Thoroughbreds

Friends.. Welcome to the new latest arrivals at Elina Stables. The 2 new thoroughbreds bought by Uzair & Nrupal from the Giveaways of the Pratap Stud farm.

A word of caution though, thoroughbreds are design bred horses and very unlike our native breeds in terms of temperament and hardiness.

Post event  write-up...

The intelligence of our marwari's or Kathiawaris is well known and legendary. I found the TB's rather dull and non connected. The size was massive and the build impressive but the glint of recognisation in the eye or the mischief in the air was missing.

And as was apprehended, these animals fell very very sick soon due to change in food culture from a rich studfarm breeding diet and medications to a Marwari dry feed.

One TB developed severe nasal infection and my god, I have not seen such proffusive discharge or coughing in my life. We lost her soon.....

The other one developed I dont know what.. but she shed all her body hair and turned into a pure leather horse, real scary but weird. The shedding was at the extreme level. Checked her for all symptoms but to no avail, the moulting continued. Started all sorts of supplements and skin dis irritants ... Linseed, etc..

Suddenly just as they disappeared, they again started coming back. But the transitionary phase was scary. The owners lost interest in maintaining the animal as its feed requirements and medical needs were highly intensive and it required high level of dedication.

The animal was ultimately consigned to a shelter.  What comes Free is rarely valued.....

On behalf of ECG, starting the work of compilation of Database of equines in Gujarat... 

Adopting natural and better horse management practices for happier and thus healthier horses.

Adopting natural and better horse management practices for happier and thus healthier horses.

“A happy mind is the key to good health”

This adage is as applicable to animals as much as to humans and more so to horses. Horses were primarily herd animals in the wild until they were domesticated and trained by man to serve various objectives like transportation or war conquests.

I have been advocating adoption of natural stabling and training practices that can be as close to nature as possible, practically, to see the positive change in the behavior of horses and their trainability or ride ability.

Stabling.

Many of our indigenous breeders are used to the habit of shackling the horse’s hinds (single or both) properly stretched out so that the animal cannot change its position. The reason cited being “space constraints” or it being easier to clean out the lidh as it is deposited in the same area continuously.

The front is again tied up near to the feeding bowl or Ghaman, so that its head can also move in only up or down largely vertically.

This is more pronounced in the case of the ignorant lot maintaining the breeding stallions.

The mare or stallion stands thus in the same position for most of the day except when it is taken out to drink water or for retiring at night. (Night box is also a rarity)

A shackled animal is a frustrated animal. Being a natural grazer, it is born to graze, to move out continuously at pasture and relax itself. Absolute restraining and hobbling frustrates the animal and stiffens its limbs This practice of shackling often precipated into serious medical conditions like hoof / coronet abscesses, lacerations in the fetlocks and resultant secondary infections. Accumulation of fluid in the joints also is a direct result of restricted movement. Squatting in hard floors results in capped elbows.

Feeding.

The horse, as detailed below needs a continuous intake of water in small quantities to enable the smooth passage of food along its digestive tract. By keeping the animal away from the availability of water for most of the day or taking the animal out to water periodically, is a criminal act which not often then more results in colic conditions. I.e. blockage of the digestive tract. poor skin condition and several other digestive disorders.
This is more important in winters, when they do not consume enough water while eating hay.

Horses have single stomachs, very much like humans. So the passage of food is a singular passage. In natural conditions the horse keeps grazing lightly and moving about. This results in a very small quantity of ingestion of grass or seed at a time. Over a period of 8-10 hrs of grazing an animal may move few kilometers and eat few kg. But it’s always little at a time, continuously.

Our horse feeding habits have changed to suit our conveniences. The horse is offered hay at a stroke twice or thrice a day and the seed or rich grain is offered all at once, again twice a day mostly.

Ideal stabling conditions demand the horse is either let out to pasture in a small enclosed ground either alone or with other social able animals and the grass or hay is made available to the animal regularly at 5-7 intervals across the day with continuous availability of drinking water. Grain has to be in really limited quantity and its availability really spread across the day in tiny measures.

Horses that are isolated and stabled alone are deprived of contact with other animals can develop stable vices such as wind sucking and weaving. They tend to get depressed and would not have a easy temperament. Aggressive behaviour is more pronounced in such cases. A stressed horse will have weak immune system and
Given enough space horses love to romp, play and hang out together. This also helps develop social skills that help keep harmony in the herd. horses are herd animals, they relax more in company.

Group pasturing enables the mind of the animal to remain relaxed and regular feeding at short intervals helps it, as it consumes only as much food as it is comfortable ingesting at a time, since it is aware that the next food cycle is not too far away. It avoids gorging and regular, continous availability of water smoothens the passage of dry cellulose across the stomach. A relaxed state of mind also emanates from the animal getting due space to move, play and roll at will. Such animals will always show more love, will tend to be less vicious and grow optimally.

