Many of the Tibetan people in Jiuzhaigou do not ride horses, and they rarely see horses anymore, but it’s different here.
Li Younan just drove all the way here and saw many herders riding horses along the road.
Moreover, their Mandarin is not as standardized as those in Jiuzhaigou, it has a strong "Tingzhen flavor."
Mom and the three women leaned in curiously.
The young man asked again, "Do you want to ride?"
Li Younan didn’t respond immediately, silently observing the horse.
He, who had mastered riding skills, was very familiar with these breeds of horses.
On the Western Sichuan Plateau, there are mainly two types of horses, one is the Hequ Horse, and the other is the Kang Horse.
Ruoergai mainly has Hequ Horses.
People who understand horses in China know that Hequ Horses are one of the three great horse breeds since ancient times.
Since the Qin Dynasty, they have been excellent warhorses.
This type of horse is tall, beautifully shaped, strong, and has extreme endurance, able to go days and nights without eating or drinking, relying on their strong sense of smell to identify marshes on the prairie.
Seeing this horse, Li Younan felt an urge to touch its head.
To be honest, in the evolutionary history of humanity, neither cows nor dogs have been as important to humans as horses.
From a historical perspective, horses are human’s best friends, the most loyal partners.
Unfortunately, in this era, with the popularity of cars and motorcycles, the number of horses in Ruoergai is decreasing.
This is the progress of the times, but it also inevitably brings some sighs.
From an evolutionary standpoint, such animals should have been eliminated by the natural environment long ago.
But they perfectly compensate for human weaknesses and have been passed down through the harsh competition of nature.
However, with the development of technology, humans seem to no longer need to rely on horses like they did in ancient times.
Li Younan asked, "How much does it cost?"
The young man gestured, "20, 20 for one loop."
Mom hesitated a bit, asking, "Do you want to try it? Would it be dangerous?"
Zhao Xiaofang focused on a different point, asking, "How far is one loop?"
The young man didn’t understand at first, so he leaned in a bit.
Zhao Xiaofang explained with effort, "It’s 20 for the distance you run."
The young man understood, pointing to a large rock about a hundred meters away, "Back and forth to that place."
Compared to Mom, Zhao Xiaofang was much bolder. She asked Zhao Ruoxuan nearby, "Do you want to give it a ride?"
Zhao Ruoxuan immediately showed an eager expression.
Li Younan said, "I didn’t bring cash. Can I pay using WeChat?"
The young man took out a QR code from his tent, grinning, "You can."
Li Younan said, "I’ll give you 100 yuan, can we ride for half an hour?"
The young man was stunned for a moment, thought about it, and shook his head, "No, no, it’s too long, 5 loops, 5 loops can do."
Li Younan said amusingly, "This little girl riding 5 loops, not daring to ride fast, will definitely take more than half an hour."
The young man thought about it again and agreed straightforwardly this time.
Li Younan clearly saw a sly glint in the young man’s eyes. He blinked and suddenly realized something, smiling a bit strangely.
Li Younan added, "Can all of us try within this half hour?"
The young man nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."
In anticipation, Zhao Ruoxuan prepared to go first. This horse was saddled, but she was still nervous while mounting, afraid that the horse would run off as she mounted, leaving her hanging under its belly.
Fortunately, this didn’t happen, the horse just stood quietly waiting for Zhao Ruoxuan to mount.
The young man led the reins, gently touching the horse’s head.
Once Zhao Ruoxuan was on horseback, she quickly yelled to her mom, "Mom, take a picture of me quickly."
But then she screamed as the horse moved a bit.
Most people are very scared during their first horse ride. The young man was not surprised by Zhao Ruoxuan’s reaction, smiling calmly but stayed silent.
The young man led the horse, letting Zhao Ruoxuan slowly feel the sensation on horseback.
Zhao Ruoxuan swayed with the horse’s rhythm, and soon showed a panicked expression, "Wait, wait, it’s so scary, I want to get off."
The young man said, "We haven’t even run yet." He said with a grin.
Then the young man slightly increased the horse’s speed, and Zhao Ruoxuan immediately screamed in fright, "Stop, stop, I’m not riding, I’m not riding."
The young man stopped the reins, saying, "Then come down."
Zhao Ruoxuan took a deep breath and clumsily got off the horse, gently patting her rising chest, but still very happy, hopping to her mom’s side, "Mom, did you take the picture well? Let me see."
The young man looked at the others again, "Who’s next?"
Mom and Zhao Xiaofang shook their heads, "We’ll pass on this."
The young man turned his gaze to Li Younan, saying, "If you’re afraid, there’s no refund."
Li Younan laughed heartily.
He understood the young man’s little trick. Many tourists become frightened once on horseback, ultimately taking a photo and getting off.
Those who haven’t ridden a horse before cannot empathize with the fear when the horse starts running—the bumpiness, the uncontrollable loss of control unlike riding a motorcycle, is quite scary.
If the tourists decide not to ride, not refunding the money is reasonable and justified.
Li Younan nodded, "Don’t worry, won’t bail."

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