In his article “Traditional Means of Transportation of the Turkic Peoples of Sayano-Altai in the 19th –2th centuries”, the ethnographer Artur Alekseyevich Kyrzhinakov divided the transportation means of the indigenous population of Siberia into water (dugout boats and rafts) and land ones, including sledges and skis (runner), sleighs and carts (harness) and pack-riding. While sledges and water vehicles were most common in the mountain-taiga regions, the people living in the mountain-steppe zone preferred to travel on horseback.

Apart from the Tuvan reindeer herders, most Turkic peoples bred and rode horses.

Depending on the time of year and road conditions, the Shors harnessed horses to a sleigh, cart or sled to transport hay, logs for building houses and various cargoes. In winter, cattle were kept in an open pen or under a shed made of poles with hay piled on the roof. The horses were fed twice a day, in the morning and evening. During snowy winters, the animals quenched their thirst with snow and fed directly from the haystacks in the yard, trampling down most of the hay.

The Shors learnt to make harnesses from Russian peasants. When transporting cargo, a person sat on a horse or led it behind him by a chugen (sugen) bridle made of narrow leather straps.

The nose strap prevents the horse from opening its mouth wide; the cheekpiece supports the mouthpiece. The throat latch strap passes under the rear corners of the horse’s jaw, and the headpiece goes behind its ears. There is a forehead strap on the animal’s forehead. It is usually adorned with braids and other decorations.

The bit and bridle are the main elements of controlling the horse. The bit is needed to manipulate the toothless edge of the horse’s mouth. The bridle that is attached with iron rings supports the bit and transmits the rider’s commands to the horse. Sometimes the Shors made do with only a halter made of rawhide belts or one woven from horsehair.

After each use, a good owner washed the bits, made of iron, with water and hung the bridle to dry on a special hook. From time to time, the headband also required washing with soap and water and lubricating with special care products, without which the leather could dry out and crack.