HULUN BUIR, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Winter usually means challenges for herdsmen living on the grasslands. Severe cold and snow always affect their daily life. But for Erdendalai, a herdsman living in Hulun Buir, winter is still a busy season. In addition to taking care of more than 200 heads of cattle, sheep and horses he owns, Erdendalai also enjoys an important activity of horse racing.
Horses have always been a reliable means of transportation and an indispensable partner in the life of herdsmen in Hulun Buir.
Erdendalai was once an excellent horse racer, with medals and trophies all over his home. As years gone by, he became a horse trainer and took on an 17-year-old apprentice Nairag.
This winter, Nairag and his schoolmate Ijil signed up to participate in the 20th Ice and Snow Nadam fair of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Erdendalai was also busy training horses with the youngsters and preparing for the competition.
Every afternoon, Erdendalai would take Nairag and Ijil to train horses. "Now that the weather is cold, the horses have to wear clothes," Erdendalai put jackets on the horses before training. He would take a horse's rope and walk the horse on the grassland, while the two young men galloping on the grassland. After several laps, the bodies of men and horses would all be covered with frost.
Apart from horse training, winter life on the grasslands is colorful and full of fun. Erdendalai and his wife Alima would cook to treat friends attending Nadam; and after the meal, Erdendalai and Ijil would be playing chess while Erdendalai's mother Surenhwara working on puzzle games.
With the advancement of infrastructure construction, herders' life in winter has become more convenient. Erdendalai said, "Now that there is a wireless network and surveillance equipment installed in the pasture, I can see the cattle and sheep in the pen at home or when I am doing business in other places."
On the morning of Dec. 17, two horse trailers set off from Erdendalai's home and headed for the horse racing venue. The well-prepared Nairag and Ijil showed off their skills in the horse racing competition on the Nadam fair and finished third and sixth respectively in the 12.5-kilometer endurance horse race.
The sun was setting slowly, and the Hulun Buir prairie was freezing cold, but the racecourse was full of enthusiasm. People and horses here composed a wonderful "winter pastoral" together on the snow-covered grassland.
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