Mongol Derby blog: training to ride 1,000km across Mongolia

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Katy Willings is a former British pony dressage rider, who has decided to sign up for the Mongol Derby, described by its organisers as the toughest horserace in the world. Follow her trials and tribulations as she prepares for this amazing adventure in her blog at www.horseandhound.co.uk/mongolderby
 
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Katy Willings is a former British pony dressage rider, who has decided to sign up for the Mongol Derby, described by its organisers as the toughest horserace in the world. Follow her trials and tribulations as she prepares for this amazing adventure in her blog at www.horseandhound.co.uk/mongolderby

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HHO Admin, I think this link should be removed given the welfare concerns voiced by The Long Riders Guild
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The Guild were very quick to respond when I, and other forum members asked them to step in to safeguard the welfare of a Russian mare and gelding suffering in a similar event last year, and I trust their judgement.
S
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Dear Shils

We have been in contact with the organisers and they have assured us that the welfare of the horses with be their utmost priority. All of the individuals taking part are riders and as such I am sure that they will also put the horses first. While this is a race, it is first and foremost a charity event so I would be surprised if anyone would risk the welfare of these horses simply to cross the line first. However, we are aware of the concerns being raised and will continue to monitor this situation. For more information about the care and welfare of the horses visit http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/index.php?page=horses
 
I think Shils has a good point myself. This seems a rather barbaric 'race' and I am not sure I care for the idea at all. However i suppose one might say the same about the grand national if you were a Mongol
 
HHO admin, with respect the organizers respond on their website to the question
Is the Mongol Derby dangerous? As follows…..

"Yes. Of course it is. Like all our adventures, the Mongol Derby is not for the weak of mind or infirm of heart. This is not a horse-trekking holiday. You'll be riding for days on end across miles of rough, sparsely inhabited terrain. Your thighs will ache. Your arse will hurt. There are wolves that roam the steppe. If you have even the slightest inclination to take part, you need to read the The Warning section."

they go on to say

"It's dangerous, it's unsupported and you could die. "

In their own words this is an ”unsupported” race. There is a threat to human safety “you could die” so it goes without saying there IS a threat to equine safety.

Does the Horse and Hound's support for this event mean the threat (any threat) to equine safety/welfare during the Mongol Derby is acceptable?

Emma
 
Dear Emma

If you go to http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/index.php?page=horses you will see that there is a range of back up procedures in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of both horse and rider. I think the claims on their website that people "could die" is somewhat sensationalist on the organisers part to be honest. On the horses page they state "The Adventurists ordinarily specialise in adventures with no back-up or marked route but the Derby is a unique beast. It includes an emergency system with fully trained expert medical professionals for the riders in addition to the extensive veterinary provisions for the horses before, during and after the race and a GPS tracking system so we know what is going on along the whole route."

I think the organisers have answered many, if not all, of the Long Riders Guild's concerns on this page.

Edited to add: Also to clarify, H&H is not 'supporting' this race; we have reported that it is taking place and are publishing the experiences of one individual who is preparing to take part. If we believe that there is a genuine equine welfare risk then we will write a news story about that. We have no affiliation with the organisers of this event.

HHO Admin
 
Dear Admin
If you read the website though - there are 800 horses, spread out over 1000km of rough terrain, and only TWO veterinary jeep vehicles as support.
That seems inadequate veterinary cover, given the nature of the race - could you contact the organisers and gain more specific detail on the veterinary support and horse management logistics on our behalf?
Thanks Admin - you know we love you.
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Dear HHO Admin,

Thank you for your reply.

A GPS tracking device will only tell the organizers where people are - not how they are. To say they will know what is going on along the whole route in my opinion is questionable.

I have read the information available. If you follow this link you will see I have supported the Long Riders Guild by publishing their investigation into this race.

http://www.voicesforhorses.co.uk/news/re...eilly-FRGS.html

Why suggest the claim that people ‘could die’ “somewhat sensationalist”? The dangers are real and include - quote "heatstroke, dehydration and coming across a wolf”? The organizers openly admit there are dangers and issue a warning page.

http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/index.php?page=warning

If the riders are vulnerable the horses will be because they are being used by people who are going to struggle to look after their own health and safety let alone the health and safety of their mounts. Is this acceptable?

