Global Horse Culture

Manipuri Ponies get Protected Status

A friend of mine, Somi Roy, has been supporting the protection of the Manipuri pony in India. This breed is famous for being the original polo pony, but has been declining in numbers. Recently Somi sent some good news about the status of the ponies. With his permission, here are excerpts from his email:

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Dear friends:

It gives me great pleasure to inform you  - especially those of you who are lovers of Polo and horses - the state government of Manipur has agreed to establish a natural preserve for the homeless Manipuri Pony. Last month, the Chief Minister of Manipur gave 200 acres at Heingang Lake just below the Pony Shrine  for this. Heingang Lake is wet only during the monsoon but the animals like boggy wetlands and feed on water plants as well. The lake is covered with lotuses in the summer.

Not only that, the state has agreed to declare the Manipuri Pony a protected animal. We have reason for some optimism now that the Manipuri Pony, descendant of the great animals of the Mongols, and one of 5 equine breeds in India, will pull through and their number will rise from the perilous less-than-1000 that it has dwindled to today. We have also now established a Manipuri Pony Society so if you are on Facebook, do join. I am thinking I will get some Manipuri T-shirts made!

Horses of the world, 1934 version

It's interesting to see which breeds of horses were widely known in past times. Looking at show programs or books about horse breeds from past decades (or centuries) reveals which breeds were popular or recognized then, and it's often quite different from today.

The map pictured was issued in 1934.

The breeds described are (from bottom center, moving clockwise):

Jeju Island Horses

The windswept island of Jeju, in Korea, is home to Mongolian-type ponies, some of which wander loose, others serving to give rides to the tourists who come to see the sights. articpenguin has some snapshots on flickr, like this one:

Italian Horse Breeds

Here's a cool website with a very complete listing of Italian horse breeds. The breeds are listed in the menu on the left side. Clicking each will give you a description (in Italian, of course) [update: a reader points out this listing is now available in english at this link] and photos (usually towards the bottom of the page). There is quite a diversity, from mountain ponies to saddle horses and draft horses. Many of the saddle horses derive from combinations of Iberian, Arabian and Thoroughbred blood. Worth a browse, even if you don't speak Italian.

Possibly the Wackiest Driving Video Ever

This troupe in Germany has a really...unique...talent! I don't know what else to say, just watch and marvel:

Thanks for the tip, Katja!

Plumed Ponies

These ponies - on second glance, those look an awful lot like mules! - in Nepal are wearing enormous woolly red and white plumes. The banners on their foreheads appear to have Buddhist religious symbols on them, as best I can see, which would probably be for good luck.

I notice they are all wearing muzzles - probably to prevent them eating while working.

This is an unusual and intriguing scene, posted by Bruce Diksas on flickr.

Wee Pony

On a roll with photos from Ethiopia today...

Here is a sweet one - a (possibly quite tall!) man on a wee mountain pony, toodling along without even a bridle! Judging by the heavy shawl around the man's shoulders, it must be quite cool in the mountains.

This one comes from CharlesFred's photostream on flickr.

High Speed Insanity

Scurry racing is particularly popular in the UK. It is a high-speed competition in which drivers direct teams of ponies through an obstacle course of cones, trying not to hit any cones while going as fast as possible. The navigator on the back of the vehicle uses his or her weight to keep the carriage from flipping over in the tight turns. It takes quick thinking on the part of the driver to follow the course accurately. More excitement than I could handle!

Promoter of Caspian Pony Dies

Louise Firouz, an American woman who discovered and promoted the rare Caspian Pony, has died. Caspian Ponies, genetically linked to the Arabian horse, are a native Iranian breed. Firouz discovered them while traveling there, and exported some to Europe and the US. Already rare in Iran, they were decimated in their homeland during the revolution and subsequent wars. Despite the upheavals there, Firouz (who had married an Iranian man) lived most of her life on a farm near Turkmenistan.

Read more about Caspian Ponies here.

And the full obituary from the Washington Post here.

Four Horsepower

What a sweet photo of four Fjord ponies pulling a sled in Canada. Fjords are a stocky draft-type horse (or pony - they are short in stature, but due to their strength are often referred to as horses). Their distinctive dorsal stripe is traditionally shown off by trimming the mane to stand up, so the black stripe is clearly visible. Originating in Norway, the Fjord is now quite popular throughout the US and Europe, both as a driving or draft animal and for pleasure riding.

Photo: pmarkham on flickr.