New generation saddles up for equine success

Equestrian sports sector spurred on by growing professionalism, popularity

Kong Linghai's workday begins at six in the morning. He feeds and grooms his horses, cleans their stables, and then saddles them.

For the 28-year-old horse riding instructor at Mingyang Equestrian Club on the outskirts of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, these seemingly routine tasks are trust-building rituals with the animals in his care.