The following information can be found in the report but to summarize:

Because of its expertise in equestrian travel, the Guild was contacted by the events manager at the Adventurists. She was seeking the Guild's advice.

"We're launching our inaugural Mongol Derby, set to be the world's longest horse race.... This is going to be all about the endurance of the rider, as opposed to the horse, she wrote."

Long Riders with Mongolian experience were asked by the Guild to study the proposed event. Their decision was unanimous."

"To consider putting foreigners with limited equestrian experience into an endurance race of this distance is asking one to deny the basic fact involved in this situation - namely that a race across this terrain, on those kind of horses, over that distance, would have taxed the original messengers of Genghis Khan, none of whom actually rode a thousand miles on one journey. To ask modern riders to do so is not just naive, it is irresponsible. The Adventurists is preparing to embark on an ill-advised equestrian misadventure, one in which your company does not appreciate the many equestrian hardships and dangers being presented to the horses and riders," The Guild informed the tour company representative.

The warning was ignored, plans for the race continued, and the Guild's request for answers went unheeded.”

Why would an organization inexperienced in using equines for such an event ignore a warning from a world respected authority on extreme endurance riding and exploration?

"The LRG has documented hundreds of equestrian trips, gathered vital information on more than 500 Long Riders, and confirmed more than a million documented miles traveled in the saddle."
 
Here is a link to a news stroy on this subject - but perhaps more poignant is the following comment on the story added by a member of the public.

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/06/mercy_corps_mongolian_horse_ra.html

"I have 15 years experience in Mongolia, traveling with the local horses. My problem with this race is not the issue of horse abuse, nor rider abuse. Mongol ponies are up to the task and frankly, if the the self described "adventurists" suffer bruised bums, broken legs, black death, etc. that's fine with me.

The problem I have this: Are these bored (by their own much trumpted admission), rich (by virtue of the fact that they are paying $200 us or so per day) young riders prepared to explain to the Gobi herder (who takes them in after their horse has run off, their butt cheeks are rubbed raw and they are parched and hungry) that the reason they are "racing" is to alleviate their oppressive and apparently chronic boredom?

Mind you, they are going to be talking with a man and his family who daily face the "challenges" that these bored, upper class adventurists face only for a week or so. They are going to have to look this man in the face and explain that their own lives are so devoid of purpose and meaning that they need to spend the equivalent of this man's annual wage so that they can release themselves, however temporarily, from the ennui that afflicts them. But... it's ok, because hey, we are hitting up our friends and neighbors and raising some money for a CHARITY!! and that makes it all ok. Mercy Corps should be ashamed to be associated with an event that self describes it's project with such ludicrous, narcissistic hyperbole. A "race that makes a roman emperor weak at the knees" and all this biggest, baddest bullshit.

It's yet another case of Mongolia being used as a backdrop for "fantasy" adventures where the landscape, the horses, the people are mere exotic props. Imagine the tables turned and a bunch of rich Mongolian kids (they exist) doing a wild motor rally in souped up Mini's through the hedgerow lanes and motorways of Britain. Do you suppose an event like that would be allowed? But it would be ok because they are donating some money to a charity that feeds homeless people.

Why does this have to be a "race"? That notion is actually antithetical to Mongol tradition ( terms of how you behave when traveling long distances). They do have horse races, but they are very specific in length and age of horse and the jockeys are ALL kids under 10 (for obvious weight reasons)and the horses are conditioned rigorously. A better model would have been a culturally and historically recreation of the post to post system but run as a cooperative experience and it would have INCLUDED YOUNG MONGOLS. But apparently only a RACE can dispel the boredom of the jaded youth of the West.

