Сирек кездесетін Үнді Маруари аты тұқымы

Rare breed of horse from the Marwar region of India

The Marwari or Malani is a rare breed of horse from the Marwar (or Jodhpur) region of Rajasthan, in north west India. It is closely related to the Kathiawari breed of the Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat, with which it shares an unusual inward curving shape of the ears. It is found in all equine colours, including piebald and skewbald. It is a hardy riding horse; it may exhibit a natural ambling gait. 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 horse in India. The exportation of Marwari horses was banned for decades, but between 2000 and 2006, a small number of exports were allowed. Since 2008, visas allowing temporary travel of Marwari horses outside India have been available in small numbers. Though they are rare they are becoming more popular outside of India due to their unique looks.

The origins of the Marwari are obscure. It is thought to descend from the warhorses of the Rajput warriors of the Marwar and Mewar regions of Rajasthan, with subsequent influence of horses of Turkoman type brought to the area by Mughal invaders in the sixteenth century. Unlike the Kathiawari, the Marwari shows little Arab influence. In the late sixteenth century Abu'l Fazl ibn Mubarak, in his Ain i Akbari, says that the finest horses in India were those of Kutch, and recounts a myth that an Arab ship carrying seven fine Arab horses was shipwrecked on the shore of that district; Kutch is in modern Gujarat, while Marwar is in Rajasthan. Abu'l Fazl also makes clear that the Emperor Akbar had about twelve thousand horses in his court stables, and that there were constant arrivals of new horses from all parts of the Islamic world. There is also the possibility of some Mongolian influence from the north. The breed probably originated in northwest India on the Afghanistan border, as well as in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, and takes its name from the Marwar region (also called the Jodhpur region) of India. When the Mughals 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 Mughal emperor Akbar, formed a cavalry force over 50,000 strong. Over 300 years later, during the First World War, Marwar lancers under Sir Pratap Singh assisted the British. Britons living in India 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". During the 1930s the Marwari deteriorated, with breeding stock diminishing and becoming of poorer quality due to poor breeding practices. In 1999, Kelly and Raghuvendra Singh Dundlod, a descendant of Indian nobility, led a group that founded the Indigenous Horse Society of India (of which the Marwari Horse Society is part), a group that works with the government, breeders, and the public to promote and conserve the breed. Kelly and Dunlod also entered and won endurance races at the Indian national equestrian games, convincing the Equestrian Federation of India to sanction a national show for indigenous horses – the first in the country. The pair worked with other experts from the Indigenous Horse Society to develop the first breed standards. Over the next seven years, 21 horses were exported, until, in 2006, licenses stopped being granted over concerns that native breeding populations were being threatened. 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. This was in response to breeders and the breed society, who felt they were not being allowed a fair chance to exhibit their animals. In late 2007 plans were announced to create a stud book for the breed, a collaborative venture between the Marwari Horse Society of India and the Indian government. 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. 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.

The height at the withers of the Marwari averages for males, and for mares. The coat may be of any colour, and is most often dark or light bay, at times with the metallic sheen often seen in the Akhal Teke; it may also be grey or chestnut, or occasionally palomino, piebald, or skewbald. White horses cannot be registered. Grey 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 with a blaze and four white socks are considered lucky. and the ears are medium sized and curving inward so that the tips meet; also, the Marwari horse can rotate its ears 180º. The neck is arched and carried high, running into pronounced withers, with a deep chest and muscular, broad, and angular 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,

The Marwari horse often exhibits a natural ambling gait, close to a pace, called the revaal, aphcal, Whorls on the fetlocks are thought to bring victory. Research studies have been conducted to examine the genetics of the Marwari horse 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 horse. 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.

The Marwari horse is a riding horse; it may also be used for shows, horse safaris, sport, ceremonial & religious purposes, and during earlier days in war. Marwari horses 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. They are particularly suited to dressage, in part due to a natural tendency to perform. Marwari horses are also used to play polo, sometimes playing against Thoroughbreds. Within the Marwari horse 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.