Bit Donation scheme
Friends of Marwari are running a horse bit donation scheme with the aim of providing owners of Indigenous horses in India with bits that are kinder to their horses. Full details of the scheme are described here. If you want to take part and help with bit donation in your local area then here is a poster that you can use. Here is a list of collection points in the UK. In case you have any questions, we have added a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. We have set ourselves a target of getting 1000 donated bits by the end of this year. Our progress so far is shown below:
Next Delivery to India
For your chance to take part in the next Bit Donation Trip, scheduled for the Pushkar Fair during 4th - 20th November, please email us for itinerary and cost, and to lodge your interest, there are spaces available on this specially tailored trip, to ride Marwari horses on safari to reach the famous Horse and Camel Fair at Pushkar. Once at the fair you will man the stall, alongside Indigenous Horse Society of India members, and interact with the rural riders at the fair by giving out our donated snaffle bits. To lodge an interest please email us at info@friendsofmarwari.org.uk hurry - don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime!
See our coverage in Horse and Hound online.
See our coverage in America: Equine Chronicle, The Horse.com
Here is the pile of bits that we collected which went out to India in March.
Thanks for your continued active support.
GB Team wins Bronze in India Endurance
MARWARI HORSES SUCCEED IN ENDURANCE at the 2nd International Invitational 81km Endurance Championships, Dundlod, Rajasthan, India 7th—13th December 2009.
Marwari horses, loaned by Rawal Devendra Singh of Nawalgarh, succeeded in taking the Bronze medal with an all ladies Team representing Great Britain & the UK Chapter.
This was an 81km endurance race with 10 teams invited, plus some individuals, and consisted of 4 laps of 20.25km per lap, in one day, against the clock . All competitors were ‘vetted’ in between laps to check the horses heart rate, hydration, soundness and general well being, to ensure the horse was ‘fit to continue’ and not in distress. The Indian Army entered 2 teams and took gold and silver followed by the British invitational group in Bronze position. Team members were from Endurance GB: Lesley-Ann Parker, Pip Westwood & Bryony Dickins and were joined by Caroline Moorey who is the Chair of Friends of Marwari/Kathiawari Horse UK and also the UK / India link for the event. The British were the only ones to get all their horses home, and Lesley-Ann, Caroline and Pip achieved the ultimate of riding all 4 loops together, vetting within 2 minutes each time and crossing the line together shouting ‘MARWARI’.
Other countries present were, France and Italy (with Assissi squad members riding), Russia, America, Sri Lanka and Indian civilian teams. Team GB rode the Indigenous Marwari breed of horse, who have unique lyre shaped ears, provided by Rawal Devendra Singh who was delighted that the horses were so successful in such an international arena, he said that:
“ the British team’s success could only help to raise the breed profile, especially for this discipline, in which they seem to excel. “
Last year three of the team (Lesley-Ann, Caroline and Bryony) took the gold medal for 50km riding Marwari horses loaned by members of the IHSI (read full report in our first newsletter which is on the website www.friendsofmarwari.org.uk ). This year Caroline went out early to choose and prepare the horses many weeks before, and was pleased that, as the picture shows, the horses crossed the line looking as though they could have gone around again. The team had many comments from the vets and officials as to how well they rode the race. A professional equestrian photographer from Britain was invited by Caroline to record the event for the team this year, and he can be contacted via his website: www.michaelhuggan.com
Team motto was ‘to finish is to win’ ~ to gain a medal was a bonus!
See Team photos in the gallery. Copyright remains with the photographer at all times.
Article in Caroline's local newspaper: The Farnham Herald.
Committee meetings
The last Committee meeting took take place at 11am on Saturday 5th June at the Hilton Hotel, Basingstoke. An Agenda for the meeting was circulated. A full set of notes will be produced in due course.
Newsletters
A copy of the latest newsletter (Spring 2010) can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.
A copy of the Summer 2009 Newsletter is available by CLICKING HERE.
A copy of our first Newsletter (Autumn 2008) can be viewed online by CLICKING HERE.
The committee have been very active since our inception in July 2008 as can be seen by reading the Newsletters..
News from India / Breeders
Chairman Caroline Moorey represented us at the Meeting of IHSI held at Dundlod on 10 December 2009. Caroline has produced some personal notes from the meeting.
USA Chapter reports the safe delivery of filly Marwari foal "Ashwaria". Picture in Summer 2009 Newsletter.
Equestrian Federation of India reported a large outbreak of Equine Flu in India in Autumn 2008. A full report appeared in the Summer 2009 Newsletter. Devastating effects on the horses at the Pushkar Fair and in the race industry.
Shows / Exhibition Presence
The IHSI supported a stand at Equitana to promote the breed. See full report and pictures in the Summer 2009 Newsletter.
Our Chairman Caroline Moorey represented us at the Indigenous Horses Show held at Dundlod on 11th December 2009.
Published articles / News in the Press
Click on the article concerned to open it in full (.pdf files). If you do not have adobe on your computer you can download a free adobe reader programme by clicking here.
Friends of Marwari / Kathiawari Horse UK cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or content in the articles featured.
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BHS Challenge Ride |
Article in Pacific and Prairie 2010 |
Article in Endurance Magazine 09 |
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Article in BHS Magazine |
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Articles in the Hindi PressPage 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, |
Article in Country Life Magazine |
Article in Endurance Magazine 08 |
Article in Horse Journals website, Canada |
Article in Nagmag |
Readers recommendations:
The following ‘top ten’ book list has been recommended by members, for your interest, a nice mixture of fact, fiction, pictorial and some humorous reading….
In no order of preference:~
- MARWARI ~ Legend of the Indian Horse by Francesca Kelly and Dale Durfee.
- Great photos and interesting biographies on the movers and shakers in Marwari horse breeding.
BUY IT - THE MARIAGE BUREAU FOR RICH PEOPLE by Farahad Zama.
- First time author, wittily observed how the new Indian upper middle classes are adapting to change.
- EQUUS by Tim Flach.
- Fantastic, beautifully photographed horses, a definite ‘coffee table’ book.
- INDIAN MINIATURE PAINTING by Maurice Dimand.
- Good insight into the different schools and subjects of this fine art.
- THE FAR PAVILIONS by M M Kaye.
- Fiction love story set in and around Rajasthan, a fairly good historical and cultural reportage of the time, loosely based on rumours overheard in the ‘Club House’ apparently!/
- INDIA MODERN by Michael Freeman.
- Modern architecture of India, some quite brave, some keeping hints of tradition, good pics.
- WHITE MUGHALS by William Dalrymple.
- A tragic story of love crossing boundaries, well researched and very much worth reading.
- WICKED WOMEN OF THE RAJ by Coralie Younger.
- A compilation of stories of western ladies eloping with maharajah’s, quite an eye opener especially as the stories are true!
- HORSE WARRIORS by Henry Dallal.
- Photographs depicting India’s famous 61st Cavalry regiment.
- WHITE CARGO by Felicity Kendal.
- An autobiography of this actresses childhood spent in India with her family’s travelling theatre.
- 'The White Tiger' by Aravind Adiga
- This won the Booker prize.
- Any book written by William Dalrymple on India