I am so fed up with the notion that bad behavior in foreing countries is made acceptable because you donate some money to a charity. Do these riders actually know just where the money goes and what it does? Or is it enough to "help poor people"? Isn't it rather like buying an indulgence? If this event involved an additional week in Mongolia, during which the riders with hypenated names worked at building toilets or teaching English or something that actually demanded more of them than the writing of a check, then they just might learn something that would help them alleviate their boredom in a more lasting way. "
 
On the website it says that there is a rider weight limit of 85kgs, add to this the weight of equipment and tack, say 15kgs (although likely more) and that's 100kgs for a feral pony between 12 and 14 hands high to carry in heat for 40kms. A horse should not be expected to carry over 20% of its body weight, and so for this ride to be fair the Mongolian ponies would need to weigh at least 500kgs.

I can assure from my own endurance riding experiences that 40kms a day is a lot to ride, not as a one off but after doing such distances every day it does take its toll on both the horse and rider. I was lucky enough to be able to stop in villages and take rest stops for food and water, this is not a viable option on the Mongolian plains.
 
http://mongolderby.theadventurists.com/index.php?mode=news&newsid=135

They've changed their tune a bit now - see this press release issued yesterday. Apparently now there is a route, there is water all over the place, there are a huge number of vets, there is a lot of backup support, etc etc etc. Which directly contradicts what the website originally said about it being in the main unsupported and that you'd be on your own out there, sleeping on the steppe with the wolves and could die
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Oh and it will hold the record for the longest multi horse race, not the longest race (probably because various people in the states have informed them that they've already run a longer single horse endurance race).

There have been some interesting debates on fugly and on ridecamp about this. I'd tend to agree with some of the posters on those sites in that a) the ponies are wiley little boogers and the Mongolians probably have a load of private wagers on them as to how quickly they dump the stupid westerners and leg it for home, and b) part of the problem is that the ride has a bit of an identity crisis, as it's not an endurance ride/race (where you can only proceed to the next stage if you haven't broken your horse over the previous stage, and you only 'win' if your horse is still fit to continue at the end), but they're trying to sell it as both an adventure ride and a race. If it's an adventure ride, where it's a personal challenge, that's one thing, and if it's a race, that's another, but the problem is with long distance races where there are no veterinary parameters riding on your completion is that red mist occurs. Heck, red mist occurs when there are veterinary parameters, but when there are none and it's an all out first past the post in the heat, this happens: http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/picture-001.jpg (and this was over 15 miles). So you can understand why the concerns are there - it's not unprecedented for something like this to go badly wrong. And it doesn't help that the 'long rider' they've used to promote/construct the venture apparently has a bit of a previous reputation for leaving his horses to die on the hills.

Anyhows, I'm glad that they have drawn back their macho bluster a bit and have provided some more information. I can't say I'm not entirely unconcerned about it but I guess the proof is in the pudding as the race gets closer.
 
Thanks for posting that Esther Young - I am glad they have addressed at least some of the concerns regarding horse welfare, in particular the provision of stopping points en route, and improved veterinary availability.
We all know that it is impossible to live life without risk, and indeed humans can take risks to the point of death; I just don't think it is ethical to take unnecessary risks with animals' lives when it can be avoided.
S
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Dear forum members, please find below a statement issued by the Adventurists re the Derby, which includes a link to a downloadable PDF with full details of the horse welfare and logistics which will be in place for the ride. The PDF also includes an email address which you can use to contact the organisers if any questions remain unresolved.

HHO Admin

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The Adventurists, organisers of the Mongol Derby, release an update on an
extensive horse welfare program and logistical support network for their pioneering
adventure across Mongolia.

The Mongol Derby is set to be the world's longest horse – the first of its kind and very
likely a Guinness World Record (TM). A 1000-kilometre multi-horse race across the
wild Mongolian Steppe consisting of 25 riders from around the world who are also
raising huge sums of money for charity projects in Mongolia.

Created and managed by UK based company The Adventurists, with support from an
American veterinary NGO based in Mongolia and respected British and Mongolian
equine experts, the Derby is about old fashioned human adventurism.

The riders are taking on 1000km of wild Mongolian steppe while the horses travel just
40 kilometres each between staging posts. Not an endurance race by definition or
affiliation, the Derby is an an adventure primarily and multi-horse race second.

