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Visitors ride on a pony cart at Kigwema village, in Kohima district. The ride is a segment of the ongoing Hornbill Festival. (EM Images)[/caption]
Dimapur, Dec. 1 (EMN): To all the horse-riding enthusiasts a pony and ‘cart ride’ is open at Kigwema, in Kohima district. The stall opened on Sat. Dec. 1 at the Pony Farm, near Japfu Christian College, in Kohima.
Managed by the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AHVS), the pony services include a variety of items such as pony and cart rides; lassoing; polo strikes; and a food stall, photo booth, and various other novelties.
The director for AHVS, Aomangyang Walling told Eastern Mirror that there were eight horses at the stable. They were sourced from Assam and Manipur at the rate between INR 40, 000 and 60, 000 per horse. He said that the equines were a type of ‘pack animals,’ and meant for carrying luggage.
Walling said that the stable was introduced in 2002-03. Trainers from the Manipur Police Polo Club helped train the horses, which now are being taken care of by trained locals. The trained horsemen help visitors ride the animals.
As a part of the launch, the department’s advisor R Khing rode a pony cart.
A ride within the field for ten minutes costs INR 50 while a trail ride costs INR 100. Taking images from mobiles costs INR 50 while from camera it costs INR 100. The fee for printing a post card size photograph costs INR 50; a A4 size copy costs INR 100, and INR 120 for A4 size collage.
Every customer was made to ride the horses for free as a token to mark the launch of the ride.
