I will like to give you some details about horses, real horses (not the ponies one rides at hill stations!) so that you can understand some parts of this story better. I hope you will find it interesting, more than my falling which comes later!!!
I was the only officer in my unit which had close to a hundred soldiers. And it had a complement of 4 horses or rides as they are called and 96 mules. Horses were for riding by officers and NCOs for command and control of mules column while on a march in hilly terrain. The mules were meant for carrying ammunition and stores on special saddlery. The 4 horses included 1 ride A and 3 rides B. Allow me to explain this! Height of horses is measured in 'hands'. A 'hand' means a clenched human hand which is taken as equal to 4 inches. Height of a horse is measured in 'hands' form the point of withers which is just where the neck starts, to the ground level. Ride A must be a minimum of 15 hands which comes to 60 inches or 5 feet. It is meant to be ridden by an officer. Ride B is meant for NCOs and soldiers and is below 15 hands in height. Class and rank distinction? Well, sort off!
I as an officer was expected to ride the only Ride A who was named Salim as per the records. A huge chestnut colored animal, i was just a few inches taller than him at the point of his withers. Even to climb on his back fitted with a saddle was a challenge. And he was also a bit moody or so I thought. Because, other riders in my unit, NCOs and soldiers, good riders mostly Jats from Haryana, could ride him easily. To my credit, gradually, I learned to handle and ride Salim reasonably well. We all always rode in proper gear wearing breeches and riding boots. In a month or so, I became pretty confident. The horses had to be ridden and exercised every morning and evening to keep them in fit condition. Normally, I did my riding on Salim in the mornings regularly.
One fine day, my NCOs suggested that we take all the four horses a little more distance on the surrounding hills. I agreed and we started on the horse backs at a slow canter. Soon we were on top of a small hill which had a flat top of about 200 yards in radius. On top of Salim, I was leading as expected and the other three riders following me. We started taking circles of the ground at a canter. But after a few rounds, Salim took me by complete surprise and increased his speed without any signal or command from me. I kept pulling the reins but he just did not bother to my commands. And soon, he started going to the edges of that piece of ground changing to a gallop. I became very scared and realized that I had lost control of Salim. I feared that at any moment, he may just go off the ground and fall with me in the deep cliffs. And then I did something a good rider would never do! I took out my both feet from the stirrups and jumped off Salim to save my life!
As I fell on the ground with a big thud, Salim miraculously stopped running. Other riders climbed off their horses and helped me to my feet. I felt immense pain in my right forearm. It was clear that I had broken a bone. We were a few miles away from our base and the worse was, I had to sit on my horse to be able to get back and report to the military hospital. There was no other option! My fellow riders helped me to climb on Salim with some difficulty. One of them held the reins and led Salim and the rest very slowly at a snail's pace and we reached our base in a couple of hours.
In a few weeks time, I was able to attend my sister's wedding, albeit with my right arm in a huge plaster!
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