National
Bhimthadi horse | Return of a native
Once the pride of the Maratha empire, the Bhimthadi horse had faded into oblivion in the past 200 years. Its recognition now as a separate indigenous breed could spell a reversal of fortunes for the steed
The six horses come galloping along the low-roofed stable building in Baramati, Maharashtra—a black stallion and a bay-coloured mare, followed by a white and a dun-skinned pair. Pelts gleaming, manes flowing, tails flying and hooves pounding the dustâæthey appear to be a force of nature. Hand-picked specimens of the famed Bhimthadi or Deccani horse, one can almost imagine the creatures among their ancestors in the 17th and 18th centuries, in a troop of Maratha horsemen, charging at the enemy and driving them off the field.
