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!

More Thai Cowboys

I posted a while back about cowboys in Thailand. Here's a little video showing some scenes from the area. Very cute!

Fantastic photos of monks on horseback in Thailand

Photographer Lars Johnsson has done a fantastic series of photos of young monks in Thailand on horseback. The photos show the monks out collecting alms, bathing their horses, and goofing around, too. The saffron robes of the monks really stand out against the rural scenery, and there are glimpses of daily life and the customs of the region.

Take a look at both Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 - each page has dozens of beautiful photos to browse, and you can order prints if you like. I just might have to buy one for myself!

More Thai Cowboys

I posted a while ago about cowboys in Thailand. Chrisada on flickr has some photos from a ranch in that region. Here's one, and there are some others on Chrisada's photostream.

More Cambodian Horses

These are just too delightful! Each horse has unique and beautiful tack. Take a look! (See my previous post for some background information).

From iwishmynamewasmars ha's photostream:

From jystewart's photostream:

From Mozzer502's photostream (what a beautiful buckskin coat the horse has!):

From squishyray's photostream:

And last, but not least, from Narisa's photostream:

Mirrored Bridle

This bridle is hands-down the most unusual I have ever seen. This Cambodian horse is wearing a bridle and breast collar embroidered with hundreds of beads. Most spectacular is the large mirror centered on the forehead!

In some cultures, mirrors are thought to reflect away evil, and I suspect that is the origin of this design. Ornamented ponies wait near tourist spots to give rides; the photo is part of a series taken near the famous temples of Angkor Wat.

The original photo is part of Magalie L'Abbe's photostream on flickr.

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.

The Horses of Tamil Nadu

The temples of Tamil Nadu, in India, are known for their impressive displays of terracotta votive statues. Many of these are of horses, constructed as offerings to the god Ayanar, whose warriors ride them at night in pursuit of demons.

Above is a stand of horses and other animals from Palagret on flickr.

And below, a fine white horse on a beach, from frisse82 on flickr:

Dressed from Head to Toe

This unusual costume is so all encompassing it has sleeves for the horse's legs! You can see the attachments that hold the costume on the inside of the far leg and under the neck. Notice some of the details: pompoms every few inches on the reins, the decorative border on the saddle, and the applique shapes sewn onto the red background of the costume.

According to the photographer's caption, the photo was taken in Malaysia, at a festival of the Bajau people.

Photo: Kervinchong on flickr.

Pink Horse???

This carriage horse in India has been painted pink! The carriage looks ready for a wedding procession, so I assume the horse has been dyed for this special occasion. It's the least of his worries, given his undernourished appearance. I have seen Indian and Native American horses painted with small designs on the legs, shoulders, or other parts, but never dyed pink from neck to tail!

Photo: MWyllie on flickr