Turks are the first society to tame and ride horses. The words of Mahmud of Kashgar "The horse is the wing of the Turk" expresses the extent to which the Turks attribute to this animal. The Oghuz Turks established their state on horseback and came to Anatolia on horseback. Historian (E. Marcellin), in his work on the Huns, states that “In the cavalry war of the Turks, they are weak but not tired, their horses are as fast as lightning, they stand on their horses and they spend their lives on horses”.
Turks start riding while they are still in the cradle. When the child is in the cradle, a piece of wood is placed between his legs and the child takes the same position on the wood as a rider. When the child starts to crawl, he starts to climb on the horse or sheep. At the age of five, he starts riding with his peers or siblings. When the child is eight years old, we can say that he has become a complete rider. At the age of twelve, the child becomes a well-equipped rider who can even command wild horses. The fact that Turks met horses at such an early age increased their dominance and courage as well as what they could do with horses. Therefore, for the ancient Turks, riding on forty kinds of horses without stirrups and getting on and off horses while running at a fast pace were considered insignificant actions. In addition, the horses and weapons of the deceased Turks were inherited by his eldest son. It was also known that horse races were held on behalf of the deceased. Even foreign sources tell that the Turks stood up while galloping on the horse and passed through the neck or stomach of the horse. (Sumer, F. s, 38–39).
Horse racing was divided into two in Turks. The first were races held only for the purpose of competition and it was one of the important parts of weddings and festivities. The second race was held for the purpose of fighting. A warrior would emerge from each side and a representative war wrestling was held. Horse races in the war are one of the most important motifs of the Epic of Manas. The Turks used to perform the javelin, which is one of the mounted war sports, accompanied by drums and zurna. In the period when the spear was used as a weapon of war, spear training was carried out by playing the javelin. However, horse riding was not neglected at weddings, festivals and at every opportunity (Ögel, B. p, 522).
It would be a mistake to say that the sports activities of that period had nothing to do with the war. With these activities, people would have the opportunity to both have fun and practice.
