Horses are the foundation of military power, the great resources of the state but, should this falter, the state will fall.
Ma Yuan (14BC – 49AD, Han Dynasty Military General and horse expert
When Emperor Wu came to power, the Chinese had been using cavalry for the previous 200 years. Before that, chariots had been used in battle, but they had many disadvantages, all of which became apparent when fighting the horse riders of the nomadic tribes. Their riders were agile, darting around chariots and infantrymen alike, while the chariots were heavy and cumbersome, unable to react fast enough to keep up.
Even after they adapted horseback riding in battle, the Chinese knew the horses were of inferior quality, slow and weak, with very little endurance. A huge factor was likely the inadequate pasture for the horses. They did try to remedy that: The best grazing land was already occupied by civilians, but that didn’t mean much, they were forced off their land so the imperial horses would have land to graze.
But still, Emperor Wu dreamed of a better horse, one that would enable him to fulfil his military dreams.
He would get his answer in the Heavenly Horses of Ferghana.
Who Were the Ferghana Horses?
1. They Were Originally From Central Asia
Although they are most commonly associated with ancient China, they actually originated in central Asia, specifically in the Fergana valley, which is now modern day Uzbekistan.
The fertile valley was in between two rivers, and along the Silk Road Trade route. It has settlements dating back 2300 years, including one from a conquest of Alexander the Great in 329 BC. The area of the valley called Dayuan was settled by Greek colonists. The decedents of those Greeks would be the ones that bred the heavenly horse, bringing the military force of China to their doors.
2. The Han Dynasty’s Campaign to to Get the Horses
Emperor Wu was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty, reigning from 141 to 87 BC. During his reign, he led a great territorial expansion, and opened up many regions previously blocked to China. This included the route along the Silk Road, going right through the Ferghana Valley. With the trade route open, they were introduced to many things they hadn’t seen before – like the Ferghana horses.
Emperor Wu had previously divined by the Book of Changes (I Ching), which told him that “heavenly horses” were going to appear from the north west. He originally thought it was a different horse, but once he saw the Ferghana horses, he knew these where the horses.
Emperor Wu first set out to acquire the horses through normal means. He sent his envoys to the region to check things out, and to buy some of the horses. You know, the normal way people handle transactions. But not only did the Dayuan king refuse to sell, he also stole their money – and then for good measure, killed them on the way out.
Naturally, this made Emperor Wu pretty upset, so he set out to get the horses by another way. In 104 BC, he sent his army. The road to Dayuan was long and hard though, and they lost many of their army just traveling there. The army was defeated, but Emperor Wu wasn’t giving up that easily. Two years later, he sent an even bigger army, of 60,000 men.
This time, he managed to get somewhere. Despite losing 50% of his army just getting there, he managed to place the city under siege. The inhabitants threatened to slaughter all the horses, but eventually they reached a compromise.
Emperor Wu was given 30 of the heavenly horses, of the highest quality, so he could breed his own heavenly horses. They also gave them 3,000 horses of lower quality, so they could replenish their cavalry. They also presented him with the head of the King that had previously slaughtered Emperor Wu’s envoys.
China now had the Ferghana “Heavenly Horses”.
And, in a bonus, they also brought back a new grass seed to sow, similar to alfalfa. Chinese horses were about to get a major upgrade.
3. The Heavenly Sweat
The most distinct feature of the Ferghana horses was their ability to sweat blood. They are known in Chinese as Han Xue Ma, which literally means, “sweats blood horse.”
Even now, we could say that a horse sweating blood is definitely unusual. To people back then, it was mythical. The stuff of legends.
Today it is theorized that the bleeding was likely caused by a parasite that specifically targeted the heads and upper forelegs of the horse. The parasite burrows into the subcutaneous layer, resulting in the skin nodules bleeding often. This parasite is widespread across the Russian Steppes.
So this is a good theory, although it’s unclear why it only effected the Ferghana horses, and not all horses.
A second theory is that the blood vessels in the horse would burst after a hard gallop. Maybe there was something specific to the Ferghana horse that made for thinner blood vessels. Maybe it was a combination of thin blood vessels and the parasite.
4. A Thousand Year Legacy
Although the Ferghana horse existed in a time before photos, they have been frequently portrayed in Chinese art.
