Learn to bathe, groom and gallop on horses at a weekend training camp for adults on the outskirts of Pune
Growing up on a stud farm in Talegaon, courtesy his late father who bred horses for the racecourse, Rohan More learnt to ride horses even before he could ride a bicycle. Not surprising, then, that the 37-year-old trains horses and coaches national-level riders at Japalouppe Equestrian Centre that he started with his mother, Lorraine, 20 years ago. Nestled in the rustic Sahyadris on the fringes of Pune, the centre derives its name from Jappeloup, a French horse that was considered too short to succeed in show-jumping, but ended up bagging a gold with his rider, Pierre Durand, in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
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Duchess, a Gypsy Vanner with her filly
The 24-acre campus is home to 57 horses, including 19 Gypsy Vanners, who are known as 'Golden Retrievers with hooves', courtesy their flowing manes, and warm, gregarious nature that can instill a sense of calm in a nervous rider. If you're keen to gallop on these affable creatures, sign up for a weekend adult horse riding camp at the centre organised by Pune-based travel firm, Black Swan Journeys. The camp is open to 15 guests above 18 years. "They will be divided into two batches - beginners and experienced. Both batches will be split further to ensure each guest gets individual attention," says the travel firm's founder Shishir Nikam.
More, who has won several national-level tournaments, will oversee the senior instructors conducting the riding sessions. Over two days, guests can undertake 12 riding sessions of 30 minutes each. He will also conduct demos on how to groom, bathe and tack up a horse (put on the bridle and saddle) before the ride. The camp also includes theory sessions, where guests will learn the technical aspects and etiquette of horse riding, besides brushing up their cowboy lingo. "We will cover topics like correct postures for riding and understanding the horse's movement," he adds.
Rohan More. Pics courtesy/Japalouppe Equestrian centre's Facebook Page
The two-night stay has been arranged at a basic but comfy dorm facility with bunk beds. Besides horse riding, guests can enjoy vegetarian and non-vegetarian barbecue and also interact with Kasha, Damru and Maggie - a dog, peahen and emu - who are part of a petting facility at the centre.
From: August 18 to 20
At: Japalouppe Equestrian Centre, Shankarwadi, Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, Pune
Log on to: blackswanjourneys.com
Call: 9146154074
Cost: '11,700 plus GST (excludes travel)
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