An extensive veterinary program has been established to ensure the welfare of the
horses remains absolutely paramount from the point of horse selection through to
race completion and beyond. GPS satellite tracking will allow expedition medics and
on-call veterinarians to respond to riders in an emergency along the route.

Tom Morgan, founder of The Adventurists, commented: “The Mongol Derby is going to be an amazing adventure and we have a fantastic team of equine experts and veterinarians to make the concept a spectacular reality this summer, with horse welfare firmly at the top of the agenda at all times. The riders will need to be made of seriously tough stuff to succeed, but they are a splendid bunch. Now that we have established the route and finalised the extensive
horse welfare program and emergency back up systems we're set for a pioneering and probably record-breaking first edition of the world's longest horse race. “

Veterinary Support

There are two types of veterinary support for the horses on the Mongol Derby. The
first is a long term health checking program to ensure the horses are prepared and
healthy for the event. The second is our support network to provide expert on-call
veterinary support to all the horses during the race.

The organisers are working with an American veterinary NGO based in Mongolia
called Vet Net. Vet Net have been working in Mongolia since 1995 and specialise in
both training Mongolian vets and supplying them with high quality veterinary
medicines. We will be working with Vet Net trained vets along the Derby route to
make sure the horses involved get the best possible care.

A British equine vet with 32 years of experience will also fly out to Mongolia and
follow the Derby in one of our fleet of back up jeeps.

Finally, the chief equine vet of Mongolia’s Ministry of Agriculture will be working
alongside our British and Mongolian vets.

Emergency Back Up

The Adventurists have designed a system that will allow the riders a sense of
freedom complete with the knowledge that an emergency beacon can be activated if
necessary. A fleet of jeeps with expedition medics and expert equine veterinarians
will be on standby throughout the race and dispersed along the route of the race.

The Course

The route starts in Kharkhorin soum, swings south of Ulaanbaatar and ends in
Khentii aimag 1000 km later. The exact race route including the Morin Urtuus
(Mongolian for horse station) has been plotted by GPS co-ordinates. The final
version has allowed an increase in the number of water sources and all of these have
been clearly plotted and marked so the riders always know where the nearest source
of water is along the route.

Further Information
The Adventurists are aware of certain statements in the media about the Mongol
Derby and want to take the opportunity to clarify the situation and allay any concerns
that may have been caused. For further information on the Mongol Derby, please
read the 'Mongol Derby Horse Welfare and Race Logistics Information' document
available here.

The contents of this document include:
1. Pre race horse selection
2. Selecting the Riders
3. The rider agreement helps to ensure safety and welfare
4. Pre-Derby training session in Mongolia
5. The right to refuse entry to ensure the riders are suitable for the race
6. Veterinary care for the horses
7. Rider weight limits
8. Is this an endurance race?
9. Safety and Welfare Logistics
10. The Extensive Support Network
11. Rider Tracking and Emergency Response
12. The Course, Horse Welfare and Water Sources

For more information on the Derby please visit http://www.mongolderby.com

The Mongol Derby is organised by The Adventurists in partnership with Tengri Group
in Mongolia.
 
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I can assure from my own endurance riding experiences that 40kms a day is a lot to ride, not as a one off but after doing such distances every day it does take its toll on both the horse and rider. I was lucky enough to be able to stop in villages and take rest stops for food and water, this is not a viable option on the Mongolian plains.

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If you read the description of the derby, you will find that the horses will be doing a 40 km route as one off, not every day over a period of time, as to the riders... it's their problem IMO
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While I accept that the major burden of this ride will be on the riders this still does not address the problem of the tiny size of the Mongolian horses. It is encouraging to see the the Adventurists have taken into account some of the equestrian communities concernes and changed it from an unsupported mission to one with backup. I am still concerned as to how true these claims are however and it all reads a bit like a politicians speech; lots of nice sounding assurances that provide no concrete information.

The "Extensive Support Network" that the Adventurists say they will have has not been elucidated; there is no mention of the number of vets that there will be covering a distance of 1000kms and 800 horses. Reading between the lines, it all seems very vague and lacking the necessary facts about how the horses will be acquired, trained and cared for..