Space or lack of it cannot be allowed to be used as reason for shackling the animals. Better would be keep only as many animals as you would have space, rather than trying to compartmentalize and pack the animals.

Ideally same practices should be followed with the stallion, except for the exception that the mares in heat would have to be isolated. I personally, have followed this practice with great success in transforming the mental behavior of my stallion. How many breeding stallions can ride in comfort and in total command, with several mares in heat? How many breeding stallions can be allowed to come near your chair and put their noses in your pocket or play with you harmlessly? My blog at http://equsmarwari.blogspot.com/2008/09/humayun.html .relates my joy and experiences of keeping stallions free of all shackles. I am sure most of my friends would be enthused to see a happier and free animal rather than a frustrated stallion which would rear the moment it it’s brought out from the stables. Exasperatingly most breeders demand this quality as a proof of the stallions breeding power or libido, which is nowhere near the truth.

Tack
Use of barbed bits is a demonstration of the rider’s inefficiency in riding abilities and lack of time devotion to practice and training the animal more than the poor animal’s nature or inability to stop when commanded.

Use of smooth snaffles relax the animal and breeds a feeling of trust between the rider and the animal. Most horse breakers or trainers take @ 15-21 days to train (break) the animal at the age of 2-3 max, after that it’s the rider who manages the riding and the training. Riders do not devote enough time to train the animal and it results in the poor animal doing what it was born to do …. Run….The horse runs when it’s happy, Runs when it’s scared. Its only by concerted training can this running be bridled and channeled into an enjoyable activity. Unable to post the trot, which is the natural gait that the animal is born with , most riders at our end ride or worse pace with a tight rein and barbed bits. Riding is a relaxed passion, with reins hanging loose and smooth snaffles and the animal getting the command from the seat first, then the legs, and lastly from the reins. And the animal responding by maintaining its gait till it is nudged to change the same. Our community tends to work reverse with reins and barbs doing 90% of the commanding, legs 10% and the seat… well what’s that?

Modern training methods need to be adopted to enable the indigenous horses compete in internationally accepted structured sports, otherwise the Marwari’s innate endurance abilities and famed intelligence will remain just a mantle for show and nothing beyond. This would be catastrophic for the breed in the long run...

Let’s breed healthy, stable and feed our animals naturally and give enough time and dedication to training our Marwaris for modern sport.

Destiny, Fame and Prosperity...

It is said that a good horse..( blessed or lucky) has the power to change the owner's destiny. I would not agree more with this ancient saying. But go further to add that its a combination of the owners destiny and the horse's good luck charm that brings fame and prosperity.

The horse owner may have 10 animals in his stables but the sun does'nt shine on him.. alternatively the poor horse may be standing in a poor peasants stable for years and nothing changes.. but the day these two destined souls meet each other and are conjoined in a relationship of love and bonding the stars come out and shine.

The owner experiences great joy and a feeling of achievement and satisfaction in life and the horse achieves great fame and praise. All without any significant effort or a specific achievement.

Horses have a destiny of their own...and rubs it off on a positive owner.


Believe me its a personal experience...

Saving the breed

Personally from my point of view, the key to preservation and expansion of this breed in India and abroad is to promote good breeding practices by expanding the reach of good stallions by AI and aggresively promoting the registrations of purebreds
.
The Marwari needs to be trained and used for whatever its best at.. probably endurance or some other eq sports and that activity needs to be promoted so that the skills of the Marwari are showcased widely.

Im new to MHSI, so cannot commenton the issues faced earlier but proper petitioning and liasoning with the relevant govt authorities should deifinitely yeild results for exportability and consequent economic viability for quality breeders.

Endurance abilities of the Marwari are the key to it being the cynosure of attention around the world! Lets organise and promote endurance races across India for Marwaris..

The photo used in the Postage stamp of the Marwari

Humayun

I acquired Humayun ' earlier RajTilak', a black PanchKalyani Stallion of the Marwari Breed from Mewar region of Rajasthan couple of months back.

Each of the horsey gang here, baring the few daredevils like Anish were skeptical initially about my efforts to acquire a top grade breeding Stallion for my stables.

With my limited experience on keeping horses and non with Stallions, I was prone to bouts of nervousness about being able to stable a " Nar" as they called him.

But then whats a horseman who cannot but put up to a challenge thrown by the steed. I started sounding out the channels and started inquiring about the Panch Kalyani stallions available in the area.

