Mongolian Steppe Horse

Timeline

1. 1200–1250Mongolian Plateau · Mongolian PlateauMongolian horses are not tall but have sturdy bones, can survive temperatures of minus forty degrees, and feed on wild grass and snowmelt; herders ride them from childhood, and horse and rider develop a deep rapport that underpins mounted archery tactics.
2. 1251–1260Territory of the Mongol Empire · Eurasian SteppeKhagan Möngke organized multi-pronged expeditions, with cavalry making long-range raids on remount horses; the imperial relay (yam) system centered on horses, with stations every few dozen li for changing mounts, allowing military and state documents and envoys to travel hundreds of li a day. In 1259 Möngke's campaign against Song consumed vast numbers of warhorses; in 1260 Kublai and Ariq Böke contested the throne, both relying on steppe horse supplies.
3. 1256–1260Karakorum · Orkhon ValleyThe Great Khan rewarded meritorious retainers and vassals with warhorses, making horses a bond of political loyalty; the Karakorum market attracted merchants from east and west, and steppe and Western Regions horse breeds exchanged frequently, promoting selective breeding and expanding trade networks.