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| Country of origin | India |
| Distribution | Himachal Pradesh |
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The Spiti Horse is a breed of small mountain horse or pony from Himachal Pradesh in northern India. [4] It takes its name from the Spiti River, and is found mainly in the Kullu, [5] Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts of the state. [6]
The origins of the Spiti Horse are unknown. [7] It takes its name from the Spiti River, and is found mainly in the Kullu, [5] Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts of the state. [6]
A breed population of 4000 was reported in 2004; [2] numbers appeared to be in rapid decline, and the breed to be in urgent need of conservation. [6] :76 In 2007 its conservation status was recorded by the FAO as "not at risk"; [1] :61 in 2021 its status was reported to DAD-IS as "at risk". [2]
The Spiti Horse has some similarity to Mongolian and Tibetan breeds; [8] :201 genetic diversity analysis shows it to be close to the Zanskari, which occupies a similar range in the Himalaya. Some interchange between the two breeds is documented; [9] :5 the Spiti breed, however, is less well adapted to very high altitudes. [4]
It is a small, sturdy mountain horse, well adapted to the harsh environment of the Himalaya. It is fast and sure-footed on mountain terrain, moves safely on ice, and has good stamina and resistance to cold and to disease. [6] :76 It is used both as a pack animal and for riding. [6] :76 The usual coat colours are bay, black, piebald and grey. [6] :77
Himachal Pradesh is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the eleven mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks and extensive river systems. Himachal Pradesh is the northernmost state of India and shares borders with the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north, and the states of Punjab to the west, Haryana to the southwest, Uttarakhand to the southeast and a very narrow border with Uttar Pradesh to the South. The state also shares an international border to the east with the Tibet Autonomous Region in China. Himachal Pradesh is also known as 'Dev Bhoomi' or 'Land of Gods and Goddess'.
The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul and Spiti. The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, Kardang was the capital of Lahaul, and Dhankar the capital of Spiti. The district was formed in 1960, and is the fourth least populous district in India . It is the least densely populated district of India, according to the Census of India 2011.
Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.The district is divided into three administrative areas – Pooh, Kalpa, and Nichar (Bhabanagar), and has six tehsils. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo. The mountain peak of Kinnaur Kailash is found in this district. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh, after Lahaul and Spiti.
The Marwari or Malani is a rare breed of horse from the Marwar region of Rajasthan, in north-west India. It is closely related to the Kathiawari breed of the Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat, with which it shares an unusual inward-curving shape of the ears. It is found in all equine colours, including piebald and skewbald. It is a hardy riding horse; it may exhibit a natural ambling gait.
The Kathiawari or Kathiawadi is an Indian breed of horse. It originates in the Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat in western India, and is associated with the Kathi people of that area. It was originally bred as a desert war horse for use over long distances, in rough terrain, on minimal rations. It is closely related to the Marwari horses of Rajasthan; both breeds have been influenced by imported Arab horses. It is found in all colours except for black, and is most commonly chestnut. Its numbers diminished after Indian independence, and today there are few Kathiawaris left. In the past it was used as a war horse and cavalry mount. Today it is used for riding, in harness and for sports; it may be used as a police horse and for the sport of tent-pegging. A stud-book is kept by the Kathiawari Horse Breeders' Association, which also organises annual shows.
The Zaniskari or Zanskari is a breed of small mountain horse or pony from Ladakh, in northern India. It is named for the Zanskar valley or region in Kargil district. It is similar to the Spiti breed of Himachal Pradesh, but is better adapted to work at high altitude. Like the Spiti, it shows similarities to the Tibetan breeds of neighbouring Tibet. It is of medium size, and is often grey in colour. The breed is considered endangered, as there are only a few hundred alive today, and a conservation programme has been started in India.
