by Dylan
(Portsmouth, UK)
Great site! I wish I had read your page before I went on a horse ride to central Mongolia. My girlfriend and I arrived in Tsetserleg and stayed at Fairfield hostel. The owners hooked us up with a local guide and he took us riding straight into the hills out of town for a two-day trip. We had a fantastic time visiting locals in gers and taking in the wonderful scenery. We spoke with other tourists and it seems like most people just go to nearby Terkhin Tsagaan nuur (White Lake) to do their horse rides because its listed in the Lonely Planet. A couple told us some of the Mongolian nomads there were pretty tired of all the tourists passing through, whereas we were right near the town of Tsetserleg but we didn't see any other tourists and the nomads were thrilled to have us visit!
In summary, we're glad we chose to go 'somewhere different' as it is more authentic than just doing what the Lonely Planet says like everybody else. We had a great time but you are right about the uncomfortable saddles and that Mongolian sun was brutal on our skin: take a good hat!
Keep up the good work. Dylan