Munarbek Kuldanbaev: Reviving a Rare Breed Through Nature, Culture, and Responsibility or answers for frequent asked questions.

Chaar entered my life not as a project or an idea, but as a quiet and persistent sense of loss. There was a feeling that something deeply important still existed nearby, almost invisible to most people, and that if responsibility was not taken in time, it could disappear completely.

I am often asked why I do this. The answer is simple. Everything connected to Chaar — conservation, culture, biodiversity, and working with living beings — has real meaning for me. And despite all the challenges, I genuinely enjoy this path. Without that inner alignment and joy, such a journey would not be possible.

Chaar horse

The Chaar horse is not a breed in the modern standardized sense. It is the result of centuries of coexistence between humans, animals, and nature in conditions where there was no margin for error. These horses developed in the mountains and steppes of Central Asia alongside Kyrgyz nomadic culture. They were never bred for shows or formal standards. Life itself selected them — cold winters, drought, altitude, and long distances. Only the truly resilient survived.

The spotted coat of the Chaar horse was never merely decorative. In traditional culture it was considered a sign of strength and special meaning. Over time, this language was lost. As nomadic life disappeared, the Chaar horse began to disappear as well — without studbooks, without official recognition, without protection. Through uncontrolled crossbreeding, it slowly lost what made it unique.

At a certain point it became clear that Chaar was not simply in difficulty — it was standing on the edge of extinction. Its rarity is the result of several overlapping factors: the break in traditional breeding knowledge, the absence of institutional recognition, an extremely small population, and the pressures of modern agriculture and climate change. But the most dangerous factor was silence — disappearance without witnesses.

This is where the practical work began — carefully and on a very small scale. Everything started with just four mares and one stallion: ChaarSuluu. At that moment, he was not simply a breeding horse, but the foundation of the entire revival process. In his genetics, temperament, and resilience were concentrated the qualities that define Chaar: endurance, calm intelligence, and the ability to live in balance with nature. ChaarSuluu became the founding stallion of the Chaar revival — a living carrier of something that could have been lost forever.

ChaarSuluu

Working with him required exceptional care and responsibility. There were no reserve bloodlines and no alternative options. Every foal born from ChaarSuluu was not simply an increase in numbers, but a step away from extinction and a confirmation that the chosen path was the right one.

It became clear that Chaar could not be preserved casually or partially. What was needed was a complete living environment where conservation and visibility could grow together — while accepting that this path would never be simple.

Working with Chaar horses means facing challenges every day. Some are obvious — climate, health, reproduction, and environmental conditions. Others are more subtle — behavior, trust, and the fine balance between intervention and restraint. We learn constantly, search for solutions, make mistakes, and return again to observation. Very often, there are no ready-made answers.

Every day with Chaar is an attempt to reconnect with nature in places where modern humans have largely lost the ability to listen. These horses carry deep, practical knowledge about survival, balance, and resilience. And every day, we continue learning.

Over time, this work began to bear fruit. Today, the herd numbers more than 70 Chaar horses. Reproduction is now supported by four breeding stallions, while ChaarSuluu remains the symbolic and genetic origin of the entire revival project.

TanSuluu Ottaway and Alice

A new phase is beginning. This year, a young herd with a young stallion, TanSuluu, is joining the breeding process. TanSuluu represents a transition from survival to development. Where ChaarSuluu symbolizes preservation and stability, TanSuluu represents forward movement, genetic expansion, and the future of the breed. Together, they form a dialogue between generations that allows the revival of Chaar to become a long-term and living process.

Chaar Appaloosa association

From the beginning, the Chaar project could not remain local. By its nature, it is international. Genetics, culture, and biodiversity have no borders. In 2023, in France, with the support of friends from different countries who shared these values, the International Chaar Appaloosa Association was founded. It serves as a platform connecting what we do in a small corner of Kyrgyzstan with the wider world — researchers, artists, partners, volunteers, and all those who care about living heritage. The association is non-profit, non-political, and non-religious, ensuring transparency and long-term sustainability.

Chaaramel and AlmaChaar future promising stallions

Chaar ranch and art residence

At the same time, the practical foundation of the project was taking shape. Chaar Ranch was created not as a concept, but as a real, functioning place that has already been built and is actively used. The ranch is the ecological and physical core of the project — a space where horses live in conditions as close as possible to their natural environment, where human intervention is minimized, natural rhythms are respected, and responsible long-term breeding is practiced. Here, Chaar remains a horse, not an object.

Chaar ranch

Over time, it became clear that the next step must go beyond practical conservation alone. Preserving horses is essential, but it is not enough. Chaar must also be understood and heard in the contemporary world. This led to the vision of the Chaar Art Residence, which is currently in the planning stage.

The future art residence is conceived as a natural continuation of the ranch — not a separate initiative, but its cultural and intellectual extension. It will welcome artists, architects, photographers, researchers, and thinkers who will live and work within the Chaar environment. Through art, research, and dialogue, the Chaar horse can return to the global cultural conversation — not as an exotic curiosity, but as a living value.

Munarbek showing to Alice plan of the future Chaar art residence

Today, Chaar is no longer just a rare horse. It is a path of continuous learning and a choice in favor of long-term thinking — between uniformity and diversity, loss and responsibility, superficial interest and genuine engagement.

Every Chaar foal born today is a small victory over disappearance and a reminder that we are still learning — learning how to see, listen, and reconnect with nature.

The Chaar horse is rare not because it is exotic. It is rare because it survived an era in which everything fragile was considered unnecessary. And if Chaar has a future today, it means we still have a chance to preserve something truly essential.

sincerely,

Munarbek