Horses, Riding, Polo and Women

Horses and women have been a part of my life for many years. I started early with horses from a young age and honed my skill later in the military academy. I also learned horse riding polo at the academy, although I dare say that I was not a champion in this field of sport.

Horses brought me closer to women and after various experiences I have come to the conclusion that riding a horse can be a joy that almost resembles the conquest of a woman. My first experience of riding a horse was when I was in my sixth level. My dad, an officer in it. The Indian armed forces enrolled me with their influence in the local BSF horse battalion. After the initial aches and pains, I started loving horseback riding. I realized that I had a good vibe with my horses and understood them as they understood me. I realized that the rider had an invisible link with the horse. I realized this while galloping through hills and valleys in Mhow.

When I entered the academy, I had an advantage over the others who had just started riding. I was an expert rider, so the instructor gave me a lot of leeway. They left me alone for long periods. At the academy, our main horse trainer, a sergeant major, was an Englishman who had come on an English army exchange program. He was a tough foreman, but he gave me a lot of latitudes, since I really liked horses. He also introduced me to his daughter, who was blonde and as good a rider as anyone.

By a whim of fate, we were often together and when we rode we developed an intimacy that has lived with me over the years, in each other’s arms.

Sally (I’ll give her this name, not the real one) was also a wonderful polo player and that’s how I got hooked on the game. It gives me great pleasure now that I have played horse polo, as it is a game that was once the preserve of Maharajas like Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and the Maharaja of Jaipur. This was the most challenging term in academia. But all good things come to an end, the Sergeant Major was transferred back to England. Sally’s departure affected me and I never developed my horse polo after she left, but the riding continued. Even now, whenever I am in Mumbai, I ride at the Amateur Riders Club, Mahalaxmi and also in Singapore at the police academy. So, I stay in shape and thank my dad who forced me to learn to ride.

Riding has its overflow effect. The first is physical fitness and increased endurance. These two are the ingredients that drive life. I have been saddened that this sport is out of reach for 99% of my compatriots and only if one joins the police or the armed forces can one have access to horses and be a jockey or if one is wealthy. The last category has tons of money and some, like my friend Parsi, own dozens of studs. Some also have horse farms that develop racehorses. I have ridden a few and I can say that riding a racehorse requires greater skill, as the horse, once galloped, can only be mastered by a skilled rider. It can also be dangerous, as seen when a horse threw Superman star Steeve Reeves off his back and the big star broke his neck. Certainly this is a macho sport, but in my opinion the excitement is great.

There is a spill, as I have found that women are attracted to horsemen. I will not elaborate much on this aspect, since it is a personal matter. But if one has seen the Hindi movie “Zubieda” starring Manoj Bajpai as the Maharaja and Karishma Kapoor as their love says it all. A horse is a great animal, it feels the mood of the rider. I remember being in a bad mood at the Mahalaxmi after a fight with my girl and the great beast felt it. He refused to gallop and paced over to where my girl was on horseback. What animal, who can believe it?

Finally, a bit of stripping the soul. Horses and women go hand in hand. But this is a different game and there are exciting and sad moments. Sad when one of my friends, Captain Sangha, died playing polo after a fall and happy that some of the most beautiful women I’ve dated were also horsemen like me. The best was a royal date in Bhopal at an exhibition match.

Lastly, what can I write more about? I will just add that horses and women go together and I hope that many young men and women will be able to play this sport. India is the furthest behind and it is about time we caught up with the world. Let’s not forget those great Hindu warriors like Bindusara and Chandragupta who were great horsemen. For Hindu kings and warriors it was a manly sport, so let’s pick up the strings.