Merry-go-round in China uses real horses to give ride in circles

Beijing, Nov 20: A Chinese shopping centre has courted controversy by roping in real horses instead of electric-powered ones in a merry-go-round at Shuangliu Wanda Plaza in Chengdu in southwestern China's Sichuan province.

According to a report in Shanghaiist, the ride features four actual horses that are strapped to metal frames and made to walk in circles for hours. As per Red Star News, tickets for a four-minute ride can cost between 10-50 yuan for one kid.

As photos and videos of the carousel went viral on Chinese social media, its operator said the horses were made to work for just four hours a day which gave them their required exercise.

There were still people who accused the operator of animal cruelty but officials at the local wildlife rescue centre said the merry-go-round was not unlawful as there was no law preventing use of animals as part of amusement rides, the Shanghaiist report added.