'I always wanted to learn to ride but it is very expensive in Ireland - actually I assumed it to be so. It is quite cheap here, 20 euro for a whole year to be a member and 7 euro per lesson. I loved riding from the first lesson. And when the weather is good, we ride in the countryside. That is just wonderful,' says Colleen Monaghan, a PhD-student from Ireland.
'I had terrible leg-ache after my first lesson!' says Szabi, a PhD-student from Romania working at the bar in the Club before starting his lesson. As a way of keeping overheads to the minimum, members volunteer to work at the bar. 'Sometimes it can be boring at the bar when there are not many people; on other occasions it is so busy that I am constantly on my toesÆ. Szabi has been riding for the past three years. But why horse riding? 'Well, I am too short for basketball,' he says.
Nina, a PhD-student from Russia did some horse riding as a little girl. 'I have been taking lessons here for the last six months now,' she says as she saddles Harm, a handsome horse. 'He is so calm and patient; he will let you take your time to saddle him. Horses are very intelligent - if they sense you are a beginner, they will play tricks on you! They can be quite mischievous.'
Indeed they can be; Kim, a pony, walks right out of the stable even as Monica, a PhD-student from Hungary is in the middle of saddling her. Monica raises her voice a little and Kim walks back inside. 'The younger, the stronger they are. Also, they are quite stubborn. They would like to do exactly as they please!'
Mirna Sunna, Twaio from Jordan is continuing her class after a long break. 'Every class I think that today is the day I will fall off the horse'. I love to ride Branje, she is so beautiful, I always ask for her. But we have to ride a different horse every week'. According to Nina, 'Branje is very fast. Just touch her and she wants to fly.'
The lesson commences with students riding their horses in a slow trot and progresses to galloping. Other events organised by the club are club competitions, inter-university competitions called Stedenontmoetingen (or city meets), longer outdoor rides, club weekends at a location somewhere in the Netherlands to ride and party, (inter-)national competition 'Haaksbergen', or helping at the Military of Boekelo. For more information visit www.hippo.utwente.nl.
Deepa Talasila
Harm, a handsome horse
