A man riding a horse on Amravati Road at Bharat Nagar Square. Horse being ridden at Ladies Club Square in the middle of traffic.

 

 

 

Nagpur’s roads are already struggling with heavy traffic, speeding vehicles and frequent accidents. But now, a new and risky sight is catching everyone’s attention. Some horse owners are riding their horses at high speed on busy city roads and putting other commuters at risk. In many cases, they are accompanied by friends on bikes or cars who record videos and click photographs while the horses race through traffic. This dangerous trend is adding another challenge to the city’s already chaotic traffic situation. A Nagpur resident who is also a horserider, commented, “This is a very dangerous practice for two reasons.

 

One being that horses are quite difficult to train as it is. Secondly, horses are sentient creatures. They have a mind of their own and if spooked, they may not adhere to instructions and choose to run blindly. If riding on a road with a lot of traffic, they may get scared because of the honking or flashing lights and run haywire. This could endanger the animal, the rider, and other commuters as well.” While he acknowledged that there are not a lot of designated riding spaces in the city, he also said it is no excuse to put yourself, your animal, and other drivers at risk. Rajan Barokar, a senior emergency medicine specialist, said, “I have personally treated a victim of an accident caused by reckless horse riding. I have also heard of other cases from doctors in the city.

 

The injuries caused by impact may be broken bones, sprains, twisted ankles, and may even be more dangerous like head injuries if one is not wearing a helmet. People have to understand that a horse is one of the only pets that cannot be restrained with physical strength as it is powerful than humans. It is only controlled by the mind and its bond with the rider. This practice of riding on roads must be curbed immediately, before more dangerous accidents occur.”