Standing in a stable, made out of a living room in a spacious house in Hyderabad, Balam came across as a regal horse. An Arabian-Sindhi crossbreed, Balam has a man specially deputed to ensure his well-being.
The owner, Syed Nabi Shah, an engineer by profession, said he inherited his love for horses from his forefathers.
Belonging to a religious family from Shahdadkot which is also the caretaker of the shrine of Noor Mola Shah, Nabi Shah said he developed interest in horses when he was a high school student in Larkana. “Every time I would go home during holidays, the first priority was to ride a horse. This attracted me to learn the skills to deal with the most sensitive of animals.”
Despite owning many luxurious vehicles, Shah says he is fascinated by horses, which is why he brought three horses to Hyderabad, among whom Balam is the most special one. “I have kept it in a special room to see him whenever I enter the home or before I go out.”
He said Balam was gifted by a tribal chieftain of Kohlu, Balochistan. The horses reared in Balochistan’s mountainous areas usually eat herbs and are considered stronger than those from the plains. But, he said, they have also proper menus for those horses that take part in races.
Nabi Shah, 46, visits at least 40 shrines annually with his beloved horse and takes part in the race. “I do not exaggerate but it is the number one horse in the entire province.”
Shah is an active member of the Sindhi Horse Lovers Club, formed by Indus Foundation, which is also running UNDP’s Small Grants Programme project of ‘Conservation of Threatened Sindhi Horse Breed’.
Horse lovers are going to bring more than 200 winning horses to Hyderabad next month for a special parade, which the organisers say will bring hundreds of horse lovers together from all over the province. “It will be a show of horses in an urban setting. We want to conserve the vanishing Sindhi horse breed.”
About the arrangements at traditional melas and horse races, he said, it depends on the organisers but because horse lovers do not like cash awards and it is just a hobby, they themselves bear the expenses to take part in these competitions. The participants travel long distances with their horses and install tents for the animals and make arrangements for visiting guests themselves. “There was a time when the horse had to travel 60 miles distance to take part in the race. But currently the traditions have changed and animals are brought in vehicles.
There is no concept of rating. When horses reach the ground for a race, the audience put them (horses) in three categories. About losing rhythm or tempo while in the race, Shah said it is animal, which sometimes may lose the game. However, he was proud that Balam, has won all races for the last four years consecutively.
Nabi Shah, a graduate from Mehran University of Engineering, Science and Technology, Jamshoro, personally takes care of his horse, its feed, practice and training. He rides horse twice or thrice a week at nearby ground, brings his young sons to take the reign of the horse to continue tradition. “I have an idea to recognise the capability of the animal at the first instance. It depends on the experience and the skill. About its training, Shah said the traditions are different in all the areas. Horse lovers in Balochistan load earthen bags for juvenile horse for making it familiar with ride. While in Sindh the tradition is different. They start its training after 12 months of age with direct riding.
“Horses can continue to take part in races till they are 20 years of age but it depends on their care and feed,” Shah concluded.
