Panoramic landscape showing a herd of brown and black horses grazing on a rocky green meadow with snow-capped mountain peaks and blue sky with white clouds in the background

Herd of horses grazing in alpine meadow with snow-capped mountains, Altyn Arasan, Kyrgyzstan

A herd of horses grazes on an alpine meadow in Altyn Arasan gorge with rugged snow-dusted peaks of the Tian Shan mountain range rising in the background, captured September 2018.

The Alpine Pastures of Altyn Arasan

In the remote Altyn Arasan gorge of eastern Kyrgyzstan, where the Tian Shan mountains pierce the sky, wild and domesticated horses roam freely across high-altitude meadows. This golden valley, whose name means "Golden Spa" in Kyrgyz, has served as seasonal pasture for nomadic herders for centuries.

The rugged peaks surrounding this valley reach elevations above 4,000 meters, their granite faces holding snow year-round. These hardy Central Asian horses have adapted to the harsh mountain climate, developing thick coats and powerful lungs for the thin alpine air.

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