Holding their hands behind the back, men
in pheran look at tourists getting down from the small bus. A quick look around
brings a smile of happiness... What a peaceful atmosphere! The bright sun of
November is shining above our heads. On the left, the green roofs characterise
the little town. On the opposite side, slightly blurred by winter fog, stand
white mountain tops. All around, eyes can stretch far... far... in the green plain
where a few men ride horses. Pigeons cleave through the sky. At winter
beginnings, Gulmarg is a place to enjoy calm and nature.
Picture: France Lenne
“Horse riding?” a Kashmiri offers, up on his
horse as we walk on the way towards the golf course. A row of horses ridden by
Indian tourists later takes us over. “Horse riding?” the guide asks. Then, we take a shortcut
through the muddy and watery plain. I curse my shoes, which are not at
all appropriate. A green-eyed man on his horse looks down at me, surprised not
to see me on a horse like others.
Indeed, in Gulmarg, it is rare to see a local moving without its horse(s). Horse riding is fully part of Gulmarg and Kashmir life. As a tourist, the landscape can be enjoyed without pain in the legs
and dirty shoes! Above all, it is the opportunity to experience the most
important mean of transport in Kashmir. Horses are very appropriate for hilly
regions such as Kashmir. They are particularly useful in rural areas where road
infrastructures are not well developed. These robust animals serve for pulling carts, carrying burdens and transporting people.. They also provide an income for a poor range of the society. According to Fazili and Kirmani (2011), only landless small farmers own horses which they rent (among all) to tourists in famous
places such as Gulmarg and Pahalgam [1].
In brief, horses
and ponies play a key role in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. They represent an essential mean of transport for many as well as an important source of income.
So, there is now only one question left to you: "horse riding?!"
[1] Fazili M.R., Kirmani M.A, 2011, Equine: The
Ignored Working Animal of Kashmir: Status, Constraints, Research Areas and Ways
for Improvement, Asian Journal of Animal Science 5 (2), Online Available at: http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=ajas.2011.91.101&org=12
