17/02/2026
Year of the Horse.
In India, the horse is not just a symbol of speed.�It is a symbol of guardianship.
Here are three equestrian traditions we love across landscapes, across histories.
1. Stay at Mihir Garh, Rajasthan�Home to the indigenous Marwari breed, instantly recognisable by its inward-curving ears. Riding here isn’t spectacle. It’s participation in a Rajput lineage where horse and warrior were inseparable.
2. Watch Polo in Rajasthan�Introduced during the Mughal era and refined under princely states, polo remains one of the most disciplined expressions of elegance. Precision. Restraint. Dust suspended in sunlight.
3. See The Painted Horses of Ayyanar, Chettinad�Far from royal forts, in Tamil villages, rows of terracotta horses stand watch at the periphery of sacred groves.
Ayyanar, a pre-Vedic guardian deity, is believed to patrol the village each night, sword in hand, astride his white stallion. Devotees commission brightly painted clay horses in gratitude, crafted by hereditary potter-priests in ceremonies that blend clay, fire, trance and devotion.
These horses are not decorative.�They are offerings.�
The Year of the Horse feels like a reminder:
Power is not always loud.�Sometimes it stands at the edge of a village.�Keeping watch.