Again, a major concern is the rider weight limit of not weighing over 85kgs, adding on the 10kg equipment limit this comes to 95kgs. The adventurist website may say that the Mongolian horses are "tougher than a pair of steel boots" and cites the Nadaam race while conveniently leaving out the fact that the jockeys in this race are invariably children under the age of ten.

I come from near Connemara where the local pony breed is also "tougher than a pair of steel boots" (to borrow a phrase) yet if I were to propose riding round Ireland with a 10kg backpack on a semi-wild 13 hand pony the media would have a field day denouncing such pointless overburdening of a pony. I am certain that Horse and Hound would not set up a blog for me, nor promote my adventures in any way other than to denounce them.
 
Unbelieveable! You know, the article should read "Training to Die"..not "Training to Ride". I agree with Caitriona. Without water in that heat? Riding in heat alone without being in a race is an extraordinary feat! If the temperature exceeds 38 degrees celsius (104F). Don't ride. Period. Horses can have heat stroke just standing in the sun let alone pounding across the Mongolian plains without water. The individuals who are really getting involved as participants in this race, IMO, are not self-actualized enough to take their dare-devil laissez-faire attitudes and put them aside. Dare devil-ing is one thing. If you want to be a dare devil and put yourself to the test is one thing.. but to subject your horse or any animal to being a dare-devil WITH you is another. This race talks about risk. I'm sure those participants may say, "Well, I can get hit by a bus stepping off a curve in the middle of a large city...this is no different."

Well, it IS different because these participants are asking an innocent magnificent creature that has ASKED HUMANS TO INTIMATELY TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. It's obvious that Participants are using THEIR MOUNTS TRUST to meet some PERSONAL NEED to be in this race.

I ASK ALL THE RIDERS IN THIS RACE ONE QUESTION.. WHY DONT YOU WALK AND FORGET TAKING THE HORSES?!?! If the riders are so bent on adventure...then GO ALONE.
 
Voicesforhorses comments about the riders paying unbelievable (to a Mongolian) amounts of money for this adventure/race are thought-provoking. What is the ethos of this race? Why will people sign up for it?

The Mongolian horses are tough, independent, wirey creatures. I've been there and ridden them. They are far tougher than any of our natives and carrying adults is what they do. Don't compare a 13hh Mongolian to a 13hh UK horse and think it isn't up to the job. Different as chalk and cheese.

The jeep support/emergency beacons/vets on call ... Mongolia is absolutely VAST. You can't imagine how vast it is. There are no roads outside of the towns, just tracks across deserts. There is no mobile phone coverage. The satellite phone system isn't reliable either so even if you've got one, there's no guarantee of being able to call for help. That lady in (was it Siberia?) the other year who was seriously injured while riding in some remote area, was located by her emergency beacon and airlifted out by helicopter - she was very lucky.

Even if you arrange with your local Mongolian rep to hire a jeep at point X of your trip, by the time you get there to take it, you may find it's been hired/booked to someone else - because somebody else offered more money than you.

Benedict Allen's book/video, Edge of Blue Heaven, is a good insight.

Absolutely nothing is guaranteed when it comes to Western ideas of safety and back-up. We nearly came seriously unstuck in the mountains one night during a blizzard. If we had come unstuck, we'd have died. Simple as that.

But we didn't come unstuck because one thing the Mongolians/Kazakhstanis have which the Westerners are losing, is the ability to survive independently, to think their way out of trouble, workarounds, working together, lash-ups, alternatives, usually requiring hard graft and whatever's to hand.

The Mongolians and Kazakhstanis I met on my short time in Mongolia were wonderful people. Their lives are very very different to ours, materially poorer but they have the family/community spirit which many Westerners have lost. We shouldn't judge other people's lifestyles by our own lifestyles. Just as most of us wouldn't want to live their lifestyle, most of them wouldn't put up with ours for very long either.
 
I think it quite arrogant for people to term any horse race 'tough', as the horses are doing most of the work. It is peoples choice to commit.

