Location: West of Ulaanbaatar by 6 hours
Summer Community Fee: $327 USD for 8 days/ 7 nights
Winter Community Fee: $205 USD for 5 days/ 4 nights
Additional In-Country Travel Expenses
Rural jeep to first ger and pickup (approx.): $130
Rural Bus to village (one way approx.): $10
Booking & travel orientation w/ handbook: $25 USD
Learn the basics of training Mongolian Horses: From the ancient times, racing horses has always been a respected cultural tradition; horse racing festivals in Mongolia are year round. During naadams, horses are chosen based on very definitive characters that will guide the trainer to selecting the very best among the racing horses. The process of training them includes many days of laborious works to test the horses and prepare them for their race distances according to the age classifications. The horses are classified by ages; adult horses, five year old horses, stallions, colts in third and forth years and yearling foals. This program gives you a chance to participate in naadam and to train a horse locally famous trainer that has many years experience and has been awarded the champion horse trainer from his Province.
Day One - Visit horse trainer Mr.Bishrelt: You will start your trip from UB to Arvaikheer, center of the Uvurkhangai province, by bus for 430km. Horse trainer and herder Bishrelt`s family will pick you up at the bus station. Then you will meet with his family and be welcomed with dinner.
Day Two - Visit horse training site: After breakfast you will go to horse training site with Bishrelt and other horse trainers by horse for 3-4 km. One day activities for horse training will be fulfilled there. You will do work such as giving extra nutritional food to horses and cleaning the horses with the herders. You will have lunch there. Then you will help preparing sheep and goats for milking and hostess will teach you how to milk them. Then you will learn how to make white butter by boiled milk. In the evening, you will have dinner with the family.
Day Three - Learning making dairy products and training horse: After breakfast, you will learn from herder`s daily activities such as taking white butter from pot by cutting and making yoghurt with milk. After having lunch, you will go to the horse training site and learn how to wrap horse`s tail and hair. When training horses, you can travel around the area with guide by horse. Coming back, you will have dinner with the family.
Day Four - Visit to monument of race horse: After breakfast, you will go to ``Worshipping place of horses`` by horse or car for 6-7 km. There are a monument of race horse Arvagar Heer that won many times in big races which over 1000 horses participate and a monument of god Damdin there. After coming back and having dinner, you will be served with yoghurt from goat`s milk. The goat`s milk is more liquid and it tastes so softer than other milk that its yoghurt tastes especial.
Day Five - Small racing competition for training of the horses: After breakfast, you will go to the horse training site. You will experience racing competition whole on this day. This small racing competition is named ``Sungaa``. This is one of the previous preparations for Naadam. Horses race in smaller distance than Naadam. Within the racing, you will be welcomed with lunch. After Sungaa, you will have dinner.
Day Six - Naadam`s day: After breakfast you will go to see Naadam. Before going to Naadam, some customs such as inspiring horses, singing a song for horses (song is called Giingooo) are held. Then, everybody gathers at home and makes feast. People who stay at home bless them to win and stir out milk to their back side. You will go to the site of Naadam for 50km by car. You can see how well your horse races and experience activities of the Naadam. There you will have lunch. After Naadam you will go back to the family by car for 50km.
Day Seven - Training 2 year old horses and custom of having 1 year old horses wear halters: Early in the morning, after gathering horses, guunii urs gargah yoslol will be held. The meaning of the feast is wishing a good increase in livestock and being abundant with airag, dairy products and everything during the year. At the tendril, they have 1 year old horses wear halters and stir out deej of airag and dairy products. Then they will show you how to train 2 year old horses. You will be served with farewell dinner.
Day Eight - Departure: Having breakfast, you can take photo with them. Then back to UB.
Included services:
All nomadic breakfast, lunch and dinner which are stated on itinerary
Boiled water on route
Horse training activities according to itinerary
Trainer's payment
Jeep and bus ticket arrangement services
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