Three men in Jinjiang, Southeast China's Fujian Province, rode his horse into the sea to save a drowning boy. Photo: Screenshot of a video posted by The Beijing News

The owner of a stud farm in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will donate a pony to Cai Liangxing, who rode his horse into the sea to save a drowning boy, Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday. 

The donation will be made in September, according to the stud farm owner, who said he would send a one-year-old Yili pony to Cai's club then to express how touched he was by Cai and his friends' heroic behavior. 

Cai and two of his friends saved the boy on July 26, when they were riding horses along the beach in Jinjiang, Southeast China's Fujian Province. They heard a woman crying for help, saying that her son was being swept away by the ebbing tide. Cai and his friends immediately rode into the sea and managed to bring the drowning boy to the shore. 

However, two of the horses developed symptoms of fever and running noses on August 5, and passed away on August 13 despite expert treatment. The third horse also developed similar symptoms shortly after, Cai told media.  

The family of the rescued boy offered to compensate Cai and his horse riding club for their losses, but Cai declined their offer. 

"[The horses] are very close to me, but I never regretted saving the boy," he said.