This is going to be hard on the horses and they are certainly not viewed by most in Mongolia as pets. I do wonder why such an event has to happen at all.
 
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I think it quite arrogant for people to term any horse race 'tough', as the horses are doing most of the work. It is peoples choice to commit.

This is going to be hard on the horses and they are certainly not viewed by most in Mongolia as pets. I do wonder why such an event has to happen at all.

[/ QUOTE ] Because it's about money , egos and wealthy yobs showing off .. sadly
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Well I think this is great, I mean to be honest I'm a bit put out with them stealing my idea and all but sure at least these hardy riders shan't be condemning themselves to suffering that dreadful condition named "boredom", a fearful disease that is becoming a worldwide epidemic.

Incidentally, I shall be taking part in the Connemara Derby, the other toughest race in the world! I know that this is something that your magazine Horse and Hound shall be interested in covering, and of course I shall allow you to provide links to my blog and publish my progress in your illustrious magazine. The race, which runs for the first time this year, is over 1,000km of wilderness and bogs in Connaught, and I am taking the liberty of billing it as the "biggest, baddest equine affair on the bog".

The ride will follow the historical "Galway to Clifton" rail route which was closed as of 1937, with stops to change ponies every 40kms at a "shebeen". As the wilds of Connemara fail to cover the same distances as the wilds of Mongolia I shall be re-riding the same route 6 times out of Galway and 7 times back. Each venture being more treacherous than the last, as the muddy bog becomes every more trodden on and water-logged.


While I am an experienced rider, I have no experience in endurance, just like every single participant in the Mongol Derby, that other big bad race. Nevertheless, armed with 25 ponies I shall be racing across the bogs and facing such dangers as drunken farmers brandishing shotguns, tourist busses blocking our path and not least of all hundreds of wild sheep that gather by our drinking water supplies. I realise that sheep lack the reputation that wolves have for ferocity but I feel that to discriminate against the danger that they present is inequity and downright speciesism.


On my ride I shall utilize the "tough as nails" Connemara pony, and to make the ride as authentic as possible; I shall only ride ponies under 14hh and five years old and those which are preferably unbroken. As they are a native breed, I feel that horseshoes are superfluous and unnecessary for the 40kms that I shall gallop with each pony. Of course I shall follow strict weight restrictions, I shall diet myself down to a sprightly and nimble 85kg, and in addition only carry 10kgs of luggage with me which I think should be no problem for the hardy little Irish ponies to carry at speed. As the breed standard dictates that a true Connemara Pony should weigh no more than 430kgs, I think that 22% of the pony's weight should pose no problem. Additionally, going by the standards of your good publication it should be no problem for the 13hh ponies to carry only 27% of their body weight, which I am sure you will agree is as fair as the Mongol horses loads.


I am aware of the fact that my ride may lack the additional, exciting challenge of the Mongol derby in so far as that their derby is taking place in summer when temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius shall be the norm. However, you can rest assured the West of Ireland has many meteorological challenges of its own. To ensure that I can prove myself to be a true adventurer I shall complete the ride in the first two weeks of January when there should be some nice gale force winds to accompany the blasting rain and hail so as to prove I am a true adventurer.


There are two types of veterinary support for the ponies on the Connemara Derby. The first is a long term health checking program to ensure the horses are prepared and healthy for the event. What this means exactly I’m not quite sure but I’ll keep you informed! The second is our support network to provide expert on-call veterinary support to all the horses during the race. I shall have a fleet of tractors with vets ready to come to my assistance as needed. They will be stationed in Waterford and as they lack the necessary licenses to drive on the high ways, they shall be traveling through the back roads of Ireland to me should I need them.

As I have seen the keen interest and promotion of that other Derby that your magazine has admirably published, while brilliantly covering up the pesky protests of the Long Riders Guild, especially when you managed to refrain from publishing a word of detail about the outlaw equestrian traveller who nearly killed his horses on his mad dash from Russia to Paris.


Yours Sincerely,


Amadán Ní gCopaleení
 
My brothers girlfriend is one of the riders on this "event" - I use this term for fear of being slayed for calling it a "race". I can tell you that she does not consider it a race, neither does she take the whole thing lightly. She (as all the others are) is an experienced rider and is perfectly able to tell if a horse is struggling or is unwell etc.

