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Marwari horse

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Virendrak (talk | contribs) at 14:42, 14 January 2013 (As Vice President of the All India Marwari Horse Society the edit is authorised. References quoted to origin and export and preservation are self congratulatory and irrelevant to the history of the breed.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Marwari
A dark brown horse standing in a grassy area with trees and bushes in the background. The horse is wearing a bridle with a lead trailing on the ground.
A Marwari stallion
Other namesMalani
Country of originIndia
Traits
Distinguishing featuresLight horse breed, inward-turning ear tips,

The Marwari or Malani[1] is a rare breed of horse from the Marwar (or Jodhpur) region of India. Known for its inward-turning ear tips, it comes in all equine colours, although pinto patterns tend to be the most popular with buyers and breeders. It is known for its hardiness, and is quite similar to the Kathiawari, another Indian breed from the Kathiawar region southwest of Marwar.

The Rathores, traditional rulers of the Marwar region of western India, were the first to breed the Marwari. Beginning in the 12th century, they espoused strict breeding that promoted purity and hardiness. Used throughout history as a cavalry horse by the people of the Marwar region, the Marwari was noted for its loyalty and bravery in battle. The breed deteriorated in the 1930s, when poor management practices resulted in a reduction of the breeding stock, but today has regained some of its popularity. The Marwari is used for light draught and agricultural work, as well as riding and packing. In 1995, a breed society was formed for the Marwari in India, and except for one instance in the 2000s the export of Marwari horses outside India is banned or severly restricted by Govt of India,owing to their dwindling numbers. .Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). They can be bay, grey, chestnut, palomino, piebald, or skewbald.[2] Although white horses are bred specifically for religious use in India, they are generally not accepted into Marwari stud books. Gray horses are considered auspicious, and tend to be the most valuable, with piebald and skewbald horses the second-most favoured. Black horses are considered unlucky, as the colour is a symbol of death and darkness. Horses that have the white markings of a blaze and four white socks are considered lucky, and are called Panchkalyani.[3]

The head and neck of a dark brown horse. The horse's ears curve in toward each others, and the tips meet.
Inward-curving ears are a characteristic breed trait

The facial profile is straight, and the ears are pointed with inward turning tips. The neck is slender, running into pronounced withers, a deep chest, and fairly straight shoulders. Marwaris generally have a long back and sloping croup. The legs tend to be slender and the hooves small but well-formed. Members of the breed are hardy and easy keepers, but they can also be of tenacious and unpredictable temperaments. They are quite similar to the Kathiawari horse, another breed from India,[2] having much of the same history and physical features. The main difference between the Marwari and the Kathiawari is their original geographic origin – Marwaris are mainly from the Marwar region while Kathiawaris are from the Kathiawar peninsula. Kathiawaris tend to have slight facial differences from the Marwari, and are slightly taller in general.[4]

Hair whorls and their placement are important to breeders of Marwaris. Horses with long whorls down the neck are called devman and considered lucky, while horses with whorls below their eyes are called anusudhal and are unpopular with buyers.[5] Whorls on the fetlocks are thought to bring victory.[3] There are correct proportions that horses are expected to have, based on the width of a finger, said to be the equal of five grains of barley. For example, the length of the face should be between 28 and 40 fingers, and the length from the poll to the dock should be four times the length of the face.[6]

History

Pages of an old manuscript, filled with script. Several paintings of horses are shown, including horses running free and interacting with humans.
Shalihotra manuscript pages, showing early horses

These horses take their name from the Marwar region (also called the Jodhpur region) of India.[6]

