MEMOIRS OF A HORSE RIDER / LOVER
IT was a an unearthly hour … I groped around in the darkness .. crash .. blonk . … @%$# … clink … ( at last I came into contact with the light switch) …I never thought I had it in me I wondered (aka RDB).. to actually be able to fight for a cause ..in this case my long cherished dream almost a revered passion .For getting up at 5 in the morning for me was like fighting with the enemy at the battlefield .. an almost Herculean task .. next to impossible !!
It was my 2 nd class..I arrived just in time ,,the clock had struck 6 .. the other riders had arrived and mounted their muses … I hurriedly got into the “ appropriated dress” .. now what were the instructions of the last class???… my mind had gone totally blank..as the horse stood majestically in the distance waiting impatiently (Horse : really ??? come fast U oaf … what’s taking U so long ???? am not used to waiting !!!) … As I approached the horse .. almost apologetically ..my instructor suddenly instructed me to ride another horse.. a bay colored one (which the girl in front of me had apparently refused to ride )… much bigger than the ones I could see around me .. I glanced/ peeped at the horse ..the horse looked at me in disdain …I am a thoroughbred !! .. its whole demeanor seemed to scream out … ( for the uninitiated a throughbred is a horse meant for racing and hence much more powerful .. prone to some common ugh traits ..like they are kickers … most likely to throw u off their backs… suddenly tug at the reins so hard that u think ur arms are going to come out of their sockets ..as if they hate u for riding them a( horse – hey human ..whts ur breed??/ … u dare ride me ..do u even have the faintest idea who I am .. ???? pata nahi kahan kahan se aa jate hain subah subah needh kharab karne !!) .and also shake themselves from head to tail as if they are having a sudden seizure as u are hailed from side to side like a pendulum as an entirely calm and unperturbed stable hand tells u that the horse is merely flicking away the flies that are irritating him ..not seeming to see anything out of place or acknowledging ur shook up and disheveled appearance
Okay So I am supposed to love them ..I do .. I do .. that’s why I still dare to ride one ..and also seem to be most happy to have got the opportunity to ride a thoroughbred ( meant only for advanced classes .. and I was just in the beginners .. there was still the medium to go)..could it get any better ?..the instructor actually thot me worthy enough to ride one ( Horse – really ??The reason I am there in the first place is shortage of horses u dummy and the other people here are obviously more important people than u , u nondescript creature hence its ur neck that’s being stuck out )
Well oblivious to what I was getting into … and delighted at the opportunity to ride such a fine horse ( for thoroughbreds are beautiful to look at with shining skin and a magnificent almost royal appearance and aura around them ) I walked towards the horse .. Head held high.. And an almost regal stride (trying to match the horse) .. and suddenly came to a standstill . The horse loomed large in front of me.. more than 6 feet tall.. there was no way I could climb that .. I looked hopelessly and helplessly at the trainer … “sir I don’t think I can climb atop”( okay ! okay ! I wont say I whined - that would be insulting myself a wee much ) … however with a little help and a rushed recap of last class instructions ( on apparently how to mount any horse) and after making a complete fool of myself … I rose …and with a huge ( and almost graceful swing of my leg or so I believed) which thankfully reached the other side of the horse ( somehow ) ..I was finally there where I belonged (but wasn’t I a natural horse rider ! – Horse - In your dreams u Dimwit !) …
Hmm … The walk … and then the trot …. Today’s class was all about the TROT .. trot is when you kick the horse in the tummy ( not too hard or up might end u regretting it as the horse gallops away leaving ur little frame behind somewhere in the dust trying to find your bearings if any left at all) make your horse trot … barked the instructor… but apparently it isn’t as easy as that ,, as the horse trots away to glory ..ur supposed to rise up and down in your seats along with the rhythm of the horse …up down ..up down ,.,, ofcourse nobody taught u to balance your heavy body atop a horse back in high school ???/ .. standing like a frail little piece of whatever …almost knocking your self out of the saddle trying to go up and down at the speed of lighting .. or at least it seems so …
of course it helps a lot , especially if you have to keep the following in mind simultaneously while struggling with the effort of keeping your balance as well as rising up and down like ur bottom was on fire …!!!
1) keep your back ramrod straight
2) align your Hip ??/ and Heel with your back .. hence everything should be ramrod straight
3) However while keeping yourself ramrod straight .. only your lower part of the body should be rigid … the upper part should be totally relaxed with utter fluidity in every motion that u make above the waist ( ofcourse it helps a lot to relax if u keep ur spine ..yes u guessed it right ..RAMROD straight !!)
