Internal Security

Stories of Border Guards | The Sound of Hoofbeats Toward the Distant Horizon

戍边人讲自己的故事丨马蹄声声向远方

PLA Daily (解放军报) 15 August 2026

Summary

Private First Class Chen Yu of the Pulan Border Defense Company, Tibet Ali Military Sub-district, is completing nearly two years of service at a garrison at 4,700 meters altitude near Pulan, where mounted patrols using Tibetan horses remain operationally necessary for high-altitude border duty along routes impassable by vehicle. This is a human-interest feature in the 'Stories of Border Guards' series; its value is as a record of how PLA media frames frontier service — emphasizing soldier-animal bonds and stoic endurance — to recruit and retain personnel willing to serve in extreme-altitude postings, not as evidence of a capability or posture change. The detail that a ten-year-old military horse is being retired from patrol duty because high-altitude missions are physically prohibitive documents the operational constraints the unit faces, but the article does not address how the company intends to sustain mounted patrol capacity as its horse stock ages.

Translation

The Sound of Hoofbeats Toward the Distant Horizon

■ Mou Shiqi

Chen Yu and the military horse "Snow Spot." Photo by Zhou Yufan.

In August, Pulan's clear blue sky hangs low overhead. At the foot of the towering snow-capped mountains, shallow meadow grass pushes up through the cracks in the gravel along the patrol road, and everything feels uncommonly alive.

Returning from patrol, Private First Class Chen Yu of the Pulan Border Defense Company, Tibet Ali Military Sub-district, grooms the military horse "Snow Spot." Its thick winter coat has mostly shed, and the smooth new coat has been tended by Chen Yu to a gleaming shine. "Snow Spot," Chen Yu says with reluctance, "after I leave, you must guard Pulan in my place."

Pulan — a Tibetan name meaning "the place encircled by snow mountains" — endures winters lasting seven months, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. The company's garrison is situated deep in the snow mountains at an altitude of 4,700 meters, with several duty posts scattered among peaks rising above 5,000 meters.

The land shapes its horses. Most of the military horses in Pulan are Tibetan horses — sturdy-limbed, straight-backed, thick-coated, and unafraid of the cold. They can trek long distances through snow that reaches their bellies, carrying supplies day and night.

"Today, I present the military horse 'Snow Spot' to you!" After the new soldiers joined the company, the company commander made a point of holding a horse-presentation ceremony, handing the tall and powerfully built "Snow Spot" over to Chen Yu and instructing him to take good care of it.

"Snow Spot" stood half a head taller than the other military horses and had a somewhat fierce temperament. The first time Chen Yu entered the stable, he clutched a handful of fodder and moved with the lightest of steps, afraid of startling the animal. But "Snow Spot's" watchful gaze remained full of wariness, and it refused to come near Chen Yu. The first time he tried to lead "Snow Spot" on a walk, the moment he tightened his grip on the reins, the horse threw him off balance with a jerk.

Chen Yu did not rush. He continued to care for "Snow Spot" with patience. While feeding it, he noticed a scar on its right foreleg and asked his comrades about it. It turned out that "Snow Spot" had been cut by a rock along the roadside while carrying a comrade down the mountain on a mission some time before. Chen Yu was filled with sympathy and applied ointment to the wound every day until it healed. As time passed, "Snow Spot" lost its hostility; whenever it saw Chen Yu, it would take the initiative to come over and nuzzle the back of his hand.

Before long, Chen Yu went on his first patrol, with "Snow Spot" — his constant companion — alongside him. The mountain trail concealed hidden dangers. At one steep icy slope, a comrade named Xiao Yang slipped and slid straight toward a deep ravine at the side of the path. Fortunately, he managed to grab hold of "Snow Spot's" reins. "Snow Spot" also proved its worth: it planted all four hooves into the snow and held Xiao Yang's body fast. Chen Yu and his comrades quickly worked together to haul on the safety rope and pull Xiao Yang back to safety. Fortunately, neither Xiao Yang nor "Snow Spot" was injured, and the team pressed on.

During a rest stop along the way, the soldiers sat in a circle rubbing their hands for warmth. Chen Yu kept reassuring "Snow Spot": "When we get back, I'll cook you your favorite corn and carrots." The delighted "Snow Spot" would occasionally nudge the snow on the ground with its head, then shake its head back and forth at Chen Yu in a show of affection.

In the days that followed, as soon as training and duty ended, Chen Yu would go to the stable to look after "Snow Spot" — carefully combing out the grit hidden in its mane and checking all four hooves for cuts from loose stones.

