India: Maharashtra's first horse marathon rewards stamina over speed

Indiatimes.com - Full Article

Nergish Sunavala | TNN | Feb 21, 2017,

On Sunday morning in Lo navla's Kurwande Villa ge, over 50 horses rolled on the ground kicking up dust before grooms wiped them off, massaged their joints and checked their heart rates. The flurry of activity at the stable with its precisely-timed choreography resembled a pit stop in aFormula One race.

And in a sense it was. These horses had just reached the halfway point of Maharashtra's first-ever 40km Endurance Championship. Before being permitted to continue, they had to be presented to a veterinarian, who would check for dehydration, limping and ensure their heart rate didn't exceed 64 beats per minute. The horse declared fit in the shortest amount of time would get a head start. Thus, an army of grooms and riders was engaged in bringing down their heart rate by any means necessary including encouraging them to roll and de-stress...

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/maharashtras-first-horse-marathon-rewards-stamina-over-speed/articleshow/57262921.cms