There are nearly 700 purebred white horses in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son’s Khau Sao grassland, Vietnam.

Vietnam’s largest grassland where horses live Khau Sao grassland in Suoi Ma A village is the habitat of more than 1,700 horses including 700 purebred Vietnamese white horses.

The village is the home to Tay and Nung ethnic minority groups living on raising animal.

The village has nearly 1,000 meter mountains range with large graze and fresh water source plus favorable weather which are attributable to horse growth. Averagely, the number of white horse leaps by 25 percent a year.

Droves of horses roam in the graze from October to March in the lunar calendar wear rings to distinguish.

Purebred horses weigh from 70 kilogram to 100 kilogram. Residents raise white horses to make bone glue.

Tran Van Quan , a staff of the Department of Animal Health in Chi Lang District said each family in the commune breeds two or 15 white horses. 

The government limits the number of horses to ensure that they are well bred. Famers usually let their horses roam freely in open graze field and the animal seldom get sick.

Chairman of People’s Committee in Huu Kien Commune Nong Quang Dam said that horses has origin normal horses in 1965 when just a few animals appeared and then it has up to 700 ones.

White horses are easily bred and white horses breeding generates stable incomes for locals.

A six month old small horse fetches VND20 million while a mare costs at VND40 million ($1,760) and stallion at VND70 million. 

Major markets are the northern provinces of Hai Phong, Nam Dinh Thai Nguyen and Hanoi, farmer Nguyen Thi Dinh said.

For recent years, households themselves take care of horses, as a result, the number of horses has kept increasing helping to protect Vietnamese purebred horse gene.

SGGP/VNE