A Swim in a River

Ever since I was a young boy I have wanted to learn how to ride a horse.  I would always want to ride a white pony. I am learning now with Hyderabad Equestrians.

In January we went to New Zealand and I rode at Beachbrook Stables in Otaki. For our last ride we were meant to ride along the beach, but it was so windy we decided to take the horses for a swim in the river instead. Gill (the woman who owns the stables) asked us if we wanted to ride bareback. I was excited by the idea and we all rode bareback except for my Dad (apparently his horse had an uncomfortable back). We rode through the streets, along the beach and to the river by bareback.  I almost fell off when Rosa, my pony, trotted (slowly)! I was in shorts and barefoot and it was really nice to feel the horse under me.

Meeting Rosa

Rosa was naughty! Everyone and their horses got wet in the river except for Rosa. When I was walking down to the riverbank Rosa refused to go into the water. She would turn around and run back to eat grass close by. Once I was directing her into the water and she climbed onto a small island to eat the grass there! A man who was by the river with a horse even tried to catch her and bring her for a swim, but she still managed to escape.

Riding Buddy on another day. I was trying to make him stand astride the bar. We don’t have any photos from the river swim.

Finally, I rode my Mum’s horse - Buddy (almost white) - through the river. The river was deep enough that Buddy had to swim. I was amazed when coming back that the horse could hold my weight in the water.  It was awesome! We rode back very happy and content (although I was back on Rosa).

 By Sanjay  (aged 9)

Horse Safari in the Forest of Mountains. Matheran, Maharastra

This was the event I had been waiting for-from the day I first heard about the "Horse Safari in the Forest of Mountains"! I was excited by thoughts of the experiences I would have, but wasn't sure of the limits to which I could push myself. Naveed had Told us, " You will be riding on horseback, enjoying the nature around you, exploring forest trails. You will understand how the kings traveled in the past days. You will feel like a King! "I imagined us Spending our time walking , occasionally moving faster, but mostly enjoying the 360 degrees of nature that would surround us. Once the packing was finished I was ready to go!

Day-1: We traveled by train from Hyderabad to Karjat. It was my first outdoor adventure with people whom I didn't know very well. Even though we were all like-minded sharing a deep passion for horses & adventure, I felt apprehensive about the weekend ahead. I, Raj, Aldrin and Vamsee met at Begumpet Railway Station. Within minutes of meeting we started talking and laughing together. Poor Aldrin hadn't had any food before arriving and there was nothing available on the platform. He was hungry, yet excited for the journey and  he showed lethargy in sharing jokes. It was awesome to experience the bond that was forming. It was a nice moment. Finally the train arrived on the 1st platform and in the coach we met Ali and Ram. One more Equestrian, Umar, would join us in Karjat. At least that is what we concluded and, in his absence, discussed his riding as one of the first person to join Hyderabad Equestrians. We talked until 11.00 pm when we all decided it was time to sleep.

Day-2: We arrived at Karjat by 11.30 am, waited for the train for 30 minutes then traveled on to Neral, before finally taking a cab to Matheran. Despite being tired, we were excited to mount our horses. We rode across the mountain to the Bombay View Hotel, which was nestled in the hills. After freshening up, followed by a delicious lunch, we began our Horse Safari.

       We mounted our horses at around 3.30 pm, and began exploring Matheran's trails on horseback. The experience of pure, clean air, 360 degrees of "green", while looking at the world from the back of a horse that was standing at the edge of a 1300 ft mountain, and surrounded by equestrians, was exhilarating ..... Yes, I felt like a King!

       Eventually we started trotting, and unexpectedly the horses cantered. The trails were narrow and i left my reins loose so that my horse can run free - I wasn't afraid even on the narrow trails & sharp bends, only the enthusiasm to explore more. Surging forward, in sync with the horse, in the fresh air, was awesome and it took me to the next level of riding. We rode with the sun setting in the mountains then returned to our accommodation. I was tired yet excited that I would ride for the entire next day through this forest and explore more .... wooohhh!

Hill Points Visited on Day-2: Charlotte Lake, Lords Point, Echo Point and Point Louisa.

Day-3: Even though we had slept late the night before we woke early and walked to Porcupine Point (Sunset Point). Nature welcomed us with its beauty. The road was covered by tall trees, with deep valleys alongside, and views of waterfalls cascading at heights of 800 m to 1 km. Our entire world was covered by a fog that occupied all of nature. As the fog gradually cleared an awesome scene was unveiled. We spent around 1 hour at Porcupine Point, then walked back to the hotel .... freshened up ... had breakfast .... and started to ride.

