Lithuania’s riding renaissance
Lithuania’s ancient riding traditions were suppressed nether Soviet rule, but its equestrian civilisation is instantly undergoing a revival. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 novel generation of equestrian explorers have got enjoyed their newfound liberty past times next inwards the footsteps of Lithuania’s national hero, King Vytautas the Great, who 600 years agone rode 2000 kilometres from the Baltic to the Black Sea. CuChullaine O’Reilly, founder of the Long Riders’ Guild, reports.
At the peak of its power, the Soviet Union controlled 22,276,060 foursquare kilometres (8,600,835 foursquare miles) of territory. The Baltic state of Republic of Lithuania was an unwilling business office of this vast empire.
Historians have got recorded the loss of political rights which Lithuanians endured during 50 years of Soviet oppression. What has non been appreciated is how Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin also crushed the equestrian heritage of Republic of Lithuania as well as the other countries which came nether his control.
Stalin was no friend of horses. In 1928 he seized command of all private farmland. His ambitious goal was to practise an enormous agricultural collective. The starting fourth dimension mensuration was to confiscate every brute larger than a chicken. Horses were no exception. They were forcibly taken from the people as well as placed into state-controlled farms. Many owners preferred to kill their horses rather than have got them confiscated past times the communists.
A massive modern equinocide was i of the results of Stalin’s ill-advised agricultural policy. Experts have got calculated that the equine population of the Ukraine lone dropped from 32 meg downwards to 17 meg horses.
Like other dictators earlier as well as since, Stalin realized that horses also presented a rigid political threat. The Soviet organisation was designed to maintain people about home, where they could live kept nether tight social, political as well as geographic control. Horses threatened to undermine this oppression. People who could ride powerfulness go without permission. Riding encouraged the increment of resistance. Rebellion powerfulness live spread via the saddle. Stalin decided to shell that possibility. In 1928 he passed a police describe making it illegal for private individuals to ain a horse.
In addition, the Soviets devastated the national equestrian cultures of countries such equally Lithuania. Only a handful of individuals were brave plenty to cover horses. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rare few took steps to save their nation’s historic Equus caballus breeds. After decades of equestrian repression, the advent of glasnost as well as perestroika inspired the nascency of an anti-communist independence movement. In 1990 Republic of Lithuania became the starting fourth dimension state to interruption costless from Soviet control.
Political, economical as well as social changes were an immediate necessity. But i time Lithuania’s independence had been assured, the country’s riders began to revive their ancient equestrian culture. Not alone were traditions rejuvenated, a serial of remarkable journeys were taken on Lithuania’s famous Žemaitukai horses.
Gintaras Kaltenis is i of the modern Lithuanian Long Riders who is leading an endeavor to reclaim his country’s heritage as well as protect its horses. Having authored a volume nigh his country’s riding renaissance, he agreed to respond questions for a particular Horsetalk interview.
History books are quick to recall tales nigh the Roman Empire, the British Raj as well as other powerful European kingdoms. But tin you lot explicate how Lithuania, which is instantly a pocket-sized province inwards northern Europe, i time controlled a vast territory?
Lithuania tin live proud of its rich history. It has the oldest Indo-European linguistic communication as well as inwards the 15th century our ancestors ruled the largest province inwards Europe. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which spread from the Baltic to the Black Sea, held ability across Belarus, Latvia, Republic of Lithuania as well as parts of Poland, Russian Federation as well as Ukraine. But long wars with Lithuania’s neighbours resulted inwards the territory beingness lost.
When people intend of “horse countries” they unremarkably imagine Argentine Gauchos, Texas Cowboys, Russian Cossacks or Genghis Khan’s Mongols. Does Republic of Lithuania have got a strong equestrian history?
Many people have got heard nigh Genghis Khan but alone a few people shout back how Lithuania’s ruler, Duke Algirdas, as well as his cavalry triumphed over the Mongols at the Battle of the Blue Waters. This victory prevented the khan’s the world forces from farther migration into Europe.
Can you lot explicate the purpose Lithuania’s remarkable Žemaitukas horses played inwards your country’s equestrian history?
Lithuania is the habitation of the Žemaitukai, an ancient breed descended from the wild Tarpans which originally inhabited Europe’s steppes as well as forests. They are pocket-sized but strong as well as tough. Since Republic of Lithuania is historically the the world of farmers as well as warriors, this Equus caballus has ever played an of import purpose inwards our culture. All our victories were achieved thank you lot to the Žemaitukai. In battle, they would bite, boot as well as laid upward on the enemies’ horses. The country’s coat of arms even so shows a Lithuanian knight on such a horse.
In 2011 a squad of Lithuanians decided to ride Žemaitukai horses on a particular equestrian journeying from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The ride was made inwards accolade of a famous Lithuanian horseman. Can you lot tell us who he was, where he rode, as well as why he remains a hero to Lithuanians?
The 2000 kilometre ride from the Baltic to the Black Sea was a historical as well as cultural journey. It was dedicated to the retention of Lithuania’s national hero, King Vytautas the Great, who starting fourth dimension made the journey. According to legend when Vytautas reached the Black Sea, his Equus caballus drank from the salty water. King Vytautas as well as his the world forces had no doubts nigh what type of Equus caballus to ride. That is why they chose this breed for their long ride. We wanted to take in if 600 years after our modern Žemaitukai horses could consummate the same journeying done past times the manly individual monarch as well as his horses.
Whose thought was it to brand the ride to the Black Sea?
