Should the "biggest, baddest equine affair on the planet." be stopped?

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voicesforhorses

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Quote from the official website
"By taking part in this race you are greatly increasing your risk of severe physical damage. You could break limbs, suffer internal injuries, become paralysed or even die. Whilst much of this website may be written in a light-hearted manner please do not underestimate the extreme nature of the Mongol Derby"

If contestants wish to take such risks that is their choice but what of the horses?

Here is a link about this race, due to happen this summer.
http://www.voicesforhorses.co.uk/news/re...eilly-FRGS.html

Here is a link to the race organizers website
http://mongolderby09.theadventurists.com/index.ph
 
I've read the Adventurists website - and re-read it.
As far as I can work out the logistics are;
1000km race
800 horses, each covering 40km stages
'Two jeeps with vets' to support 800 horses spread out over 1000km of rough terrain.

Personally, I would consider this inadequate cover given the nature of the event.

S
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I dont know which is worse the "race" or the fact that Horse and Hound magazine seems to be endorsing it and condoning somthing that seems totaly at odds with horse welfare.. I can just amagine the sort of loons that would take part and would guess they wouldnt care much about the horses welfare
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perfect11s & Shilasdair - I agree

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/welfare.
 
You know, I'm not sure... Or to be more precise, on first impression the idea sounds completely insane and my personal idea of HELL, but the fact that several well-known riders are taking part would appear to endorse the race (H&H also appears to support it) and makes me wonder whether the dangers are exaggerated to generate more publicity... I wonder if we're being told the full story...
 
I have a Breyer pony who lives on a shelf near my bed-he is as safe as can be apart from the risk of being broken when he is dusted
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FFS; show me where to sign up for the race and Ill do it! More bolox from the fluffs
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. What a sad and sterile world we are developing
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Mairi.
 
I must say what I read on The Long Riders' Guild website really troubled me. Given their collective experience and expertise, the fact they are against it says volumes.

http://www.thelongridersguild.com/mongolia.htm

"The Long Riders' Guild is the world's first international association of equestrian explorers, and is an invitation-only organisation.

It was formed in 1994 to represent men and women of all nations who have ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey. Members currently reside in 39 countries.

These Long Riders have collectively written more than a hundred books on equestrian travel and ridden on every continent except Antarctica. Thus the history, stories, legends, and knowledge stored on this website represent the largest repository of equestrian travel information assembled in human history!"
 
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. "
 
800 fit healthy horses ready each ready for their 40k part in the race seems a lot to me. who provides them and gets them in shape? and as shils points out 2 vets is not many for that many horses is it? Just asking though, not commenting.....
 
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800 fit healthy horses ready each ready for their 40k part in the race seems a lot to me. who provides them and gets them in shape? and as shils points out 2 vets is not many for that many horses is it? Just asking though, not commenting.....

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If I understand it correctly, every horse will do only 40 km, so you need 25 horses per rider to complete the 1000 km ride, therefore there won't be more than 32 horses in the race at any given time... (800:25 = 32 max number of riders) that makes it manageable for the support team I believe, also they won't be spread over more than 80 km distance I would have thought.
 
Those of you who are against this race should come and watch some/most of the endurance comps here in Italy-you will be shocked. I doubt if the local hardy half wild Mongolian ned will put up with too much rider bullshit. Now, lets all get back to our own problems of wether to rug up or not in 30 degrees or go barefoot in the park. Yes, I am opinionated and you can like it or lump it
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Mairi.
PS, where is the entry list?
 
I know 3 people doing the race this year, and up until now hadn't really heard any negative opinions about it- i guess i must only hang around with the type of people who approve of animal cruelty.
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and yes, the people i know doing are all pretty rich, and TBH it is definitely more to prove they are well off than to raise money.
ETS- Does sound like a lot of fun though
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