4) Heels down … toes turned out slightly tucked it ..
5) The widest part of your feet should be in the stirrup to give u maximum leverage as u do monkey dance on the horse ( up n down ..Up n down )
6) Reins to be held between thumb ..index…and mmm little finger and the middle sorry forget what to do with the middle .finger ( let it just hang in there somewhere ) .. now what is the fifth finger called …hmm forget it .. hold the reins..
7) Keep sure the reins are always tight enough to keep you in contact with the horses mouth .. that is the only contact and means of communicating with the horse ( my heart takes a small lurch in its cage ..ugh ribs and I tighten my grip …now I cant even relax my hands ..I would have been less frightened by a horror story involving … 100 demons … and another 100 ghosts .. atleast I wouldn’t end up with broken bones !!)
Okay these are some of the many instructions ( and believe me there are many more small details which I obviously forget …) one has to keep in mind and simultaneously follow ..while riding on the horse .. and at no time during the entire session should your mind waver even for a second …or your posture compromised .. (oh hell !!! its 6 in the morning .. and I am not an early riser at all . MERCY !!!) ..
Suddenly after a lot of failed attempts at standing up and sitting down @ speed of light ..I suddenly realize that the motion is coming naturally to me ..juts as naturally as a kid tries to walk and keeps falling down and then suddenly takes its very first step ..at least that is the surge of happiness I got form this sudden new found way that I seemed to have acquired of going up and down ( it certainly seemed to require lesser effort than the previous version hence I was absolutely convinced this was the way it was meant to be and wasn’t I much better than the other riders who apparently seemed to be still going up and down in a funny way …or was it that I was the odd one out and was probably the laughing stock .. mentally the rest of them were laughing there minds off at me .. and my weird antics .. alas there was no way to find out … hence I continued with my head held high and with a superior air about me just like a cat who had finally managed to lick the cream ..(at least it was better than looking unsure about exactly what I was trying to do – either way I was making a fool of myself clowning around !!) …
Hmm .. well in the midst of all this .. my dreamer self took over ( did I Tell ya that I am prone to bouts of daydreams and had been nicknamed “ Dream girl” as a kid by the seniors girls since I used to suddenly get lost in thoughts ..still do ) and hence very naturally I got lost in my thoughts – this time I was thinking about how good I was at riding .. what a little find I am .. a treasure trove …a delight to watch …and how I would Brag sorry blog about this on my blog ! .. and I completely forgot I was supposed to be AT ATTENTION… the trainer’s voice seemed to come from far off into my dream world shattering it as he barked angrily … where are u Girl ? And why the hell are u slouching.. sit straight .. where are ur feet.. heels down .. tuck in ur toes ..what are u doin ? cant u even remember the basics.. hold the reins tight … they control the horse !!
Shruti - meekly( giving an impish grin or so she believed !) …sorry Sir .
Trainer - Well okay .. sit straight ..like a lioness.. “shairni ki Mafik”….
Vow that sounds easy … however owing to the dreamer nature I couldn’t help analyzing this new simile angle and started imagining my own parallels… Instantly transporting myself to 19 th century India … with head held high she ( rani laxmi bai ) surveryed her lands .. with a regal air I looked around me ,.,and the familiar rhymes of that famous poem floated in the periphery of my mind – “ Bundale Har bolo ke muh hamne suni Kahani thi , khub ladi mardani voh to Jhansi wali rani thi”.. by now the instructor had given up on me .. and moved his attention elsewhere .. however I continued to believe I was doin everything right ( cos wasn’t I a natural with the horses ??? ) … Soon the sessions came to an end ..and we had to dismount … ofcourse as I came back to earth I realized that today’s lessons had left behind more marks than I had bargained for …atleast my battered lower half seems to scream that out … and that night saw my entire body feeling as if it had been twisted and rinsed out thoroughly …when every part seemed to protest as I took myself off to bed for an early and longer than usual sleep ….
Signing off .
A battered Shruti
( to be continued – feeling very sleepy now )
P.S.- If you haven’t already got bored .. more will follow later .. this was just the 2 nd class and I have apparently become the lifetime member of EFI (Equestrian Federation of India ) .. which entitles me to avail of the rising/ riding facilities of any society / club affiliated to it all over India …However on a more serious and parting note.. I enjoyed every moment of it!!! It was as if I was born for riding a horse (Horse – Dream away u NUT! The worse is still to come ..)
