Daniil is a graduate of the law faculty of Osh State University. His passion for horses began in early childhood when his father, who owned good horses and was an active kok-boru player, instilled a love for these animals in him. "Since childhood, he would take me with him to kok-boru, putting me on a calm mare. I would ride, play, and sometimes even fall asleep right on the horse," he recalls.
The first horse that Daniil raised and trained was named Greider. "I raised him myself, and he was perfect for kok-boru. Since I couldn't participate in the games myself, I didn't want his talent to go to waste, so I sold him. Then I took another stallion, raised him, and sold him again. That's how I got into this business," he says.
Currently, Daniil has eight horses, all of which are intended for kok-boru. Half of them are Kyrgyz horses, while the others are breeds from Russia and Europe.
"The main aspect of horse care is the routine. In the morning, they get alfalfa. After eating, we take them outside so they can stretch, and then we give them water. After that, we start grooming and brushing, then put on the bridle, and we ride out. After 1-2 hours, we feed them again: we give water, grain, and alfalfa," Daniil explains.
Training unbroken horses, according to him, requires a special approach: "First, you need to be nearby, often grooming and brushing the horse—they like that. Then we put on the bridle, saddle them up, and tighten the girth. After a week or two, we start just sitting on and getting off without moving. As the horse gets used to it, we ride him out, leading another horse alongside, and then we teach him to manage on his own," Daniil shares his experience.
The cost of a horse, he says, depends on its breed and results in kok-boru: "In Kyrgyzstan, regardless of how stately a horse is, if it hasn't played in kok-boru, it is not valued. On the other hand, if a horse is stately and shows excellent results, it can be sold for a large sum. But unfortunately, not all horses are suitable. The main thing is that they are brave and serve the rider until the end." The most expensive horse he sold went to Chinese buyers for $60,000, while on average, deals occur within the range of $3,000 to $5,000.
Daniil also recalled an interesting case from his practice: "Two years ago, when I was selling horses online, I received a call about one horse. The phone numbers were very similar, differing by only two digits. I thought it was the same person, and in the end, I 'sold' one horse to two buyers. The next day, they both arrived at the same time and started arguing, each pulling in their direction. In the end, we gave the horse to the ones who came from far away, from Leilek," he said with a smile.
Daniil notes that he has almost no free time, but he never tires of being around horses: "I ride and check on them all day long. If I hear about a good horse, I immediately go to take a look." In the future, he plans to open a horse breeding farm to breed horses of different breeds and prepare them for kok-boru. "There is a saying: 'kurama temir kurch bolot'—'Steel, forged from different pieces, is the sharpest.' I want to gather horses, crossbreed them, and prepare them for the games," he added.
