Bio-diversity

The horse (Equus caballus) is a hoofed (ungulate) mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. Horses, at first, were all wild animals like zebras are today. People hunted them for their meat and especially for their skins, to make into leather hides for clothes and for tents and tools. But around 4000 BC, people in Central Asia began to tame horses, to domesticate them, to eat them and to use them to carry things. The first horses were too small to carry people, and it wasn`t until they had been bred bigger that people could ride them.There are various breeds of the Sindhi Horse, which are under threats and are at the verge of dying and vanishing. Various breeds of Sindh horse was found in almost every village of the Sindh and was used for riding purpose, races mostly, but over the time it is going to be vanished out rapidly due to its non utility in the time. This threatened breeds needs to be conserved and promoted. The present project proposal comes under the GEF SGP thematic areas of biodiversity conservation and is located in the areas which are of global significance. The project emphasis on the promotion of the threatened breeds of Sindhi horses. Project objectives: To promote the threatened breeds of Sindh Horses by the project period Conserving the skill of Sindhi horse riding by the project period Activities under the project: 1.Establishing a farm of 10 horses in the project area 2.identify the interest group and fond of horse riders and owners 3.Increase and retain the interest of horse riders through forming a horse club 4.Lobbing with various government and non government institutions for establishing a race course for the conservation and promotion of the threatened breeds of Sindhi Horses 5.organizing two races of the horses at local level 6.Developing and distributing the documentary on Sindhi horses 7.Organizing a horse parade/Horse Mella to draw attention of the general public, government and non governmental organizations towards promotion and conservation of the breeds of Sindh Horses 8.Keep record of the traditional races of the Sindhi horses and documenting the information 9.Publishing the booklet on the threatened breeds of Sindhi horses 10.Launching a website on Sindhi Horses 11.Disseminating the information and knowledge on the threatened breeds of Sindh Horses among the general public 12.Developing and publishing the training manuals on skill of riding on Sindhi horses for the conservation of the skill 13.Meetings with government and non governmental organizations, interest groups, media to educate them on the threats to the breeds of Sindhi horses 14.Monitoring of the project activities

Pakistan