Marwari breed characteristics
- Origin
- The Marwari horse breed is native to the Marwar region of Rajasthan, India, and is known for its distinct features and strong, resilient nature.
- Here are some key characteristics of the Marwari breed:
- Distinct Ears
- The most defining characteristic of the Marwari horse is its unique, inward-turning ears, which are shaped like a crescent or “scimitar” and often touch each other at the tips.
- Size and Build
- Marwari horses are medium-sized, typically standing between 14.1 to 15.2 hands (about 57 to 62 inches at the withers).
- They have a compact and muscular build, making them agile and capable of performing various tasks.
- Colour
- They come in a variety of colors, including bay, chestnut, black, grey, and palomino.
- The breed is known for its sleek and shiny coat.
- Strength and Endurance
- Marwari horses are known for their stamina and endurance, which makes them excellent for long-distance travel and hard labor.
- They are also strong enough for cavalry work.
- Temperament
- Marwaris are intelligent, alert, and sensitive horses.
- They are known for their loyalty and bravery making them excellent for tasks requiring courage and resilience.
- Movement
- The breed has smooth, fluid gaits, making them comfortable to ride. Their trot is often described as especially elegant and elevated.
- Adaptability
- Originally bred for desert climates, Marwari horses are highly adaptable and can thrive in hot, arid conditions.
- They are used to coping with harsh environments, making them tough and hardy.
- Intelligence and Trainability
- They are quick learners, responsive to training, and have a good memory.
- These qualities make them highly suitable for various equestrian activities, including dressage, endurance racing, and traditional Rajasthani mounted events.
- The Marwari horse is not just a working animal but also an important part of the cultural heritage of Rajasthan, often seen in traditional Rajasthani weddings and festivals.
- Weight
- Male:average 365 kg
- Female:average 340 kg
- Height
- Male:average 130 cm
- Female:average 140 cm
Mare
Origin:
- 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.
- Stallion
- Uses:
- 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.[37] 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.
- Although the Natchni strain is extinct today,[18] horses trained in those skills are still in demand in rural India.
- Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids:
- Equine animals (horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, and even zebras) can use forages such as pasture/range grasses and legumes, preserved hays, and other forage-based feeds as the major or sole sources of nutrition due to fermentation in the cecum and large colon.
- However, enzymatic digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is also of major importance.
- This occurs in the small intestine, which is the primary site of absorption of sugars, amino acids, long-chain fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.
- Any of the nutrient sources that escape small intestinal digestion and absorption are passed on for microbial degradation in the large intestine.
- Protein and Amino Acids Requirements:
- Protein and Amino Acids Requirements of Horses and Other Equids
- Although some microbial amino acid synthesis and absorption occurs in the cecum and large intestine, it is not sufficient to meet the amino acid needs of growing, working, or lactating horses.
- Therefore, the protein quality of the feed provided to these classes of horses is important.
- Light horse weanlings are estimated to require 2.1 g, and yearlings 1.9 g, of lysine/Mcal DE/day.
- Requirements for other dietary amino acids have not been established for other breeds.
- However, the crude protein recommendations given in tables Estimated Daily Major Nutrient Requirements of Growing Horses and Ponies and Estimated Average Daily Nutrient Requirements of Mature Horses and Ponies should be adequate if good quality forages and concentrates are used in the ration.
- The amino acid balance in alfalfa and other legumes such as soybeans appears to be better than that found in cereal grains (especially corn) or most grass hays.
- This should be considered when formulating rations, especially for rapidly growing young horses.
Water Requirements of Horses and Other Equids
- Water requirements vary with environmental conditions, amount of work or physical activity being performed (ie, water lost through sweating), type and amount of feed (dry feeds need more than succulent grasses), and physiologic status of the animal.
- The average minimal maintenance daily water requirement of a sedentary adult horse in a thermoneutral environment is 5 L/100 kg body weight/day. However a 500-kg adult horse in minimal work will typically drink 21–29 L of water per day when fed a mixed hay/grain
- ration and/or pasture grasses. If fed only dry hay, water intake may almost double. Lactation or sweat losses also increase the needs by 50%–200%. A 500-kg horse exercising for 1 hour in a hot environment may need to drink more than 72 L of water to replace sweat and evaporative losses. Lactating mares need 12–14 L per 100 kg body weight to sustain good health and milk production.
Deworming shedule
- Similar to vaccines, dewormers should not be administered during the first 60 days of pregnancy.
- Depending on your mare’s fecal egg count, she may normally require dewormer 2–4 times a year. It is often recommended to deworm before the breeding season, and again later in gestation.
- Your geographical location and mare’s fecal history may dictate another dose in the middle of gestation.
- When Can Horses Become Pregnant?
- While some people begin breeding their horses as soon as a filly reaches sexual maturity (around 18 months of age), it is typically safer and recommended to wait until she is also fully grown skeletally, around 4–5 years old, to give her the safest chance to have a foal without any birthing difficulties. While many mares may be bred up into their 20s, it is more difficult for a mare to conceive for the first time during or after their teens, or if there has been a long period since the last pregnancy.
- Mares are seasonal breeders:
- Meaning they can be bred from late spring to early fall each year; their reproductive cycle is roughly 21 days in length for each breeding opportunity.
- Each cycle has a small window of a few days where the mare is receptive to a stallion and an even smaller window when artificial insemination may be successful.
