I’ve spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I’ve just wasted.” This adage sums up what life has been for 27-year-old Rina Reddy. As a depressed teen of 16, with no one to talk to, her days were spent in self-loathing. Things changed the day she mounted a horse, sat in the saddle and held the reigns.
“I borrowed freedom and gained confidence from that horse,” she recalls. Rina’s desire to take up riding professionally was cut short by a freak accident in which she fell from a horse. “The confidence that came with time spent on horseback and my tryst with depression then made me turn towards Psychology,” she says.
Years later, after working as a child psychologist, Rina’s twin passions—riding and being a good samaritan, found identity in Happy Hooves Horse Haven (H4), which she co-founded with her cousins Komal and Kavita Singh.
The city, with its long equestrian tradition, has several riding clubs, but what sets H4 apart from its counterparts is that at this two-acre riding club owned and managed by three women, horses are used to help heal mental illness and emotional trauma. “A client does not just ride a horse. The horse here is a tool the therapist uses,” says Komal.
For the past one year,H4 has used horses to help people overcome conditions such as amputations, anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,traumatic injuries, goal setting, confidence building and team building.
Equine therapy is still a niche in India, but is gaining viability. It involves trial and error, where you have to think what to do, reflect and then assess the outcome and re-work your strategy. “Horse riding is not the same as riding a motorbike. It’s not technology but a being that you have to work with. Like humans, horses can be stubborn and operate with a mind of their own. You have to understand them and work in co-ordination with them. Once you are able to win their trust, it boosts your confidence,” explains Rina.
The stables at Kompally have 16 horses, which are cared for by four grooms, who stay full-time at the riding club. Rina and her partners also spend six to eight hours daily at the farm.
Being animal lovers, the trio have acquired thoroughbred stallions, retired race horses and rescued ones.
“A lot of people reject retired race horses, but we have realised that these creatures have taught us a lot with their experience. Once you school them, they become excellent riding horses,” explains Rina.
H4 also has a very special member of the equidae family —Riya, a one-and-a-half-year old rescued pony. “She was creating havoc on a private property in Medchal, terrorising cattle and people, when the owner left her with us,” recalls Rina. Now that they have won her trust, she has become very gentle and roams around the farm. Another rescued horse Swaraj, a foal of Indian breed, was nearly dying when she was brought to H4 and nursed back to health.
“A horse reflects the mood of its rider. It gives the person and the therapist a chance to make new connections between behaviours, thoughts, and choices. Working with the horses has a calming effect, helping children to manage ADHD symptoms by slowly sensitising them to train their mind to focus on a task,” explains Rina.
The riding club, which has members ranging from a four-year-old to a 60-year-old, has several packages. Those looking to combine fun and fitness can also opt for a cross country ride. H4 also offers pony rides for children below six. The equine lovers insist that everyone regardless of their age should try horse riding. “There is nothing to lose,” says Rina. “If I live to be 80, you will still find me here riding a horse.”
What Is Equine therapy?