The Kyrgyz determined a person's age using the muchel — a 12-year animal cycle. It was also used to predict a person's future. It was believed that in the first year of each cycle, one should not undertake significant endeavors, as the outcome would be negative. In the epic "Manas," there was a warning to the hero Jolo, whose year of birth coincided with the beginning of the animal cycle, that going on a campaign was considered dangerous. The seer emphasized that the month was also unfavorable for horses. Horses held great importance in the life of the Kyrgyz — both in agriculture and in military affairs. Therefore, before going on a campaign, the positions of the stars were determined to see if there would be luck not only for the warriors but also for the steeds. Overall, there are many very interesting sayings about horses among the Kyrgyz: a horse is the wings of a man; without a horse, you are no longer a warrior; with a horse, you are a person; without a horse, you are a shadow; as the master is, so is the horse; if you have a horse, try to see the world (new lands) while your father is alive, get to know good people with its help, etc. Due to an outstanding steed, a fast pacer, significant quarrels and enmities often flared up, sometimes leading to bloody clashes between individuals, clans, and tribes (at least this explanation for feuds is given in folklore sources).
In major races, when all known steeds participated, which always came in first (these races included not only Kyrgyz but also representatives of neighboring peoples), huge prizes were announced for the first place (several dozen, and sometimes hundreds of animals). Victory in such races was rewarded not only materially but also had a moral aspect (honor and glory were bestowed upon both the owner of the steed and his tribe, clan, and people).
None of the domestic animals were valued as highly by the Kyrgyz as the horse:
My steed, my steed —
The priceless wealth of a warrior.
P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky once accurately noted and appreciated the important role of horses in the life of the Kyrgyz: "The Kyrgyz, spending half their lives on horseback, become accustomed to them as inseparable companions and friends, so that the personality of the animal is taken into account in its attachment." According to the herders' view, a horse is an intelligent and devoted animal to its owner. In terms of loyalty to humans, only a dog can compare with a horse. An intelligent and very devoted horse, upon the death of its owner, would mourn (not drink, not graze, and stand with its head bowed in one place for almost a day).
Among the Kyrgyz were the so-called synchy — people who could distinguish both extraordinary individuals and purebred horses by signs known only to them. There are many legends about such experts, for example, about Sanchy-synch, Tolubay-Synch, and others.
Sanchy-synch (lived in the early 16th century during the reign of the popular Khan Mukambet) was considered a legendary expert on human fate. He became famous for his ability to predict the destinies of people and their descendants, i.e., (if we apply modern terminology) he was a highly gifted geneticist and psychologist by nature. All Kyrgyz and Kazakhs know how he, at the request of the progenitor of a large tribe in the Chui Valley, Solto, predicted his future offspring — the sons Kuntuu, Kultuu, and Chaa. Everything that Sanchy predicted later came true. He paid special attention to the content and character of a person's speech (a purebred horse is recognized by its neighing, an intelligent person — by their speech), was excellent at understanding the nuances of human laughter and handshake manners, and assessed a person by their eyes (an intelligent person can be seen by their eyes). He was the author of many aphorisms, proverbs, and sayings, but only some of them have reached us: good begets good, a bad person leaves worthless offspring; do not call a good person a stranger, nor a bad one your friend; if your wife is good, you are always well-groomed, clean, and your children are good, but when she is bad — you turn gray early and your children are bad, etc.
Tolubay-synch (lived in the late 14th century during the unjust reign of Janibek Khan in Central Asia. He fell out of favor and was blinded) was an outstanding expert on battle horses. He knew perfectly what a good horse should be like in terms of posture and head shape, thickness and length of the neck and legs, characteristics of the chest (the nature of the connection between the shoulder blades and the withers), muscles, eyes, etc. He mastered the anatomy of animals perfectly, knew the secrets of preparing them for long-distance races, and the feeding regimen (the quantitative and qualitative composition of feed and liquids). He had an exceptionally keen sense of hearing: sitting in a yurt, he could accurately determine an excellent steed by the sound of its hooves. According to legend, one day, while walking through the steppe, he accidentally saw the skull of a long-dead horse sticking out of the ground. Taking it in his hands, he wept bitterly, accompanying his tears with the words: Who valued you in your time as an outstanding tulpar, who will recognize me as an outstanding synch? After this incident, the khan invited him to identify a tulpar from his vast herd, but the honest expert did not find a single tulpar. For this, the enraged khan ordered both of Tolubay's eyes to be gouged out. Many generations of Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Karakalpak breeders still take his advice into account when preparing horses for races.
These naturally gifted people knew the secrets of crossing local horses with breeds brought from other places that had distinctive qualities. As a result, the breed of steeds improved; they became more resilient and better able to withstand frost and drought. Such people offered herders, for a certain fee, to obtain offspring from an outstanding pacer or stallion. The following lines from "Manas" confirm the existence of practical selection among the people:
He commanded that there be a hundred slender steeds
With thin legs, like those of a ram,
That there be a mark on the muzzle,
And a white spot on the forehead.
And he also commanded to drive a hundred white horses,
The most resilient in the campaign.
