Postcard from Bishkek

There is an old adage that you shouldn’t judge a horse by the harness. The Kyrgyz sage Toulbai wouldn’t have been fooled by harness – he was renowned for his knowledge of horses.  People would bring him their horses and ask for his advice. For example, they might ask if a particular horse was good […]

Last year was supposed to be my year – the Year of the Snake. I was born in 1953 and in the Chinese Calendar, that was the Year of snake … and according to the Chinese Zodiac, every year has an animal associated with it – there are twelve of them in a cycle, (Rat, […]

An Arab poet once said, “The West was still covered in ice when, in the East, they were already producing music”. It was also in the East that horses first domesticated and historical sources suggest that Central Asia was an ancient centre for horse-breeding. The horse played a very big role in the life of […]

26th August has been National Dog Day since 2004, but in recent years it has been marked in Australia, Canada , Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom,  as well as in the United States where the idea originated. Now, if the British are widely known as “animal lovers”, this is not necessarily thought of as a […]

Sheep have an important place at the heart of Kyrgyz culture – probably, rivalled only by that of the horse. Sheep were, however, far more important in economic terms than the horse. They were much more versatile in that they provided the nomadic Kyrgyz with meat, fat, milk and wool for the felt – which […]

  Tigers and cheetahs once roamed through the forests of Kyrgyzstan – but the Snow Leopard is the only example of the “Big Cats” still to be found in Kyrgyzstan.  Snow leopards are extremely athletic – capable of making huge leaps over ravines – and can bring down prey almost three times their own size. 

One of the first groups of tourists that I had here in Kyrgyzstan was  a family of four: Mum, Dad and two children, six and eight years old and they had two particular requests. The first was easy to satisfy: the kids loved swimming and wanted to swim.  There are several swimming pools here in […]

“Horses are a man’s wings” “If you are given only one day’s life, spend half of it in the saddle” “Only a horse and an agreeable conversation can shorten a long journey” Domestication of the horse made a huge difference to the development of mankind – as they provided a means of transportation enabling fast […]

I’ve said it before, (several times), and will probably say it again, (several times): “Every day is a special day … for someone.” For example, A couple of weeks ago, on September 15th, I happened to call in on the Honorary British Consul, (I have to apply for a new passport and needed a signature […]

  Apparently, today, (August 26th),  is National Dog Day.  I have absolutely no idea how National Dog Day came about, but it seems to be an attempt some Americans,  (Colleen Paige is listed as the founder of National Dog Day on their website),  ”to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that […]