Kyrgyz proverb says: “A good fiancee has a price, but a good horse is priceless’. According to the tradition, the groom’s matchmakers negotiated kalym – a buy-out for a beautiful daughter. .  However, the real horse which will save you from troubles and help fight with enemies – is priceless.  
The national folklore as well as works of art, and household items proves that throughout history a horse is a center of cultural, spiritual and economic life of the nomads. Archaeologists have found many items of horses’ equipment in places of ancient nomadic Kyrgyz. Bridles, made of precious metals and decorated with ornaments, saddles with the engraved symbols of strength, courage and fearlessness - the richer and more beautiful was a horse’s harness, the more honorable and noble was the rider.

A fairy horse from legends is very similar to Kyrgyz horses

Legends, proverbs, sayings, and of course, the Manas epic show the attitude to horses, how to choose a good horse, how to take care of horses and breed them. The nomads were always known as skilled herders.
Mayramkul Asanaliyev, the artist and folklorist, who has been studying for many years the history of the nomadic people in literary sources, ancient legends and tales, told us about the legendary four-legged heroes of the Kyrgyz epics.
Besides many legends, songs, and proverbs, the Kyrgyz folklore is represented by three large works – epics: ‘Manas’, ‘Kurmanbek’, and ‘Shyrdakbek’. Each hero has his own story of searching for his horse, relations to it, preparation for the battle and competitions. Interesting that the legendary nomads, who protected their tribes and defeated enemies, committed all these deeds sitting in a saddle. Jigits’ feats could be impossible without a faithful horse. “One, who doesn’t have a horse, is without legs,” reads the saying.

”Of course, the works do not say anything that all these horses belonged to the Kyrgyz breed. However, the detailed description of the external signs of horses and those things, bones of ancient horses, which were found, allow to mark out some morphological features, provided by the peculiarities of the breed’s formation, and living conditions,” said Mairamkul.

In search for the descendants of Akkula

According to Larisa Klimenko, an Associate Professor of the Horse Breeding Department of Skryabin’s Agrarian University, such qualities as endurance and adaptation to the mountainous region made the thoroughbred Kyrgyz horse indispensable attribute of the Kyrgyz nomadic life.
Almazbek Akunov, chairman of the ‘Jolchoro’ Charitable Fund, which develops people’s national culture, continued to list characteristic features of the Kyrgyz horses:
”Maximal height of Kyrgyz thoroughbred horses is 1.5 meters, they have a well developed chest, and skeleton in general. They have stocky limbs, and hard horny surface of hoofs, so that they can do without horseshoes. Such physique provides a full adaptation to the harsh mountainous conditions. Also, they have a thick mane and tail, protecting against cold and wind.
However, these horses give way in the short distance competitions along a direct road. But they are indispensable in the long journeys along the mountainous regions.
”The issue of preserving unique horses has not ever been discussed by any state agencies. That is why, for many decades, the Kyrgyz breed has been mixing with other imported breeds of horses. Three years ago I decided to help in the preservation of a unique breed,” said Almazbek.
First of all, he toured mountain villages of the Chui, Naryn, and Talas regions, he searched for the thoroughbred Kyrgyz horses, and purchased them.
”Making this selection I found out that the gene of the Kyrgyz horse is much stronger and even half-breeds have characteristic features of Kyrgyz horses.
Currently, Almazbek has about 300 thoroughbred horses. In the future, he wants to establish the first stud farm of the Kyrgyz breed. But according to him, this would take at least 10 years of hard work.
There is one more organization in Kyrgyzstan, which is concern with the problem of the revival of the Kyrgyz breed.

At chabysh Festival

”The national culture of even a small number of people is an invaluable part of the world culture. That is why, western researchers and historians are very interested in the centuries-old Kyrgyz culture in its diversity. We, together with Kyrgyz and European organizations are seeking not only to revive thoroughbred Kyrgyz horses, but also to preserve rich cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people,” said Jacqueline Ripar.

For four years, Jacqueline together with the Kyrgyz horse-breeders holds the At chabysh festival, devoted to the nomadic traditions.
During the festival, best Central Asian jigits have been participating in the national horse games ‘Tyiyn enmey’, ‘Oodarysh’, ‘Kyz kuumay’, ‘Kok boru’ . In between the sports competitions, concerts of ethnic music take place, where akyns (Kyrgyz narrators) compete in the famous Kyrgyz genre called ‘aitysh’. Particular attention was attracted by the most spectacular event – endurance races called ‘Bash Bayge’.
”Only the strongest Kyrgyz horse can win these races. During all competitions, groups of Kyrgyz and French doctors were present. During breaks, there were competitions among manaschys (Kyrgyz narrators of the Manas epic). Narrators represented not only their own improvisations of the epic, but also extracts devoted to Kyrgyz horses.
Last year the French horseball team ‘Coup de Envoi’ was invited to the festival. After several trainings, a horseball match between the Kyrgyz and the French horsemen was held.
”France is interested in preserving biodiversity and the revival of ancient cultures. That is why, we support the activities aimed at reviving the traditions of nomadic people. And a Kyrgyz horse is a living symbol of history, culture and heritage of the people. We want that the Kyrgyz horse will be recognized at the international level,” said Jean Pierre Godard, the Chargé d'affaires of the French Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.

Figure
There are 30 thousand of horses in Kyrgyzstan.
The number of thoroughbred Kyrgyz horses is ranging from 500 to 1000 heads.