Horse Pictures From Afghanistan

Horse cultures can be found in all corners of the globe and it’s important that we preserve them. The onslaught of mechanization during the 20th century redefined our relationship with this noble animal. We want to celebrate all horse cultures of he world, even if we find some of them disagreeable.

Old Afghan Traditions

This is a country with longstanding equestrian traditions and many of their animals are bred to meet specific needs. For centuries Afghans have kept horses at home and breeding programs were run locally by villages. An important part of daily life, horses are used for everything from transportation of goods or people over tough terrain to one of the oldest equestrian sports, buzkashi.

Pretty Brutal

Among the most well known traditions shared among several countries, buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan. The name translates to ‘goat killing’ and was traditionally played with a headless goat carcass. Today it is usually played with a leather sack made to similar dimensions and weight. The game consists of two teams attempting to grab the carcass off the ground and run it around a flagpole. While the objective is rather simple, in practice it is pure chaos on horseback.

Breeds of Afghanistan

The breeds found in the country are lithe desert animals for the most part. While healthy, there is a strong undercurrent of country bred types.

Buzkashi

Dawand

Herati

Kohband

Mazari

Qatgani

Qazal

Samand

Tooraq

Waziri

Yabou

Yargha

Handsome Animals

We look through a lot of horse images and at times it can be heartbreaking. We are happy to report that while it was really tough finding the images for Afghanistan, their horses are in pretty good shape.