During the festival, I took my family to experience the Ancient Tea Horse Road, so I chose a one-day tour of Lashi Lake. One of the itineraries was to experience horseback riding on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The horseback riding spot we were sent to this time was the horseback riding area operated by Achuheng, which was divided into Sizong Group 1 and Group 2, which was probably similar to the concept of the village group. We arrived by car around 10 am. The car was relatively old. I asked about the taxi contracted by a similar Changhe minivan, but the driver was a local, very talkative and funny. Before entering the horse farm, it is recommended to buy leg covers, mainly because I am afraid that the dirt on the horse will stick to the tourists' pants. A set of gloves is provided for 20 yuan. This is a voluntary purchase, but generally people who come to ride horses for the first time will buy it. After that, horses will be arranged. After getting on the horse, you need to adapt to it, so at the beginning, you will take the flat road at the entrance of the village. After riding for a while, you will not be afraid. After that, you will enter the Naxi Ancient Village and see some old buildings and hieroglyphs and pictures with Naxi characteristics, which are quite unique. The road after that began to become a rugged path. Experience the feeling of riding up and downhill. The body also needs to cooperate with the adjustment of the center of gravity. Those who do not exercise often will probably have sequelae of back pain the next day. In the middle, you will go to a check-in point on the top of the mountain, buy some horse feed at your own expense to feed the horse, and then go to the terrace to take pictures and overlook the entire Lashi Lake. If you come again in spring, the scenery may be better. After resting, ride back on horseback. The scenery in the mountains is actually good, and it is also quiet and comfortable. The whole journey takes about 1 hour, which is quite interesting. After getting off the horse, a tea and rest station will be arranged. You can buy some local horse caravan tea or yak jerky for free or at your own expense, and then take the minibus back to the original horse-riding point for lunch. I remember it was a local chicken pot, which was quite sufficient and full.
Overall, the experience of horse riding is still good, but I heard that the entire operation is organized and managed by the local government, and external units cannot intervene, so the software service is slightly backward and inadequate. The local horsemen are very simple and polite to foreign tourists. They can only earn a little money by pulling horses and walking the ancient trails. The bulk of the money goes to the drivers and the operating companies, so it is necessary to respect and care for the horses and horsemen. It is worthwhile for friends who don't mind to experience it once.