Kyrgyz customs and traditions
Kyrgyzstan is a magnificent country, and its people, the Kyrgyz, are wonderfully hospitable. Yet, as in every culture, certain unexpected things can surprise or embarrass both traveller and host. Here are the key tips to know for a trouble-free stay.
It is customary to remove your shoes when entering a home — yurt, tent or house. For a yurt, shoes should be left outside (left or right of the entrance) or near the stove inside. In houses, there is almost always an entrance room for this purpose.
When handed a bowl of tea, it is strongly recommended to take it with your right hand. This also applies to passing a bowl: take and give with the same hand (right).
Always try to pass the first cup of tea to the oldest person at the table, or to the host. This is a sign of respect. They will usually refuse and insist you keep it — keep it! The respect has been noted and everyone is happy.
The seats of honour are at the back of the yurt, backs to the "soundouk" (a chest on which woollen mattresses are stacked), or at the head of the table. If directed there, first invite older guests to sit. If they decline, don't hesitate: it is an honour your hosts are bestowing on you. These are called "honorary" seats as you can lean back — very useful during long evenings!
A bowl filled to the brim = invitation tacite à boire rapidement et repartir. A bowl rempli to 20% = invitation to continue the conversation at length (the tea stays warm). In practice, a bowl at 50–70% implies nothing in particular!
It is imperative never to urinate in a watercourse, even downstream of a camp. This water is used by people further downstream. Failing to respect this rule can provoke very hostile reactions. Bathing naked is also very poorly regarded, especially for women — move as far from camps as possible.
Asking permission is the least one can do. Leaving a small amount for the host the following morning is always appreciated (200 to 500–700 som). They will refuse — insist a little, but give way if they are categorical. Also ask where the "toilet" is — entirely possible with gestures!
It can happen that a group of riders gallops towards you at full speed and throws a headless goat at your feet… That's normal! You are now part of the traditional game "Oulak Tartish". Tradition requires a payment: food, drink or money (200 to 700 som, in small notes if possible). Giving nothing would greatly offend the players — this tradition has lasted for centuries.
It is often difficult to refuse a glass of vodka at your host's home. No half measures: either you drink (and manage all the evening's toasts), or you don't drink at all (a medical reason is a good excuse; religion is also accepted). Hoping to have just one glass is close to wishful thinking…
When locals offer you a tray with bread or fritters (sometimes with sour cream and honey), take a piece and eat it. This tradition symbolises that your host does not refuse you hospitality but, knowing you have a road to follow, does not hold you back. By accepting, you show your respect.
Horse riding in Kyrgyzstan
These tips aim to inform the future riding trekker about the customs and practicalities of horse riding in Kyrgyzstan. They apply only in part to our trekking horses, which are selected to strict criteria — they are free of most of the issues described below!
Main commands
Kicking the horse can prove practically ineffective. A slap on the rump will have a much better effect! Lacking a crop, a thin stick or the end of a lead rope works very well. Horses respond to neck-reining : reins in one hand, pressing the neck left or right to turn. You often need to insist seriously to achieve a stop.
Kyrgyz people tend to give tourists their best horse — which is very often their herd stallion, which can create dangerous situations as soon as you move away from the mares. Most riding horses are relatively docile stallions, but it is preferable to avoid riding your host's herd stallion.
Handling on the ground
It is imperative ne jamais lâcher votre cheval, même pour quelques instants, sans lui avoir entravé les pieds au préalable (ou mis au piquet). La majorité des chevaux sont très difficiles à rattraper une fois libres… et il n'y a pas de barrières.
It is common and possible to hold the tail of the horse ahead to climb a slope more easily. Make sure that horse does not react suddenly. Horses here rarely kick, but stay cautious. When passing behind a horse, make yourself heard first. Above all, make sure your hand cannot get caught in the tail.
Equipment
Saddles here are generally quite rustic. Adjusting stirrup height is often difficult — Kyrgyz riders ride very short. For comfortable riding, stirrups should be long enough to slip out without raising the leg too much, yet still allow a light rise at the canter.
Reins are often very short — hard to recover if the horse drops its head to graze. Adding a piece of rope (a lead rope works well) avoids this problem. Herders add a blanket to the saddle ("kourpatcha"), often thin — having something to pad it with can make all the difference between a good and a bad day in the saddle!
La marche & les allures
The main gaits used in Kyrgyzstan, in order, are: walk, amble and canter. Herders switch to the amble as soon as terrain allows — which causes problems for those whose horse doesn't amble. It is very common for horses to break into a canter the moment you are in the saddle, with no warm-up.
It is common to be overtaken by riders appearing at full gallop from nowhere, at any moment. To avoid an unwanted gallop race, never fully drop the reins — even if your horse seems perfectly calm at a walk.
Horses here are remarkable climbers, but they breathe like everyone else — it is normal for them to stop occasionally on steep climbs to catch their breath. However, stopping every 10 metres is excessive. To understand why they stop, try walking a few metres alongside them!
These tips cover the main situations you may encounter in Kyrgyzstan. But remember that travel is about opening the way to the discovery of other cultures and ways of life. An open mind and the position of an observer — not an influencer — are essential to appreciate and understand ways of life so different from our own.
