A visit to the Colombo Horse Riding Academy 

Like most kids, after watching Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron, I took a liking towards horses and ponies and immediately wanted one in our backyard. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't a possibility but I dreamt of horse riding for the longest time and finally got the chance to do so in Nuwara Eliya one fine day. It wasn't really a horse ride, more of a pony trot, but it was good enough for the time being. I had nevertheless always wished upon an opportunity to really embrace horse riding as life skill and today the Colombo Horse Riding Academy (CHRA) has given people like me the opportunity of a lifetime. 

If you too are a horse lover or want to add on a very specific set of skills, the Colombo Horse Riding Academy is ideal for you to spend your leisure time, getting to know six sturdy horses and ponies in Colombo itself! That's right! You don't need to travel out of Colombo to experience the country side; you can do so at Lake Road, Ambathale (15 minutes away from Rajagiriya and Battaramulla areas). 

Meeting with a few of these beautiful horses itself is a treat and the excellent choice of names would help you remember them even if it's a brief visit. I was privileged to meet with Queenie, Stormfield, Blackie, Ruby Rose, Buddy Sweetie, and Thunderbolt. They looked extremely happy and healthy in the peaceful surroundings and I was awestruck at how well they responded to those around them, especially Zoe Lawson, the head coach and trainer of the riding school, who gave me a detailed explanation and a tour around CHRA. 

Zoe, how did you get involved in horse riding initially? Had it always being a passion? 

When I was young, I enjoyed taking horse riding lessons in my home country, New Zealand. I lived in the city so I spent my weekends and holidays at a residential riding school in the countryside. There were over 80 horses in a huge farm, and very strict but amazing instructors. We did everything ourselves from a young age – morning chores, fetching the horse from the paddock, grooming him, feeding him, exercising him, washing him down, and cleaning all the equipment, every morning and afternoon. Unfortunately through senior exams, university, and for years due to my career I lived in several different countries, I didn’t have time to continue. But every night I had a dream about horses and riding, and of course it was inevitable to get back to it again. 

How did you come about the idea of inaugurating such an academy especially in Colombo? 

The facility was built and the horses were bought here by the owner, who is based out of Colombo. When I started developing the riding programmes about one year ago, the horses hadn’t been trained – in their previous homes, they had a boy pulling them by the mouth and whipping them to make them go forward, or ex race horses which knew how to run but didn’t understand what stopping means! There is one in particular who would turn around to kick you in the head. So I started from scratch. I spent about 3 hours every day for almost a year - in the hot sun and in the rain – training them to walk forward nicely, trot, or stop on command, so that they would be safe for children who are beginning to learn, and who want to ride independently. For me, the most important thing is that the horse is comfortable, and is enjoying the training. 

The horses and ponies respond to you so well; it's like you can read them? How did you acquire this talent? 

The horses can read me too. Sometimes when we are training, and I would like to tell the horse to start trotting or to halt, even before I give the command, she will respond. We read each other through body language. Naturally horses live in a herd, and there is always a leader, and the other horses are submissive to the leader. The leader puts pressure and makes the other horses move – to run away from danger, to get away from her personal space if another horse is getting too close, or to say “that’s my food, go away!” But unlike dogs who continually respect their alpha, horses give a little test every day by misbehaving, to see if their leader is up to the job. 

If there are kids out there, passionate about horses and horse riding, how could they join you? 

I’m trained by the International Equestrian Federation as a sports coach, so for those who have some experience already, I develop a lesson plan to build on skills. For those who are new to the sport, I let them spend lots of time feeling comfortable with the horse first, and we play some games and exercises to get balanced with the horse’s movement and how she behaves. Generally I take children from 8 years old, and our horses can carry up to about 70kg. 

How long does it take one to acquire the basic skills of horse riding roughly? 

It completely depends on the individual. As a coach – both for the riders and the horses – I learned from experience that the best way is the slowest way - building a solid foundation, being confident, and feeling happy and enjoying the ride. Sometimes parents will want to see their child do something which looks fancy, but I know that it wouldn’t be a true competency and would just give the horse an opportunity to get away with doing something naughty. There is a saying that you’re not a good rider until you’ve fallen off at least 7 times. But for those who just want a few sessions, generally you would experience getting the horse to go forward, to stop, and to turn. 

How tough is it to take care of all these horses? It doesn't seem like an easy feat. 

Keeping a horse in athletic condition for riding is not like keeping a dog or a cow which you can leave food and water once a day. From 5am every day they have an hourly routine, and there are a lot of supplies which we need to arrange. We face many challenges – in Sri Lanka, there is a lack of equipment, food, medicines and even good quality horses. There is only one farrier in the country that we trust to do the horse shoes. Because of the heat we only ride in the early mornings or evenings. If a horse is sick it is usually a very serious situation, and unfortunately vets are more likely to do more harm than good. There is a small group of horse owners in Sri Lanka and in Colombo, and we are grateful to count them as friends, as we all share advice and resources together. 

Any piece of advice to those who want to join you at CHRA? 

Please contact us and let us know about yourself or your child so we can recommend a suitable programme. We do individual or small group coaching sessions, pony clubs, and we can do school holiday programmes. Bookings are essential. 

Call : 0776852323 

Facebook : Colombo Horse Riding Academy 

By Eshani Seneviratne 
Photographs by Indraratne Balasuriya