They are stout, with short legs. Their necks were high, with thick crests and noble looking faces. They were known to be fast, with great endurance. This made them excellent cavalry mounts, as Emperor Wu continued to expand China’s territories. Emperor Wu eventually doubled the size of China, with much of the land part of China today.
The horses were considered status symbols. They were an elite breed of horse owned by the most wealthy members of Chinese society. They were immortalized in statues and paintings. Mythological stories are based on them. The Tianma was a winged, flying horse, sometimes depicted with dragon scales. It also had the habit of sweating blood.
The Flying Horse of Gansu Statue is one of the most famous works of art. It was discovered in 1969 when war with the Soviet Union looked likely. Workers were digging to construct an air raid shelter, when they found a chamber underneath a monastery. It turned out to be a three chambered tomb belonging to a Han Dynasty army general.
The tomb was filled with over 200 bronze figurines of men, horses and chariots. One of them was the Flying Horse. This horse was portrayed in a huge trot, with one foot holding up the entire statue. The foot is believed to be resting on the back of a swallow.
The Ferghana horse was popular for a thousand years, but over time the needs of the people shifted. The Ferghana was fast with high endurance, but it was also small and lean. Over time, the demand for larger and stronger horses grew in China. This led to the decline in popularity of the Ferghana horse, and eventually, it led to its extinction.
5. Ferghana Horses today
Today some claim that the Akhal-teke breed to be descendants of the original heavenly horses, the Akhal-teke. This breed also originated from central Asia, but it’s difficult to prove their exact bloodlines, as keeping records on horses wasn’t a big priority. But, as they are also an ancient breed, it’s completely possible they existed at the exact same time as the Ferghana, so it would be hard for them to be formed from them.
The Akhal-teke is known for its distinctive metallic coat and athletic prowess. Just like their possible ancestors, their numbers are in decline. Current estimates is at 6,600 horses today.
The Akhal-teke might be the closest possible relative of the Ferghana, but is it possible that the Ferghana still exists? The breed was declared extinct. So why are there reports of Ferghana horses still in China?
In 2010, China Daily reported that three Ferghana horses were imported into China from central Asia by Beijing Yanlong, a horse dealer. The horses were to be put up for auction, with starting prices of 5 million Yuan, equivalent to $738,552 back then.
The prices certainly seem realistic for a super rare, “extinct“ breed. But are they actually the heavenly horses from ancient China?
This horse is being called the “blood sweats horse,” which would indicate it is the true Ferghana. (although I have yet to see photos of the blood sweating). It seems most likely that these are Akhal-teke horses that are being called Ferghana, either from a translating error or maybe they do believe it’s a close enough relation. It’s impossible to know without further information, including breed records and DNA testing.
In 2013, another Chinese horse breeder came forward to say he also has Ferghana horses. He directly references that they are from the Ferghana valley, and 3,000 of these horses remain. The prices certainly seem in line with a rare breed of horse, ranging from $325,000 and $49 million.
Are these horses somehow back from extinction? Or is this an Akhal-Teke in disguise?
Only time will tell – there isn’t a lot of information out there (at least not in English). I’m actually quite fascinated by this, so I hope more information will eventually come out. Be assured, if I ever see an update, I’ll be posting about it.
Anonymous
1′”
Thomas
It’s amusing to see you mention that the Fergana horse originates from Central Asia, yet you share a photo of a horse from China. Where’s the logic in that? The name “Fergana horse” clearly suggests it comes from Central Asia. Please correct the mistake.
Courtney
ThomasI’m glad you found it amusing! As the article says, Emperor Wu of China waged an entire war to acquire these horses and brought them to China.
John
It’s important to recognize the distinct origins and names of these artworks. The first photo features the “Gansu Flying Horse,” a beautiful piece of Chinese heritage. The second is a relief depicting one of the six favorite horses of Emperor Taizong, rich in its historical context. As for the third, labeling these horses as “Ferghana” without basis undermines the true artistry and history they represent. Just as calling my dog Napoleon doesn’t transform her into the historical figure, mislabeling these sculptures doesn’t change their origins. Let’s strive for accuracy and respect for cultural histories instead of falling into misconceptions.
JOHN
To provide a more objective perspective, it would be beneficial for the article to clarify the historical context and significance of the Ferghana horse, originally from Central Asia, and its impact on Chinese history. The Ferghana horse, known for its speed and endurance, was highly sought after by Chinese emperors, most notably Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. This demand led to the “War of the Heavenly Horses,” which resulted in these horses being brought to China.
