This is a tribute to the fantastic horse breeds of India..............!
Characteristics
The head is refined, wide between the eyes and usually with a straight profile. The most distinguishing features of the Marwari horse are its lyre-shaped ears, which curve inward and often appear to meet at the tips. The neck is clean at the throatlatch, slightly arched and of medium length. They have well-pronounced withers and the back is short and strong. The croup is gently sloped and hindquarters are muscular and strong, the tail is set high, the shoulders are well sloped and muscular, the legs are long with smooth musculing, well-angled pasterns, and strong joints. The hooves are extremely hard.
The average height of Marwari horses is 15.2 to 16.2 hands (62 to 66 inches). They have a fine, silky coat with "clean" fetlocks. They have a reputation for excellent endurance.[2]
The Marwari breed is similar to the Kathiawari horse of Gujurat, the bordering state, and the Akhal-Teké of Central Asia.[3] The Malani variant has similar origins and some Arabian blood.
The Marwari is a gaited horse. Marwari horses are born with a "rehwal" or "revaal" gait, a quick, four-beat lateral gait, which is smoother and more comfortable than a trot, used in the desert to cover long distances with greater comfort.
In rural Rajasthan, the Marwari is commonly trained for "dancing" at the many festivals and marriages that occur throughout the year. This dancing is an Indian form of haute ecole and goes all the way back to the combat maneuvers of previous centuries, in a manner similar to the classical dressage performances of the Lipizzans at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Some of the best Marwari horses, used only for exhibitions such as these, are seen very rarely by the common people.
Whorls (cowlicks) play an important cultural role in the selection of Marwari horses. According to folk beliefs, if the horse has a whorl below the level of the eyes, it is known as an "Anusudhal" and few will buy such a horse. The long whorl down the neck is known as "Devman" and it is considered lucky.[citation needed]
[edit] History
The origins of the Marwari horse are unknown, as the evidence from documents such as Shalihotra (or Salhoter) texts and miniature paintings does not differentiate the variety of breeds[4]. By traditional accounts, the Marwari horse has been bred in Rajasthan since at least 1212 C.E. It was originally developed to be a war horse.[5] The breed was developed by the Rathores, the traditional rulers of Marwar, who had developed a policy of strict selective breeding. In 1193, the Rathores lost their original Kingdom of Kanauj, and withdrew to the remote areas of western India -- the Great Indian and Thar deserts -- where their horses were vital.
From that time forward, they bred horses selectively to survive in the desert environment. Selective breeding produced a horse with speed and stamina. The Marwari was also bred and trained to behave courageously. It would not collapse, even when seriously injured, until it had carried its rider out of danger. It would stand near its wounded rider, biting and kicking at those who attempted to approach.[citation needed]
Because of their association with the caste system, which forbade most people from riding Marwaris, these horses were neglected during the British Raj and after Independence as well. By the early 1990's a government survey estimated that only 500 to 600 Marwaris remained. Their exportation from India was briefly prohibited under a 1992 biological conservation pact, and restoration efforts began.
