International travel is nothing new. It is easy for most people to travel by air or by train. But imagine journeying all the way from Europe to China on horseback!
This is a reality for Xu Zhixian, from Heze in Shandong province. He began his international journey earlier this year, and he describes it in video posts for his social media followers.
Starting in Spain on February 20, he has now reached the Netherlands, a journey of more than 2,500 kilometres so far. "I told my family I wanted to ride on horseback to China, but they didn't believe me until I bought a horse and started my journey," Xu says.
Xu has spent 13 years studying and working in Europe. He said the idea of riding a horse to China just "popped up" in his head.
"I just do it because I want to," he says.
Xu had only ridden a horse once before, so he spent three months being taught how to ride before his journey started.
A horse seller suggested he take an eight-year-old Arabian white male horse. Xu named him Huihui. Xu's slow journey on horseback then began, travelling about 30km each day.
To save money, he bought a sleeping bag and a tent for sleeping in at night.
"If I went hiking by myself, it would take me six hours to travel 30km a day," Xu says. "It takes between 10 and 12 hours on the horse because he keeps eating on the way!"
There are other delays too.
"Huihui tries to run away with another horse almost every day," Xu says. "He is usually reluctant to move, but whenever he meets another horse, I cannot stop him from running to them."
Huihui has a naughty side. He once scattered Xu's luggage all over the ground while chasing another horse.
But Xu is not in a hurry. "Accidents and new situations happen every day," he says.
Five things to know about
1. Horses are large mammals. They have been domesticated (tamed by humans) for over 5,000 years. Horses are herbivores.
2. In the past, we used horses for riding long distances, and for pulling heavy loads.
3. Horses can run soon after they are born. They can sleep either lying down or standing up!
4. Horses have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on land. Because their eyes are on the sides of their head, they can see nearly 360 degrees around them. This helps them watch out for predators.
5. A male horse is called a stallion. A female horse is called a mare. A young male horse is called a colt, and a young female horse is called a filly.
