Sindhi horse breed in making?

Gujarat may become the only state in India to have two recognised indigenous breed of horses if the efforts of Anand Agricultural University, the Equestrian Club of Gujarat and some horse lovers’ bear fruit.

It should be noted that currently the Kathiawari breed is the only one from Gujarat to be recognised as indigenous. But now the as well.

“We are working on a project to get recognition for the Sindhi breed which is indigenous to Gujarat. If the recognition comes, Gujarat will become the only state in India to boast of two indigenous horse breeds,” said DN Rank, a professor at the Veterinary College.

Rank said the breed is a native of Kutch and can also be found in Pakistan where it is also known as Makrana.

“We will undertake a survey of the Sindhi breed and talk to breeders, locals and provide data related to the breed. We will also carry out a comparative study of the breed vis-a-vis others and present it to the state government which will in turn seek the centre’s help in getting Sindhi horses declared as an accepted breed,” said Rank.

The Equestrian Club of Gujarat is another organisation that is working to help the Sindhi breed get some recognition.

“So far we have surveyed 65 horses and plan to cover at least a 100. The process of getting recognition is a very long one. We need to identify the distinct characteristic of the horse and have debates with experts on the same before arriving at a conclusion and forwarding it to the concerned authority,” said Virendra Kankariya, president of the Equestrian Club.
File photo of a horse show