2014 Silver Coin – Mongolian Nature 2014 – Horse

There are over 3 million horses in Mongolia and therefore about the same amount as the entire human population. Nowhere in the world is the ratio of horses to people as high as in Mongolia. Mongolian horses are small and sturdy measuring 1.25 to 1.45 metres. The Mongolian horse is kept outdoors throughout the year and therefore has to bear temperatures up to 30°C in summer and -40°C in winter. The origins of the Mongolian horse lie way back. Central Asian nomadic people already used riding horses 3000 years ago. Studies show that the Mongolian horse has the greatest genetic diversity worldwide from which many of today’s horse breeds originate. The Mongolian national drink Airag is gained from the mare’s milk. It tastes sour and tingling at the same time and is an everyday form of nourishment among Asian steppe people.