“A horse, a gun and a woman,” a Turkish proverb proclaims, are the three things a man needs.
Horses have an exceptional place in the Turk's culture and heritage, stemming from their nomadic, Central Asian ancestors, who spent a good part of their lives on horseback, including sleeping in the saddle. The ancient sport of jereed (javelin) — throwing long poles while on horseback — remained the ultimate test for demonstrating agility, courage and sportsmanship for centuries in the Ottoman Empire.