Junagadh Saurashtra – Kathiyavadi Ghoda na conservation Vishe

Genetists at Anand Agricultural University are helping the Government of Gujarat promote breeding of the State's indigenous “Kathiyavadi” horse among private horse owners.

As per Professor D.N. Rank Interviews, who is Professor of Animal Genetics at the Veterinary College at Anand Agricultural University, “Any indigenous breed is declared by the Central government to be endangered if its numbers fall below 10,000; and the Kathiyavadi horse from Gujarat falls in this category.”

“Horses are becoming quite a craze among the neo rich who are now visiting animal fairs like the annual one at Pushkar.”

The wealthy, who own farmhouses, now come from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Maharashtra to attend animal fairs in the western region looking for horses to buy, he said.

Fifty years ago, the horse was used as a utility animal. Ownership of horses was also a tradition among the princely families, and a good many of the horses owned were Kathiyavadi.

Currently, the demand among the newly rich is for thoroughbreds (the kind used as race horses) and not indigenous breeds like the Kathiyavadi or Marwari which are not that tall.

“We are trying to popularize ownership of the Kathiyavadi to encourage conservation of the breed. We cannot force people to keep them, but we can only create awareness,” said Prof. Rank. The objective is to get the Kathiyavadi to exist in good numbers across the region so that the breed can be preserved, he said.

Earlier this year, there was an indigenous horse fair conducted by the Anand Agricultural University which fetched a fairly good response, with 400 Kathiawari and Marwari horses being part of the show, said Prof. Rank. Some of the horses owned by the Gujarat police department are of the indigenous variety too, he said. The Kathiawari horse costs between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh, while a pure stallion fetches as much as Rs 5 lakh.

In Gujarat, there are three horse shows supported by the State Government. The Animal Husbandry Department has three horse breeding farms — at Junagadh, Kodinar and Inaj — where the Kathiawari is bred and stallions made available, said Prof Rank.

The Government encourages owners of Kathiawari mares to bring them to the farms to get them impregnated.

Private owners of Kathiawari stallions are charging as much as Rs 25,000 for successful impregnation of a mare, said Prof. Rank.

Junagadh Police Training College - Raksha Shakti Horse Show 2011 with Kathiawadi Marwadi Breed

The Junagadh Police organized a KA-MA (Kathiawadi-Marwadi) Raksha Shakti Horse Show 2011 at Junagadh Police Training College grounds on April 2 & 3, in order to promote equestrian as a sports and provide a good platform for police horse breeders, including the Kathiawadi and Marwadi breed.

Kathiawadi horse show in Junagadh attracts thousands of enthusiasts.

About 150 participants with 45 police horses participated in the show. The show also had equestrian games like endurance race, one kilometer race, riding skills, show jumping, tent pegging.

As per Junagadh IGP Pravin Sinha Interviews, he said that, "Our motive is to promote sporting culture among masses and we want to continue with the glorious tradition of mounted police. Moreover, the show provided a platform for the various horse breeders to interact with each other and exhibit their animals."

As per Rajendrasinh Jadeja who is one of the participants and managers of the event, said in his interview that, "For invoking public interest in the equestrian sports, we simplified and translated the names of the games into local language. For example, the jig-jag race, barrel race and Bellard race were converted into 'garo levo', 'matki fod'."

The show was organized with the help of animal husbandry department of state government and Shri Gujarat KA-MA Ashwa Palak Sahkari Mandal Ltd Gondal.

The Best Kathiawadi Stallion award was given to Bahadursinh Gohil of Rajkot while the Best Kathiawadi Mare was won by Shiva Stud Farm. Kishorsinh T Jadeja's mare was adjudged the Best Marwadi Breed Stallion and Parbat Maru's mare won the prize of Best Marwadi Mare.

Eighty-year-old Ata Giga won the award of Best Horse Rider whereas the barrel race was won by Prakash Natha. Aala Arjan Naghera won first prize for 'Reval Chaal'. Mounted police also presented their chivalrous acts with all royal decor and discipline.

Acharya Ghanshyamji of Bhuvaneshwari peeth who is also chairman of KA-MA Horse Breeders Association said the government should plan a breeding policy and dedicated officers must be entrusted with the responsibility to conserve and breed these horses.