To enhance the article’s accuracy, the inclusion of appropriate imagery and accurate labeling would help distinguish between the Ferghana horse and other notable horses depicted in Chinese art. This approach would respect both the cultural origins of the Ferghana horse and the artistic heritage of the Chinese representations, providing readers with a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject.
For more information on the Ferghana horse, you can watch the YouTube video titled – Speed, Power, and Victory: The Secrets of the Ferghana Horse
Gill
I am not an expert, but am interested in tracing the appearance of the equine mutation for gaitedness, as a way to track the development of the ‘modern horse’ in particular the Thoroughbred., and would like to make a few observations.
These observations I have made from ancient art work as seen on the internet. Just as any confusion about the identity of the dog called Napoleon could have been cleared up by a showing a picture of her, so ancient artworks can give a clue.
It seems to be a common misconception that the flying horse of Gansu statue is of a horse that is trotting. It is not. The artist has accurately portrayed a gaited horse – it is pacing. If you see photos of Icelandic horses, they call it, interestingly enough, Flying pace I think, but these Icelandic horses of course didn’t exist until many centuries after the Han Dynasty statue was made, and Chinese historic record seems to confirm that this gaited horse was descended from those horses imported at great cost from the far West – Fergansa and/or Nissea.
There does seem to be much confusion about the Nissean and Fergansa horses.
The Nissean horses are said to have originated in a valley in the northern Zagros mountains.
It is suggested that they were gaited, as well as being larger, and faster than any other known breed at the time. They also apparently had a tendency to form cartilaginous/boney protruberances on their foreheads.
They became so much in demand, and were so valuable, that they were exported all over the Middle East, Mediterranean etc including Spain, probably by the Phoenicians and ancient Greeks, and as a result, unfortunately shared the same fate as the Irish Hobby and the Galloway horses, (over a millennium later), and became extinct as a pure breed.
The Spanish Carthusian horse does sometimes show growth of hard protrusions on their heads, and a near extinct breed of wild horse, called a Garron, in the northwest of Spain, has individuals which are gaited. It is interesting that the Irish and Scottish languages both have words very like Garron, which also refer to horses, and the Scottish Galloway, and Irish Hobby horses, were commonly gaited. Both of these areas have strong Viking histories. The north west of Spain was often raided by Vikings, and could arguably be a source of the gaited characteristic of Icelandic horses. That the Vikings did take livestock from this Spanish region could be shown by the striking similarities between the multi horned sheep found there and those sheep known as Manx sheep – the Isle of Man also being a Viking settlement back in the day.
If you look at ancient artwork, eg, the friezes at Persepolis, Greek vases and Egyptian tomb paintings, it would appear that early domesticated horses were relatively small and suitable for pulling chariots etc not so much for riding , – they were short enough not to interfere with the aim of the archers in battle, and had relatively long backs, and short manes like an ass and Finnish and Norwegian horses.
Ancient Greek artists portrayed the Sythians as riding these smaller, lighter type horses, but interestingly their riders were often female archers, perhaps then as today, on average, women were smaller and lighter than men, which would be an advantage on the smaller horses, but their feet still hung well below the underline.
At Persepolis, the depiction of the King’s riding horses are of a breed much taller, with flowing manes and shorter backs, and heavier quarters, more suitable for riding, faster over shorter distances, and valuable for use as cavalry – with the inevitable result that the use of chariots in warfare was to be superseded by light cavalry .
Some Chinese tomb statues of the Heavenly horses depicts them with riders, which shows the horses to be relatively tall., not short – the feet of the rider are approximately at the level of the horse’s underline, and in some cases the riders feet appear even higher up the girth.
With regard to the Thoroughbred, the stallion Mambrino has horses named as Hobby mare in the sire line, and Bald Galloway in his dam’s line. Mambrino is credited with having the greatest genetic influence in the development of Standardbreds – pacing and trotting racehorses, in the USA.
There were other earlier well documented pacing horses in the US , descendants of the Hobbies and Galloways shipped across the pond, and also horses brought by the Spanish, whose gaited abilities have been exploited to give the Paso Fino etc breeds.
Perhaps genetic studies could help to shed further light on the situation, but finding large enough numbers would be incredibly expensive I would imagine.