EBS Babugarh - Army's 'horse power' house

Babugarh, UP, Mar 5 (UNI) What does 'horse power' mean to Army? Certainly not what it means to physicists or engineers, but, simply horse -- the first friend of man on the earth.

Even in the 21st century, the army uses horses for transportation of goods, arms and ammunition to every nook and corner of the country, especially to those areas practically inaccessible by any other means.

The 'power house' behind maintaining these quadrupeds is the Army's Remount and Veterinary Corps-maintained Equine Breeding Stud (EBS) at Babugarh. One of the oldest stud farms in the world, it is located 6 km from Hapur town on the National Highway 24 in Uttar Pradesh.

Spread over 2039 acres of land, the main objective of EBS Babugarh, established way back in 1811 -- is to ensure that army maintains adequate stock of quality horses and mules, through selective and natural breeding.

Horses serve sports and ceremonial purposes whereas mules are exclusively used for transporting food, arms and ammunition to the military posts in tough mountainous locations, where even air services fail to reach.

An old clock fixed in the wall of 193 meter-long main stable -- longest in the world -- built in 1823, keeps a check on time for the daily routine of the ''world class stallions''.

Unlike other army units, EBS does not have colonial residential lines for officers. The residences of officers are located at various places within the farm area so that RVC officers, who are veterinary doctors by profession, could be available easily in case of emergency.

The floor made from cow dung paste in the stables, gives a different look to the RVC unit, which otherwise has similar limestone marks and layout of the line area.

Apart from about 2000 horses, ponies and donkeys, the EBS is also a home of several forms of wildlife like peacocks, neelgais, stags and black bucks.

Lush green fields with oats, rich grazing paddocks and massive hay stacks exhibit the quality and intensity of farming operation being undertaken in the farm.

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