| Description |
Acknowledgment of the role of a horse is expressed in traditional horse equipment, which is divided into protective equipment and items that provide comfortable and safe position of the rider. Significant attention was also paid to an artistic decoration of details. Items of the horse equipment are made of metal, leather and wood, and decorated with stylized plant and animal motifs. Soft types of wood are used to make a saddle. Pine, poplar and beech timber possess suppleness; they do not crack or break easily. Peculiarity of the Kyrgyz saddle is a long front pommel (kash). This detail serves to tie the bridle. A good saddle is necessarily covered with leather and decorated. Stirrups for saddle can be made of leather or metal. Horse girth represents a wide durable leather belt. Metallic parts of the harness are also richly decorated. Kamchy (horsewhip) is composed of elegant handle and whip made of tightly intertwined leather. |
| Social and cultural significance |
One of the bases of welfare of the Kyrgyz nomads were horses. They have always been treated by the Kyrgyz with special care and respect. This is evidenced by literature and artistic works, historical resources as well as artifacts that are located in museums of Kyrgyzstan. Horse was a committed partner in the battlefield and a reliable supporter in farming and hunting.
The manufacture of horse equipment belongs to the most ancient types of Kyrgyz folk art. It has absorbed the most outstanding achievements and the best traditions developed over the centuries. Artisans have always paid great attention to the manufacture and decoration of horse equipment, which is a reflection of the original culture of the Kyrgyz people.
Horse equipment not only provided the opportunity for horse riding but was also an indicator of the social status of the owner. Moreover, horse equipment was an obligatory part of the bride's dowry.
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| Transmission method |
Traditional knowledge has been transmitted in the family and in the craftsmen communities. In many regions of Kyrgyzstan there are small manufactories, ateliers where craftsmen transmit their knowledge to young people. |
| Community |
Community of craftspeople, masters of technique of leather processing and leather products manufacturing, metal, wood products |
