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Horse Riding Expeditions in Mongolia in the Year of the Horse
At Stone Horse, our whole team makes great efforts to provide safe and comfortable travel in the wilderness while keeping the sense of adventure alive. Year-long work with and care for our treasured herd of Mongolian horses is an important part of these efforts. High quality camping gear, saddle and tack with safety features, and a varied and nutritious menu are other aspects that we address with much attention to detail and individual needs.
Our many years of horse riding expeditions experience in wilderness travel, professional careers in conservation, and long-term engagement in Mongolia help us make our horseback tours the high-quality equestrian adventure that our guests enjoy. Many who rode with us in 2013 wrote about their experience and we find our efforts rewarded when we get comments like “beautiful scenery, gentle responsive horses, guides with tremendous knowledge”, or “the way it should be done”.
Guest testimonials and images from the trail are the best way to share the essence of our horseback tours – images of the great scenery along the trails, of campsites in the grasslands and forest landscapes of Gorkhi Terelj National Park and the Khan Khentie Wilderness, of horses and riders under a big sky , making their way over passes and into pristine wilderness.
We have prepared a summary of quotes and pictures to share here. You can also see a roundup of images from the 2013 Stone Horse tours.
We hope that these quotes and images give you an impression of Stone Horse Expeditions in Mongolia and help you decide on your next adventure holiday and ecotourism destination. Enjoy!
“5 Stars for Stone Horse Tours“.“I highly, highly recommend Stone Horse Tours. There’s no other horse riding outfit like them in Mongolia..………Stone Horse Tours takes you way, way off the standard routes offered by other tour companies. This exceptional steppe and wilderness trip was just what I was looking for”. (Susan Antenen, Manager, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, New York State, US)
“The Way It Should Be Done”. “Stone Horse caters for a range of riders from the complete novice to the accomplished horseman and its well-kept animals are carefully matched to a rider’s abilities. Keith and Sabine exude magnanimity and display a genuine love and respect for the country they now call home and I would thoroughly recommend travel with them for a rich and authentic way to experience Mongolia” (Amardeep Bassey, Journalist, Birmingham, UK)
“Unforgettable holiday”. Stone Horse is a great company – the equipment provided to us was new or nearly new as far as I could tell and the horses were of the highest quality, steady, polite and very responsive when asked. We carried everything we needed on pack horses and this ensured we could access uninterrupted backcountry wilderness for the entire period. The quality of the food also needs to be mentioned as this was very good particularly since we were camping and it was also remarkably accommodating to individual requirements”. (Martin Trumper, Singapore)
“Beautiful scenery, gentle responsive horses, guides with tremendous knowledge”…From the outset, it was clear that we were in amazing hands, and that we could enjoy the trip stress-free…I feel that it is impossible to compare this experience to other riding trips, as this is not a tourist outing, but it feels like Keith and Sabine (who go on EVERY trip) want to share the beauty of the country, riding, and the quiet of the national park…We had some fantastic adventures and left Mongolia wish to return to all the people and animals at stone horse again SOON! We miss the population density of rural Mongolia, blue sky, and air quality as well.” (Nancy Diehl, Hongkong)
“Amazing Adventure”. “Scenery throughout the trip was spectacular – vast stretches of rolling hills, beautiful larch trees, endless blue sky, and bright autumn colours. We were also fortunate to witness some amazing sunsets and star-filled nights. The best part, of course, was the riding. The horses were wonderful and extremely well cared for. Those peaceful days on ‘the roan’ taking in the amazing scenery will stay with me for a very long time. Thanks Stone Horse for a fantastic journey” (Johanna Lake, Toronto, Canada)
“Truly memorable experience!”. “We both had a great time! That we both enjoyed ourselves is notable since one of us was a complete novice (rode more on the first day than ever had before) while the other of us is an experienced rider. Sabine and Keith do a great job of matching horses with riders and allowing riders to ride at their own comfort level.…If you’re looking for an active vacation in a beautiful place that is a bit off the beaten path (and Eco-friendly) we highly recommend this trip. (Jim and Shari Shapleigh, Ithaca, New York State, US).
“Can I please do it again right now?”. “We just got back from an 8-day horse riding trip with Stone Horse. What a great adventure and what a professional outfit Stone Horse is! Bravo. I’m sitting here missing the feel of riding through a meadow of wild flowers, cantering along with a herd of horses, watching the horses’ funny antics (they are really like happy little boys)…The western riding equipment that Stone Horse provided was top notch. This was something we quite took for granted until we met a group from another reputable outfit and saw that they only had ropes for reins, bare-bones saddles and a sad metal bar suspended by ropes for each stirrup. Check out my pictures to see what we had instead. With 8 days of riding, you would want comfort and safety. All in all, thumbs up for Stone Horse! (Wai Ying, Singapore)
Thanks to all our guests for riding with us and many thanks for these comments! We look forward to our upcoming riding season, starting in mid June of 2014 with the first ride in Gorkhi Terelj National Park.
This year is a special year – the “Year of the Blue Wooden Horse” according to the 12- animal-cycle calendar that is used in Mongolian tradition. The Lunar New Year is a big celebration in Mongolia- called “Tsagaan Sar” or “White Moon”, and this year it will be a 3-day holiday from January 31st – February 2nd . The beginning of the Year of the Horse is celebrated in different ways in Mongolia – one way is a special exhibition in the “Blue Moon Art Gallery” in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. The exhibit is titled “Khiimori” – Wind Horse or Soul Horse, an art display themed on horses, showcasing the artworks of over 10 Mongolian artists.
“Khiimori” is the concept of the “wind horse” or “spirit horse” being the soul/strength of a human being. It is steeped in traditions of “shamanism” or rather “tengerism” (“the honoring of spirits”) in Mongolia and other countries of Central and East Asia. “In Tengerism, the world is alive, and plants, animals, rocks, and water all have spirits. These spirits must be respected and cared for or the land would become hostile or barren. Therefore, protection and balance of one’s environment is of utmost importance. Personal responsibility is the second main concept of Tengerism. Tengerists believe in a concept called buyan that is very close to the belief of karma. Being responsible for one’s own actions is the mark of an upright human being. The third concept of Tengerism is balance. Balance is important to keep harmony within oneself, the community, and the environment.” (Source: http://www.tengerism.org/table_of_contents.html)
At Stone Horse, we welcome the New Year with a Special Offer . Book in the first month of the Year of the Horse (January 31 – February 28, 2014) and get a 5 % Discount!
Contact us now! Take a ride with Stone Horse in the Year of the Horse!
See the 2013 video of Stone Horse Expeditions in Gorkhi Terelj National Park and the Khan Khentii Mountains.
