CULTURE Somalis and Horses

[tyrannicalmanager]

Somalis historically didnt like larger horses. They wanted something small and low maintenance. I wouldn't say theyre even medium. Theyre outright small, not even large enough to be considered horses but ponies. Minimum height to be a horse is 4'10 at the shoulder. Avg somali pony is 4'6. Internationally speaking, arabian horses are considered small horses. a Medium is about 5'4.

I read about Somali ponies being crossed with other horses in Kenya, and I've attached it here. and they said that Somali ponies were extremely receptive and that the first generations of mixes were already great racers. However, I think theres an issue with this way of thinking and its centered on appealing to standards that are not original to ourselves. Instead of undoing centuries and centuries of Somalis breeding for small, fast, agile, low maintenance ponies so that theyre more like other horses, why dont we breed the best somali ponies and make the best damn ponies on the planet?? Have something unique and beautiful in its own right. Ive seen some magnificient ones on tiktok as of late.View attachment 314707

Mongolian horses are smaller than somali breeds, lol.

 

[enda_el]

Here is another photo of full foot stirupps just give it up bro
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Again thats just a drawing. That could have been based on other drawings. The degodiya photo you sent literally showed toe stirrups. This illustration is literally signed by the artist. You clearly have a motive and are just bringing up anything possible to prove it rather than being academic and honest.

 

[awsaleban667]

Again thats just a drawing. That could have been based on other drawings. The degodiya photo you sent literally showed toe stirrups. This illustration is literally signed by the artist. You clearly have a motive and are just bringing up anything possible to prove it rather than being academic and honest.

Bruh I gave you multiple photos. Give just 1 photo of a Somali with a toe stirrup

 

[enda_el]

Mongolian horses are smaller than somali breeds, lol.

Thats a very good point lol. If these indhoyar can hotep horses we can too. Theyre technically ponies.

 

[awsaleban667]

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Thats a very good point lol. If these indhoyar can hotep horses we can too. Theyre technically ponies.

Warya, how can you deny this one it’s another photo

 

[enda_el]

Bruh I gave you multiple photos. Give just 1 photo of a Somali with a toe stirrup

The degodiya one you literally posted. Sxb are you ok?

What arent you understanding? You showed drawings and then you showed the Sultan of Geledi who was rich and could have just purchased it. These drawings do nothing. I literally posted a source about the toe stirrups too if you havent seen it here

 

[awsaleban667]

The degodiya one you literally posted. Sxb are you ok? View attachment 315358
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What arent you understanding? You showed drawings and then you showed the Sultan of Geledi who was rich and could have just purchased it. These drawings do nothing. I literally posted a source about the toe stirrups too if you havent seen it here

Habar Awdal tribesmen with full foot stirrup

 

[tyrannicalmanager]

View attachment 315355

Thats a very good point lol. If these indhoyar can hotep horses we can too. Theyre technically ponies.

if only Somalis were into horse archery HOA would be ours.

 

[awsaleban667]

I literally posted a source about the toe stirrups too if you havent seen it here

Where?

 

[enda_el]

Warya, how can you deny this one it’s another photo
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Lmao firstly, Thats a human zoo LOL those arent even somali horses. Whats next did we herd Zebras too? Secondly im certain thats a toe stirrup and hes wearing traditional Somali dacas over top of it. Im not even mad you made that mistake im mad youre using a HUMAN ZOO photo to make your argument do you take yourself seriously?

 

[awsaleban667]

Lmao firstly, Thats a human zoo LOL those arent even somali horses. Whats next did we herd Zebras too? Secondly im certain thats a toe stirrup and hes wearing traditional Somali dacas over top of it. Im not even mad you made that mistake im mad youre using a HUMAN ZOO photo to make your argument do you take yourself seriously?

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I concede

 

[enda_el]

Somalis didnt do mounted archery for the same reasons Ethiopians didn't. Somalis either didnt have stirupps (the part you put your feet that connects to the saddle) or used the Big Toe stirrups just like them. By that I mean the stirrup was a leather loop that could only accommodate 1 toe and not the whole foot. You cannot aim without good stirrups that can hold your weight. To be able to aim a bow effectively on horseback, you have to stand up a little bit on your stirrups and keep yourself balanced and level while your horse gallops using your thigh muscles to absorb the shock of the horse galloping.

Heres a description of the somali saddle and stirrups.
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Here is an Ethiopian horseman using the same sort of toe stirrups that we used. These small and weak stirrups would never allow for this sort of maneuver. They were just there to make riding more comfortable so aiming effectively like mongolians would never happen.View attachment 314717

Another reason is because somalis didnt use composite bows like mongolians. We used self-bows (one solid piece of wood) like western Europeans did. To have a bow as powerful as a mongolian composite bow, they need to be huge like these Somali bows, and thats just too awkward to deal with on a horse. Thats why we dont hear about English horse archers they moved from bows like us to guns without developing a horse archer culture
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Btw you may find images of somali horseriders with whole foot stirrups online, such as Risalder Major Musa, but these arent native. For him it was given to him by the British.

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Here

 

[awsaleban667]

Heres an Cadaan lauding the pure endurance of Somali ponies. 9 days marching and only drinking water twice and they were fine. Wallahi our ancestors were cooking. Everything is pushed towards endurance. Arabs treated their horses like babies and took so much care in feeding them.View attachment 314708

Milmil to the golis mountain range doesn’t seem that long? Or I did I misunderstand?

 

[enda_el]

Habar Awdal tribesmen with full foot stirrup
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Theyre not wearing any stirrups at all actually

 

[awsaleban667]

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Not debating your point but those are Oromos

 

[enda_el]

Not debating your point but those are Oromos

Nah they're mislabelled Somalis just trust me.

 

[enda_el]

Milmil to the golis mountain range doesn’t seem that long? Or I did I misunderstand?
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Wasnt a straight march they were going all over. It was a geographic survery and also hunting for sport. Also cadaans cant take the heat so they probably didnt get super far lol. All the cadaan explorers always say how unbearable it is. Even read one who requested that the British station in Berbera be moved to the mountains in togdheer bc it was too much for him

 

[enda_el]

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[enda_el]

if only Somalis were into horse archery HOA would be ours.

Yea and we had wabaayo arrow poision too. Too bad we didnt develop compound bows and our stirrups were generally unfit for it

 

[enda_el]

Where are the Oromo horses? Can you link them.

Oromos are probably the only ethiopians that still take care of their horses they did a study the only horses with good conformity were Oromo and Somali

They're bit bigger but overall same statue as Somali horses, KKK oromo are dwarves they make the horses look big, it really depends on the oromo were talking about, the walaga oromo have the habesha horses the shewa have mixed ones and the bale,harage ones have Somali ones, they also have other ethnic groups like sidama,kanso horses
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Yea their average height is about the same. 4'4 to 4'10. Old records talk about them being small