HMONG BREED HORSES
Why we chose these ponies for our Horse Stables?
It seems that these horses come originally from Mongolia, Sichuan, and Timor. Over the years, they have adapted to the environment where they live as well as the population with whom they live. In this case, the Hmong people are small in size and stature.
Small-sized horses, between 1m10 and 1m35
Weight around 200 to 250 kilos.
Can carry up to 65 kilos
They are found exclusively among the Hmong ethnic group in Laos. These horses are becoming rare. They were used in the past for the construction of electric lines in the mountains of northern Laos, which were inaccessible by elephants or motorized vehicles. They were also used by farmers to carry the sacks of rice harvest in the mountains and bring them back to the villages. Somewhat like donkeys, they are used by the Hmong ethnic group mainly as pack horses.
There are a few Hmong horses in Xiengkhouang province, where the landscape is composed of wide grasslands. Currently, Hmong horses in Xiengkhouang province are raised for livestock and unfortunately, are sold and sent by truck to Vietnam for their meat.
These small horses are the size of a pony, but the shape of a horse. They are purebred, robust, and have no major health problems. Untouched by humans and medication, they require very little care and maintenance.
Small in size but big in heart, the small Hmong horse is a breed that is easy to train, goes everywhere, and is not afraid to cross rivers or climb mountains, providing great pleasure for riders.
It seems that these horses come originally from Mongolia, Sichuan, and Timor. Over the years, they have adapted to the environment where they live as well as the population with whom they live. In this case, the Hmong people are small in size and stature.
Small-sized horses, between 1m10 and 1m35
Weight around 200 to 250 kilos.
Can carry up to 65 kilos
They are found exclusively among the Hmong ethnic group in Laos. These horses are becoming rare. They were used in the past for the construction of electric lines in the mountains of northern Laos, which were inaccessible by elephants or motorized vehicles. They were also used by farmers to carry the sacks of rice harvest in the mountains and bring them back to the villages. Somewhat like donkeys, they are used by the Hmong ethnic group mainly as pack horses.
There are a few Hmong horses in Xiengkhouang province, where the landscape is composed of wide grasslands. Currently, Hmong horses in Xiengkhouang province are raised for livestock and unfortunately, are sold and sent by truck to Vietnam for their meat.
These small horses are the size of a pony, but the shape of a horse. They are purebred, robust, and have no major health problems. Untouched by humans and medication, they require very little care and maintenance.
Small in size but big in heart, the small Hmong horse is a breed that is easy to train, goes everywhere, and is not afraid to cross rivers or climb mountains, providing great pleasure for riders.
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Origin of the project
The project started with the acquisition of a foal, which was believed to be a male, but it turned out to be female upon arrival. She was named Ganapi and came from the Champassak region in southern Laos. The journey to her new home in Luang Prabang region involved travelling over 1,000 kilometers on poor road conditions in Laos.
Initially, Saita had little knowledge about the breed of horse that Ganapi belonged to, but soon discovered that she was a small horse with a lively and robust personality. She is a fast learner and easy to train.
A year after acquiring Ganapi, Saita formed a partnership with NamKhan Ecolodge to establish stables for her horses and welcome guests to visit them. This was how Gazpacho and Hadiya's arrival came about. They were two Hmong horses from Ban Xong Cha village in the Nam Bak district of the Northern province of Luang Prabang.
The adventurous ride to Ban Xong Cha
As is always the case in Laos, nothing is really difficult, but nothing is really easy either.
Gazpacho and Hadiya are two wild horses that originate from a village located 6 hours away from Luang Prabang. Saita, with the goal of welcoming new rescues to meet Ganapi, traveled north of Luang Prabang with no guarantee of finding any horses. She had only heard rumors of horses in the area and decided to rent a local truck to investigate.
Before reaching Ban Xong Cha village, Saita went through several other villages where she found no information about horses or horse owners. But when she finally arrived at Ban Xong Cha, she met a Hmong family who had horses and was willing to sell one.
