Rajkot hosts rare Kathiawari horse breed show

Rajkot, Jan 18 (ANI): A show featuring the Kathiawari horse breed was staged recently to attract enthusiasts and create awareness about the need to conserve the breed that is facing extinction.

The horses showed their speed and skill during the show.

"Horse needs maintenance and the maintenance costs but in the case of Kathiawari it is not only the economic question. It is question of Marwari (breed) taking over the Kathiawari (breed) and I am very worried about it. They are many more in numbers and they tend to be taller than us. Present horse owners want a little taller horses," said Ghanshyamsinhji Maharaj, a horse expert.

The Marwari breed is found mostly in Rajasthan while Kathiawari breed hail from the Kathiawar Peninsula in India's north-western coastal belt. They are also found in western Maharashtra and southern Rajasthan.

Kathiawar horses have great endurance and stamina.

"Such shows are welcome. It gives a lot of encouragement to the horse breeders of Kathiawar. The Kathiawari horse is very famous and it is one of the very old breed of horses in the world," said Raghuraj Singh Dilip Singh Zala, former police officer. (ANI)