Few were identified and discarded, some too young, some too pricey and mostly all lacking the height and the aura which I had come to associate with stallions. My criteria were also too exacting... Black.. PK.. atleast 62 in ht and 4+ in age.

Meandering around North Gujarat, we reached the famous Danta stables, and the kind Maharana invited me and rest of group for tea, and to see his horses.

When I saw his black stallion, all my fears just evaporated, such a well kept, well behaved yet powerful stallion!! Lovely animal, and more so his methodology of stabling and caring for stallions and mares alike.

The stallion was kept loose in the box, a fairly largish box if I may say. But without the standard trappings of the stallion, ie no leg restrains, no restrains on both sides of the mouth. Free.. Free to move, to roam and roll as he desires.. that drew the anger and frustation of the animal out of him and made him a normal horse.. almost like a mare .. maybe with a bit of xtra power in his stride and his posture..thats all.

No rearing.. No loud neighing and jumping about when brought out to be shown in hand. Easy to touch & handle. MY DECISION WAS MADE!

I took directions from the Kind Maharana for Udaipur and moved on. We reached Udaipur pretty late in the evening almost at Sundown. The horse trader who had reffered this particular stallion to me had done the disapearing act and like the houdini.. just done a wonderful disappearing act !

Loosely aware about the area in which this particular animal was located, we set about asking every corner shop about the presence of few horses, which led us to the stables where 4-5 horses were stabled in a dingy shack called the stables.

The two horses which were visible from a distance looked diseased and frail, that sank my heart, a whole days worth of wandering gone down the drain. But that's fairly common story. Every horse owner or trader has a fable on his tongue about the magnificient, seen tobe believed, 65 tall .... and what all, animal stabled in some obscure village, just waiting for the city seth to turn up and pay a few lacks for him. Most of the time these turn out to be the local asses cousin. Only well fed relatively.

We'll here at Udaypur, after passing over the two diseased animals I saw a bright streak of white peek out from a tin shed. That ignited me and I rushed into the shed to see the most expressive equine eyes that I've ever looked into.

To cut a long story short, after a few days of bargaining and haggling the Emperor was at the Elina Stables and rechristened " Humayun" from the erstwhile RajTilak. (too many RajTilaks around)

Just like the typical Stallion he too was like a beast caged, nostrils flaring, his fore's stamping and rearing.. trying to hit out at the blowing wind. Tied on both ropes with the hinds restrained, I wondered if would ever be able to muster enough gusto to even carress him. Riding him was like a thought too far away. His

Every time I ventured forth to touch him or let him scent me, he would show his gums and pull back his ears, warning me to stay away. If at all I went ahead and tried to stroke his blaze, he would jump and try to bite.. or nibble. And his show of strength was designed to put the fear of Stallions in to my heart. One strong pull and the rear restrains were torn to tatters , a sway of his strong head rendered the twin fore restrains to bits of rope dangling from his neck. And trying to think of holding him after that show was like lava in your cup.

All the stable hands were out and away in a jiffy. When I went in there were 3 more with me and not surprisingly when I turned around now, I could see some distant silhoutes of the stable hands trembling at a long distance. I had no other option, so as I was told by Rathore of the mounted Police, I grabed at his jaw and that action probably gave him the message that humans have always mounted the equine and remained on top for a longer period than vica versa. He kept exploding but now it was more of a restrained power as compared to his earlier Avatar. He was retied and restrained.

But seeing him restrained used to give me a feeling of sadness, I hate a animal tied up or a bird caged or a fish dammed. The next day I ordered him to be freed from his rear restrains and to be tied only by his rotating ring around his neck to enable him get all the movement he can on both sides.

Presto ! He was a changed animal the very few days later. Gone were his hot breaths down my neck and his panting and huffing. He turned out to be a sensitive animal, lovely inquisitive rolling eyes and highly responsive to human touch and scent. But lungeing was alien to him, typical of village reared horses who have had no need to lunge around solitary post, having miles of dusty trails available to trample upon and stamp their authority. Off went the thorny bit and incame the smooth snaffle. That gave a lot of relief to his sensitive mouth.

Few days down the line, my stable hand Rattansingh turned him out along with the mares to graze around and when i happened to see him loitering around with his harem, free of all human restrains and inhibitions, it was clear that humans are a hindrance to the animal achieving its own balance with the nature and its herd.

Since then Humayun is a free animal, he moves freely as and when he wishes, wherever he wishes and with whichever mare is the flavour of the day. Mares in heat are isolated for obvious reasons. Good varied equine intellectual company has sharpened his intellect as well and he is a 100 times more alert and well behaved " Nar" then before.

We, humans dictate and distort the reaction of the animal to its natural instincts. And blame the poor animal for its reactions. Freedom is cherished by us and equally by the equines...