We rode into hills covered with thick fog. We couldn't see clearly for more than 10 m and views of the deep valleys would suddenly appear beside the road. It was a great moment - riding horses that moved gently through the thick fog, with glimpses of big valleys. Experiencing the stunning beauty of the nature around us was The Feel of a King! We were all excited and so was Naveed to see how we were doing in the pics we sent him.

Each and every hill point had views down into deep valleys. Passing through them on a horse was one of my greatest moments and adventures. If something was to go wrong we could "fly" into the valley with the horse. So, we were cautious yet enjoyed trotting and cantering occasionally between the hill points. Whenever I was ready my horse was ready to go to the next level of riding and I would push the leaders Raj and Umar to go faster. Ali was behind us to ensure our safety.

After another adventurous day, we reached back to our accommodation, after a sumptuous vegetarian dinner we relaxed by the bonfire. Everyone was sharing their life experiences apart from riding and it was good to get something from everybody because "we don't have life long enough to experience everything on our own."

Hill Points Visited on Day-3: Alexander Point, Rambag Point, Little & Chowk Point, One Tree Hill Point and Belvedere Point.

An interesting, adventurous, relaxing and nature-filled day.

Day-4: Is it really the last day of our trip Safari? Can't we extend for one more day? These are the questions I had in my mind. We had limited time as we needed to start the journey back to Hyderabad, so we just visited Khandala Point. 

All of us had an excellent trip with the well-planned schedule and resources. Last but not least, the food served to us had an exceptional taste - every time. Such great hospitality .... such tasty food ..... it was LAVISH.

My heartfelt thanks to Naveed and Ali for organizing the trip and making us part of it, and I am looking forward to more .....

Hyderabad Equestrians

    (From Left to right: Aldrin, Vamsee, Robert [Myself], Raj, Umar, Ram and Ali)
Thanks a lot Ram, Aldrin, Raj, Umar, Vamshee for sharing this experience and making it so memorable.



                                                                                             By  Robert Immanuel.

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My first cross country ride with Hyderabad Equestrians

By the steeds that run, with panting breath,
Striking sparks of fire by their hooves
And scouring to the raid at dawn,
And raising the dust in the clouds the while,
Penetrating forthwith as one into the midst.
(Quran 100:1-5)

It all started with a walk. Thirteen horses lining up; moving out from the usual arena on the path untrodden and into the wild, on a muddy trail with lush green bushes on both sides, the fresh morning breeze fluttering the ears of my horse (Santro).

A week long wait was over and our patience had finally paid off. A chill went down our spine the moment we saw a glimpse of the scenic lake. Trotting among the bushes and splashing in the muddy waters, we finally reached the banks of the lake. We were all eagerly waiting for the next expected instruction from Naved, "Guys, now you are on your own!!" What happened after that is better explained by the above verse from the Quran than any human can express.

It was the moment, when for the first time, I cantered up to the brim of my satisfaction. Swiftly gliding through the grasslands, I felt like a man who has just been relieved from the slavery of this concrete world. I wanted to free my hands from the reins, spread them out and flap them like a bird; disappear in the infinite sky, escaping all the hustle and bustle of this world. Just then, my horse suddenly stopped as per Bahadur’s instructions.

I am glad he did because he brought me back to Earth. Otherwise I would have had a nice direct flight to heaven :D

We decided to take a break and feed the horses some juicy red carrots. But our horses seemed more interested in eating the lush green grass beneath the blue sky.

I saw Dash and Timothy trotting in the shallow waters, so I tried to take Santro too but he was really scared to step in.

Soon, the sun was gleaming high in the sky. Everyone seemed to be enjoying in the glory of sunlight but it was time to return. A final canter in the warrior style; holding reins in one hand and nothing in the other. Wish I had a sword or even a whip to make the moment perfect. :D

With a heavy heart but with a hope to return soon, we left that scenic place and retreated back to the stable.

For the first time in my life, I am in love with an animal and am glad that it is a horse.

I would like to conclude with a few lines from one of the famous poems of Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
I looked down one as far as I could
Then took the other, as just as fair,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

My hearty thanks to ‘Cavalry Leader’ Nvd Khan and all other venturous friends without whom this adventurous trail ride would not have been possible.
Let us go for one more...

(Contributed by Umar Maniar)

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