Shimla, Nov 7 (PTI) Once considered to be on the verge of extinction, the endangered Chamurthi horses were the main attraction at a horse show in Rampur in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district on Thursday.
The show is part of the International Lavi Trade Fair, which is held in November. This year’s fair will start next week.
The rare breed from the Pin Valley in Spiti was on the verge of extinction but efforts by the state government led its population to increase to about 2,000.
The government has also opened a breeding centre at Lari in the valley.
Chamurthi horses are muscular animals with short, sturdy legs and known for their stamina and endurance, used for carrying loads.
It is one of the six recognised breeds of Indian horses.
Col Yogesh Dogra of the Army’s mobile field veterinary hospital said Chamurthi horses were most suitable for topography such as that in Spiti.
Dr Neeraj Mohan, deputy director of the animal husbandry department, said the breed had the capacity to tread in high-altitude areas.
These horses were brought to Pin Valley from Tibet when there was trade between the two, said Ami Chand Negi of Khab village in Namgaya panchayat near the Tibet border. PTI COR BPL SZM
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