The Striking Beauty—And Ears— Of The Marwari Horse

Rohitashva Singh Khempur, son of Ravla Khempur owner Hemant Deval, is pictured with his favorite mare at the hotel.

A trip to Rajasthan yields a cultural education, artistic inspiration and a newfound love of India.

Story and Photos By PAULA DA SILVA

Iarrived in Rajasthan, a semi-arid state in northwest India, with a small group of photographers the week before Diwali. Rajasthan means “Land of Kings,” and it is India’s largest state by area. Much of it is covered by the inhospitable Thar Desert.

Diwali, the Festival of Light, is one of the most important events of the year and is celebrated every fall. Most of Rajasthan’s population is Hindu, and during Diwali, followers pray, feast and exchange gifts.

During this festival, farm animals, which Hindus do not eat, are decorated. It was surreal to see cattle, goats, camels and horses painted and covered with ornaments, especially in the countryside. Even the few tractors we saw were adorned with ornaments and embellishments. ough the area is lled with beautiful landscapes and friendly people, I was eager to meet my rst Marwari horse.

A Marwari mare wearing traditional tack walks down the street through a small village in Rajasthan.

Ancient History, Modern Challenges

e Marwari horse acquired its name from its original breeding place, Marwar, in southwestern Rajasthan. e breed’s most notable traits include distinctive curved ear tips that nearly touch in a scimitar or lyre shape, along with a highset neck, which gives the horses an alert look, and a four-beat gait called revaal or rehwal. Marwari horses average between 15 and 16 hands.

Between individual horses, conformation seems to vary signi cantly. We learned a few breeders are now selecting for size, but these taller Marwaris often have less “type.” ey’re also not as easy keepers—a downside in a country where food for horses is expensive and sometimes di cult to nd.

e Marwari horses were great war mounts, and legend says they’ve been bred carefully for their stamina, bravery and loyalty since the 12th century.

During World War I, the Marwar lancers assisted the British. e Indian cavalry proved excellent in a charge, and it was hard to stop them, even with modern machine guns, due to the Marwari horse’s courage and speed. But the British dominance of India led to the decline of the breed, which neared extinction.

Over the last two centuries, the aristocracy and wealthy landowners have mainly kept the Marwari breed alive. During their period of rule, between 1858 and 1947, the British colonials did all they could to replace the local breeds with oroughbreds, forcing castration and even slaughter of hundreds of Marwari horses to stop interbreeding.

In more recent times, an export ban on Marwari horses, which was initially created to protect them, has instead limited the breed’s progress. ( ough occasional exports were allowed between 2000 and 2008, no recent certi cations have been issued.) e ban created a saturated internal market in a country with other challenges for horses—including droughts and economic issues. e problem is compounded by a lack of owner education and access to veterinary care.

The curved ears of the Marwari horses are their hallmark.

A “dancing horse,” shown in traditional tack, does work from the ground, which is derived from cavalry training for combat maneuvers and includes movements similar to the airs above the ground.

This mare’s coat color is called nukri, or nukra for males. These horses have dark eyes, unlike cremello or perlino horses, and they are born white. They are often used for religious parades and big events. Rawal Devendra Singh, owner of hotel Roop Niwas Kothi, is pictured with one of his stallions.

The First Meeting

Our rst acquaintance with the Marwari horses was at RoopNiwas Kothi, a hotel in Nawalgarh, where our host Rawal Devendra Singh shared both the breed and Indian family traditions with us. We loved talking with him over exquisite dinners, never too spicy and also quite varied. It was there that we were introduced to a drink called kadha, a spiced tea, with a little rum added—an Ayurvedic remedy for a bad cold we all contracted.

He taught us many things, like the importance of whorls, or hair patterns, when purchasing Marwari horses. Horses with long whorls down the neck are called devman and are considered lucky. Horses with whorls below their eyes are called anusudhal, and people avoid buying them.

At Roop Niwas Kothi, mares spend time outside in a big sand paddock with a pond, socializing and being happy horses. is was one of the few stables we saw during our trip where horses were kept loose. Even some VIP stables we visited had horses tied by the neck and a hind foot, day and night, a common management practice.

Marwari coat colors come in many varieties, including pinto.

Our next stop was Ravla Khempur in Mavli, another charming hotel belonging to horse lover Hemant Deval. is heritage hotel was one of my favorites. e sta and our hosts were great, the meals were delicious, and everyone was so kind and caring. e family’s chief stallion Great Gambler, whose stable adjoined the restaurant, could watch us closely through the glass wall while we had dinner. I’ve never seen anything like it!

Ravla Khempur exudes historical ambience and is graced with breathtaking surroundings. You’ve seen this hotel if you ever watched the wonderful movie e Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Ravla Khempur has a great in uence on the villagers around it.

Sunrises and sunsets in India are just spectacular, and we shared a couple of them with the locals. ey resulted in amazing shoots, o ering all a photographer could want. While visiting several tiny villages nearby, we were always kindly invited for tea by the locals. ese basic interactions left me indelible memories. I’ll return to India soon.

“This was my favorite horse in India—great expression and conformation and very trainable with the sweetest disposition,” said author and photographer Paula Da Silva of this Marwari colt seen with his owner at sunrise.

Helping Marwari Horses

The charity Friends of Marwari has started a horse bit donation operation, where donated 4" or 5" snaffle, pelham, curb, bridoon, kimberwicke and pelham bits are sterilized and then distributed at the rural horse fairs in Rajasthan—along with information on good bitting practices— to discourage riders from using thorn bits, homemade bits with sharp spikes or decoration on the mouthpieces, and persuading the local bit manufacturers not to produce them.

It may be a drop in the ocean, but every bit helps and gives instant relief to any horse that is the recipient of a smooth snaffle. Over time, the organization hopes to eradicate the thorn bits of India.

You can learn more about the charity at friendsofmarwari.org.uk. To help, contact Caroline Moorey at info@ friendsofmarwari.org.uk.w