The Manipuri Pony is a traditional Indian breed of small horse or pony from Assam and Manipur in north-eastern India. It appears both in the history and the mythology of Manipur, and was used for warfare. It is believed to have been the polo pony in use in Assam in the mid-nineteenth century when British tea planters first saw polo being played, and the height limits set for polo ponies were based on ponies of this breed. It was very numerous in the early twentieth century, but numbers have since fallen. A breed society was established in 1977, and a breed standard was drawn up by the Indigenous Horse Society of India in 2009.
The North Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is a state that has remained largely uninfluenced by Western culture. Himachal Pradesh is a multi-religion practising, multicultural and multilingual state. Some of the most commonly spoken languages are Hindi and the various Pahari languages. The Hindu communities residing in Himachal include the Brahmins, Rajputs, Kannets, Rathis and Kolis. There are also tribal population in the state which mainly comprise Gaddis, Kinnarms, Gujjars, Pangawals and Lahaulis.
Spiti Valley is a cold desert mountain valley located high in the Himalayas in the north-eastern part of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The name "Spiti" means "The middle land", i.e. the land between Tibet and India.
Manirang is one of the highest mountains in the Indian state Himachal Pradesh. It lies on the border between Kinnaur district and Lahaul and Spiti district. Close to the peak is the high Manirang pass, which was one of the early trade routes between Spiti and Kinnaur, before the motorable road was built.
The town of Kaza or Kaze is the subdivisional headquarters of the remote Spiti Valley in the western Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Spiti is a high altitude or cold desert having close similarities to the neighbouring Tibet and Ladakh regions in terms of terrain, climate and the Buddhist culture. Kaza, situated along the Spiti River at an elevation of 3,650 metres (11,980 ft) above mean sea level, is the largest township and commercial center of the Spiti valley.
The 1975 Kinnaur earthquake occurred in the early afternoon of 19 January. It had a magnitude of 6.8 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing extensive damage in Himachal Pradesh, in northern India. Its epicentre was in Kinnaur district in the southeastern part of Himachal Pradesh and caused 47 casualties. Landslides, rock falls and avalanches caused major damage to the Hindustan-Tibet Road. The earthquake affected many monasteries and buildings in the state and led to an extensive restoration work in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Himachal Pradesh. The Spiti and Parachu valleys in particular suffered the greatest damage being on the north–south Kaurik-Chango fault, causing damage to landmarks such as Key Monastery and Tabo Monastery.
Mandi Vidhan Sabha constituency is one of the 68 constituencies of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. This constituency is not reserved for the candidates belonging to Scheduled castes or Scheduled Tribes.
Western Himalaya refers to the western half of the Himalayas, stretching from Badakhshan in northeastern Afghanistan/southern Tajikistan, Pakistan through Northwestern India. It is also known as Punjab Himalaya. All five tributary rivers of the Indus in the Punjab region originate from the Western Himalaya.
The Bhutia Horse is a breed of small mountain horse from Sikkim and the district of Darjeeling in northern India. It has some similarity to Mongolian and Tibetan breeds. The usual coat colours are bay and grey.
The Shan Horse or Shan Myinn is a breed of small mountain horse or pony from the Shan Highland, in Shan State in eastern Myanmar (Burma). It was traditionally bred by the Shan people of that area. It is one of two horse breeds in Myanmar, the other being the Burmese Horse. It is similar to the Indian Manipuri, Spiti and Bhutia breeds of small horse or pony.
Bhaba Pass, also known as Bhawa Pass, is a high mountain pass situated in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh in the Indian Himalayas. It is located on the border of Kinnaur district and Lahaul and Spiti District, and borders Pin Valley National Park and the Rupi-Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary.
Mud is a small village in the cold desert region of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, India. Located at an altitude of 3,810 m (12,500 ft) on the left bank of the Pin River, a right bank tributary of the Spiti River, the village nestles at the base of the Parbati range that towers almost vertically 1,600 m (5,200 ft) above. Mud is near the boundary of the Pin Valley National Park and is a convenient base for treks in the park, and to the neighbouring districts of Kullu and Kinnaur. It is the last village on the Spiti side of the Pin Parbati trek to Kullu and the Pin Bhaba trek to Kinnaur.