I thought I’d start off the New Year with the subject that’s most near and dear to Mongolians’ hearts –  horses.

Here’s an old photo from the late 1920’s, taken on one of Roy Chapman Andrews’ Central Asiatic Expeditions:

Here’s a horse I saw this past September:

And here’s the herder who owns the horse. Other than the head gear, not much has changed. The long robe or “del” is the perfect garment for the climate and environment. And while I have seen herders wearing the traditional  pointed hat, they tend to be mostly the young men. Baseball caps are what one usually sees. The older men often wear snappy-looking fedoras.

On Friday I’ll be debuting my latest Mongolian horse painting!