THE SECRET LIVES OF ARMY HORSES
It’s 7 am at the Army Equestrian Node in Meerut Cantonment and instructors are calling out to Jai, Jeet and Tarzan — “Kadam, kadam (Step by step)!” “Aagey badh (Move forward)!” Their trainees are all Army horses, each paired with a rider also from the Army. By the time they’re done, man and horse will be able to canter together in form, clear hurdles with grace and execute a set of skilled movements from memory.
Those are precisely the events that won three young Army riders from here a firstof-its-kind silver medal in the team equestrian event at the Asian Games in Jakarta two weeks ago. The win — by Rakesh Kumar, Captain Ashish Malik and Jitender Singh, with civilian Fouaad Mirza — is still all anyone here can talk about.
“I was watching it on TV at the cantt,” says Risaldar Dinesh Kumar, 44, a rider at the Node. “I jumped up with happiness when they won. We drove down to Delhi to pick them up at the airport, and gave them a grand welcome with garlands and an Army band playing.”
They weren’t the first — a total of 15 Army men have won bronze before this, since 1986, in the team equestrian events. There were individual wins too, a gold and a silver in 1982. The recent wins have been a particular thrill for the Equestrian Node, because their mission is medals.
TROT PROPERTY
There are Army horse training centres across the country. But the Equestrian Node at Meerut is the only one that trains show horses.
It was set up in 2001, and later came under the Army’s Olympic Mission wing, which prepares young talent from within the force for the Olympics. Army riders and horses that show exceptional talent are deputed to the Node to train.
The Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) eventually selects the best for international competitions. The EFI also helps with sponsorships. This year, for instance, Jitu Verwani, chairman and managing director of the Embassy Group and VP for finance at EFI, sponsored the Indian equestrian team, including their six months of training in France with the twotime French Olympian-turned-coach Rodolphe Scherer.
Trainers at the Node include international experts as well as experienced Army riders. The logic of the node is that there are few other places where Indians can afford to train in this field. And this formula seems to be working. Aside from the medal winners, several Army riders from previous batches have also qualified for the Asian Games.
YAY OR NEIGH
There are currently 14 riders and 28 sporting horses training at the Node. Daily drills start at 4.30 am and cover cantering (a controlled, 3-beat gait), show jumping (clearing fences and hurdles elegantly), and dressage (in which horse and rider perform skilled movements from memory). The facility has blocks of fences with mirrors affixed on them so riders can see their posture and correct it.
“We take care of our horses, they are like our babies,” says Lt Col Amit Sinsinwar, 36, a rider currently training here. “My first walk in the morning is always to the stables to check on my horse, followed by yoga and meditation.”
Each horse gets a cubicle lined with grass and fresh hay so they can sleep comfortably. There are fans for when it gets hot, and vets on call round the clock.
The horses get radio-therapy to increase circulation. “In bad weather, we have special treadmills the horses can use for exercise,” says training officer Lt Col Bharat Singh. There’s also an underwater treadmill with jet sprays, for hydrotherapy.
“A horse is just like a young child. You need to be careful in dealing with them,” says Lt Col Singh. “If they are being naughty, you reprimand them by using a slightly harsher tone. But you also need to show them affection; hug them, talk to them and shout encouraging words like ‘Shabash ghoda!’.
One of the few civilians who’s a regular on the campus is Ramesh Chand, 52, from Meerut city, who has tended the stables for 17 years. “I can take one look at a horse and know if it is tired, sick or hungry,” he says. “I felt so proud when the men won medals for the country. My favourite horse here is Wonderboy, age 24. He’s old, just like me.”