I am grateful to my friends in Kazakhstan for pointing out some of the extraordinary videos that show how traditional horsemen deal with unbroken (ie untrained) horses. You may think that American rodeo riders are tough, but they ain’t got nuthin’ on these guys. Enjoy!

I am delighted to tell you that the final report on last year’s horseback expedition to the Djungar Alatau Mountains in the Zhetysu region of Eastern Kazakhstan is now available. You can find a copy here – Zhetysu 2019 Report

The report explains the background to last year’s expedition and shows the route we took. This was the second of three journeys following the routes taken by Thomas and Lucy Atkinson in the spring and summer of 1849. The journey brought home to us the difficulties the couple must have faced, not least because they were carrying with them their nine-month-old baby son, Alatau. We were struck by the beauty of these mountains and the difficulty of the terrain. We were also impressed by the wildlife we came across, including ibex, bears, eagles and antelope.