I went horse riding for the first time two years ago, in the mountains near Shimla in northern India. I'm a bank officer from Chennai, and I was on holiday there with my husband to escape the summer heat.
The ride was organised by our small hotel. A local man called Ravi, who owned three horses, took us along a trail through pine forests up to a viewpoint about an hour away. I was given a brown mare named Rani, who was older and, I was told, very calm. I was quite nervous, because I'd never been that close to such a large animal, and getting up into the saddle was embarrassing. I needed Ravi and my husband to push me up while everyone watched.
Once we started moving, it was much better than I expected. Ravi showed me how to hold the reins loosely and sit up straight, and Rani seemed to know the path perfectly. The trickiest moment came when we crossed a narrow, rocky stream. Rani stopped, stepped carefully, and for a second I thought I'd slide off, but she was completely steady. When we reached the viewpoint, the clouds cleared and we could see snowy peaks in the distance.
I felt a whole mixture of things. At first it was fear, then real trust in the horse, which surprised me. It's strange to depend on an animal like that. I also felt a bit proud, because I'm not an adventurous person and my friends couldn't believe I'd done it. And honestly, being up high, moving slowly through the forest in the quiet, was one of the most peaceful hours I've ever spent.