Mongolian horses live semi-wild, roaming the steppe in herds and only coming in when herders need them. They are not stabled or pampered - they live outside year round, whatever the weather. This makes them incredibly hardy. A Mongolian horse can travel very long distances across rough terrain without tiring the way a softer breed would.
Horses are central to Mongolian identity and daily life. Mongolian children often learn to ride before they can read, and many five-year-olds can handle a horse confidently on the open steppe. There is a saying in Mongolia: 'A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings.' Horses are used for herding, travel and racing - not just for riding for fun.
At the Naadam Festival every July, child jockeys aged as young as five or six race Mongolian horses across the open steppe. The races can be up to 30 kilometres long - far longer than any horse race in Europe. The winning horse gets a special title and the jockey is celebrated as a hero. Crowds cheer, songs are sung and the horses are honoured with a drink of fermented mare's milk.