Horses, considered the "cradle of life" by ethnic Mongolian herdsmen, have been on the decline in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in recent years.

There are currently fewer than 800,000 horses in the region, a 65 percent drop compared to 1975.

Both horses and herdsmen are nowadays seldom seen in the vast grasslands, apart from those in tourist spots and parks.

"Horses are smart and loyal to their masters," said Tubu Daleng, a herdsman from Otog Front Banner (County). "But I must sell them because raising a horse costs as much as raising six sheep."

He explained that, according to the relevant regulations, one horse is the equivalent to six head of sheep both in terms of grassland usage and taxes.

"Thus, the cost of raising horses is much higher," says Tubu, who had over 20 horses in the early 1990s but now has only one. In addition, growing numbers of herdsmen are using motorcycles or jeeps instead of horses. Increasing fences on the grassland makes horse-riding difficult, said Sedi, from Uxin Banner.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2003)