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| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | India |
| Distribution | |
| Standard | Indigenous Horse Society of India |
| Traits | |
| Height |
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| Colour | fourteen recognised colours[4]: 484 |
TheManipuri Pony (Meitei:Meitei Sagol)[5][6] is a traditional Indianbreed of small horse orpony fromAssam andManipur in north-eastern India. It appears both in thehistory and themythology of Manipur, and was used forwarfare andpolo. It is believed to have been thepolo pony in use in Assam in the mid-nineteenth century when Britishtea planters first sawpolo 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. Abreed society was established in 1977, and a breed standard was drawn up by theIndigenous Horse Society of India in 2009.[4]: 484
Small horses have been bred for centuries in the Manipuri area of north-eastern India.[7] They were often used aswarhorses, and were ridden by theMeitei warriors ofKangleipak (later calledManipur). Horses from Manipur were used by the cavalry ofNingthouGharib Nawaz (Meitei:Pamheiba) in his wars against theKonbaung dynasty of Burma.[8] When the game ofpolo was first observed by Britishtea planters in Assam, these are believed to have been thepolo ponies that were being used.[4]: 484 Some unsuccessful attempts were made tocross-breed the Manipuri polo ponies withArab stock.[4]: 484 The height of polo ponies was based on the average height of the Manipuri, and was at first restricted to 132 cm (13hands), later relaxed to 136 cm (13 h); in 1916 the restriction was completely removed.[4]: 484 At about this time the export of ponies from Manipur was banned in order to allow breed numbers to recover.[8] Manipuri horses were used to transport British troops into Burma during theSecond World War.[9]
In 1977 abreed society, theManipur Horse Riding and Polo Association (MHRPA), was established.[10] In recent years, breed numbers have decreased, and estimates place the breed at somewhere between 2300[7] and 1000 in population in the 21st century.[9] Population numbers continue to dwindle in part due to high numbers of ponies being smuggled into Myanmar (Burma), where the breed is in demand, after either having been purchased or stolen from their Indian owners. In 2005, a heritage park was opened by the Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association with the goal of preventing the extinction of the breed and promoting them to tourists.[9]
The Manipuri Pony has a light head with a straight profile, set on a well-formed neck, somewhat pronouncedwithers, a deep chest and sloping shoulders. Thecroup is sloping, the legs sturdy and thehooves well-proportioned. The overall appearance is elegant. Manipuri ponies generally stand 11 to 13 hands (44 to 52 inches, 112 to 132 cm) high.[11] They are oftenbay in color, but can also bepinto,grey andchestnut.[12] Because of the short height of the ponies, riders use shortened mallets while playing polo.[13] The Manipuri pony resembles, and is distantly related to, theBurmese Pony and the IndonesianBatak andSumba ponies.[8]
In 2007, a study was published that examinedgenetic variation among five Indian equine breeds—the Manipuri,Marwari,Spiti,Bhutia, andZanskari. Based on analysis ofmicrosatellite DNA, the Manipuri was found to have the greatestgenetic distance from the Marwari, and a much closer genetic distance to the other three breeds.[14] The distance from the Marwari was not only genetic, but seen in physical characteristics, particularly height and environmental adaptability. The physical differences were attributed to differing ancestries: the Marwari horse is closely associated with theArabian, while the four other breeds are thought to have descended at least in part from theTibetan pony. None of the breeds in the study were found to be closely genetically associated with theThoroughbred.[14]
Polo was introduced into the area of Manipur state as early as the seventh century, and Manipuri ponies were one of the first breeds used in the game.[12] The British learned of polo during the nineteenth century while watching it played on Manipuri ponies in India. The breed is still used for polo today in India, but other breeds are more popular in Europe and America.[11] Manipuri ponies are often also used to playsagol kangjei, a version of polo believed to be close to what was originally played when the sport was invented. Sagol kangjei is more demanding than modern polo, as ponies are used for the entire match instead of being changed between periods.[15] Manipuri ponies are also used for racing.[7] During their early history, they were in demand as cavalry horses, and men that rode these ponies were thought well-mounted.[12]
