WILD SCHOOL
Wild School
Riding isn’t hard. Getting along with a creature ten times your weight and ten times as sensitive — that takes something.
This page is what we tell every guest before we ride out: a little horsemanship, a little safety and a little of the code of the wild. Read it and you’ll be more relaxed in the saddle. So will the horse.
A · HORSEMANSHIP
Eight lessons
01Approaching a horse
Approach from the front left so the horse can see you. Speak first, then reach out, and rest your hand on the shoulder or neck, not the face. Never walk up from directly behind and never linger there — it’s the horse’s blind spot and the most likely place to get kicked.
- 02
Mounting & dismounting
Mount from the left. Take the reins and a handful of mane in your left hand, put your left foot in the stirrup, hold the saddle with your right, rise in one movement, swing your right leg gently over the hindquarters and sit down softly. To dismount, take both feet out of the stirrups first and slide down on the left. Your guide will hold the horse.
- 03
Seat & reins
Sit in the lowest part of the saddle, back straight but not stiff. Shoulder, hip and heel in one line; the ball of your foot on the stirrup, heel sinking down. Hold the reins like a small bird: don’t drop it, don’t crush it.
- 04
Go, stop, turn
To go: a light squeeze with your calves and a little give with your hands. To stop: sit back and close your hands slowly — never yank. To turn: look where you want to go and open the inside rein a little. The horse follows your body, not just your hands.
- 05
Walk, trot, canter
The walk has four beats: let your body sway with the horse. The trot has two and it bounces — rise and sit with the rhythm, or sit deep and soft. The canter has three, like a rocking chair: lean back slightly and move with it. Your first canter happens only where your guide says so.
- 06
Up & down hills
Uphill: lean forward, give with your hands and let the horse push — grab some mane if you need to. Downhill: sit tall or slightly back, keep your feet firm and let the horse pick its way slowly. Don’t stop on a steep slope and don’t rush it.
- 07
Water & bog
Before a crossing, give some rein so the horse can lower its head and look. Follow exactly where the horse in front has been — no shortcuts. If your horse stops to drink, let it take a sip, but don’t let it lie down to roll: shorten the rein and ask it to walk on.
- 08
Reading a horse
The ears are a horse’s face. Pricked forward: curious, paying attention ahead. One ear back: listening to you. Both pinned flat: unhappy — give it space. A swishing tail, a pawing hoof, a snort — it’s all talk. Understand it and the horse will trust you.
B · SAFETY FIRST
Safety rules
These rules aren’t up for discussion — not because we’re timid, but because we want you to come back again and again.
- 01
Helmet, always
Helmet on before you mount, chin strap fastened, off only when you’re back on the ground. We provide certified riding helmets free; your own is welcome too.
- 02
Dress for it
Long trousers and non-slip shoes or boots with a small heel. No flip-flops, sandals or high heels, and nothing loose enough to catch on the tack. The sun is strong at altitude — bring sunscreen and sunglasses — and the weather changes fast, so bring a layer.
- 03
Listen to your guide
Your guide sets pace and route by your level, the horse and the weather. When they say stop, stop. When they say get off, get off.
- 04
Keep your distance
Stay at least one horse-length behind the horse in front; no overtaking, no bunching up. A red ribbon on a tail means that horse kicks — give it room.
- 05
Phone away
While the horse is moving, both hands belong to the reins. Want a photo? Tell your guide and we’ll stop.
- 06
Mind the altitude
Xiaozhongdian sits above 3,000 metres. Take it easy on the day you arrive, drink plenty of water and go light on alcohol. Tell your guide right away about headaches, tight chest or nausea.
- 07
Tell us the truth
Your height and weight, riding experience and health (pregnancy, heart conditions, high blood pressure, recent surgery and so on) — please tell us honestly when you book. It decides which horse you ride and which trail you take.
- 08
No riding after drinking
If you’ve been drinking, you don’t ride. The drinks by the fire come after the horses are put away.
- 09
Children with an adult
Children are led by a guide the whole time with a parent alongside. Steady horses like Chengtuo are reserved for them.
- 10
Weather decides
No rides in heavy rain, high wind or lightning; we’ll let you know in advance and reschedule or refund in full. Light rain is fine — riding through the woods in the rain has its own magic.
C · GEAR
Protective gear
HELMET
Riding helmet
Every rider gets a certified riding helmet. We fit it before you go: it shouldn’t move when you shake your head, and one finger should fit under the chin strap.
BODY PROTECTOR
Body protector
On wild trails and faster rides we’ll put you in a body protector to guard your chest, back and spine.
D · THE CODE
The code of the wild
Leave nothing
Everything you carry in, you carry out. Not even a cigarette butt stays behind.
The pasture is someone’s home
Close every gate behind you, don’t disturb the yaks and sheep, and don’t pick the flowers.
Go clockwise
Pass stupas, mani stones and prayer flags clockwise, keeping them on your right. Don’t step on, climb or touch them.
Put the fire out
Fires only where we say, and soaked and buried before we leave. On the plateau, one spark is enough.
Don’t feed the horses
No snacks or bread for the horses — their stomachs are more delicate than you think. To say thank you, stroke its neck.
Keep it quiet
Talk less in the mountains and listen more. Wind, water, a horse breathing — that’s what we came for.