Nangchen horse
Encyclopedia
The Nangchen horse is a small breed of horse native to the Kham
region of northern Tibet
, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel Peissel
.
These animals are said to contain no ancestry from any of the common sources for most other Tibetan pony
breeds, neither Mongolian horse
, Arabian
nor any type of Turkish
blood. They are powerful and fast, said to have many of the characteristics of a modern racehorse. They have refined features, are pony
-sized, but tall for ponies, swift and agile. Their unique characteristics include adaptations to the very high altitude of the region, including enlarged lungs.
In 1995, Peissel returned to Tibet in hopes of purchasing some individual animals to study in more detail, but they were unable to do so due to the high prices asked for the animals by local tribesmen. On their way back, Peissel's expedition took an alternate route through a remote area and discovered the Riwoche horse
.
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
region of northern Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, thought to have been bred pure since the 9th century. They became known to the western world in 1994 due to the exploration of French anthropologist Michel Peissel
Michel Peissel
Michel Georges Francois Peissel was a French ethnologist, explorer and author. He wrote twenty books mostly on his Himalayan and Tibetan expeditions...
.
These animals are said to contain no ancestry from any of the common sources for most other Tibetan pony
Tibetan Pony
The Tibetan pony is today found in Tibet. Once thought to be simple hardy mountain ponies developed from Mongolian stock, recent research indicates that there may be up to six separate horse breeds native to Tibet.-History:...
breeds, neither Mongolian horse
Mongolian horse
The Mongol horse is the native horse breed of Mongolia. The breed is purported to be largely unchanged since the time of Genghis Khan. Nomads living in the traditional Mongol fashion still hold more than 3 million animals, which outnumber the country's human population...
, Arabian
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
nor any type of Turkish
Turkoman Horse
The Turkoman horse, or Turkmene, was an Oriental horse breed from the steppes of Central Asia, now extinct. Modern descendants include the Akhal-Teke and the Yamud horse breeds. Horses bred in Turkmenistan are still referred to as Turkoman, and have similar characteristics...
blood. They are powerful and fast, said to have many of the characteristics of a modern racehorse. They have refined features, are pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
-sized, but tall for ponies, swift and agile. Their unique characteristics include adaptations to the very high altitude of the region, including enlarged lungs.
In 1995, Peissel returned to Tibet in hopes of purchasing some individual animals to study in more detail, but they were unable to do so due to the high prices asked for the animals by local tribesmen. On their way back, Peissel's expedition took an alternate route through a remote area and discovered the Riwoche horse
Riwoche horse
The Riwoche horse is a very small horse, discovered in an isolated region of Tibet in 1995. Previously unknown to science, these small animals may be an evolutionary link between the prehistoric wild horse and the modern domestic horse, though it could also be a domesticated variety that reverted...
.