The Mongols’  Mounted Life:

In order to understand the Mongols, it is first important to understand their relationship with animals. Specifically horses and other mounted animals were crucial to the Mongols success both as a conquering civilization and as nomadic pastoralists. The Mongols were very much aware of this reliance on animals, and had a group of of five animals which they recognized as the most important to them. These five animals were called “The five snouts” or in Mongolian tabun qosighu mal. (Bosson 14) The five snouts group consisted of horses, camels, bovines, sheep, and goats. (Bosson 14) In this additional information section we will be exploring the Mongolian relationship specifically with their most revered animal, the horse.

The Horse:

The horse is by far the most crucial member of the five snouts, and far and away the most important animal to the Mongols. The horse is incredibly important both to help maintain and raise the livestock and to carry soldiers into battle. The Mongols due to their reliance throughout their history on horses have truly become the masters of them. Developing countless technologies for their horses as well as developing advanced riding techniques. As James Bosson describes “There is almost nothing an experienced Mongol rider cannot do in or from the saddle.” (Bosson 16)
While the Mongols relied on horses heavily for their economy, some of the best displays of their mastery as riders comes from their military tactics. The Mongols while given the image of being a ferocious and deadly army were also highly advanced, and used brilliant military strategy. The Mongols repeatedly and effectively used their skill as mounted riders with progressing technology to consistently beat their opponents on the field of battle. Many of the Mongol’s best military tactics for this reason involved the use of their horses. Below is an example of one of the Mongols’ many strategies used in conflict.

Crow Soldiers/Scattered Stars/ Ocean Waves:

This tactic relies on the Mongol riders traveling in small groups of three to five, in which they would wait for an enemy to regroup and then strike in their small unit. The Mongols would spring into action at the signal of a sharp sound, like a whip and would descend on the enemy. (Onon 283) According to the Secret History of the Mongols:

“One hundred calvarymen could surround one thousand enemy soldiers and one thousand cavalrymen could control a front thirty-three miles long in order to attack the enemy at the right place at the right moment.”