Name of breed: Sandalwood Pony Country of origin: Indonesia Breed origin: The Sandalwood pony developed on the Indonesian islands of Sumba and Sumbawa. It is named after the Sandalwood tree, which was once of the island’s major exports. Not much is known about the history of the Sandalwood breed, but it is believed that Arabians […]

If you missed Part One of Stacey’s globetrotting adventure through Mongolia please click here. Now we pick up on Day Eleven. Settle in for another wonderful ride globetrotters… DAY ELEVEN Today turned into a massive riding day. As breakfast we were told our ride to see the Tsaatan would be around three hours. After eight hours of […]

Globetrotters you are in for a treat. One of our prolific globetrotters, Stacey West, completed the nineteen-day Mongolian horse riding holiday last year and has kindly offered to share her journal of each day with us. And my oh my is it an interesting read! Thoughtful cultural remarks, humorous anecdotes and brilliant descriptions, reading through […]

Name of breed: Mangalarga Marchador Country of origin: Brazil Breed origin: The Mangalarga Marchador is the national horse breed of Brazil, where it numbers over half a million! It descends largely from Iberian stock brought to Brazil by the Portuguese royal court, which fled from Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. With them came […]

Alexander the Great is arguably the greatest military conqueror the world has ever seen. But in addition to this, he was apparently the world’s first horse whisperer! Bucephalus, the horse Alexander rode for thousands of miles and through many battles to create his mighty empire, did not have the best of beginnings. Legend has it […]

Name of breed: Carolina Marsh Tacky (also known as Marsh Tacky) Country of origin: USA Breed origin: The Carolina Marsh Tack, or Marsh Tacky as it is also known, is a rare breed of horse, native to South Carolina. They developed from Spanish horses brought to the South Carolina coast by Spanish explorers, settlers and […]

Name of breed: Clydesdale Country of origin: Scotland Breed origin: The Clydesdale was developed by Scottish farmers in a region known as Lanarkshire, which was previously called Clydesdale. To produce a versatile draught horse for farm work, coal mining and heavy haulage, Flemish stallions were imported and bred with local mares. The first recorded use […]

Sumba has one of Indonesia’s richest tribal traditions, from its wonderful ikat to timeless traditional villages. But it’s the Pasola Festival that has put this tiny island on the map for tourism. Held sometime during February or March, the date of the festival is actually determined by the arrival of a type of sea worm […]