In a move to conserve the indigenous Sindhi horse breed that is on the verge of becoming endangered, the ‘Sindhi Horse Lovers Club’ has been formed by the Indus Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working in Tando Allah Yar.
Talking to The News, President, Indus Foundation, Hassan Dars said that the formation of the equine club is aimed at inspiring horse breeders and riders to revive the age-old tradition of breeding horses. “The club wants to bring traditional riders together and organise horse races on the occasions of local festivals and melas in Sindh in order to promote the conservation of the threatened breed,” he said.
“The approach of the Sindh Livestock Department is of sheer indifference in this regard. Despite having a budget of millions, it is unable to promote the indigenous horse breed,” he lamented.
“Sindh is home to different types of horses which include Arabi, Samoundi, Sindhi Kathiawari, Garho, and Kharai of the coastal areas. Presently it is quite difficult to find out the original breed of Sindhi horses due to cross breeding,” he added.
Dars claimed that the Sindhi horse holds a special place amongst the various horse breeds. “The Sindhi horse is different from other horses that are found elsewhere in the world because of its trotting style. The credit for this goes to the riders who deal with the animals and train them through the six stages to trot differently. This take time and lots of effort,” Dars said.
He added that the horses were especially used by the police and irrigation and revenue departments for various services long before partition. “Stables were formed by the government departments and special budgets and allowances were fixed for horse rearing. At these stables, horses were used occasionally at the time of arrival of any important personality,” Dars added.
The horses are no more used as a means of transport and communication and even their significance in agriculture has reduced considerably. Some three decades ago, 30 to 40 horses would be available in each village but that number has declined radically. “Unlike the old times, now there very few people who are found of horses,” Dars commented.
A survey conducted by the Indus Foundation revealed that the majority of the horses in the province are mares. The traditional riders usually avoid taking part in a race with a female horse and prefer a gelding or stallion as they are considered more powerful and faster.
Meanwhile other members of the horse club told The News that the performance of the horses in melas is the last attempt to save the breed as people generally take interest in horses on festive occasions. They said that they would arrange various other events to revive the equine culture in Sindh.
