Of all the essential skills that one must acquire early on in life, horse riding ought to be among them. Ask anyone who knows to ride a horse, they will tell you how it teaches empathy and respect.
Perhaps taking note of this, the management of Hindustan University, Padur, has revived its horse riding club where students can learn the skill. A brainchild of its deputy director Salim Mahmood, a regular at the Madras Riding Club, the idea is to provide students with an opportunity to learn horse riding from professional instructors.
The university’s Horse Riding Club, which was inaugurated just four months ago, has six horses, including four thoroughbreds. “In the past, we used to have a riding club within the college and wanted to revive it,” he says.
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Much to his surprise, there was great response from the students for the classes which are held twice a day for six days a week. “We have limited the number of trainees for now to 200,” he adds.
It’s 3.30 in the evening and around 10 students, armed with scrubs, saunter into the stables to groom the horses. First in line is Sydney, an eight-year-old thoroughbred, acquired from the Madras Riding School. The Night Dancer, a gelding, is next. “Grooming is part of the class. “They learn everything from cleaning the animal to putting on the saddle and the head collar,” informs Salim.
The class begins with a warm-up for both students and horses. On this particular evening, three young girls mount the horse inside a training ring whose circumference is around 20 m. In the middle of the ring stands the club’s instructor and caretaker, Raghuvir Singh, who served in the 61st Cavalry of the Indian Army, whichis the only horse-mounted cavalry regiment in the world. As he gives stern instructions to the beginners, the girls nudge the horses forward by holding the reins steady and touching its sides with their heels. They first make them walk along at a steady pace (trotting) before making them canter (running at a brisk pace). Brigadier (retd.) Dr. Ravi Varman, who recently joined Hindustan University as the Dean (administration) after serving in the 61st Cavalry, spoke of how a rider needs to forge a primordial connection with the animal. “One needs to be absolutely in tune with the horse for a smooth ride. The animal will do exactly like what you want it to if you treat it gently and with respect,” he adds.
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After about half an hour, the horses are taken to the cricket ground for a round of ‘show jumping’, a popular equestrian event. It is the turn of the more experienced students to make their horses jump the low fences. Ilavarasan, a third year Mechanical Engineering student, whose family owns around 46 horses, impressed with his prowess.
“While I have been riding horses from the age of five, this is the first time I am getting professionally trained.” The class concludes with Ilavarasan having a go at tent pegging, an ancient cavalry sport that requires a mounted rider, going at full gallop to pick up a target on the ground using a sharp lance.
Once the horses begin to sweat profusely, the riders unmount and leave them to graze the field. Currently, the club is only open to the students of the college.
Will it be thrown open to the public? Salim is non-committal. “We can,” he says and adds, “But as of now we want our students to make the most of it.”