In the year held under the motto "Independent Neutral Turkmenistan – the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses," the people's memory brings back many fascinating stories about horses that earned lasting fame during their lifetimes. One such story was shared with us by Korpe Seyitnazarov, a teacher at Secondary School No. 12 named after Tagan Berdiyev in the Magtymguly etrap, the Balkan velayat.

"For several years now, our village has had a school history museum," says K. Seyitnazarov. "It contains objects and artifacts of everyday life collected by our students. Among them are pottery, wooden utensils, as well as tools and ancient coins found near the hills surrounding our village.

Among these exhibits are two horseshoes. Before they were donated to the museum, they had been kept in our family for about 100 years in memory of Gyrat, the faithful horse of my grandfather, Geldimuhamet bagshy. Geldi bagshy—as people called him—was born in 1895 and passed away in 1945. In his time, he was a well-known bagshy and was often invited to perform at various celebrations throughout the Balkan velayat.

Geldi bagshy was the son of the famous bagshy Dostaly, who was a cousin of the equally renowned Annahal bagshy. Another interesting fact came to light: the poet Artyk Eje, the grandmother of the world-famous Turkmen composer Nury Halmammedov, was the sister of Dostaly bagshy.

In 2013, the textbook “Türkmenistanyň medeni mirasy” (“The Cultural Heritage of Turkmenistan”) for 10th-grade students was published, containing information about the lives and work of Annahal bagshy and Dostaly bagshy. Annahal bagshy is also mentioned as a master of his craft in the film “Mukamyň syry” (“The Secret of the Mukams”).

According to my relatives, particularly my aunt Enekeyik, Geldi bagshy was known not only as a performer of folk songs but also as a seyis (horse trainer). He had a remarkable ability to connect with Akhal-Teke horses. His favorite horse was a chestnut stallion named Gyrat.

This immediately raises the question: 'Why was a chestnut horse given the name Gyrat, which means "White"?' The reason was that all four of the horse's legs were white up to the knees. Geldi bagshy loved his horse dearly, and wherever he was invited to perform, Gyrat was always his faithful companion.

Horse breeders from neighboring villages often sought Geldi bagshy's advice when purchasing horses. Such was Geldi bagshy’s great authority as a seyis!

At that time, several blacksmiths worked in our village. Unfortunately, their names have not been preserved, but the metal items they forged have survived to this day. Among them are the two horseshoes that later became exhibits in the school museum.

It is known that the craftsmen produced two types of horseshoes: one for working horses and another for riding horses. What was the difference between them? On horseshoes intended for riding horses, blacksmiths attached 'claws'—the term they used in their professional jargon for a small protruding nail that was absent from ordinary horseshoes. The craftsmen understood that riding horses frequently had to travel along mountain trails, and the 'claw' helped them move quickly and safely over difficult terrain without injury.

There was complete mutual understanding between Geldi bagshy and his beloved horse Gyrat. Geldi bagshy gave his final performance at a wedding far from his native village before beginning the journey home. He was feeling unwell but paid little attention to it. Gyrat immediately sensed his master's condition. In order not to disturb him or cause him additional pain, the horse walked much more slowly than usual. When they reached home, Geldi bagshy's relatives helped him dismount, and a day later he was laid to rest with full honors. After Geldi bagshy's death, the faithful Gyrat refused both food and water, and a week later the horse followed his master in death.

Geldi bagshy lived only fifty years. Yet the memory of the famous musician remains alive among us to this day. Every time visitors look at Gyrat's horseshoes in the school museum, they remember Geldi bagshy and his devoted companion with warmth and respect."

"GA" editor's note: We express our sincere gratitude to history teacher Korpe Seyitnazarov for this fascinating story and for the contribution made by his students to preserving the historical heritage of the Turkmen people.