Horse power!

HOLD YOUR breath, and your racing thoughts. If you have a sense of adventure, and if you like to go about exploring Nature's bounty in and around Chennai, Velkom Equestrian Center is the right place for you.

Velkom teaches you all about riding. Successful for over a year now, the center has students, especially young riders who show promise and are eager to participate in equestrian events throughout the country.

Advanced riders have the option of "jumping lessons, riding within the premises or hacking (riding outdoors) along adventurous trails that are the backdrop of the ranch. All lessons are booked in advance. The classes are open to adults and children above the age of five.

Eco-friendly coconut thatch in a framework of casuarina and eucalyptus logs are used for the stables. This natural material keeps the stables cool, especially during summer. There is also a well-equipped tack room with saddles, bridles and equipment. Helmets, whips and chaps are also provided.

The shaded enclosures for riders and visitors to relax is quaint with mix-and-match furniture, paintings of horses and horse- riding activities. Informative books on horse-keeping, riding, jumping and a host of other magazines and books are also available. For the amateur photographer, subject material is available in abundance - be it Nature or wildlife.

Frequently spotted are the kingfishers, woodpeckers, cranes, hawks, parrots, owl, silhouettes of a pack of red foxes after their prey, the wild rabbits.

Aesthetically designed, the center, off East Coast Road, functions from Tuesday to Sunday. The timings are - 6-30 a.m. to 8-30 a.m. and 4-30 p.m. to 6-30 p.m. The fee is Rs. 2,000 for eight lessons, each of a one-hour duration. Contact: 8279580.

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