The Mongolian Horse is, of course, a native of Mongolia and the Mongol People; they are for the most part unchanged since the time of Genghis Kahn. They are also mostly popular because of him; he had one that helped him conquer most of the known world at the time. Because the horses are so small, they are technically ponies but the Mongolians do not accept the word "pony."
Because of the horse's native land, they are required to live outdoors all year round, so they can with stand just about any outdoor condition. They live through the summer weather which can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius to the winter weather which can drop to -40 degrees Celsius.
The horse's uses vary. The mare's milk is processed into a national beverage called Airag, and some are even slaughtered for meat. Other than being used for drinks and food, most of them are used for pleasure riding, racing, and performing chore work for the local nomads. They are known for being quite the work horse.
The Mongolian Horse is part of the more than 3 million animals that outnumber the humans in the whole country. The horse's genetic background can be traced clear back to 2000 B.C. They are the first of two breeds that date back that far, it shows that they are a breed that have been very little affected over the centuries by human interaction.
The Mongolian horse is an ancestor of the Przewalskis horse, also known as the Asian Wild Horse.
The Mongolian is also known for its great endurance, they can go long periods of time without food and shelter also travel long distances, starting from sixty, clear up to one hundred and twenty miles per day.
At one point scientists believed that the Mongolian is the ancestor of all the domestic horses we have today, but in a study by Japanese Geneticists in 1995 through mtDNA analyses that it turns out the Mongolian is not an ancestor of our domesticated horses.
It was thought the Mongolian was hunted to extinction by early Mongolian tribesmen, it wasn't until 1881 that they were re-discovered in the Gobi Desert by a Russian Explorer by the name of Col. N. Przewalski. Though they are still in danger of being wiped out, they can still be found in many zoos.
The hair off the mane of the Mongolian horse is often used for many things, sometimes even for everyday things. One of these everyday things is braided rope. The breed has been very beneficial to musical world since its tail hair is commonly used to create the bowstrings for violins in all parts of the world. Other common uses for the hair are its use in producing certain types of hairbrushes, as well as haircloth, a hard fabric.
The horse's hooves are also sometimes so tough and strong that they never need to be fitted for horse shoes.
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