Many countries who rely on horses for work and transportation also use them for nourishment. In fact, mankind has probably been drinking horse milk longer than they have cow milk.
Very few western cultures drink horse milk, but further East it’s fairly common. The Mongol culture has long been dependent on their equines for nourishment & the custom is also practiced in neighboring countries of the Central Asian steppes.
Interestingly enough around 85% of the people in these Central Asian steppes are lactose intolerant. Mare’s milk has almost 40% more lactose than cow’s milk, which means that in it’s unfermented state it makes a great laxative.
These cultures who milk mares generally use it to make kumis which is a mildly alcoholic fermented drink.
Fermentation of horse milk converts the lactose and makes it an accessible source of nourishment. The process can take a few hours to a few days and consists of agitating raw milk in hide bags.
The result is a carbonated and mildly alcoholic beverage that is light in body compared to most dairy drinks with a slightly sour flavor.
Kumis has a low level of alcohol but can also be strengthened through freeze distillation into a spirit called araka or arkhi.
All I Have To Say Is…
Even though people have been doing it for hundreds of years, it’s still strange to see a horse doing a cow’s job.
I think I could do the borderland nomad gig and not miss a thing. But, the guitar case is so heavy!
Yeah that horse milk very nice when you drink. Even you can drink without food in many days. it is actually one of the food supplement with so many vitamins. Mongolian people mostly drink horse milk in traditional holiday also daily life. Good horsemilk will become end of the summer, like a autumn. moreover, when you drink horsemilk during the cold winter in Mongolia, you never cold. Nice Post. Lood like. http://www.huleg.mn.
so do the horses have to be pragnet
i am n new zealand and i have milked a few mares.The draft mares are the best because they have big udders and more milk.I prefer it straight from the teat.