KZBlog

Another shot from this year’s celebration of Astana Day. This trick riding looks impressive but is also an important set of skills in battle and hunting. From this position, the rider can avoid enemy arrows or swords and also lean back far enough to pick up a fallen colleague or lost weapon from the ground without slowing from a gallop. When Alexander the Great met the Saka people, he was deeply impressed by these sorts of demonstrations of horse-riding skills.