HYDERABAD : The pandemic has not spared anyone not even the polo training clubs in Hyderabad which have fallen relatively silent over the last one year. From being unable to feed horses to working with minimal staff, these clubs have been severely hit by the pandemic, just like any other sport. But some say it has been the worst hit.
According to Munaf Taufeeq, the chief trainer at the Champions Horse Riding Club, the sport was the most affected as compared to others. “This is because we have to look after horses. We can’t stop feeding them. Whereas in other sports, they can simply stop the event,” he says.
Soon after the first lockdown, the club had managed to get back some of its students by explaining them the Covid protocol being followed on the premises and hygiene measures implemented. “We had also asked them to spread the word. But just as we started to get more new students, the second lockdown was clamped. We had to survive months without students and are now forced to start from scratch. All our staff have been vaccinated and are taking precautions, like sanitising the pads and saddles. People, too, have come to terms with Covid and are taking precautions,” says Munaf, adding that the club has 12 horses and 28 students. It conducts morning and evening sessions.
Echoing Munaf’s views, Samuel Remus, who owns Saddle Horse Riding Academy, says that the second lockdown only made things worse for them. Sounding helpless, he says, “I have 10 horses and things are slowly beginning to look up now. People have started to find us on Google and enquire about the training sessions. Girls are also showing interest. Prior to the pandemic, we had a good number of students, but it looks like things won’t be the same as before. We all have been through a lot of hardships in the last one-and-half years.”
Explaining why it has been exceptionally difficult for horse riding clubs to survive during the pandemic, he says that this sport depends on live animals, unlike other sports. “We cannot compromise on their feed. We have to feed the horses oats, which is expensive. As there were no students, we had no revenue coming in. I was forced to shell out big bucks from my pocket. Feeding and maintaining a horse costs around Rs 1,000 a day. The expense increases for grade horses. It was so difficult to source their feed.”
While he thought of ways to keep his horses alive, Samuel also had to think of his staff. “These people look after my horses; I had to treat them well. I could not compromise on on their pay either. Ultimately, I ended up borrowing money. These horses are close to my heart and I can never think of abandoning them,” he says.
These horses are also fed supplements, which too were scarce as factories were shut. But thanks to the Olympics finally taking off, people are now motivated to pick up a sport. “They are slowly showing interest in horse riding again. But, keeping the pandemic situation in mind, we have reduced the student intake from 10 to five per class. We also holding only one class a day,” he says.
The advantage with horse riding is that it is held in an open area where people can easily maintain social distance. “I got all my staff vaccinated and now people come here with confidence. Some of our old students have rejoined,” says Samuel, who can accommodate 70 students but has chose to train only 40 for now.
Meanwhile, there are a few clubs in Hyderabad which have been lucky enough to keep their heads above the water during these trying times. Reaz Ahmed, the secretary of Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club, feels that the pandemic has not affected them much. Even during the lockdown, the club has been able to function. That’s probably because they have an annual membership programme, wherein members pay a fee at the start of every year, which is used for the club’s upkeep.
“We have around 100 horses and most of our staff are in-house, even the veterinary doctors. We did not face any problems while maintaining our horses either. Speaking about the feed, we stocked up on it as soon as the pandemic hit Hyderabad. Barring for the day-to-day green leafy vegetables supply, we could source enough feed for the horses,” says Reaz.
The Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club has six members, who pay their annual maintenance which goes for maintaining horses. Now with the second wave waning, activities at the club are picking up.
“The response after the lockdown is growing day by day, and not even a single case of Covid-19 has een reported from the club. Now, outsiders are frequenting the club as they feel safe here. It’s like a Covid-free zone. It is all good for now,” concludes Reaz.