The Jatakas record horse dealers who imported horses ‘swift-as-the-wind’ from the Sind region of India. I am a enthusiast of horses and horseback riding, and one of my favorite horses is the famous and fabled Marwari horse from Marwar and Jodhpur region of Western India and Rajasthan, and is a horse that is a mix of native horses of India and Arabian horses. It is a rather rare horse but has been preserved and popular since the 12th Century. The Raiputs fielded a cavalry consisting of more than 50,000 horses during the time of Akbar who reigned who from 1556 to 1605 AD. The Marwari horse was a famed battle horse until the modern era late 20th Century into World War One with the rise of modern weapons such as the tank. As a result, the number of Marwari horses started to decline, but never lost their famed popularity and this is especially true in Rajasthan. Many fans of this breed formed organizations in India to help preserve the heritage and promote the breed, this includes successful efforts by the Maharaja of Jodhpur, the Marwari Horse Breeder’s Association at Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur, India (342006), Prince H. H. Shriji Arvind Singhji of Mewar and Prince H.H. Mahipendra Singhji of Danta. I am a friend of Arvind Singh Mewar the 76th custodian of the House of Mewar (lineage of Maharanas of Udaipur) over the internet. I love horseback riding and plan to be visiting Rajasthan with a friend who works in UAE and is a desi from Udaipur India in October of 2020 for one or two months just to have an opportunity to ride a Marwari horse. Here are a photo of this beautiful horse, notice the ears! Inward-turned ear tips which give the horse it’s famed and unique look. In this photo, the horse is black, but the Marwari (also called Malawi) is also be found in a bay, chestnut, grey, and pinto. You will not find this horse in the West but the Marwari was given permission to be sent to Europe and USA but only very, very limited, starting in 2008 but you can imagine the logistics of this makes it difficult. But there are now many in Texas and nearby states who have an interest in this most majestic and magical horse. I say magical, because some traditions also say that this horse came from a magical kund or holy pond in Varanasi and was part of a rite of a Maharaja of Kashi where the horse was release to wander to territories that would be considered to become part of the Kashi Royal Kingdom and this was supposed to be in the 1100’s AD which actually fits the timeframe. The horse went West, further, but decided to stay in what is today Rajasthan, the Maharaja decided to let the horse remain there and actually royals of that region became friends with those in the Varanasi region, they Rajastani’s wanted to have a residence and temple in Kashi to visit and see Ganga Maa (holy Ganges). The Marwari displays an “ambling gait” known as revaal, or the revaal chaal, and makes the Marwari both a fast pacer, and is one of the most thrilling rides of horseback!
