The Kazakhs gave particular attention to grooming horses. In addition to being a means of displaying status, they were used as transportation. We can say that the horse was universal in every sense of the life of a nomad, its meat and milk were widely used for food, and from the skin and tail, the nomads made ropes.
The Kazakh horse is mostly short and strong. Mares can give about 8 – 9 liters of milk per day. There are about three hundred horse coat colors of the Kazakh breed. Kazakh horses are frost-resistant. They can graze in the steppes at temperatures down to minus -45 degrees. He is also very enduring; many Kazakh horses participate in long-distance races.
The horse was bred as a universal horse, it recovers quickly, and easily tolerates hunger and thirst. They graze in the steppe in herds, which consist of small groups. Each group has a main stallion (aigyr) protecting and guarding its group. Also, it includes the mares (bie) and foals, whose names in the Kazakh language vary depending on age.
The history of the Kazakh breed has an ancient origin. The Kazakh horse was influenced by other breeds. Because of the various climatic conditions of the country and as a result of crossing with Turkmen, Mongolian, and forest horses, different types of horses were formed within the Kazakh breed. The most valuable are the Zhaba type, massive tall horses common in Central Kazakhstan.
Pacers are often found among Kazakh horses. The Kazakh horse is distributed over a vast territory with various natural conditions from Altai to the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains.
Being nomads, the Kazakhs were trained in riding skills from a young age. To train and improve their skills, various equestrian games were invented. They became an integral part of the culture of the Kazakh people. There are different types of national horse games existing today:
Kokpar
Kokpar is one of the most popular games. The game is played by two teams of 8 to 12 players. Instead of a ball, a goat carcass is used, sometimes replaced with dummies. The objective of the game is to throw the carcass into the opponent’s goal as many times as possible. Specially trained hardy horses participate in a game where they need to have high speed, agility, physical strength to push the opponent out of the circle, and a sense of partnership with the rider.
Audaryspak
Audaryspak is a kind of saddle wrestling. It arose intending to improve the physical conditions, the strength of riders, and their ability to stay in the saddle. During the game, riders try to throw each other off their horses. Audaryspak is often held during holidays and festivals.
Kume alu
Kume alu is translated from the Kazakh language as “pick up a coin”. The galloping rider must pick up scattered coins from the ground. The player who has collected the most coins wins.
Kyz kuu
Kyz Kuu is a fun game loved by many tourists. A man and a woman take part in this game, both on horseback. The man has to catch up with the woman before she reaches the finish line. If he succeeds, he gets the right to kiss her as a reward. After that, the players change their roles. If a woman catches up with a man, she could hit him with a whip.
