Tonga owners and drivers are not the only ones who want customers to take rides in their horse-drawn carriages in Mysore. Even Akram Pasha (35), the only horseshoe maker in the city prays for the tonga business to thrive.
For, the horseshoes made out of metal wear off only when the tongas are in good demand and are used sufficiently by commuters.
“Tonga owners do not come back for months, if they do not have good business. But, if the going is good for them, they come back for new shoes for their horses within a month,” he said.
Mr. Pasha holds each of the four legs of a horse tightly and starts working on the hooves using implements from the paraphernalia that he keeps by his side. First, he removes the old metal shoe and nails, files and trims the hooves before driving in a new shoe. Even though the hooves are insensitive, Mr. Pasha says a horseshoe is to be fixed with a lot of skill, lest the horse starts kicking.
Mr. Pasha said he learnt the skill of replacing horseshoes from his late father Nanhe Saab, who died about 20 years ago.
But, over a period of time, his earnings dwindled as the number of tongas in the city came down. He said he struggles to eke out a living for himself, his wife and six children. He is paid Rs. 140 for fixing new shoes for each horse. “Not only has the number of tongas come down, even the existing ones don’t need a replacement for months if the horses do not walk or trot around much,” he said.
“I get to replace horseshoes of one horse every day, if I am lucky. I have no option but to borrow money to feed my family if I don’t get work for a day,” said Mr. Pasha. But, he said he was sending all his children to school.
