Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Mounted beauty
Being the first in anything is an achieve-ment in itself. Leading your school walk, carrying your school flag, on horseback, then, is something that one must feel proud of. This is exactly what Nayanthi Perera, of Bishop’s College did.

She was the girl who, on the day of her school walk, led the group on the back of a black mare by the name of Shiam. “I have wanted to ride ever since I can remember,” says the laid back, chirpy 17-year-old. At a very young age she used to watch the horse races at Nuwara Eliya and tell her parents emphatically that one day she too wanted to ride. But she only got the opportunity to do so a year ago, after completing her ordinary level examination.

A member at the Premadasa Riding School in Nugegoda, owned by Suranjith Premadasa and trained under Sri Skandarajah, Nayanthi, who currently does not have a particular trainer, is skilled in the basics of horse riding and is now an Intermediate rider. The stages of riding are Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced; one graduates from one stage to the next depending on skill, experience and seniority.

Nayanthi is the second in the family of three siblings; with a sister who is four years her senior and a brother who is a year junior to her. She is the only one in her family who is keen on riding. “My mother is scared of riding,” she quips.

On the day of the walk Nayanthi’s parents were worried about her, as Shiam is known to be a moody horse. “I didn’t know how she (Shiam) would react to the shouting and beating of the drums, so my husband and I stayed as close as we could to Nayanthi and the horse,” says Nayanthi’s mum. Since they were not sure how the horse would react one of the stable boys was at Nayanthi’s side. “But, she took it up well,” says Nayanthi proudly. “I think she knew that she was on show, and she seemed to love it!”

“Of course there are dangers in riding horses because they are unpredictable animals,” Nayanthi says acknowledging that there is an element of uncertainty involved. But there is no reason to be afraid, she maintains, giving a few tips as to how one should handle the horse. “The main thing is to be the one in control,” she says. One has to keep talking to the horse, she adds going on to explain that while riding, it’s best to keep encouraging the animal with a “steady boy!”. It helps.

Nayanthi has had her share of frights but nothing has stopped her from doing what she loves. In fact, three horses (Fountain of Love, Casthuri and Shiam) have all at some point thrown her off! Thankfully she has managed to come out of these experiences unharmed, protected by the chest protector and helmet, required to be worn at the riding school as a rule to protect the rider in such an event.

In spite of their occasionally unpredictable nature and mood swings (which can be aggravated by the many knocks and bumps the animal receives when being transported from one destination to the next), horses just love being petted, emphasises Nayanthi. This is certainly true, I thought as I observed one horse at the school, by the name of Red Drum, who is in fact so fond of being petted, that when you get close to her she immediately gives her head to be scratched.

The horses at the school are brought down from Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. “Rain astonishes them,” says Nayanthi, as they are not used to it. Since there are not many flies from where they come, they irritate them but they can handle the heat as the weather is almost the same in Jaipur and in Sri Lanka.

Whenever she is free the riding school is the most likely place to find Nayanthi who simply loves being able to, “ride any horse I want.” The riding school boasts of 32 horses and so, for Nayathi, the choice is indeed wide. Cap donned and protective gear in place, a riding she goes. Her trainer, says Nayanthi, always jokes about the fact that she is like a ‘little tick’ on the back of the horse! That is the difference in weight between her and an average horse, whose weight is around 1000 kilogrammes!

Launching into a very brief ‘crash course’ in horse riding for my benefit, Nayanthi talks about the different speeds one comes across in horse riding, the trot, canter and gallop. The trot is like a fast walk and is the slowest of the three, she says. In order to manoeuvre the horse, one has to kick the horse on one side and it moves to that side. One should also maintain an ‘up – down’ rhythm while riding. To increase the speed one has to kick the horse on both sides and to decrease the speed one has to pull the reigns slightly and pull one’s body back slightly as well. When you pull the reigns hard the horse knows that it has to come to a complete halt. This sure is one young rider who’s well versed in the art of riding.

To test out one’s skills as a rider, he or she needs to go through an endurance test. This test is where you have to ride along the beach for 20 kilometres. After the first 10 kilometres the pressure and pulse of the horse is made a note of. One then continues riding and at the end of the next 10 kilometres the horse is supposed to have the same pressure and pulse it had when it started off. There are no qualifications as such to make the grade; it is mainly skill and stamina that is necessary. Poise is an important factor as well. In fact, Nayanthi says that her ballet lessons have helped her in this pastime. “It is not nice to slouch while riding,” she says reiterating that it certainly does not look good.

Nayanthi is still in her first year of A/Levels, and is studying English literature, economics and Greek and Roman civilization. She hopes to be a lawyer. She balances a few other extra activities along with ballet and horseriding. When asked about what she thinks of riding she said that it is enjoyable, and she maintains enthusiastically, “I love it!”

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