A file on the remarkable and endangered traditional breeding method of the Caspian horse is being prepared for inclusion in the National Intangible Heritage List.
Vali Jahani, head of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan, in an interview with IRNA, said: “The Caspian horse breed is one of the unique species in the world and its preservation by registering it in the list of intangible heritage of the country is one of the priority programs of this Department, in order to protect this valuable heritage of the province, which requires the cooperation and participation of the executive bodies.”
Referring to the unique features of the caspian horse, the head of the general directorate of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan Province, stated: “This unique species in Gilan has a history of over 3000 years, the remains of which have been found in the archeological excavations in the province and also depicted in the Persepolis bass reliefs”
Jahani added: “Also, the small size of this breed, which is known as the Caspian horse internationally, is one of its unique features.”
He continued: “Based on the plans made, we try to provide the opportunity of comprehensive support for this unique breed of the horse by registering this valuable intangible heritage of the country with the cooperation of the Research and Training Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources of the province.”
The Caspian Horse is more than 5,000 years old and is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. According to the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture of Iran, the official name of this horse in Iran is the local and international name, namely, the Caspian horse. This breed is the first ancestor of all warm-blooded horses globally, and it is scattered currently from Behshahr near the Turkmen plain upto Talesh in western Gilan.
The Caspian horse breed is on the verge of extinction. It is estimated that there are 2 to 2,500 Caspian horses in the world, of which 400 to 500 are found in the country, especially in the province of Gilan and the north, and in other regions are scattered in equestrian clubs.
The 18th Caspian Horse Beauty Festival was held in Gilan before Corona with the efforts of the Provincial Agricultural Jihad Promotion Coordination Office, the Deputy for Livestock Production Improvement, the Research Center, the Caspian Horse Guild, and the Taktaz Equestrian Club. In general, Caspian horses, in addition to being used for sports, are also crucial in the field of tourism, and investors can use this capability and invest in this area.
