Kuorkaisen Alkaty, an 18-year-old Kazakh, has been an intern coach for over a year at Altay Horse Industry Development Co. Ltd. in Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China.

Originally from Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, also in Xinjiang and about a five-hour drive from Altay, he was driven by a passion for horses to Altay for this internship despite the distance. Currently, he is a student at the Hutubi County Vocational and Technical School in Changji, balancing his studies with hands-on experience at the equestrian center.

"Over 30 students from the school are interning at the ranch, with the opportunity to work there full-time upon graduation," he told Beijing Review. "I have always loved horses. I've been riding since childhood, as my family has owned horses; and I always wanted to work with horses as I grew up. Being a coach at the ranch is a job I truly enjoy."

The facility where Kuorkaisen Alkaty works is a pioneer in its field, recognized as Xinjiang's first equestrian industry-education integration training base. Spread across 220 acres, the ranch is home to 150 horses and operates as a comprehensive three-year training venue for students specializing in equestrian studies.

"The facility features stables, classrooms for primary and secondary students, training grounds, and spectator stands," said Hasitier Bahatihani, the company's manager. "The base offers a range of services, including world-class horse exhibitions, Kazakh horse riding experiences, equestrian camps, and competitive performances." Since the start of the year, the base has received over 4,000 visitors.

From screen to stable

With the popular TV series To The Wonder, based on the essay collection My Altay by contemporary Chinese author Li Juan, captivating audiences this year, the filming location in Habahe County, Altay, has become a major tourist attraction. The series' portrayal of the male protagonist on horseback has left viewers with a lasting impression of the region's equestrian culture. Jilin New Village, close to the filming site, is home to 36-year-old Abuzalihang Abulihas, who returned from Guangdong Province in 2018 to set up his family ranch.

Despite being a businessman in Guangzhou, capital of economically developed Guangdong, before 2018, Abuzalihang has always loved horses. In 2018, he encountered a purebred horse on the market, and its elegance and economic potential inspired him to enter the equine industry.

Today, his ranch boasts over 30 horses, featuring a mix of local breeds and high-bloodline horses imported and crossbred ones from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The purebred horses, primarily sourced from Beijing, are supplemented with additional imports from neighboring countries. "As long as the horse's pedigree is good, I'll go anywhere to get it," he said.

His commitment to excellence has enriched his own life as well as set a benchmark for local prosperity. Last year alone, he sold seven improved Kazakh horses he had meticulously trained, earning over 400,000 yuan ($56,000). His success inspires local farmers and herders, showing them the potential benefits of investing in quality breeding and training.

At his ranch, the crossbreeding of imported purebred horses with local breeds has resulted in foals that fetch prices between 30,000 yuan ($4,200) and 40,000 yuan ($5,600) each. Looking ahead, he plans to cultivate more competitive local racehorse trainers in Altay, aiming to elevate and promote the region's rich equestrian heritage.

Equine evolution

Traditionally celebrated for its horse breeding, Altay is experiencing unprecedented growth in its equine industry. Recent figures from the local government indicate that, as of late 2023, it was home to over 255,000 horses, securing its position as the prefecture with the second largest horse population in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is the provincial-level administrative region that has the largest number of horses in China, with approximately 1.05 million horses as reported by local news portal Huyangnet.cn in 2023.

This achievement of Altay is supported by over 2,500 horse breeders, eight equine companies and a well-established breeding infrastructure that has constantly evolved since last century.

Hosenbek Mawoya, a 53-year-old ranch owner in Altay, shared some insights with newspaper Xinjiang Daily about the historical and ongoing transformations within the local horse breeds. "Historically, Altay's horses were smaller, with heights around 1.3 to 1.4 meters," he said. "However, through dedicated efforts in breed improvement, focusing primarily on the native Kazakh horse, these majestic animals now stand approximately 1.5 meters tall. The horses not only grew in size but also in beauty compared to the native breeds."

This transformation is part of a broader strategy that extends beyond refining the breed to include the deepening commercialization of horse products. Innovations such as mare's milk wine, mare's milk coffee and probiotic products derived from mare's milk have emerged through collaborations between local enterprises and university research teams in Xinjiang.

Looking to 2030, Altay aims to achieve an annual gross output value of over 3 billion yuan ($420 million) from the comprehensive horse industry chain. This ambitious goal is supported by the increasing profitability experienced by local entrepreneurs like Hosenbek, whose family business thrives on selling mare's milk and horse meat. "This summer, we sold 150 kg of mare's milk a day, at 30 yuan ($4) per kg, and demand always exceeded supply," he said.

He also elaborated on the industry's untapped potential. Over the past two years, he has invested in importing high-quality foreign horses to crossbreed with 200 local horses, enhancing their milk production by an additional 5 kg a day. With continuous upgrades in milking equipment and breeding facilities, his enthusiasm for horse breeding continues to grow.

Despite these successes, challenges remain. "Our horse industry is still in its infancy, with small-scale mare's milk products," stated Adali Kamayir, a local official from Altay's livestock sector, told Xinjiang Daily. "The future focus will be on harnessing technology to strengthen, supplement and extend the industry chain, to cultivate more commercialized and standardized leading enterprises in horse product processing."

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

Comments to yuanyuan@cicgamericas.com