It was my 2 nd class..I arrived just in time ,,the clock had struck 6 .. the other riders had arrived and mounted their muses … I hurriedly got into the “ appropriated dress” .. now what were the instructions of the last class???… my mind had gone totally blank..as the horse stood majestically in the distance waiting impatiently (Horse : really ??? come fast U oaf … what’s taking U so long ???? am not used to waiting !!!) … As I approached the horse .. almost apologetically ..my instructor suddenly instructed me to ride another horse.. a bay colored one (which the girl in front of me had apparently refused to ride )… much bigger than the ones I could see around me .. I glanced/ peeped at the horse ..the horse looked at me in disdain …I am a thoroughbred !! .. its whole demeanor seemed to scream out … ( for the uninitiated a throughbred is a horse meant for racing and hence much more powerful .. prone to some common ugh traits ..like they are kickers … most likely to throw u off their backs… suddenly tug at the reins so hard that u think ur arms are going to come out of their sockets ..as if they hate u for riding them a( horse – hey human ..whts ur breed??/ … u dare ride me ..do u even have the faintest idea who I am .. ???? pata nahi kahan kahan se aa jate hain subah subah needh kharab karne !!) .and also shake themselves from head to tail as if they are having a sudden seizure as u are hailed from side to side like a pendulum as an entirely calm and unperturbed stable hand tells u that the horse is merely flicking away the flies that are irritating him ..not seeming to see anything out of place or acknowledging ur shook up and disheveled appearance
Okay So I am supposed to love them ..I do .. I do .. that’s why I still dare to ride one ..and also seem to be most happy to have got the opportunity to ride a thoroughbred ( meant only for advanced classes .. and I was just in the beginners .. there was still the medium to go)..could it get any better ?..the instructor actually thot me worthy enough to ride one ( Horse – really ??The reason I am there in the first place is shortage of horses u dummy and the other people here are obviously more important people than u , u nondescript creature hence its ur neck that’s being stuck out )
Well oblivious to what I was getting into … and delighted at the opportunity to ride such a fine horse ( for thoroughbreds are beautiful to look at with shining skin and a magnificent almost royal appearance and aura around them ) I walked towards the horse .. Head held high.. And an almost regal stride (trying to match the horse) .. and suddenly came to a standstill . The horse loomed large in front of me.. more than 6 feet tall.. there was no way I could climb that .. I looked hopelessly and helplessly at the trainer … “sir I don’t think I can climb atop”( okay ! okay ! I wont say I whined - that would be insulting myself a wee much ) … however with a little help and a rushed recap of last class instructions ( on apparently how to mount any horse) and after making a complete fool of myself … I rose …and with a huge ( and almost graceful swing of my leg or so I believed) which thankfully reached the other side of the horse ( somehow ) ..I was finally there where I belonged (but wasn’t I a natural horse rider ! – Horse - In your dreams u Dimwit !) …
Hmm … The walk … and then the trot …. Today’s class was all about the TROT .. trot is when you kick the horse in the tummy ( not too hard or up might end u regretting it as the horse gallops away leaving ur little frame behind somewhere in the dust trying to find your bearings if any left at all) make your horse trot … barked the instructor… but apparently it isn’t as easy as that ,, as the horse trots away to glory ..ur supposed to rise up and down in your seats along with the rhythm of the horse …up down ..up down ,.,, ofcourse nobody taught u to balance your heavy body atop a horse back in high school ???/ .. standing like a frail little piece of whatever …almost knocking your self out of the saddle trying to go up and down at the speed of lighting .. or at least it seems so …
of course it helps a lot , especially if you have to keep the following in mind simultaneously while struggling with the effort of keeping your balance as well as rising up and down like ur bottom was on fire …!!!
1) keep your back ramrod straight
2) align your Hip ??/ and Heel with your back .. hence everything should be ramrod straight
3) However while keeping yourself ramrod straight .. only your lower part of the body should be rigid … the upper part should be totally relaxed with utter fluidity in every motion that u make above the waist ( ofcourse it helps a lot to relax if u keep ur spine ..yes u guessed it right ..RAMROD straight !!)
4) Heels down … toes turned out slightly tucked it ..
