Global Horse Culture

Little Horse Carts of Bali

The harness on this little horse caught my eye. It's covered with intricate metal decoration, and seems to have an unusual way of attaching to the cart, though I can't see it clearly in this photo, which is from Ikhlasul Amal's photostream on flickr.

These traditional horse drawn carts are called "dokar" and are found in Bali, Indonesia. They have an interesting history. This article (on a rather oddly named blog) describes the Hindu and Dutch influences on the development of this style of horse cart, their use in ancient warfare, and other fascinating details. It has several nice pictures, too.

Dancing Ponies of Sumedang

In Sumedang, in Java (Indonesia), there is a tradition of horse-dancing. Kadu ("horse") Reggong is a dancing performance by a costumed horse, accompanied by a gamelan orchestra. Kadu Salit is a performance said to imitate the martial arts, where the horse moves on its hind legs. Reggong horses are popular at weddings and circumcision celebrations.

The image at left appears to be of a horse working at liberty, although in other images the horses appear to be directed by reins or a lead attached to a bridle. The costumes are very armor-like and colorful. I can't tell what they are made of.

The web is deficient in good images of these horses, but there is one here and here and here.

Photo and useful info in English from: Jakarta Java Kini

Tail of Bells

This horse in the Philippines has its tail trimmed into a series of bells. Presumably this is solely ornamental. Mules' tails in the United States are sometimes cut this way, but I've never seen this style on a horse before.

Photo: my_soul_insurance2004 on flickr