Thread by @Scion_of_Shekha

Marwari Horse- The Horse of Rajput- Read Thread

Marwari /Malani -is indigenous breed of India, the best cavalry horse of India. According to the traditional accounts, the Marwari horses were bred since at least the 12th century . The Marwaris were primarily war horses that/2

were primarily created with the purpose of appearing in the battlefields when there was an urgent need of creating such an animal that can act as a hardy mount to the royals and the soldiers. /3

The Rathores, rulers of Marwar, The most successful cavalry in India, were the traditional breeders of the Marwari. During the 12th century they followed strict selective breeding processes, keeping the finest stallions for the use of their subjects./4

The horses were considered divine beings, at times they were only allowed to be ridden by members of the Rajput families
The Rathores believed that the Marwari horse could only leave a battlefield under 1 of 3 conditions – victory, death, or carrying a wounded master to safety/5

The horses were trained to be extremely responsive in battlefield conditions, and were practiced in complex riding maneuvers, They are known for their hardiness, persistence & fearlessness. They are slim & athletic, generally narrower in build & thinner than horses in the west/6

Known for its inward-turning ear tips. 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 Marwari averages between 15 and 16 hands ( 152 to 163 cm) high. They have an outside range of 14 and 17 hands ( 142 to 173 cm) high. They can be gray, chestnut, palomino, piebald or skewbald. Multi-colored horses are especially favored by Indian breeders./8

The Marwari often exhibits a natural pacing gait, called the *revaal or *rehwal. Hair whorls & their placement are important to breeders of Marwaris. Horses with long whorls down the neck are called devman considered lucky/9

It is thought to descend from the warhorses of the Rajput warriors of the Marwar and Mewar regions crossed with and Arabian and and have little influence of mongolian. It is also related to the Kathiawari breed of Gujarat./10

During he British rule This breed fall from dominance. The British preferred other breeds, and tried to eliminate the Marwari, along with the Kathiawari. Modern times led to a decreased need for the Marwari horse as there was no more need of warrior on horse back/11

The breed was on the verge of extinction until the intervention of Maharaja Umaid Singhji in the 20th century His work was carried on by his grandson, Maharaja Gaj Singh II./12

Raghuvendra Singh (Bonnie Dundlod) with Francesca Kelly founded a group called Marwari Bloodlines in 1995 with the goal of promoting and preserving the Marwari horse, They led the grp that founded the Indigenous Horse Society of India/13

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.

Raghuvendra ( Bonnie Dundlod ) ji 's tweeter handle @DundlodSingh