5) The widest part of your feet should be in the stirrup to give u maximum leverage as u do monkey dance on the horse ( up n down ..Up n down )
6) Reins to be held between thumb ..index…and mmm little finger and the middle sorry forget what to do with the middle .finger ( let it just hang in there somewhere ) .. now what is the fifth finger called …hmm forget it .. hold the reins..
7) Keep sure the reins are always tight enough to keep you in contact with the horses mouth .. that is the only contact and means of communicating with the horse ( my heart takes a small lurch in its cage ..ugh ribs and I tighten my grip …now I cant even relax my hands ..I would have been less frightened by a horror story involving … 100 demons … and another 100 ghosts .. atleast I wouldn’t end up with broken bones !!)
Okay these are some of the many instructions ( and believe me there are many more small details which I obviously forget …) one has to keep in mind and simultaneously follow ..while riding on the horse .. and at no time during the entire session should your mind waver even for a second …or your posture compromised .. (oh hell !!! its 6 in the morning .. and I am not an early riser at all . MERCY !!!) ..
Suddenly after a lot of failed attempts at standing up and sitting down @ speed of light ..I suddenly realize that the motion is coming naturally to me ..juts as naturally as a kid tries to walk and keeps falling down and then suddenly takes its very first step ..at least that is the surge of happiness I got form this sudden new found way that I seemed to have acquired of going up and down ( it certainly seemed to require lesser effort than the previous version hence I was absolutely convinced this was the way it was meant to be and wasn’t I much better than the other riders who apparently seemed to be still going up and down in a funny way …or was it that I was the odd one out and was probably the laughing stock .. mentally the rest of them were laughing there minds off at me .. and my weird antics .. alas there was no way to find out … hence I continued with my head held high and with a superior air about me just like a cat who had finally managed to lick the cream ..(at least it was better than looking unsure about exactly what I was trying to do – either way I was making a fool of myself clowning around !!) …
Hmm .. well in the midst of all this .. my dreamer self took over ( did I Tell ya that I am prone to bouts of daydreams and had been nicknamed “ Dream girl” as a kid by the seniors girls since I used to suddenly get lost in thoughts ..still do ) and hence very naturally I got lost in my thoughts – this time I was thinking about how good I was at riding .. what a little find I am .. a treasure trove …a delight to watch …and how I would Brag sorry blog about this on my blog ! .. and I completely forgot I was supposed to be AT ATTENTION… the trainer’s voice seemed to come from far off into my dream world shattering it as he barked angrily … where are u Girl ? And why the hell are u slouching.. sit straight .. where are ur feet.. heels down .. tuck in ur toes ..what are u doin ? cant u even remember the basics.. hold the reins tight … they control the horse !!
Shruti - meekly( giving an impish grin or so she believed !) …sorry Sir .
Trainer - Well okay .. sit straight ..like a lioness.. “shairni ki Mafik”….
Vow that sounds easy … however owing to the dreamer nature I couldn’t help analyzing this new simile angle and started imagining my own parallels… Instantly transporting myself to 19 th century India … with head held high she ( rani laxmi bai ) surveryed her lands .. with a regal air I looked around me ,.,and the familiar rhymes of that famous poem floated in the periphery of my mind – “ Bundale Har bolo ke muh hamne suni Kahani thi , khub ladi mardani voh to Jhansi wali rani thi”.. by now the instructor had given up on me .. and moved his attention elsewhere .. however I continued to believe I was doin everything right ( cos wasn’t I a natural with the horses ??? ) … Soon the sessions came to an end ..and we had to dismount … ofcourse as I came back to earth I realized that today’s lessons had left behind more marks than I had bargained for …atleast my battered lower half seems to scream that out … and that night saw my entire body feeling as if it had been twisted and rinsed out thoroughly …when every part seemed to protest as I took myself off to bed for an early and longer than usual sleep ….
Signing off .
A battered Shruti
( to be continued – feeling very sleepy now )
P.S.- If you haven’t already got bored .. more will follow later .. this was just the 2 nd class and I have apparently become the lifetime member of EFI (Equestrian Federation of India ) .. which entitles me to avail of the rising/ riding facilities of any society / club affiliated to it all over India …However on a more serious and parting note.. I enjoyed every moment of it!!! It was as if I was born for riding a horse (Horse – Dream away u NUT! The worse is still to come ..)
All Content including Pictures are Copyrighted 2006- 2008 © Shruti Bansal.
