Man Traveling On Horseback From Europe To China Says His Stallion Tries To Elope Frequently

Budget airlines have emerged as a blessing for many people as they hope to book cheap flight tickets to everywhere across the world. However, a Chinese man living in Europe walked the wild side, quite literally, when he decided to travel back to his homeland on horseback.

Xu Zhixian, 32, from Heze in eastern China's Shandong province, embarked on the adventurous journey from Spain to his home earlier this year. Starting his trip from Galicia on Feb. 20, he has covered a distance of more than 2,500 to reach the Netherlands so far, according to South China Morning Post.

"I told my family I wanted to ride on horseback to China, but they didn't believe me until I bought a horse and started my journey," he said.

The man said he had ridden a horse only once in his life. He received training from a horse seller for three months before starting his journey. Zhixian ended up buying the 8-year-old purebred Arabian white male horse, whom he named Huihui.

The Chinese native also made his own share of sacrifices to make his wish a reality. Zhixian shared how he carried a makeshift tent, an inflatable mattress and a sleeping bag in order to save money on accommodation. He added he spent less than 600 euros (approximately $600) a month, which also includes the cost of caring for his horse, according to the Teller Report.

Furthermore, Zhixian talked about how he dealt with an additional problem of his horse's philandering ways. He shared his horse would get easily seduced by another horse, and even tried to elope from time to time.

"He tries to elope with another horse almost every day," Zhixian told SCMP. "He is usually reluctant to move, but whenever he meets another horse, I cannot stop him from running to them, no matter how hard I pull the reins."

During one of its fleeing attempts, Zhixian said Huihui scattered his luggage and even broke his laptop. The traveler said the past six months of his journey have been full of "accidents and new situations."

Zhixian, who is regularly sharing tidbits from his journey on social media, said he is in no hurry to reach his destination. He is covering a distance of only 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) per day.