 2024, when for 6 days and 5 nights my daily life was linked to that of a black Mongolian horse, a color that's a little less common - I nicknamed him Black Beauty for the week.
Accompanied by 3 locals for whom horseback riding was an innate skill, the journey began across the steppes we all imagine, but which I was finally crossing.
Each day followed the same pattern: a 2.5-hour morning ride, followed by a wild picnic during which the horses were watered and then tied together in a unique way! Equipment was maintained and loosened to mark this break. A second, equally long ride resumed in the afternoon, to set up the evening bivouac. The horses were then relieved of their equipment, and attached on individual metal stakes driven at ground level to avoid any risk. Every day the camp was different, but the intensity was the same: sharing these moments requires emotional openness and a letting go that overwhelmed me.
In the midst of these expanses, at the crossroads of wild herds or farmers riding bareback, at the rhythm of his hooves, at his black neckline beating time with his head movements, I confess that I wept in silence. How can the heart not be touched by such lively frankness and simple honesty? Mine certainly was.
To communicate with Black Beauty, there was no tapping of legs or pulling of reins, but a spoken “Tchu” that immediately triggered a forward movement. I've brought this memory back to France and taught my equine partner to understand it too, so forest walks now have a whole new dimension!
The forward movement, the only one that counts after all.
I don't know if this trip was just about flying and riding, or if it was a bit more. But I do know that I wish every horsewoman and horseman could experience these same moments, which transform the way you look at and touch the one who calls himself a Horse.
*****
For reference, I arranged my trek with Stepperiders who were great and seem, after all these years, to be going as strong as ever. Aurélie arranged her’s with Rando Cheval, where Sabine Grataloup was a great help for all the details. She took the 9-day ride, but you can also select from a 12- or 14-day ride to cover more ground.
For a more curated itinerary, our friends at Riding Safari Club design their rides with beautiful details and with the most thoughtful experiences, which make all the difference. If you remember my ode to Tuscany, I discovered the Castello only because of them. And they have a 9-day “On the Tracks of Genghis Khan” in Mongolia in August! You can find details on their site once you become a member (sign up for their newsletter) or just email them directly.
If you’ve had an itch to go on a riding safari somewhere really wild, we hope you’ll put Mongolia at the top of the list. It’s something special.
This sounds incredible!