The equestrian competition in any multi-sport event is unique; it usually has men and women competing in the same category. It is also the only one that involves a non-human living being. India's success at the Asian Games - a team gold and an individual bronze - has revived curiosity in equestrian sports, about which most casual fans are unaware. Divyakriti Singh, who was part of the India team that won gold in Hangzhou, speaks about the relationship between horse and rider and what part her horse Mr. Adrenaline Firfod played in India's gold medal.
Did you go in expecting gold in the team event? What was the expectation beforehand?
Everyone dreams of gold. We worked very hard towards it, we believed in it with all our hearts. We were very confident of a podium finish, I would say. And the gold is phenomenal. I know a lot of people didn't expect us to do this well, but we were very hopeful.
You said horses have a mind of their own. How do you form that connection and relationship with your horse and how important is it for both of you to be in sync?
So the horse does have a mind of its own and we have to work together as a team, in the sense of horse and rider. How do you build that bond? You have a bond that is based on trust. How we build trust is that we spend the whole day with our horses when we're in the stables.
I get up really early every morning and don't have any weekends off. I haven't been home in two years. I do everything for my horse: from cleaning the boxes, taking him out for walks, grooming, cleaning, taking care, I do everything for him. That's really the time that you make the bond because they know that, okay, this is someone I can trust.
Horses are really the best creatures in the world. They will do anything for you. And they really fight for you. It's our utmost responsibility to have them as a number one priority. If you give them all your love, they will fight for you till the very end.
Do you talk to your horse like a normal human being?
No, you don't talk to it like a normal human being but you treat him like your sports partner. It's a mature relationship, you speak in silence. And riders communicate with their horses in some way. The horses always know how the riders are feeling. If you are nervous, it's for sure going to show through to your horse as well and your horse is going to be nervous. Horses sense everything; they can sense human heartbeats and can feel how you are feeling. As a rider, if you have nerves of steel and you can give your horse confidence, that's all that matters.
This was my first major championship and I had the pressure on me, but my horse really fought for me. It's almost like he, as soon as we entered the arena, he held my hand and said, okay, we will do this.
How long have you worked with him?
We're quite a new partnership. I got the ride on him in December, and we had a very short time because the trials for the Asian teams were ending on 15th of February. So in a matter of five days of riding him, I had to go and do my first selection trial. He really is the best partner I could ask for. He fought for me. He truly is the gold medal winner. All our horses are gold medal winners, and my horse is worth his weight in gold. How much does he weigh? I would assume 600-700kgs.
You said horses can sense your emotions and your state of mind. Does it go both ways?
One hundred percent. And then the responsibility is on you as a rider to give him that confidence. That confidence comes when the horse trusts you. If the horse trusts you, he will say, okay, I believe you and I'll just do what you asked me to do because I know it's safe.
Then comes the day of the competition, I go to my horse straight away in the morning. I take him out for a walk with a llittle bit of grass in my hand. I gauge how he's feeling, how he's doing, how his behavior is, if he is more attentive to certain things, if he is his normal self and if he's eating well.
For example, if he's a little more nervous in the morning or something, I deal with it in a certain way and he's more relaxed and I can take it easy and things like that. It really depends on a day to day basis.
Every horse is a little bit different. Like, if the rider strokes its back, that means that it's a good thing and it's okay. Some people just make a voice with sound or say "good boy" or something like that and it works.
What is your go-to method to help Adrenalin calm down?
I give him a little scratch on his neck, like a little soft pat and then he relaxes. Sometimes I just breathe out and then he also breathes out. I take a deep breath in and exhale. And then, I'm not even kidding, he does the same thing.
Does he get a treat when he does well?
No matter what the result, they always get a treat. He has his favorite things, like he really likes carrots, apples, bananas. No matter the result, they always get a treat. Now, after these medals, all our horses can have whatever they want, all the carrots, apples, everything in the world!
What do you call him? Firfod or Adrenaline?
I call him Adrenaline. Firfod was the name given to him when he was born. He was bred by a very famous horse breeder in Denmark. And he's a very famous horse actually. He is a Grand Prix horse and has won a lot for his Danish rider, who was riding him before me. He was already named when I got him. I love the name, so I've never thought of changing it. He's a very special horse and I'm very lucky to have the ride on him. I call him Adrenalin in the stable.
How did you get a chance to ride with Adrenalin?
That's an interesting story. When I first came to Europe I was at a stable where I was training with a different horse and Adrenalin was the superstar of that stable. He was the best horse at the stable, who had won the most and everything. I used to take care of him on some days by giving him his food or taking him out to the field and things like that when I was helping in the stable.
I started trying for the Asian Games and I was trying with another horse, but I didn't have the best rides with that horse. I was in a bit of a tough situation. I was telling my Danish friends the story and the lady who was riding Adrenaline - Helene Melsen, she's an international dressage rider from Denmark - said "Okay, you know what? Why don't you try doing the trials on Adrenaline?" And she gave me the ride on that horse. It was a really sweet story. And that, that's when the partnership began.