The border patrol route winds along the mountains of Pulan, seemingly without end. The brave "Snow Spot" accompanied Chen Yu through nearly two years of border-guard service. In a short while, Chen Yu — whose service term is nearly complete — will leave the company to return to university and finish his studies. "Snow Spot," having served for ten years, is growing old and can no longer bear the demanding high-altitude patrol missions; it too will be withdrawn from the duty roster and kept in the company's dedicated care area to accompany the officers and soldiers.

The sound of hoofbeats carries toward the distant horizon. Chen Yu's heart is heavy with deep reluctance and lingering concern. To preserve this one-of-a-kind bond forged at the frontier, he brought his camera and "Snow Spot" to the pasture and asked a comrade to capture the warm scene of man and horse together. He also carefully snipped a small lock of "Snow Spot's" smooth mane to keep as a keepsake: "After I leave the plateau, this lock of mane will be my memento. I will always remember that high above the snow mountains, there was once a 'comrade-in-arms without words' who stood guard at the border by my side."

Original Chinese

马蹄声声向远方 ■牟诗琪陈宇和军马“雪点”。周宇凡摄 8月的普兰，清透的蓝天低悬在头顶。巍峨雪山脚下，巡逻道旁的碎石缝里生出浅浅的草甸，一切显得分外精神。巡逻归来，西藏阿里军分区普兰边防连上等兵陈宇为军马“雪点”梳洗毛发。它厚长的冬毛已基本换尽，顺滑的新毛被陈宇打理得油亮极了。“‘雪点’，我离开以后，你要替我守护着普兰。”陈宇不舍地说。普兰，藏语意为“雪山环绕之地”。这里冬季长达7个月，最低气温可达零下30摄氏度。连队营区坐落于海拔4700米的雪山深处，数个执勤点散落在海拔5000多米的群山之中。一方水土养一方马。普兰的军马大部分是藏马，它们四肢坚实、脊背挺直、被毛浓密、不畏寒冷，能够在深及马腹的积雪里长途跋涉，驮着物资昼夜赶路。 “今天，我将军马‘雪点’授予你！”新兵下连后，连长特意在授马仪式上将高大壮实的“雪点”交给陈宇，嘱咐他好好照料。 “雪点”比别的军马高出半头，性子有些烈。第一次进马厩，陈宇攥着草料，脚步放得极轻，生怕惊扰了它。可是“雪点”警惕的目光里始终充满戒备，不愿靠近陈宇。第一次尝试牵着“雪点”遛弯，陈宇刚攥紧缰绳，就被它甩了一个踉跄。陈宇没有着急，依旧耐心照顾“雪点”。喂食时他注意到“雪点”的右前蹄上有一道伤痕，便向战友询问缘由。原来，这是前段时间“雪点”执行任务驮送战友下山时，被路边岩石划伤的。陈宇满是心疼，每日为“雪点”涂抹药膏直至痊愈。日子久了，“雪点”没了敌意，每每见到陈宇，便会主动凑上前蹭蹭他的手背。很快，陈宇迎来首次巡逻，朝夕相伴的“雪点”一同跟随。山路暗藏险情，行至一处陡峭冰坡，战友小杨脚下打滑，径直朝一旁的深沟滑去，幸亏他一把抓住了“雪点”的缰绳。“雪点”也表现得相当给力，四蹄蹬雪死死拉住小杨的身体。陈宇和战友们赶紧合力紧拽安全绳，将小杨拉回安全地带。所幸小杨和“雪点”都没有受伤，队伍继续赶路。途中休整，战士们围坐一圈搓手取暖，陈宇不断安慰“雪点”：“回去给你煮最爱吃的玉米和胡萝卜。”开心的“雪点”时不时用脑袋拱着地上的雪，对着陈宇摇头晃脑示好。往后的日子，只要训练执勤一结束，陈宇都会前往马厩照看“雪点”，为它细细梳理鬃毛里藏着的沙砾，检查4只蹄掌有没有被碎石硌伤。巡边路沿着普兰的群山蜿蜒，似乎没有尽头，勇敢的“雪点”陪伴陈宇走过近2年戍边时光。再过一段时间，即将服役期满的陈宇就要离开连队回高校完成学业，而已经服役10年的“雪点”因年岁渐长，难以承担艰巨的高海拔巡逻任务，也将退出执勤序列，留在连队专属饲养区陪伴官兵。马蹄声声向远方。陈宇心中萦绕着浓浓的不舍和牵挂，为留存这份独一无二的边关情谊，他专程带着相机和“雪点”来到草场，请战友帮忙把一人一马的温馨场景定格下来。他还小心翼翼剪下“雪点”一小撮顺滑的鬃毛珍藏：“离开高原后，这缕鬃毛便是念想，我会时刻记着雪山之上，曾有一位‘无言战友’与我并肩守边。”