The Rathores, rulers of Marwar and successful Rajput cavalry, were the traditional breeders of the Marwari. The Rathores were forced from their Kingdom of Kanauj in 1193, and withdrew into the Great Indian and Thar Deserts. The Marwari was vital to their survival, and during the 12th century they followed strict selective breeding processes, keeping the finest stallions for the use of their subjects.[6] During this time, the horses were considered divine beings, and at times they were only allowed to be ridden by members of the Rajput families and the Kshatriyas warrior caste.[7] When the Moguls captured northern India in the early 16th century they brought Turkoman horses that were probably used to supplement the breeding of the Marwari. Marwaris were renowned during this period for their bravery and courage in battle, as well as their loyalty to their riders. During the late 16th century, the Rajputs of Marwar, under the leadership of Moghul emperor Akbar, formed a cavalry force over 50,000 strong.[6] The Rathores believed that the Marwari horse could only leave a battlefield under one of three conditions – victory, death, or carrying a wounded master to safety. The horses were trained to be extremely responsive in battlefield conditions, and were practised in complex riding maneuvers.[3] Over 300 years later, during the First World War, Marwar lancers under Sir Pratap Singh assisted the British.[6]

1900s to today

The period of the British Raj hastened the Marwari's downfall, as did the eventual independence of India. The British occupiers preferred other breeds,[8] and tried to eliminate the Marwari, along with the Kathiawari.[9] The British instead preferred Thoroughbreds and polo ponies, and reduced the reputation of the Marwari to the point where even the inward-turning ears of the breed were mocked as the "mark of a native horse".[10] During the 1930s the Marwari deteriorated, with breeding stock diminishing and becoming of poorer quality due to poor breeding practices.[6] Indian independence, along with the obsolescence of warriors on horseback, led to a decreased need for the Marwari and many animals were subsequently killed.[8] In the 1950s many Indian noblemen lost their land and hence much of their ability to take care of animals, resulting in many Marwari horses being sold as pack horses, castrated, or killed. The breed was on the verge of extinction[3] until the intervention of Maharaja Umaid Singhji in the first half of the 20th century saved the Marwari, work that was carried on by his grandson, Maharaja Gaj Singh II.[6] In 1952, the government of India banned the export of indigenous horse breeds, although not polo ponies or Thoroughbreds. This ban was partially lifted in 1999, when a small number of indigenous horses could be exported after receiving a special license. Over the next seven years, 21 horses were exported, until, in 2006, licenses stopped being granted. In 2008, the Indian government began granting licenses for "temporary exports" of up to one year, to allow horses to be exhibited in other countries.[11]

Marwari Horse in Rajasthan

In late 2007 plans were announced to create a stud book for the breed, a collaborative venture between the All India Marwari Horse Society of India and the Indian government.[12] A registration process was initiated in 2009, when it was announced that the Marwari Horse Society had become a government body, the only government-authorized registration society for Marwari horses. The registration process includes an evaluation of the horse against the breed standards, during which unique identification marks and physical dimensions are recorded. After the evaluation, the horse is cold branded with its registration number and photographed.[13] In late 2009 the Indian government announced that the Marwari horse, along with other Indian horse breeds, would be commemorated on a set of stamps issued by that country.[14]

Genetic studies

As a direct result of indiscriminate breeding practices, as of 2001 only a few thousand purebred Marwaris existed.[15] Research studies have been conducted to examine the genetics of the Marwari and its relationship to other Indian and non-Indian horse breeds. Six different breeds have been identified in India: the Marwari, Kathiawari, Spiti pony, Bhutia pony, Manipuri Pony, and Zanskari. These six are distinct from each other in terms of unique performance traits and different agroclimactic conditions in the various areas of India where they originated. A 2005 study was conducted to identify past genetic bottlenecks in the Marwari. The study found that, in the DNA of the horses tested, there was no evidence of a genetic bottleneck in the breed's history. However, since the population has decreased rapidly in past decades, bottlenecks may have occurred that were not identified in the study.[15] In 2007, a study was conducted to assess genetic variation among all Indian horse breeds except the Kathiawari. Based on analysis of microsatellite DNA, the Marwari was found to be the most genetically distinct breed of the five studied, and was most distant from the Manipuri; none of the breeds were found to have close genetic ties to the Thoroughbred. The Marwari was distinguishable from the other breeds in terms of both physical characteristics (mainly height) and environmental adaptability. The physical differences were attributed to differing ancestries: ref>Behl, R.; Behl, J.; Gupta, N.; Gupta, S.C. (May 2007). "Genetic relationships of five Indian horse breeds using microsatellite markers". Animal. 1 (04): 483–488. doi:10.1017/S1751731107694178.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)</ref>

