Shandan horse

The Shandan (simplified Chinese: 山丹马; traditional Chinese: 山丹馬; pinyin: Shān dān mǎ) is a versatile horse breed originating from the unique Shandan stud farm, located in China's Qilian Mountains.

[4] The breed was once known as the "great camp horse", because during the Han dynasty, this region supplied a large number of military mounts.

Since then, local animals have been crossed with many other breeds, including the Yili, Chakouyi, Datong and Hequ, but the Shandan remains a small horse, never exceeding 1.15 m in height.

[6] It was also in 1980 that the Shandan was sent by the Chinese to Afghanistan for military purposes, to help the Taliban in their war against the Soviet Union.

[6] The breed has been performance-tested at altitudes ranging from 2,700 to 4,000 meters, demonstrating its ability to amble over rough terrain.

[6] The Shandan is bred extensively at high altitudes, with a popular transhumance system of seasonal grazing.

The horses were sold on a massive scale for tourism, the stud being gradually privatized to become a holiday camp for wealthy Chinese.