Riding into the sunset on a white stallion — with foaming waves crashing on a side and the wind whistling in the ears — is stuff dreams are made of. But, given our modern day style of living, in cramped apartments, in crowded cities, rearing a horse in our backyards is next to impossible.
Yet there are some who have a passion for rearing horses and are lucky enough to have the space, and the means, to do so. While some opt for it for the sheer pleasure of handling the rippling power of good horseflesh, there are others who are at it to rake in the moolah.
Horses, among the swiftest of land animals, can be money-spinners at the races. Foals with the right pedigree can also fetch a tidy sum.
If you intend to breed horses that will compete in races, you should be careful to buy only thoroughbreds. These are hot-blooded animals known for their speed.
This breed was supposedly developed in the 17{+t}{+h} and 18{+t}{+h} centuries in Britain by mating English mares with stallions from Arabia and surrounding regions. This heady oriental-continental combination has resulted in a breed that has excelled itself in race tracks across the world. In fact, only thoroughbreds are allowed to participate in most races.
Most stud farms typically have two-three stallions and around 100 mares. The big farms have horses imported mainly from Ireland, England and the US. The stallions are pricier than their female counterparts — they typically cost ₹1-8 crore, while mares can be bought for less than ₹1 crore.
The price also depends on the lineage. Those with celebrity parents or siblings that have won major races are of course more expensive.
But why this bias against Indian horse breeds? When we posed this question to Kuldeep Singh Rathore, a polo player and owner of two horses, he said: “Local breeds — Marwadi and Katyawadi — are known for their beauty and endurance but thoroughbreds are the best for racing.”
Breed matters Gaurav Sahgal, whose father Rajesh Sahgal owns Sahgal stud farms in Delhi, said: “Most of the horses around the world are the offshoots of four-five bloodlines that existed a couple of centuries ago.”
The kind of foals produced is to a large extent dependent on the parents. For instance, if the stallion is a sprinter and the mare is a long-distance runner, the offspring’s speed could lie somewhere in the middle.
Said Gaurav: “If you mate a stallion that races long distances and a mare which can also run long distances well, then there’s a high probability that the offspring will be a good long-distance runner.”
The destiny of a racing horse is determined as soon as it is born. It is registered with the All-India Racing Association immediately after birth. While it may start participating in races when it is about two-and-a-half years old, it is typically at least five years old before it can prove its worth and win its stripes.
Big farms in India have anywhere between 300 and 500 horses. In Chennai, recently deceased industrialist MAM Ramaswamy established the Chettinad and Sholavaram stud farms. The latter is the country’s biggest, with around 1,000 horses, all thoroughbreds.
The spend If you want to dabble in stallions and such, get ready to shell out a tidy sum for their maintenance, too. According to Gaurav, the maintenance of horses takes “anywhere between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000 a month, if not more.”
This excludes the money sunk in buying vast tracts of land where they can gallop or canter, and in other utilities required to house these purebreds. Summers are a problem in India as the horses find the heat unbearable.
How do Indian horse breeders compare with their global counterparts? The Indian breeders are doing a decent job, according to Gaurav.
“The horses sent abroad for races have done well but cannot compete at the top level. In some places like Ireland, horses are looked after well with good feed, good conditions to stay and roam. The grass there is considered to be the most nutritious.
“This is the perfect setting for breeding good race horses. But, with respect to breeding quality, Indian breeders are doing a good job,” he added.
Profit and passion If clothes maketh the man, speed maketh the horse.
Horses are ranked based on their speed, with Class 5 being the slowest and Class 1 the fastest. And there’re no glass ceilings here — when it comes to racing, horses are not differentiated based on gender.
Many horses manage to win a couple of lakhs of rupees for their owners, and the best go on to win a few crores. The prize money of a Mumbai derby is an awe-inspiring ₹2.5 crore or more.
“Once a horse proves its worth, the price shoots up. It’s considered a privilege to own such a horse,” remarked Gaurav.
Many own stud farms simply because it is a passion. They may sell some of their horses because they cannot afford to hold on to all the colts and fillies that are born in the farm. If an owner breeds a few hundred horses, he or she may try to retain a quarter of them.
A foal can fetch anything up to ₹60 lakh, and is generally not based on the gender. Foals from a highbrow bloodline, with parents or siblings that have won many races, sell for higher prices.
The bottomline: if you have a passion for horses, you are sure to hit pay-dirt. “Business enterprises that have started with lots of passion have been the ones which have done well,” said Gaurav.
“This business in one of a kind,” said Kuldeep, the polo player. “If you do it the right way then you make money. It brings its own lifestyle. This also gives a sense of respect and power in the society.”