Addressing the gathering, Harsh Lunia, Vice President, IHOA, said that during the British rule, Indian horses were largely neglected, lacking the training required for various races and sports competitions. ABOUT 150 Marwari horses participated in an exhibition conducted by the Indigenous Horse Owners Association (IHOA) on March 31 and April 1 at the Racecourse in Pune. The horses came from across the country, including Gujarat, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Addressing the gathering, Harsh Lunia, Vice President, IHOA, said that during the British rule, Indian horses were largely neglected, lacking the training required for various races and sports competitions. But now the picture is changing. “Many people across the country, especially the youth, have become increasingly aware of Indian horses.”
The price of this breed, which at one time was about Rs 50,000, has gone up by Rs 5 to Rs 7 crore in the Indian market today. “Efforts are also being made to equip these horses for various sports, like hurdle race, jogging, flat racing, polo, tent making, and dressage,” Lunia said.
Regarding the contribution of Marwari horses to the Indian economy, Lunia said their importance is not limited to cultural events and sports. “The revival programme for these horses is creating jobs in a number of ancillary industries, such as fodder business, and horse supplement business.”
Lunia added, “We need to build the necessary infrastructure for polo horses and racing horses. The World Horse Association has declared horses of Indian descent unfit for racing. However, the IHOA has been working tirelessly for the last nine years towards the revival of Marwari horses. The first Marwari horse of the Indian breed was raced in 2019 at the Pune racecourse. In the future too, we will continue our efforts to nurture the talent of Marwari horses on the basis of public awareness and proper training.”
The six participating horses — Milk Teeth Philly, Milk Teeth Colt, Two Teeth Philly, Two Teeth Colt, Mayor, and Stalin were felicitated at the exhibition, said a press release.
Murlidhar Mohol, former mayor, Ajay Nensee, President, IHOA, Harsh Lunia, Vice President, IHOA and members of the association, Dheeraj Deshmukh, Ranjit Pawar, and Dhawalsingh Mohite Patil were present at the exhibition.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
