Greetings from the Land of Beautiful Horses - otherwise known as Cappadocia, Turkey. At first glance the region might not look like an equine paradise. Its topography closely resembles the Alberta badlands. Appearances are deceiving though. If you look beyond the tourist-trap trail rides you discover a horse culture with deep routes. I am in Turkey for 7 weeks to learn about the native Turkish horses (the Andalou horse) and the history of the horse in this country. The Turkish share a nomadic past with the Mongols. In fact they are generally believed to have been a nomadic group who migrated here from Mongolia and the Central Asian steppe.
Given their pedigree it isn't surprising that Turkey is closely tied to the land and all things rural, especially the love of the horses. Everything about the Turks from their famous rugs to their cuisine and a love of the picnic, pays homage to a nomadic past. The story of the Turkish horse dates back to over 3.000 years to the Hitties who built an empire with their war chariots and produced the earliest horse training manual - the Kikkuli Text - written by the 14th Century BCE. The Trojans were called 'breakers of horses' by Homer and Cappadocs provided an annual tribute of 10,000 horses to the Persian King. The native Turkish horse resembles the Akhal-Teke and the Arab in appearance. This isn't surprising given considering the environment it lives in. They are finely boned, agile, tough and regularly used for various jobs for farm labour to tourist attraction.
Stay tuned as I explore the colourful history of this country and discover its horses in the most unexpected of places.
Cheers, Carolyn