Horse-hooping exercise keeps animals fit

Groups of galloping horses in the snow created a lively scene recently in the Tsagaan Tolgoi grassland area of Urad Middle Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Horse hooping — a traditional Mongolian sport in which a running horse is captured using a long pole with a loop of rope at the end — can be done throughout the year, but it's most often seen in springtime. Horses get needed exercise, which reduces their risk of winter illness. Meanwhile, herdsmen get together and socialize.