INVISIBLE LABOR, VISIBLE NEGLECT: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF EQUINE FARMERS’ BURDENS IN HARYANA (INDIA)
The equine sector in India, and particularly in Haryana, remains chronically under -resourced, constrained by inadequate budgetary provision, diminishing land holdings, rapid agricultural mechanization, and policy neglect that together compound the socio-economic vulnerability of the farmers who depend on it. Despite the socio-economic significance of working equids for an estimated 600 million people worldwide, these animals remain marginal to mainstream livestock development policy. This study examined the gap between policy assumptions and empirical realities in equine husbandry through a mixed-methods investigation of farmer-level constraints.
Structured interviews were administered to 303 equine-owning farmers across four districts of Haryana (Hisar, Bhiwani, Jind, and Rohtak), selected through a multi-stage purposive, snowball, and random sampling design. Quantitative responses were analyzed descriptively and by chi-square tests of district-level variation. Five major constraints emerged: (i) inadequate access to expert veterinary services; (ii) limited government welfare policies and credit access; (iii) absence of structured breeding infrastructure; (iv) persistent work insecurity for equines under mechanization; and (v) generational disengagement linked to social stigma. Secondary analysis further identified pronounced gaps in insurance coverage and extension/knowledge services.
Key findings: 24.8% of respondents reported non-availability of government veterinary services and 29.7% reported that available veterinary staff lacked equine-specific expertise. Loan facilities for equine-based enterprises were unavailable to 67.6% of respondents, with zero farmers reporting successful access to equine-specific credit. Structured breeding policies were absent for 55.1% of respondents. Work insecurity linked to mechanization was reported by 94.4% of respondents, and 66.3% agreed that social stigma is associated with equine rearing. Landlessness (86.1% of the sample) compounded these constraints by foreclosing conventional credit collateral.
These findings indicate that the marginalization of Haryana’s equine farmers is systemic rather than incidental, rooted in institutional neglect, caste-linked occupational inheritance, and the unmitigated social costs of agricultural mechanization. We argue for coordinated policy intervention — dedicated budgetary allocation, equine-specific veterinary and breeding infrastructure, inclusive credit and insurance instruments, and community-centered livelihood diversification — to sustain equine-dependent rural livelihoods and to translate the 2024 National Livestock Mission amendment from symbolic recognition into implemented support.
Keywords: equine farmers; rural livelihoods; marginalization; livestock policy; working equids.
