Getting their spurs on

Equestrian sports might be the domain of the privileged, but the proliferation of riding schools in India could change that.

When 20-year-old Mayank Krishnan completed his graduation from Bangalore University in commerce, he didn’t want to become part of the rat-race and do his MBA. Instead, he opted to make a career out of horse riding. It did come as a surprise to his friends but the culture of riding in India is growing. Krishnan is now a part-time instructor at one of the schools in the city that has started a horse riding programme. In Bangalore alone, there are a dozen professional riding schools, Hyderabad and Mumbai have eight, Delhi six and Kolkata has about the same number. This is in addition, to horse riding lessons being taught in various schools.

 

“People don’t see horse riding as an elite pursuit,” says Deepa Sahni, of Equestrian School of Excellence in Bangalore. Riding schools offer all kinds of training related to horse riding. There are beginner level courses which involve walking and trotting the horse, going on to cantering and galloping .

In Bangalore, the oldest riding school is the Bangalore Amateur Riding Institute (BARI), which was set up in 1955 at the Turf Club. Nitin Gupta, who is a coach at BARI, says that the horse riding phenomenon has been growing in the city in the last five years. These are urban middle-class families whose children between the ages of 8-18 have shown an inclination and interest in horses and horse riding, says Gupta.

Equestrian sports in the country is still at a nascent stage of development. But Sahni says that the idea is to encourage children to take it up as a profession. Sheena Gupte, who takes her 14-year-old daughter to a riding club in Bangalore says that it’s like a vocational activity for the time being. “If it leads to further interest, we will see,” she adds.

In Delhi, Beeya Vohra runs a riding school in Vasant Kunj which has over 200 members. There is no membership fee and Vohra charges about Rs 300 for a 30-minute training session. Vohra is encouraged by the response she gets. She started off with three horses and now has a stable of 40 plus. The Army and Polo Riding Club in Delhi has now been open to the public for the last two years. With an entry fee of Rs 15,000 and a nominal monthly fee, one can learn horse riding from the best trainers.

Two hours from Mumbai on the Mumbai-Pune highway is the Japalouppe Equestrian Centre set up by Rohan More. There’s also the ARC or the Amateur Riding Club in Mumbai which is a favourite among parents and one of the oldest in the city. Riding is a simple sport and you just need to connect with the horse, says Gupta of BARI. But you do need to develop strong thigh and leg muscles and acquire a sense of balance.

A lot of schools also have special courses for the physically and mentally-challenged. Bangalore’s Princess Academy of Equitation offers a special course as does More’s Japalouppe Centre. Horses are known to be therapy animals and can help those who cannot walk on their own. Riders with physical disabilities show improvement in flexibility, balance and muscle strength. And those suffering from mental disabilities develop patience and confidence.

Riding schools are also gaining popularity in other cities like Chandigarh, Pune and Hyderabad.Chandigarh has three riding schools while in Pune, schools have started riding programmes.

But what about the future prospects? Is horse riding a viable career? Vohra is optimistic, and feels that there will be a surge in horse riding as a sport. “With parents and schools showing interest as well, the future looks promising,” she says. Earlier, only the well-heeled or people from the Services used to show interest in riding. “But with the kind of general participation we are seeing, there will be a new generation of riders,” says Gupta. Going by the proliferation and popularity of riding schools in the country, it does seem like a new generation of horse riders is enjoying it.