A common sight at The Farm, Semmencheri, is children queueing up patiently to feed three retired race horses. But not all such beasts live the quiet life after retirement. Most of the 40 steeds at the Chennai Equitation Centre, tucked away in Sholinganallur, are retired from the track, but they continue to be forces of Nature, speaking through their silent stances, telling tales of past glory.

“There is a lot of life left in these horses. Earlier, the retirement age was 10 years and now it has come down to eight,” says Dhruv Futnani, who along with his father, Kishore Futnani, set up the Chennai Equitation Centre as a trust in 2010 (it was formerly known as the Chennai Equestrian Academy, which was started in 1997).

The horses ranging from four to 24-years-old, are majestic in their beauty as they take riders around the three arenas — amateur, intermediate and the last, which is reserved for students training in competitive equestrian events. The riders are genuinely fond of their four-legged mates. A young boy gets a drink of water and gives a gentle spray to his riding buddy as the latter whinnies in delight.

“The transition to this life is easy for them. Usually they are retired on grounds of health, performance or age. Once we meet with the owner and trainer and look at their health records, they are brought here and given time to get used to the space. They get new shoes, and once we feel they are ready, they slowly begin training,” says Dhruv.

There is no blanket training regimen for all horses here. “Some horses are more suited for disciplined events like dressage and show jumping, while others are just natural fits when it comes to working with children,” adds Dhruv, whose horses have won at the Equestrian Premier League, the International Dressage Development League and World Show jumping and dressage challenges by FEI (the Switzerland-based Fédération Equestre Internationale).

Options outside the race track are plenty, and depend on the horse. Hisham Osman, a riding member at the Madras School of Equitation, explains, “Thoroughbreds are built for speed on the race track. Once the horses acquire an even temperament, they make excellent riding companions and work well with children with special needs. On the other hand, National or Olympic level equestrian competitions need a breed of sport horses who exude raw power.”

Under the open sky

In Auroville, the Red Earth Riding School helmed by German-born Jacqueline Kapur, gives a similar lease of life to retired racers. “I have 12 retired thoroughbreds, the oldest being 26. Once they come to us from the Chennai, Mumbai or Bengaluru tracks, they have some time to acclimatise to their new surroundings. Then we put them in contact with trainers, so they can acquire the skills — and most importantly, a relaxed temperament — to adjust to their new normal,” explains Kapur, who has been exposed to every facet of equine care since she was a little girl in Germany.

With the grounds spread over 10 hectares, the horses get plenty of time outside even when they are not training with young riders. “For me, it’s an endlessly gratifying experience to turn once barren land into a haven for riders of all backgrounds, and give these horses a second chance,” sums up Jacqueline.

While most retired racers have bid the track goodbye, some do go back. Be My Sunshine is one such success story at the Chennai Equitation Centre. She came in as Sunny Side in January 2016, with an average track record, but no willingness to even let a rider get on. But a new moniker and months of rehabilitation, did the grey mare a world of good, and the trainers helped her turn it around. Despite having spent 18 months away from the track and facing 10 to 1 odds, she won in the Ooty 2017 racing season, after close second place finishes in months preceding that win.

The eight-year-old now enjoys her time at the stables in Sholinganallur, surrounded by love, proof that every horse deserves a second chance, whatever form that might take.