Feature
12 Amazing photographs of playing ‘Buzkashi’ in Chipurson, Gojal in Hunza
Horse riders play ‘Buzkashi’ game in Chipurson valley of Gojal tehsil in Hunza district.
Chipurson Valley borders with the strategically located Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan. Buzkashi, means grabbing goat, is centuries old traditional game in Wakhan Afghanistan. The horse riders of rival teams compete to take the slaughtered goat or calf and throw it in a circle fixed on the Buzkashi ground.
Photo: Abid Karim Tashi
My grandfather Munwar Shah(may Allah give his soul peace) was having great passion for horses and in these pictures his son Sadiq-Ur-Rehman, my maternal uncle is also seen exuding the same level of passion for horse.
Horse- a tremendous athlete is synonymous with natural agility and bursts of speed and power, has become rare in companions of animal in our area. Vehicle has replaced it for luggage carrying and modern sports like cricket, soccer and volley ball have replaced old polo. People have not sufficient time and resources to keep this expensive but loyal specie.
This bulky animal generates considerable heat during exercise and is good at conserving heat during periods of colder weather. Horse has slower metabolism because of which it has longer life span than that of many other companion animals. But actual life span depends on overall health, level of care and size. Thus this breed is quite in harmony with our given colder clime.
The primary sensory input in horses is sight, which is reflected in the size of eye, largest of any land mammal. This gives them extraordinary peripheral vision. Horses can generally see over a 340° arc without moving their heads. They have specific cells in the retina called rods, which are the responsible for night vision. Horses see considerably better in the dark than people. In general, horse vision is a little blurrier and a little less colorful than human vision. Horses exchange breath on meeting and assess the sexual status through scent.
A horse with ears that are laid back may be indicating aggression, pain, or fear; it allows horses to locate multiple sounds at the same time. Horses hear slightly better than people do. Their reaction time is faster than human with very high memory retention. They forgive but don’t forget. If they really want to get you; you won’t see it coming, will blow up with no warning.
The hair coat changes with the seasons, being longer and coarser in the winter to increase the amount of trapped air for insulation. Additional oil (sebum) is also produced by the skin during winter adding insulation.
Horses being herbivores have incisor and molar teeth designed to eat grasses and for grinding grains. Horses are known to have a sweet tooth! appreciating such things as apples, carrots, and honey! Horses are also known to tolerate substances that people generally find very bitter. Equine teeth grow continuously throughout life and an adult horse has 40 to 42 teeth.
If your horse’s average water intake is 5 to 7 gallons and urination 1 to 3 gallons per day, be aware and take care of your beloved horse, it might be suffering from kidney problem!!!