Copying or Using the content without permission is punishable and offenders will be liable for prosecution.
posted by shruti @ 1:54 PM
9 Comments:
At Friday, 10 March, 2006,
shruti said…
@quills,Geo - I really dont know how the comments got disabled ,.. i have managed to play around and enable it again ( phew! not too gr8 at all this thou )
@quills - yes its a lovely hobby ... and I took it up becos i have always wanted too .. i love horses ever since i was a kid .. the thrill of being able to control such a magnificient and beautiful creature and ride is is beyond anything i have known so far . Its a very fine sport as u have to perform with the animal ..synchronise urself with the rythm of the horse... unspoken understanding where silence speaks more ....also it teaches u patience and attention to detail ..2 traits in life which i feel are evry important ( I feel I am always in a hurry ..this hopefully will lend another dimension to my character )
At Friday, 10 March, 2006,
silverine said…
This is a hobby I have grand plans to take up but the grand plans have been just that, 'grand dreams'. Besides the school I know has only ponies no Horses.Bet you got acquainted with every single muscle in your body when it started aching! :P
At Saturday, 11 March, 2006,
shruti said…
@silverine - thanks lady for visitng my site and the comments .. Horse riding is like a panacea for me ..as far as the muscle pain goes .. human body has an amazing quality to bounce back and become stronger ..after the initial resistence ur entire body becomes more supple and strong .. and its happened to me be4 when i joined GYM 4 months back .. i could stand let alone jog on the treadmill for more than 5 mins today I jog at double the speed for atleast 30 mins and dont feel any pain at all ...my legs just got stronger... well bangalore has a very good rding school ..i read abt it recently .. u can try tht ..ponies will be unexciting ..dont go for tht ..
At Saturday, 11 March, 2006,
Mind Curry said…
@ shruti - i thought i had a comment posted here..now its missing!! who moved my comment?? :)
anyway am glad you got started and you are enjoying it more than you knew you would. i can sense the passion when you talk about it.
@ silverine - there are a few schools in bangalore. i almost enrolled in one last year, but couldnt get on with it due to exams. am looking forward to doing it some day though. 'grand dream' huh!
At Sunday, 12 March, 2006,
Padakkam said…
nice!!! i remember my first horse ride.. the horse starting performing its morning duties while i had mounted it and wouldnt budge... havent tried horse riding after that much.. somehow Cristopher Reeve comes in my mind when i think of horse riding..
At Monday, 13 March, 2006,
Geo said…
All the best with your new passion :_)
Nice post. Interesting... Horses’ comments were even more interesting ;_)) just kissin..oops kidding.... (u see, ‘s’ and ‘d’ are placed together on the keyboard)
Pls do update us abt ur progress, Jhansi wali Rani in the making...
At Monday, 13 March, 2006,
quills said…
Shruti, that's great. I look forward to reading more of your horse tales. I too love these magnificent animals. I guess the love affair started when I first read Black Beauty. The only time I have ever got to ride a horse though was back in the 5th grade at the annual Rose show in our city. But till this very day I am unsure as to who was more frightened..the horse or me. But I agree it was a great feeling although that horse only walked a few rounds.
At Monday, 13 March, 2006,
shruti said…
@binu - hmm just becos one horse was bad doesnt mean all horses are like that ... I am sure it will happen with some horse some day! he he .. kidding .. U will face resistance initially but they teach u how to make the horse listen to u ..
@ geo - old passion ...yes interesting na .. incidentally the horse knows it all.. and A n S are also placed side by side in the comp ..:-)
yep will keep updating if i ever cross the intial stage .. he he
@quills - yes I loved black beauty too..and felt so sad for her .. i love classics they being my eternal favourite ..especially Daddy Long Legs ,,
DO revive the hobby if u can .. the fear just vanishes ...
@ mind curry - yes who moved ur cheese ???? go find out .. u cant let it hang in ther like that :-)
At Friday, 14 July, 2006,
bhupesh said…
After you left,conversation between two of the horses overeheard... "Abey, tujhe maalum nahi woh kaun thi"- said your horse. "Kaun Thi yaar" exclaimed the next one.Yaar mere pardada nein Rani Lakhsmibai ki seva kari thi, aur and I am honoured to have The famous"Word Weaver" on my back..Mammmamia neigh..That calls for celebration. Do plate "chana" please...
Well Shruti you have narrated really well.The thrill of riding sends a chill down the spine.I still remember my first ride opposite Victoria memorial.my first and last ride..and it was quite memorable one.
Post a Comment
<< Home