Sarmatian horses

[Michael Kerr]

Hi, just on what Anne Hyland says about Ferghana horses being descended from horses from Alexander The Great.(not me). Pita Kelekna in her book "The Horse in Human History"mentions that after he defeated Darius, Alexander badly needed remounts and replaced a lot of his cavalry horses with Nisaean breed as now he had access to them, so could there be possibility of these playing part in breeding mix as he headed further east. Could there also be a chance that as well he would have acquired various eastern stock as tribute from various satraps on his march east? Horses from Sogdiana and Bactria and not necessarily European or Thessalonian horses. Probably more to do with location and climate of Ferghana Valley with higher quality lucernes, like Alfalfa and like the article in CentralAsia online says about "Akhal-Teke" horses that they were given special foods, cooler temperatures, good grazing and access to water, and selective breeding producing a larger horse. I think the reputation of Ferghana horses preceded the arrival of Greek settlers after Alexander. But to "Western writers" it must have been the introduction of European horses which made this area famous for its horses and not the fact that they were already famous. With the "wear and tear" of a long campaign in the east, with countless battles etc. I don't think he would have had many of his original horses by then. Interesting article in "Central Asia Online" regarding Akhal-Teke breed and "heavenly horses".

http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/artic...feature-02
Regards
Michael Kerr