Chennai Approves $870K Plan to Protect Beach Horses

For generations, horse rides along Chennai's Marina Beach have brought joy to thousands of families, but the animals behind those smiles were quietly suffering.

The 51 horses that call Marina Beach home have been living under train stations in cramped, makeshift shelters with little protection from monsoons or scorching heat. Many owners wanted to provide better care but couldn't afford the 500 rupees daily cost of feeding and maintaining each horse.

That reality is about to change. The Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board just approved a 3.5 crore rupee proposal (about $870,000) to build proper stables, hire veterinary specialists, and provide regular food and medicine for every beach horse in the city.

The transformation started in 2023 when the Board began microchipping 122 horses to track their health and wellbeing. The data revealed troubling patterns: horses were working during the hottest hours when sand could damage their hooves, and many suffered from colic due to inadequate shelter where they couldn't roll in sand to aid digestion.

Shruti Vinod Raj from the Animal Welfare Board says the new policy will establish clear operating hours, maintenance standards, and accountability measures. Horses will no longer work between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., protecting them from extreme heat.

For owners like K. Kumar, who maintains horses under the Triplicane station, the support means everything. He earns only 1,000 rupees on weekdays and 2,000 on weekends, barely enough to feed his family and the animals. "These animals feed us, and we feed them," he explained simply.

The Ripple Effect

This initiative represents more than just animal welfare. It shows how communities can honor their traditions while modernizing them with compassion.

The beach horses are woven into Chennai's cultural identity, and now they'll be cared for with the same respect residents have for Marina Beach itself. Local families will continue enjoying horse rides, but with the knowledge that the animals providing those memories are finally living with dignity.

The program also creates new jobs for veterinary specialists and stable workers while setting a template other Indian beach communities can follow. When the first proper stables open later this year, they'll prove that cultural traditions and animal welfare don't have to conflict.

Chennai's beach horses carried generations of happy children on their backs, and now the city is finally carrying them forward into a brighter future.