Across Mongolia’s open steppe, the horse has long underpinned movement, trade and everyday life. In the thirteenth century, an organised relay system connected territories across Eurasia through mounted couriers, allowing messages and goods to travel with remarkable efficiency. The horse operated as infrastructure, shaping mobility and exchange long before it was framed as cultural emblem.
Mongolia remains one of the few countries where equestrian culture is still woven into daily life. The national horse population exceeds the human population, and during Naadam, the annual summer festival, long distance races unfold across open steppe. These races are defined by endurance, land knowledge and continuity rather than spectacle.
Mandkhai sources its cashmere in Mongolia within this same environmental context. Goats roam freely and the fibre is collected during their natural moulting season in spring, when herders gently comb the undercoat. Mongolia’s severe winters, where temperatures can fall far below freezing, contribute to the development of a fine, insulating fibre shaped directly by climate and landscape.
Within the lunar calendar, the Year of the Horse is traditionally associated with momentum and independence. In a Mongolian context, these qualities are rooted in discipline, endurance and movement across land. As we enter the Year of the Horse, we return to these foundations, recognising the cultural and environmental framework from which Mandkhai begins.
Photographed by Mark Mark Cocksedge