Zaniskari or Zanskari is a breed of small mountain horses or ponies from Ladakh, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India . [1] They are named after the Zanskar Valley or region in the Kargil region. [2] They are similar to the Spiti breed in the state of Himachal Pradesh, but are better suited to work at high altitude [3] . Like Spiti, they resemble Tibetan horse breeds. [4] They are medium in size and often gray in color. This breed is considered to be endangered, since today there are only a few hundred animals alive, and a conservation program has been launched in India.
Content
History
In 1977, the Zaniscari horse population was estimated at 15,000–20,000 heads. [5] This breed was designated by the FAO as “not at risk” in 2007. [6] However, she is threatened by illegible crossbreeding with other horses, and it is believed that at present only a few hundred purebred animals remain. Mostly in the valleys of Ladakh, including the Zanskarskoye Gorge, from which the breed takes its name. The Jammu and Kashmir livestock department runs a farm in Paduma, Zanskar, to breed and preserve the breed. [7] The stock quickly declined due to mechanization and an increase in the number of roads in his home area. However, in 2006 the stock did not show any significant genetic bottleneck. [8] A genetic analysis of five Indian horse breeds in 2007 showed that the Zaniscari are close to the Manipuri, Spiti and Bhutia breeds and are more distant from Marvari . [9] A study of all six Indian breeds in 2014 grouped Zaniskari with the Bhutia, Manipuri and Spiti breeds, and found that it was most closely associated with Spiti. [ten]
Features
Zaniscari is sturdy, compact and well-built, and is especially suitable for working in a hypoxic environment of Ladakh. [2] 140-150 cm and body length about 95-115 cm. The most common colors are gray; bay, red, black crow also found. [one]
Usage
Zaniskari is especially suited to work as a pack animal at high altitudes and in the difficult conditions of his native region, which is between 3000 and 5000 m above sea level and where the temperature can reach −40 ° C. It is strong and stable, with good endurance . The Indian army in Ladakh uses it as a beast of burden. It is also used for skating and polo. [ten]
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Brief on Zanskari Ponies // Indigenous Horse Society of India. - 2015.
- ↑ 1 2 GS Gujral. Changing Perspectives Of Biodiversity Status In The Himalaya. - New Delhi: British Council Division, British High Commission, 1996. - ISBN 9788190065108 ..
- ↑ About Indian Horses // Indigenous Horse Society of India. - June 2015.
- ↑ Elwyn Hartley Edwards. The Encyclopedia of the Horse. - London; New York, Stuttgart; Moscow: Dorling Kindersley, 1994. - ISBN 0751301159 ..
- ↑ Zaniskari Pony / India // Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. - June 2015.
- ↑ Barbara Rischkowsky, D. Pilling (eds.). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture // Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. - 2007. - ISSN 9789251057629 ISBN 9789251057629 .
- ↑ Equines in India: Horses: Zanskari Horse // Indian Council of Agricultural Research: National Research Center on Equines. - June 2015.
- ↑ Rahul Behl, Jyotsna Behl, Neelam Gupta, SC Gupta, SPS Ahlawat, Mahesh Ragnekar, Z. Ahmed. Genetic characterization of Zanskari breed of horse . - Journal of Genetics, 2006. - S. 199-203.
- ↑ Rahul Behl, Jyotsna Behl, Neelam Gupta, SC Gupta. Genetic relationships of five Indian horse breeds using microsatellite markers. - Animal, 2007. - S. 483–488.
- ↑ 1 2 AK Gupta, Mamta Chauhan, Anuradha Bhardwaj, Neelam Gupta, SC Gupta, Yash Pal, SN Tandon, RK Vijh. Comparative genetic diversity analysis among six Indian breeds and English Thoroughbred horses. - Livestock Science, 2014. - S. 1-11.