A wedding is an auspicious occasion celebrating the life-long union of two people. And, we often go to great extents to make it memorable for us and our near and dear ones. India is a country of diverse religions, cultures, and traditions. Everything is celebrated in grand fashion, and weddings are no exception! Arriving at the wedding venue on a horse is of the most popular wedding traditions in India. It is seen as a symbol of high status and royalty. But, do you ever sit down and wonder what a poor horse goes through behind the scenes of your joyful celebration? Today, Team Desiwoof is here to walk you through a regular day in the life of a wedding horse.
On the day of the wedding, the horses are made to track to the venue, often 20-30 kilometers away. Once, they reach the venue, a chair like a saddle is put over them. It is decorated with all kinds of decorations that cover their eyes and greatly hamper their vision. The worst part of it all is the spiked bits fit in their mouths. These are composed of two cylinders and have spikes all over them. These bits cut into the horse’s mouth every time the rein is pulled, inflicting painful wounds. Soon, begins the grand royal parade popularly known as baraat all over the country.
Following Indian traditions, the groom is made to sit on the horse along with his nephew. The others move along with them in a joyous fashion dancing and singing in this flashy setting. We are well aware of the fact that Weddings can turn into a noisy affair. But did you know that horses are extremely sensitive to high-frequency sounds? The band or DJs often play songs at a very high volume, and even crackers are burst along the way. In every possible way, weddings are nothing less than nightmares for these humble horses.
After the long noisy trek and an all-day struggle, they just have more suffering and pain waiting around for them in the corner. On their way back, handlers are often drunk and take their frustration out on the meek animals after the long tiring day. If the horse gets injured on the road during the Baraat, they are provided with no treatment and nor cared for. An injured horse is deemed useless and merely left on the streets to die. These horses are truly living their worst nightmare. They are solely at the mercy of their cruel handlers, who just see them as objects to make money from. These horses are often malnourished and face brutal torture during their training. Animals deserve to be treated with love and respect. But, unfortunately, they are exploited for money until their last breath and undergo immense pain all their lives at the hands of inhumane handlers.
Today, states like Maharastra and Uttar Pradesh have banned the use of tools like spike bits. But, ask yourself is that enough? well, it is not. These poor animals need crucial help from your side! It is time to pledge to not use horses or any kind of animal at your wedding or any other special occasion. The idea of attaining happiness from inflicting pain on another living being is not the right way to go! It is a disguised form of animal abuse. Something we see every other day but never really noticed. If the states are not banning the use of horses in weddings. Well, then you should stand up for this humble animal and put an end to this cruel practice yourself. It is distressing to see how information about the seriousness and dangers of animal cruelty often goes unreported or is minimized. But, we can be the voice of these innocent animals. We can be their shields and protect them.
If you agree with us or have any more queries regarding this article, you can type your questions in the comment section below. Team Desiwoof would love to help you!