In the Si Pa Phìn plateau, a place that was once dubbed the “land of horse hooves”, that sound had gradually faded. However, amidst the changes in modern life, there were still those who quietly stayed attached to the craft of keeping and raising horses, driven by a desire to restore the ancient echoes of the hooves.

On the precarious mountain ranges, horses held a special position in the lives of the ethnic minority communities. These animals possessed lean bodies, resilience, and agile steps that allowed them to withstand heat and drought while adapting perfectly to the steep paths and treacherous rapids. For generations, the horse was the primary means of transport for highland people, carrying agricultural products from the fields to the village, transporting salt and fabrics from the markets, and guiding people across mountains and streams.

Beyond being a means of livelihood, the horse was also closely linked to the spiritual and cultural life of the people. During spring festivals, images of young men galloping through the festival grounds and races filled with cheers became unique highlights that defined the local identity. These rustic yet evocative images vividly depicted the enduring bond and companionship between the horse and the highland dwellers.

Si Pa Phìn commune, with its vast territory and rugged plateaus, was a place where Hmong people lived scattered across the mountainsides, providing a perfect environment for horses to thrive. Years ago, it was truly the “land of horse hooves.” Elders recalled how, during the harvest months of September and October, herds of horses followed one another on the trails, carrying heavy loads of corn and rice back to the villages. The rhythmic clopping and whinnying echoed through the forests from the first light of dawn until the dead of night.

However, as the pace of modern life quickened, the sound of horse hooves became sparse. Horses were no longer the primary means of transport as mechanical vehicles replaced them in carrying agricultural goods. Furthermore, as forest protection efforts improved and tree coverage increased, the natural grazing pastures gradually narrowed. Those who wanted to continue raising horses had to plant their own grass, but limited land availability caused the herds to dwindle over time.

Despite their declining numbers, the clopping of hooves could still be heard on the steep slopes of Si Pa Phìn each morning. Following those sounds up a wide hill in Tân Phong village, one encountered Điêu Văn Quốc, who welcomed guests with a sincere smile. On the wind-swept hilltop, his brown and gray horses stood chewing grass, occasionally whinnying as if to greet visitors. Quốc explained that domesticating these animals was not simple; out of a herd of twenty, only three or four could be selected for training. It took anywhere from one to three months to make a horse comfortable with humans and obedient to commands, but once their personalities were understood, the process moved quickly.

In 2023, during the Thai Ethnic Cultural Festival organized by the former Nậm Pồ district, Quốc registered to provide horse rental and photography services. For the first time, domesticated horses adorned with beautiful saddles became popular check-in points for tourists. Following that success, the local government invested in restoring the Phìn Hồ night market, which created a stable venue for Quốc’s horses to perform. Many residents began to recognize the economic potential of domesticating horses for tourism and started to follow his lead.

While the Phìn Hồ night market was eventually suspended following a commune merger, Quốc continued to maintain and domesticate his herd. He took his horses to participate in racing tournaments and performances in Lào Cai and Hà Nội, all while hoping that local authorities would soon restore periodic markets and festivals to give horse raisers a steady place to develop. Similarly, the family of Hồ Chử Vàng maintained a herd of more than a dozen horses, transitioning from using them for transport to running a dedicated horse and livestock farm.

According to Bùi Thị Hằng, Secretary of the Si Pa Phìn commune Party Committee, the commune maintained a herd of nearly 1,000 horses as part of its livestock development orientation. The current investment in wind power on the plateau was opening new opportunities for tourism, and the commune aimed to encourage residents to combine commercial horse farming with tourism experiences. As evening fell over Si Pa Phìn, the sound of hooves continued to echo, sometimes leisurely, sometimes bustling, acting as the familiar heartbeat of a land that refused to let its “horse hoof” legacy fade into memory.