Residents of the Far North can not imagine their life without deer. These stately and hardy animals have been accompanying humans for more than two thousand years. They provide the northern peoples with food (milk and meat), shelter (skins), medicines (antlers) and the ability to travel long distances along the snowy tundra. Reindeer harness is the most ancient and widespread way of transportation among different peoples of the Far North. It may seem to an uninitiated person that managing deer is quite easy, but in fact, the inhabitants of the tundra have been learning this since childhood, and not everyone can become a skilled rider. It is known that our Russian wizard Santa Claus on deer moves around his residence quite skillfully, and also offers everyone to master this difficult art. What you need to know for this?
The importance of deer for the peoples of the Far North
Reindeer is a very beautiful and powerful animal, some species of the owner of the tundra (as it is called) are on the verge of extinction. And others completely disappeared from the face of the planet due to thoughtless human activities. But many of them for centuries continue to fulfill their mission, helping people survive in the tundra.
In Soviet times, the party government decided to make serious changes to the life of the Far North. According to the adopted resolution, it was planned to transfer all local residents to all-terrain vehicles specially designed by the design bureau. And the reindeer team was to become something designed to entertain children and visitors. But the reality turned out to be far from plans and calculations - in harsh conditions, equipment constantly broke down, and did not always cope with movement in snowy areas. But deer never let people down, which is why they continue to live next to them, together overcoming all the difficulties of a nomadic life.
Deer - a fabulous hero of the Far North
The inhabitants of the northern regions know many tales and traditions, where the main characters are deer. In some peoples, they are even considered totemic animals, and many nationalities even consider themselves their descendants.
All this testifies to how sensitive these hardy animals are in the north. They bring a fairy tale to European children. Indeed, according to legend, it is on deer that Santa Claus delivers his gifts. These fabulous animals are the fastest in the world. They are able to cover distances of several thousand kilometers in fractions of a second. Of course, real animals are not so fast, but nevertheless a reindeer team is, undoubtedly, the most comfortable and convenient way to travel along the tundra at any time of the year.
Riding deer: description
Reindeer harness has several varieties. Nomads try to select sled deer depending on the nature of the animal and their future trip. Not every deer is suitable for harnessing, especially the northern nations use frisky and cocky ones for a car ride.
In order to pull sleds or sledges, strong and calm animals are suitable. They must be hardy, obedient and gullible. Usually castrated males are used for this purpose. Otherwise, they will constantly engage in quarrels among fellow tribesmen and will not allow the driver to relax for a minute. Deer that are crossbreeds with wild individuals are not particularly good at harnessing. They are difficult to learn and extremely stubborn.
Ideal sled deer should not be tired, distracted by foreign objects and sounds, as well as show an inactive character. Only such an animal will become a faithful companion of man during long trips along the tundra.
Reindeer Training
Every resident of the Far North knows how to handle deer, sometimes his life and the well-being of his family depend on it. Therefore, any man and woman is able to tame and train a deer.
First of all, the animal must get used to leather or rope lasso. Thanks to them, deer are trained to come to a certain sound. Salt is used as an encouragement; it is the favorite pet treat for animals.
After the deer get used to various sound combinations, they should stop being afraid of harness. They are tied daily to empty sledges and left for several hours. Gradually, the task becomes more complicated - the load is put on the sled, and the animal is driven in a straight line. The next stage of training is harnessing to sledges with an animal that is already well trained and understands the team perfectly. The first time the deer move in a straight line, then they learn to turn and overcome obstacles.
Additional stage of training
Fully completed training is considered after the deer get used to the pack saddle. For this purpose, a saddle is erected on their back, and then gradually load it with various bags. This function allows you to squeeze animals at the right time and continue to move using pack saddles.
Deer Riding Methods
It is known that different northern peoples have their own characteristics of managing deer and riding on them. For example, the Nenets and Komi mainly use car sledges. Three to six deer are harnessed in them. These teams are run on the left side. But the Evens and Koryaks prefer to harness no more than three deer, which are controlled from the right side. For this purpose, a special pole is used - the trochee. It has different lengths, but Koryaks, for example, prefer an instrument whose length does not exceed four meters.
Riding reindeer teams in the Chukchi involves a special harnessing system, in which each animal is attached to the sled with separate leather straps. Typically, control occurs with the help of chorea and reins. Most often, both tools are used simultaneously.
Sledges: a brief description of the sleigh
Since the life of the northern peoples is associated with constant movements, they can not do without sledges. According to historians, they were invented almost two thousand years ago, and since then their design has changed little.
Sledges are made of two types:
- cars;
- freight.
Passenger sledges are approximately two and a half meters in size. They are made of thin poles that are interconnected with leather straps. The runners are most often bent, in the back of the sled hooves are fastened, on which the seats were built. Often it was supplemented by a back. Women's sledges always do a little longer than men's sleds, because children also move on them. In addition, similar sleds are made slightly lower than men's ones.
Cargo sledges are made stronger and bulky. They are processed less carefully, but are able to take cargo up to four hundred kilograms. On such devices, disassembled homes, home belongings and small children are transported from one camp to another. For them, they arrange on the sledges a kind of tent, covered with fur skins.
