Horse Breeds of Nepal

Abstract

This article is a review on the horse breeds of Nepal. The contents in this article is obtained from google books, blogs, online articles and conference papers. Information about indigenous horse breeds on Nepal is limited and papers on this topic has not been published yet which made the review task challenging. In Nepal, six types of horse and pony breeds is known of indigenous origin: Jumli, Chyanta, Tanghan, Terai, Tattu and Bhotia. Most area of the country is covered with Hill and mountains where horses are commonly used for transportation, cart-pulling, riding, carrying goods and bricks. They are also used for trekking or as pet animals and during festivals like marriages, Ghode Jatra, Yartung festival. Being a developing country as well as from religious point of view, horse rearing is found common in certain parts of Nepal. However, lack of breeding programme, conservation and poor nutrition has resulted in the decline of horse population in Nepal. Therefore, proper study, research and conservation strategies on these local horse breeds is necessary.