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:
Financial Donations
We can now take £sterling donations securely using WorldPay using this link 
THIRD BIT DELIVERY TRIP TO INDIA
See our photos from the trip.
Here is a report of the trip.
76 donated bits accompanied the Chairman on the 3rd Bit delivery trip to India and the Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan in November 2011. Once again, with the guidance of IHSI Rajasthan Rep Rawal Devendra Singh Nawalgarh, our strategy was to work our way through the tents at the fair, seeking out the ‘one horse’ owners this year. In previous trips we had concentrated on breeders, traders and dealers, and this time our aim was to reach the individual private rural horse owner to spread the bitting message.
Coming across owners who were preparing their lunch, picking our way through the tents, ropes and horses, we methodically worked our way round the horse lines, choosing suitable candidates, we took the time to share a cups of chai, explain the actions of the different styles of bits we had to donate (various types of snaffles, kimblewicks, pelhams). By enquiring further about the horses offered for sale, what their age was etc, we tried to match each bit to fit and suit each horse, as well as explain to the owner the action of the bit and why it was not necessary to use the Indian thorn bit.
A great deal of discussion focussed on the different styles and actions of each donated bit, and though obvious to us, many a time we had to point out that there was a right and wrong way to fit a bit, explaining the subtle curved mouthpiece (not seen before by many recipients) and therefore which way it should go into the horses mouth..
Our message is greatly helped by having the support of Devendra Singh, a well respected breeder and trader, and the fact that in the male dominated horse culture of India, that western female riders regularly ride 250km on safari using western bits on Marwari horses, proving that thorn bits were not necessary to control these horses, meant that the recipients were at least willing to listen.
Many owners were sceptical that we were selling the bits and that they would have to pay us, but once it was explained to them that these bits were donated by fellow horse riders in UK, they were happy to accept the gift and give the new bit a try; in fact many immediately got their old ‘bridle’ and replaced their thorn bit with the donated bit and made sure it fitted their horse and that the horse was accepting and happy. This was good news as it meant that once the new bit was on the bridle there was more chance that it would actually be used.
We thank all those that have donated bits thus far, we continue to collect and our next trip is to Muktsar Fair in the Punjab in January 2012. We know that it will take many years to change old habits, but we do know that we have now got India talking about bits and bitting, and that has got to be a good start!
Caroline Moorey, November 2011
News Archive
Click here to access previous news articles
6th International Colloquium on working Equids held in New Delhi, India 29th November – 2nd December 2010.
Read the report from member Janet Barber who attended the event of our behalf. See Janet's report.
GB Team wins Bronze in India Endurance
See the report of Team GB winning the Bronze medal in 81 Km in India riding Marwari horses.
Committee meetings
A Committee Meeting of Friends of Marwari / Kathiawari Horse UK was held at Café Cino, The Hilton Basingstoke Hotel, Old Common Road, Black Dam, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 3PR on Saturday 6th August 2011.
Newsletters
Members receive newsletters throughout the year. You can view past newsletters here. If you want up to date news, you need to be a member.
News from India / Breeders
For up to date news please see the IHSI Website.
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