And in response to "voicesforhorses", I can assure you that she is not suffering from "chaotic boredom". She has just qualified as a vet from Cambridge and simply wants to do a challenging charity event whilst she has the time. Please do not be so niave to think that you can name all the riders "rich" and "bored" - you have no place to say such things.
 


[/ QUOTE ] "Because it's about money , egos and wealthy yobs showing off .. sadly
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What are you basing this on exactly? It's strange that suddenly you seem to know these people well enough to make such slanderous comments?

Assuming that you don't know any of the people taking part, it would seem perfectly acceptable for me to label you a "wealthy yob" in return? Of course I'm basing this on your ideals that I don't have to know you in order to make judgements on you as a person.
 
The Mongol Derby should not be supported and should be stopped from happening. "The Adventurists" are very contradictory to what they are claiming, just a few examples:
"WE ARE ENSURING THE HORSES WELFARE"??
Who's fooling whom? How many of the chosen riders have already ridden semi-wild horses? . . . They are very unpredictable, they cannot be controlled by the same techniques as stable-raised horses; neither does their anatomy respond or bend in the same manner . . . I have had the personal experience of owning a wild horse. Certain greatly-experienced cavaliers who trained other riders were useless and one ended up in the hospital! It is really at your own risk and unfortunately at the risk of the animal!

"DURING AN EMERGENCY, RIDER USE YOUR EMERGENCY BEACON"??
Right . . . what happens if you are thrown off your horse, are injured and the horse runs off with your beacon???

"RIDERS GIVEN GPS COORDINATES OF FRESH WATER SOURCES"?
Extract from TheAdventurists website:
"As a rider you will have to navigate your way from one Urtuu to the next single-handedly; there's no marked course and there will be huge stretches with no paths or tracks at all. In fact even when there are tracks there is little chance they will be going in the right direction. You will be facing the wilderness, alone, on the longest, toughest horse race in the world."

"FRESH WATER SOURCES"???
What about "the plague" infested waters and oh yes, the wolf packs that may be at the water sources . . .
Extract from The Adventurists website:
"Hunt marmot if you like, but they sometimes carry the plague. As for water, the course will frequently take you across rivers, where you can fill up your gourds."
Right . . . If the marmots carry the plague . . . and where do these plague-carrying marmots drink???

SO MANY OTHER CONTRADICTIONS YOU WILL FIND BY JUST CAREFULLY READING THE ADVENTURISTS WEBSITE.

MY ADVICE TO THE ADVENTURISTS: PLEASE GO BACK TO USING CARS, MOTORBIKES, ANYTHING ELSE NON-LIVING - BUT PLEASE LEAVE THE MONGOL HORSES OUT OF YOUR SO-CALLED ADVENTURES!!!

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[ QUOTE ]
Katy Willings is a former British pony dressage rider, who has decided to sign up for the Mongol Derby, described by its organisers as the toughest horserace in the world. Follow her trials and tribulations as she prepares for this amazing adventure in her blog at www.horseandhound.co.uk/mongolderby

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I agree with Shilasdair this Mongolian Derby should not be promoted - If you carefully read the Promotors '"The Adventurists" website you can see their own contradictions as to the safety of the horses and the riders. Unfortunately, it is the innocent horses who will suffer the most!
 
I agree - no good reason to make animals suffer unnecessarily - there are so many other options to choose from to satisfy middle/upper class westerner's appetites for thrills and adventure and let us not forget the . . . responsible manner in order to raise funds for the needy!
 
WHO is saying that the horses will suffer? How on EARTH do you know?

In this day and age, no event like this would be allowed to proceed with absolute strict regulations on care of the horses and people - too much red tape around!

Get down off your soap boxes and stop blaming the people who want to take part in this challenge. HHO is doing nothing wrong by covering the event in the magazine or online... you'd think that you lot would know, better than anyone, than Horse and Hound would not be giving it coverage, if it thought for one minute that horses would suffer.
 
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