In order to reach the Hmong family's house, Saita had to leave her truck on the main road as the path leading to the house was impassable. The Hmong village was made up of houses built on the tops of the mountains. She arrived late and met the family who told her there were horses there, but Saita couldn't spot any. After an hour, a small but strong Hmong woman led a herd of wild horses out of the mountains toward her. It was a memorable moment to see this group of untamed horses in the mountains during sunset, coming to lick the salt that the Hmong woman offered. There were about 10 horses, wild, in a bad shape and untouched by man!
A discussion was required to take place in the home of the Hmong family for the purchase of one of their horses.
As it was too late to finalize anything, Saita decided to stay overnight in the village and continue the horse-buying discussion the following day. The next morning, a new discussion took place and the family agreed to take her to see a stallion that was grazing in a meadow farther away. This led to a hike of more than an hour to find the animal, which was tied to a bamboo hut at the bottom of a mountain. Alone and covered of fleas, ticks and other insects.
Saita looked at him and couldn't help thinking that she couldn't leave him there. No agreement had been reached or negotiated, but her heart told her that this male would be coming home with her.
The journey back was made and the purchase of a mare was also completed. They had to capture one of the feral horses.
The task of catching the horses proved to be a difficult one, and a group of six individuals had to work together to achieve it. Eventually, one horse was successfully captured. The next step was to transport the two wild horses back to the truck, which was parked at the base of the mountain near the village's main road. To their surprise, Hadiya, one of the horses, was relatively easy to load into the truck. However, Gazpacho proved to be more of a challenge due to his health and back issues. After finally getting the horses loaded into the truck, they set off on the journey back, which was more than a 6-hour drive, to bring them to their new home where Ganapi, their future sister, would welcome them.
Upon arrival, the horses were exhausted and in poor condition due to their wild nature.
Hadiya was a rebellious and solitary character, while Gazpacho was a gentle and calm horse. He knew that he had been rescued and that he would be well taken care of.
From the moment he arrived, Gazpacho was an angel and let himself be groomed, touched, and cared for. He was covered in fleas, ticks and insect bites, very thin, and probably wouldn't have lasted another year in this state.
Hadiya was a young filly, very fearful, sensitive and starving. She didn't trust humans and was a real handful. We had to gain her trust over time.
A decision was made 18 months later to bring in more companions for the 3 Hmong horses. This time, Ina and Kalypso would join the stable. The plan was to travel to Xiengkouang province, a 12-hour drive from Luang Prabang, on a winding road through the mountains. Saita and her friend Deborah decided to go to Xiengkouang province to buy another horse because Saita had previously visited the province to see the famous plain of jars, and was amazed to find the area filled with wild horses. She had already planned to go back.
During this trip, Saita met a Hmong man who had a passion for horses. He rode them in a unique, intuitive way. He had more than a hundred horses scattered on his land, 10 km from the city of Xiengkouang. The initial challenge was always the same, catching the wild horses by the laces and then putting them in the truck.
Ina was larger than the other Hmong horses and was selected for purchase. Kalypso, being a young horse, was in poor condition and leaving him behind would be equivalent to a death sentence. So, the two horses were negotiated together and loaded into the truck. The grueling journey back to Luang Prabang began at 5am in the morning from Xiengkouang, and lasted for over 14 hours of non-stop driving, to ensure they were safely returned to their new home where they would receive the best care and never lack food again.
Initially, Saita had little knowledge about the breed of horse that Ganapi belonged to, but soon discovered that she was a small horse with a lively and robust personality. She is a fast learner and easy to train.
A year after acquiring Ganapi, Saita formed a partnership with NamKhan Ecolodge to establish stables for her horses and welcome guests to visit them. This was how Gazpacho and Hadiya's arrival came about. They were two Hmong horses from Ban Xong Cha village in the Nam Bak district of the Northern province of Luang Prabang.
The adventurous ride to Ban Xong Cha
As is always the case in Laos, nothing is really difficult, but nothing is really easy either.