A dark brown horse ridden by a man in a red jacket and white pants, in mid-air over a jump
A Marwari horse show jumping

Uses

The Marwari is used for riding, packing and light draught, and agricultural work.[2] Marwaris are often crossed with Thoroughbreds to produce a larger horse with more versatility. Despite the fact that the breed is indigenous to the country, cavalry units of the Indian military make little use of the horses, although they are popular in the Jodhpur and Jaipur areas of Rajasthan, India.[16] They are particularly suited to dressage, in part due to a natural tendency to perform.[17] Marwaris are also used to play polo, sometimes playing against Thoroughbreds.[18] Within the Marwari breed was a strain known as the Natchni, believed by local people to be "born to dance". Decorated in silver, jewels, and bells, these horses were trained to perform complex prancing and leaping movements at many ceremonies, including weddings.[3] Although the Natchni strain is extinct today,[10] horses trained in those skills are still in demand in rural India.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marwari.
  1. ^ "Marwari horses find new home in India". The Times of India. September 14, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Bongianni, Maurizio (editor) (1988). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Horses and Ponies. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc. p. Entry 122. ISBN 0-671-66068-3. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f Dutson, Judith (2005). Storey's Illustrated Guide to 96 Horse Breeds of North America. Storey Publishing. pp. 160–164. ISBN 1-58017-612-7.
  4. ^ "About Indian Horses". Indigenous Horse Society of India. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  5. ^ Hendricks, Bonnie. International Encyclopedia of Horse Breeds. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 280–281. ISBN 978-0-8061-3884-8.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Cite error: The named reference Edwards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Breed Information". horsemarwari.com. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  8. ^ a b "Marwari Horse". Horseman Magazine. August 10, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2009.
  9. ^ Sirhindi, Manish (June 8, 2008). "Reliving History on Horseback". The Tribune, Haryana Edition. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Eveleigh, Mark (June 2009). "The Marwari Horse: Divine Horses of Rajasthan" (PDF). NagMag. Retrieved February 5, 2010.
  11. ^ Talukdar, Rakhee Roy. "Monsieur Marwari, NRI on UK duty - if Babus won't permit others, send dilraj from france". The Telegraph (Calcutta, India).
  12. ^ Singh, Prabhjit (November 1, 2007). "Stud book on 'Marwari' horses in offing". The Tribune, Bathinda Edition. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  13. ^ "Marwari horses in registration race". DNA. Diligent Media Corporation. September 9, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  14. ^ Chandra, P.B. (December 8, 2009). "Marwari horse finds a place on stamp". The Times of India. Retrieved December 13, 2009.
  15. ^ a b Gupta, A.K.; Chauhan, M.; Tandon, S.N. (December 2005). "Genetic diversity and bottleneck studies in the Marwari horse breed". Journal of Genetics. 84 (3): 295–301. doi:10.1007/BF02715799. PMID 16385161. {{cite journal}}: More than one of |number= and |issue= specified (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Edwards, Elwyn Hartley (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse (1st American ed.). New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. p. 159. ISBN 1-56458-614-6.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference Registry was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Marwari". Breeds of Livestock. Oklahoma State University. Retrieved May 19, 2009.

Further reading

  • Kelly, Francesca; Durfee, Dale (2000). Marwari: Legend of the Indian Horse. New Delhi: Prakash Book Depot. ISBN 81-7234-032-X. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help).

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