The thought to compass the Black Sea on horses came from the manly individual bring upward of our squad leader, Giedrius Klimkevičius. His manly individual bring upward was the trainer of the national football game team. During a jibe nigh the Black Sea, he noticed a memorial pillar which marked the identify Vytautas the Great had reached on his journey. Because Giedrius was an avid rider, his manly individual bring upward encouraged him to confirm the legend as well as and so ride there. Giedrius shared this thought with Gintautas Babravičius, who is a passionate traveller as well as founder of the Wanderers Club. This led to the forming of an experienced squad of Lithuanian riders mounted on Žemaitukai horses.
How many riders made the journeying as well as what were their names?
Ten riders were selected so equally to reverberate Lithuania’s geographical as well as national variety.
Giedrius Klimkevičius (Vilnius), businessman
Vaidotas Digaitis (Laukuva, Šilalė), Equus caballus breeder
Gintaras Kaltenis (Vilnius), manager of promotion agency
Neringa Kūlokaitė (Kaunas), artist
Česlovas Marcinauskas (Kernavė, Širvintos), Equus caballus breeder
Algirdas Motiejūnas (Lazdijai), Equus caballus breeder
Skirmantė Naglytė (Vilnius), director
Antanas Narmontas (Pakruojis), craftsman
Jonas Plūčas (Taujėnai, Pasvalys), forester
Vaidotas Ruibys (Vilnius), rider.
How did you lot cope to feed as well as attention for so many riders as well as horses?
Of course of education our journeying was far easier than the i made past times Vytautas. In add-on to the riders, nosotros organized a squad of back upward vehicles which carried our tents, food, medical as well as farrier supplies. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 veterinary as well as a blacksmith were alongside the drivers. So nosotros had expert logistics as well as no enemies!
Because of modern difficulties similar traffic, was it hard to follow King Vytautas’s route to the Black Sea?
Whenever possible, nosotros followed inwards the king’s hoofprints. This required us to ride through forests, wade across streams as well as traverse swamps. But the wishing to brand a novel tape was never allowed to acquire our starting fourth dimension priority. The security of our horses was ever of paramount importance. That is why the route was planned past times specialists to avoid asphalt as well as stony ways.
How many countries were crossed?
We rode through iii of the countries which were business office of the Grand Duchy, Lithuania, Republic of Belarus as well as Ukraine.
How were the riders received along the way?
Some people thought nosotros were making a historical movie. They couldn’t believe that nosotros were genuinely riding to the Black Sea. But I tin honestly say that nosotros met alone friendly as well as hospitable people. In Republic of Belarus people were waiting with flowers, apples as well as pies. In Ukraine teachers dismissed children from classes inwards guild to organize meetings with us. Mayors invited us to dinner. Sometimes the whole hamlet would assemble circular to encounter us. Even the custom officials were nice. They ever tried to uncovering ways to aid us cross the border.
How long did the journeying take?
We left on September 8, the birthday of Vytautas the Great. On average nosotros rode 50 kilometres a day. After thirty-eight days inwards the saddle, our horses stepped into the waters of the Black Sea on Oct 17. We had reached Ochakiv, the identify where the king’s horses had supposedly drunk.
The journeying was nigh 2000 kilometres (1243 miles). Since nosotros had ridden to a greater extent than than a thou miles, nosotros became the starting fourth dimension Lithuanian Members of the Long Riders Guild.
Did the Žemaitukai horses alive upward to your expectations during the ride to the Black Sea?
Even though they are non large inwards size, these horses are strong, smart, lively as well as emotionally dependable. Plus, our country’s history had shown that the breed has non bad stamina. Dr Audrius Kučinskas is a veterinary as well as the caput of a academy medical department. He joined our squad inwards guild to accept blood samples, examine tendons as well as mensurate muscles during the journey. At the destination of the trip, Dr Kučinskas concluded that the horses had accomplished their chore perfectly. They were inwards ameliorate shape than when they started. So our determination was proved to live 100 per centum correct. But they did surprise us inwards i way. They developed a tremendously strong collective identity as well as became emotionally bonded to each other.
Was the Black Sea ride the concluding chapter or have got you lot gone on to other adventures?
Thanks to the success of this journey, Lithuanian Long Riders presently made some other particular journey. That journeying was inwards remembrance of how King Žygimantas Augustas escorted the torso of his immature married adult woman Barbara Radvilaitė from Krakow, Poland to the Vilnius Cathedral inwards Lithuania. In 2012 nosotros rode 1200 kilometres (745 miles), through Poland, Republic of Belarus as well as Lithuania, along what nosotros called the “Monarch’s Love Route.” But nosotros are non planning to calm downwards as well as merely tell our grandchildren nigh these past times adventures. Later this yr a grouping of Lithuanian Long Riders volition ride to Russia. We volition live accompanied past times carriages, so equally to accolade the Lithuanian engineers who built the route to St Petersburg inwards 1836.
Will your Žemaitukai horses transcend on to play a business office inwards these journeys?
After the Second World War the Žemaitukai were about extinction. They survived alone because of the enthusiasm of a few breeders who realized these horses represented a business office of our country’s living heritage. Even today in that location are less than 500 of these fine animals. One of the goals of our journeys is to tell the globe that the Žemaitukai Equus caballus is peerless inwards travel, endurance racing as well as tourism.
Why is it of import for nations to larn from Republic of Lithuania as well as save their equestrian heritage as well as freedom?
There is a proverb inwards Lithuania. Whoever has no past times has neither introduce nor future. When nosotros brand an equestrian journey, nosotros ride along the path of our nation’s history but at the same fourth dimension nosotros are looking towards the future.
CuChullaine O’Reilly is the founder of the Long Riders’ Guild, the world’s international association of equestrian explorers as well as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society as well as the Explorers’ Club. Author of Khyber Knights, he is currently completing the Encyclopaedia of Equestrian Exploration, the most comprehensive equestrian exploration guide ever written.
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