Gazpacho and Hadiya are two wild horses that originate from a village located 6 hours away from Luang Prabang. Saita, with the goal of welcoming new rescues to meet Ganapi, traveled north of Luang Prabang with no guarantee of finding any horses. She had only heard rumors of horses in the area and decided to rent a local truck to investigate.
Before reaching Ban Xong Cha village, Saita went through several other villages where she found no information about horses or horse owners. But when she finally arrived at Ban Xong Cha, she met a Hmong family who had horses and was willing to sell one.
In order to reach the Hmong family's house, Saita had to leave her truck on the main road as the path leading to the house was impassable. The Hmong village was made up of houses built on the tops of the mountains. She arrived late and met the family who told her there were horses there, but Saita couldn't spot any. After an hour, a small but strong Hmong woman led a herd of wild horses out of the mountains toward her. It was a memorable moment to see this group of untamed horses in the mountains during sunset, coming to lick the salt that the Hmong woman offered. There were about 10 horses, wild, in a bad shape and untouched by man!
A discussion was required to take place in the home of the Hmong family for the purchase of one of their horses.
As it was too late to finalize anything, Saita decided to stay overnight in the village and continue the horse-buying discussion the following day. The next morning, a new discussion took place and the family agreed to take her to see a stallion that was grazing in a meadow farther away. This led to a hike of more than an hour to find the animal, which was tied to a bamboo hut at the bottom of a mountain. Alone and covered of fleas, ticks and other insects.
Saita looked at him and couldn't help thinking that she couldn't leave him there. No agreement had been reached or negotiated, but her heart told her that this male would be coming home with her.
The journey back was made and the purchase of a mare was also completed. They had to capture one of the feral horses.
The task of catching the horses proved to be a difficult one, and a group of six individuals had to work together to achieve it. Eventually, one horse was successfully captured. The next step was to transport the two wild horses back to the truck, which was parked at the base of the mountain near the village's main road. To their surprise, Hadiya, one of the horses, was relatively easy to load into the truck. However, Gazpacho proved to be more of a challenge due to his health and back issues. After finally getting the horses loaded into the truck, they set off on the journey back, which was more than a 6-hour drive, to bring them to their new home where Ganapi, their future sister, would welcome them.
Upon arrival, the horses were exhausted and in poor condition due to their wild nature.
Hadiya was a rebellious and solitary character, while Gazpacho was a gentle and calm horse. He knew that he had been rescued and that he would be well taken care of.
From the moment he arrived, Gazpacho was an angel and let himself be groomed, touched, and cared for. He was covered in fleas, ticks and insect bites, very thin, and probably wouldn't have lasted another year in this state.
Hadiya was a young filly, very fearful, sensitive and starving. She didn't trust humans and was a real handful. We had to gain her trust over time.
A decision was made 18 months later to bring in more companions for the 3 Hmong horses. This time, Ina and Kalypso would join the stable. The plan was to travel to Xiengkouang province, a 12-hour drive from Luang Prabang, on a winding road through the mountains. Saita and her friend Deborah decided to go to Xiengkouang province to buy another horse because Saita had previously visited the province to see the famous plain of jars, and was amazed to find the area filled with wild horses. She had already planned to go back.
During this trip, Saita met a Hmong man who had a passion for horses. He rode them in a unique, intuitive way. He had more than a hundred horses scattered on his land, 10 km from the city of Xiengkouang. The initial challenge was always the same, catching the wild horses by the laces and then putting them in the truck.
Ina was larger than the other Hmong horses and was selected for purchase. Kalypso, being a young horse, was in poor condition and leaving him behind would be equivalent to a death sentence. So, the two horses were negotiated together and loaded into the truck. The grueling journey back to Luang Prabang began at 5am in the morning from Xiengkouang, and lasted for over 14 hours of non-stop driving, to ensure they were safely returned to their new home where they would receive the best care and never lack food again.
NamKhan Horses Stables
Ban Donkeo Village
06000 Luang Prabang
Laos, PDR
Ban Donkeo Village
06000 Luang Prabang
Laos, PDR